I am humbled and elated to sit here (at 3:30am) to write to you as Miss Michigan 2008.  Tonight has truly been a whirlwind, and I am beyond grateful for the outpour of support you all have shown me.  As I walked into the theater today for one last time this year, I was at such an ease putting fate in God's hands.  I have always strongly believed that everything happens for a reason, and I was at peace with the path that was soon to be chosen for me.  I am extremely honored to represent the other 26 AMAZING contestants from this year's Miss Michigan pageant.  I truly believe our state has some of the most intelligent and talented young women in the country!  I am very blessed to have been able to spend a week with these exceptional ladies and cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for me.
 
Every aspect of competition went incredibly smoothly tonight.  When I stepped foot onto that stage, I did not even have to fight back nerves because I wanted my talent to be a selfless performance in dedication to my mother and soak up the crowd that consisted of my supporters with light-up letters that spelled out "ASHLEE" that my dad had hand-made.  The curtain rose and I had chills from the overwhelming support I felt from the audience.  It was a remarkable experience that truly set the tone for the night.  As the show neared its end, I found myself standing in the "final two" spot... to then hear my name called as the new Miss Michigan!  You can find pictures of my crowning moment on both the Miss Wayne County website (www.misswayneco.com) and Miss Michigan website (www.missmichigan.org).  To top off the night, Carleigh Rowley, a special young lady I have gotten to know was crowned Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen (my new little sister) and my dear friend Katie Lorenz was crowned Miss Illinois!!!  I can't wait to share the Miss America stage with Katie.  Timing could have never been so perfect!  As much as I would love to share more details, I need to get some rest!  I will be talking to you soon!  Miss America here I come!!!
 
Your new Miss Michigan,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

Wow, tonight was such an incredible show.  I had on-stage question and evening gown.  My on-stage question went GREAT!  They asked me how the non-profit organization "The Pink Door" helps surviving cancer patients.  I was able to truly speak from my heart... I felt so at ease.  (Julie - you would have loved it!)  Then I walked on stage in my evening gown, and as I made my turn to show off the back (or lack thereof lol), I heard the whole audience just gasp with awe.  It was the most amazing feeling to hear that reaction from the stage.  I love that dress, and I felt amazing in it.
 
Back tracking a little, the day started off with an autograph signing session at the mall which was packed with supporters!  Then we were off to play putt-putt with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Sophie (an 8-year-old) little girl was my little sister for the day!  You can see pictures of us in my photo album. From there we went back to the theater for a dress rehearsal of tonight's show, then rushed off to House of Chan to have dinner with our families.  After the show, I had the pleasure of spending quality time with my family and friends which has been such a nice closure to these last few days.  Today was quite an action packed day, but truly wonderful.  I can't believe tomorrow is already Saturday and this time tomorrow night, we will have a new Miss Michigan!  I feel so great with my performance this week, and I know that fate lies within God's hands. Everything happens for a reason, and no matter who's name is called off tomorrow night, I couldn't be more honored to have shared this experience with all of you who mean so much to me!  Either way, I hope to be back this time next year... either as Miss Michigan or giving the pageant one final shot as a contestant.  With that being said though, please keep me in your prayers and keep those fingers crossed that I will be writing to you next time as Miss Michigan 2008!
 
With love,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

Today has been such a pleasant day.  We started off with talent rehearsal that went very well for me, followed by lunch with the Rotary Club and dinner at Findley's Restaurant.  Tonight was the second night of preliminaries.  I performed my talent and received incredible reviews from those that were in the audience.  For those of you who don't know, my talent song is "I Run for Life," the theme song from Race for the Cure.  I feel so "real" on-stage performing that piece.  It is the story of my journey with my mother's battle with breast cancer, and I feel truly blessed every time I step foot on stage to dance the story of my platform.  I just think of my mom before I go on and all the butterflies go away!
 
I must congratulate Alicia, my Miss Washtenaw and Miss Wayne County sister, on winning the preliminary talent award with her vocal performance and Tiffany for winning the swimsuit award for the gamma group!  This year's pageant is full of the most incredibly talented and physically fit contestants!  I was blown away by the caliber of talent tonight amongst my fellow "sigmas."  As much as I would love to write in detail about today, it is almost 1:00am, and I have a long day tomorrow:  autograph signing at the mall, Big Brothers/Big Sisters putt-putt, dinner with friends and family at the House of Chan, and the last night of preliminaries (evening gown and on-stage question).  Alrighty...thank you to all my supporters!  You are amazing!
 
