Our 1st Water Carnival!

Do you know what the Water Carnival is???  Well you might not, especially if you don't live around Brookhaven.  Let me give you a quick history and then I will get into how it involves us... Lily Kate!  The Lincoln County Lion's Club Water Carnival was started waaaaay back when, and it was originally a swim suit contest that was held at Brookhaven's public pool.  It is a fund raiser for our Lion's Club and is still a huge event even to this day.  Well as times have changed, so have some of the details of the Water Carnival.  Here are a few of the changes: 
1. It's no longer held at a pool, but now at our (indoor) Multi Purpose Building. 
2. It's no longer all swim suits.  Currently, ages 1 thru 12 wear swim suits, and ages 13 thru 20 wear evening gowns.  I am sure you can guess why the older ones no longer are allowed to wear swim suits...
3. It's no longer called the Water Carnival.  Boo hoo!  It's now called a Beauty Pageant.  This really makes me sad because the name Water Carnival sounded so much more fun and not such a competition.  I don't want anybody judging my baby's beauty -- I already know she is beautiful!

Anyway, enough with all of that.  This is the first year that Lily Kate has been able to participate -- yay!!!  I had to kinda talk Taylor into it.  He didn't quite understand why I thought it would be so much fun, and really didn't like the beauty pageant name either.  But he cooperated and ended up seeing how much Lily Kate and I enjoyed it. 

Well it all starts with trying on swim suits at the pageant shop.  Lily Kate, Gage, Ella, Haley (babysitter lifesaver!!!) and I went one day to take pics for the programs (Water Carnival Program and Brookhaven Academy Football program) and to try on suits.  The pics didn't go too bad.  I thought Gage would be a pill, but he was great.  And Ella and Lily Kate smiled so pictures didn't take that long either. 

Then it was off to try on suits.  We spent 3 1/2 hours trying them on... oh my.  Thank goodness for Haley, because I could not have handled it by myself!!!  Gage was actually good...  and we found Ella a swim suit... BUT not Lily Kate.  They were all waaaaaay to gaudy for her little body.  So, the sweet ladies helped me design one and they made it for her.  FUN!  I got to pick out every detail!  When we were finally through, we went and ate lunch and went to Janie's for a cookie.  Hey, as good as these kids were I thought they deserved that!

So now for the night of the Water Carnival (this is what it will always be called to me!).  Lily Kate was in the 1st division (must be 1, not yet 2 years old).  You will see for yourself in the video, but Little Miss Lily Kate was a natural!  She loved the stage!  She was having a melt down 2 seconds before we went on, but you would never be able to tell it by how happy she was when she was on stage!  I was so proud of her to have had such a good time.  Ok, take a minute to watch the video and then I will finish the story!

I told ya!  Wasn't she just oh-so-cute and happy!  Well the story continues!  After everybody got to model, they did the group review and Lily Kate loved that as well.  Then it was time for the winners:

4th Runner up -- Milly Ann Grice.  Yay Milly Ann!  This is one of Lily Kate's friends, and her grandmother works with us!

3rd Runner up -- Lanie Grace Smith.  Yay, she was so cute!

2nd Runner up -- Linley Reid.  Yay Linley!  Her mom and I have been friends for years!

1st Runner up -- Lily Kate Gibson!!!  YAY!!!

Winner -- Addyline Brown.  Yay!

And let me just add that Taylor had a huge grin on his face!  He was on the front row so I could see it from the stage!  All the girls in their group were soooo cute, I know it was hard to narrow it down!  Here are a few pics:

Sorry the pics and video aren't that good.  The lighting in there was horrible!!!  I ended up ordering some pics from the professional photog and will share those as soon as I get them!

And Ella was in the 5 & 6 year old division.  This is her 3rd year to participate.  She has never placed, but she looooooves getting out there on that stage.  This year was a bit different.  Haley and her sister worked with Ella on how to model and show some personality.  Ella walked out on that stage and she owned it!  She did such a good job.  I don't remember all of the winners for her group, but Ella got 1st Runner up!!!  Yay my Ella boo! 

I can't wait until next year.  I will not make Ella or Lily Kate participate, but I sure hope they want to!!!  Green Pea will be participating the following year, because she will miss next years deadline by about 2 weeks...

So congrats again to Lily Kate and Ella -- both won 1st runner up!!