Hey everyone!
It is so hard to believe that almost a week has gone by - time has been flying by! Just to share some of my thoughts...I love Mobile - the weather is fantastic, there is amazing food, and everyone is so sweet here! I've loved all of the events we have been involved with; they really assimilate us into the welcoming Mobile community.
So far we have been to a luau at the retirement center (Gordon Oaks) which was a blast! Not only were there incredible decorations and a giant palm tree made of fruit, but there was an actual pig (cooked) with a top hat and sunglasses! The seniors really seemed to love to have us dancing and we all had an amazing time singing and dancing...
On Thursday of this week we had our Day of Caring. The fifty of us girls split up into three different groups: Habitat for Humanity, Camp Smiles, and to an emporium. I went to Habitat for Humanity and with the help of many other girls painted two houses that morning. We met some of the people who would be moving into the houses and learned about the criteria for qualifying for a house through Habitat for Humanity (such as you need to put in several hundred hours of work on it yourself). We later took tours of some houses and learned how the houses are built differently in order to stand up better against hurricanes. We then had rehearsal all afternoon and then at night we had a picnic with our host families! There I had my first Moonpie (a mini chocolate one) and I thought it was fabulous (loved the marshmallow!!) It was so much fun to be dancing and eating with our host families and our state sponsors.
Today seemed to be the longest day yet: touring college, rehearsal, girl scouts, rehearsal, parade, and prom! First, we went to the University of South Alabama (U.S.A. - and yes, their colors are red, white, and blue!) We had an amazing breakfast and then were able to tour the campus and see all of the programs it offers as well as the benefits of considering the school. It seems like a great option for many girls and one girl will already be attending as a freshman next year.
After revealing our show to approximately 250 girl scouts who came to watch our rehearsal, as well as eating lunch with all of them, we went back to the second half of rehearsal for the day. We then went to the Mardi Gras parade which was marvelous! The floats were beautifully constructed and Norma (Alabama) and I were able to stand on top towards the back. It was shocking how smoothly the parade went by (as it had been thrown together in 1 week) and the parade's elaborate style was amazing. The costumes...the floats...the throw-items...and the people were all wild! We all loved being able to throw Mardi Gras necklaces, candy, and Moonpies at the crowds - although we ran out of items quickly! (The parade was about an hour long!)
We left the parade later than expected and sped back to the church (where rehearsals are held and our prom products were being held). We had TEN MINUTES to get ready for prom (after being sweaty and dirty from the floats and rehearsal) and rushed over to Mobile's art museum (late) for our prom. We all seemed to have a great time with great music and dancing. Us girls performed the opening number of the competition for the guys, and in turn, they all sang Backstreet Boys songs for us - it was all so sweet!
Tomorrow I look forward to the autograph session at the mall...I'll be sure to write afterwards!
In the Spirit of Junior Miss
~Lauren Morrissey :]