Much love to you all,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

I am proud to write to you today as tonight's preliminary swimsuit winner!!!  Can you believe it???  I am so honored and humbled to receive this award amongst the incredible contestants I shared the stage with.  Not to mention, I was the first contestant to ever receive the "Kirsten Haglund" Swimsuit Award which was named after our reigning Miss America.  I feel very blessed. It is quite a reward for all the hours I spent in the gym this year.  Hard work truly does pay off!  I have added photos from today to my photo album.  You will notice a picture of my head shot with the star next to it!  I have never had a preliminary award star so needless to say I was very excited to walk back to the hotel to see it!  You can also see a picture of me on the home page of the Miss Michigan site (www.missmichigan.org) as the preliminary SS winner.  Brooke took pictures at the show in which she captured my "shocked" expression when they announced my name which is truly priceless.  Those I believe will be on the Miss Wayne County website(www.misswayneco.com) shortly.  I can't begin to express how excited I am and what a huge honor this is.  I am also extremely proud of Kelsey (Miss Greater Grand Rapids) who won the talent award for the Alpha group.  She is a beautiful vocalist and was very deserving of the award.  With that being said, I better head to bed because I have talent dress rehearsal tomorrow morning at 9am, and I need my rest so I can dance well in prelims tomorrow night!  Thank you all so much for your wonderful support!
 
With love,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

I am keeping this really short since we didn't leave rehearsal again until 11pm, and I have to be up at 7:30!  My photo album is updated with todays photos of dinner with Ambucs where I was able to speak about my platform.  I will have more updates tomorrow night after preliminaries.  Thanks for all your supportive e-mails! :)
-Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

Today was a very exciting day for us Miss Michigan contestants.  We started off bright and early at Mr. B's Pancake House with the most delicious pancakes!  We are very lucky to have them as a new sponsor this year and today they committed to next year's pageant week.  :)  After breakfast we were swept off to rehearsal to work off those pancakes, and then some more!  My wonderful roomie, Melissa, gave me the cutest airbrushed shirt that says "Miss Michigan Roomies" in which we both wore today at rehearsal.  I think the other contestants thought we had lost our minds, but they quickly learned that we are just two peas in a pod!  We were then taken to the Masonic Temple where we met the Exchange Club of Muskegon for a luncheon.  It is always so incredible to hear about others' service.  I was able to talk with some of the members whom I got to know last year, which was a pleasant way to start off the afternoon.  Of course we were taken straight back for more rehearsal at the theater.  As long and strenuous as today was, I am very proud to say we have officially learned all of our production routines!  wooo hooo!  During rehearsal our wonder Miss America, Kirsten Haglund, came strolling in to give good luck hugs and say a few words.  It was so nice to see her again.  She embodies the true character of this organization, and I am always so humbled to call her a friend. 

After our second rehearsal of the day we then went to one of my favorite establishments... Red Lobster!  How can you not love their biscuits?!  Although we sat outside in the cool breeze and only acquired a few goose bumps, we enjoyed our dinner that Red Lobster so kindly donates to us contestants every year.  Now I bet you can't guess where we went after dinner?  Why of course: rehearsal!!!  We went back for our third rehearsal of the day where we met up with the teen contestants and were able to get to know the next generation of "Miss Michigans!"  Michigan sure has very beautiful and talented teen girls.  After getting out of rehearsal at 10pm we quickly came over to the theater to meet our judges!  It was refreshing to see them in persona and get to see their down-to-earth personalities!  It makes waiting for our interviews much more calming.  With that being said, I can hardly believe our interviews are tomorrow!  It seems like I have been preparing so long that it is surreal to think of how quickly it has flown by.  I feel more confident in my preparations than ever, so it is now up to God to put things into place as they are meant to be.  I truly hope to be writing to all of you tomorrow with news of a good interview!  Please keep your fingers crossed.  I will be in interview around 1:30-1:40.  So please keep me in your thoughts.  All I can say is I will try my best and hope they like me for me!
 
Best Wishes,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

I added today's pictures to my photo album!  We started off the morning with a cruise on Lake Michigan... then we were off to rehearsal to learn our production routines.  I included photos from the cruise and from Brann's Steakhouse.  I would love to write more but since we didn't get out of rehearsals until close to 11pm, and I have to be up at 6am; I am off to bed!!!  I will be in touch tomorrow :)
 
-Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

I am so excited to write to you from my hotel room in Muskegon.  Today has been such a wonderful start to the week. It was comforting to see my roommate Melissa!  Of course we started bonding the second we stepped foot into our room.  We exchanged gifts and she gave me the cutest airbrushed t-shirt with our names on it that say "Miss Michigan Roomies!"  I think we have it planned to wear our shirts together on Monday  :)  The other girls have no idea just how crazy she and I are.  You will definitely get pictures of those on Monday. To start it all of, my mom, director, and I all arrived in Muskegon yesterday afternoon to rainy Michigan weather.  We walked out from dinner and amazingly the sky had cleared leaving a beautiful sunny sky for check-in today.  All of us contestants ventured to the theater this morning for our annual picture in front of the Fraunthal Theater Marquee.  The lakefront breeze added a nice "wind-blown" effect to our photos!  From there we received our opening number outfits that actually fits me perfect! yay...  Then we went to Fricanos Pizzaria for dinner.  Today is our only day of leisure for the week; Rehearsals start tomorrow, and I must add that we got a sneak peek of the stage set for the show and it looks fantastic!  The theme is "Viva Las Vegas..." very appropriate given that the next Miss Michigan will be headed there for Miss America in January!  This years group of girls are very genuine and I think we are going to have a wonderful week with one another. Below is a link to a photo album I have created for the week.  Everyday I
will add to the photo album.  The album currently has photos from yesterday and today.  I hope you enjoy them!
 
Sending my best from the Lake Michigan shoreline,
Ashlee

Miss Michigan Week Photo Album

As you all know, I will be leaving Friday afternoon to head to Muskegon to compete in the Miss Michigan 2008 pageant.  I have been so incredibly blessed with the opportunities that have been open to me, especially this past year.  I am proud to say that Channel 4 (the NBC affiliate here in Detroit) has contacted me to appear on their morning show this Friday (June 13) for an interview about the Miss Michigan and Miss America Organization! Many of you watched and supported me throughout the traffic reporter contest and even though that job was not written in my path, the networking I have gained is tremendous, and I cannot wait to gain exposure for our organization through my media ties!  After the announcement of the new traffic reporters, one of the channel's head reporters actually pulled me aside and said, "If you win Miss Michigan, we want to be the first station to interview you."  I you could say this is a good start to the Miss Michigan week!  (Keep your fingers crossed that I will be back there is a week for another interview!)  I couldn't be more honored to have the relationships I have with NBC Local 4 and the Miss America Organization.
 
If you are in the Metro-Detroit Area, you can watch Channel 4 News as early as 5:00am on Friday.  I do not have a definite time of when I will be on, but I was told to be there at 4:30, so I am assuming it will be early on in their morning show!  If you do not get their TV feed, you can watch a live stream of their newscast at: www.clickondetroit.com/video/10671302/index.html  (If the link does not work, go to clickondetroit.com and click on the icon on the right side of their home page under "video" that says "Watch Local 4 News Here."
 
Remember if 5:00am is too early, you can always tivo/record it! ;-) Thank you all so much for your continuous support, especially throughout my pageant endeavors!
 
-Ashlee

This week marks a very special time in my family's life: my mother's 5-year survivorship from breast cancer.  I vividly remember coming home from school and being told that my mother had cancer.  The “c” word can send chills up anyone's spine, and I have been forever changed from that day on.  As I look back at the last five years, my family has had to overcome much adversity, but that is what makes today such a precious gift…my mother is a gift to me and both my parents are truly my heroes.
 
This weekend was the 13th annual Relay for Life in Chelsea, MI.  This was the third consecutive year my team, “Pageant Party,” walked in the Relay, and this year was quite a celebration – Congratulations, Mom!  We hosted my award- winning fundraiser, the “Pageant Prison,” which raised over $1,000 in 6 short hours!  Overall, my team raised over $1,500, and I want to thank every one of my teammates and friends who made donations and to those who came out and walked in support.  We far exceeded my team's goal of $1,000.  YES!  :)  The money we raised will help the American Cancer Society fund research that I believe will one day find a cure.  We will continue to relay until “cancer” is a disease of the past, because a cure is the true finish line!
 
The past two months have been quite a whirlwind.  Amongst finishing my first year of my Master's Degree program, I have been traveling all over the state with Dr. Pepper and Wal-Mart, as well as making appearances in Flint for Children's Miracle Network – Hurley Medical Center and our state capitol for the American Cancer     Society's Lobby Day.  Last week, I had the pleasure of taking a vacation to visit my family in Scottsdale, AZ.  It was 97 degrees and sunny everyday!  I was able to just relax by my uncle's pool, hike the mountains and needless to say, I dreaded coming home to 59 degree, rainy weather!  Good thing June is around the corner and that means “summer” will soon follow!  You know what that also means???  Miss Michigan week is less than four weeks away!  :)  I can't wait…