Chanel!!!! not the designer, the puppy

Hello everyone,

look at her little white socks!

So, once again it has been forever since I have posted. I am going to try and be better about it now, so keep checking in after this post. I am officially graduated now, and I have my bachelor's degree in Political Science. Pictures from graduation will be posted soon.

Chanel at 3 months old

Upon graduating, I moved into my new apartment. Yup! That's right! I am living all by myself now...well not quite by myself. I have adopted a puppy named Chanel. She came from the SPCA in Vineland, NJ, and we think she is a black lab/beagle mix. But who knows. Jonathan and I drove over to meet her on September 11, 2011 and he bought her for me that day. She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

enjoying the car ride

Chanel is 6 months old now, and lives in luxury at my apartment. Well, maybe not luxury, but it sure beats the street she was found on during Hurricane Irene. It took her a little while to adjust, but now she is really getting the hang of things. Jonathan bought me a dog training DVD by The DogFather. Cheesy name, I know, but the man knows what he is talking about! She is doing so well with sitting, staying, laying down, walking without pulling on the leash, not peeing in people's houses, not barking hysterically when I leave, and lately even walking without me hanging on to a leash!! It is remarkable how quickly she is learning these things.

she did this all on her own

One of my favorite things to do is snuggle, and by golly she is finally starting to understand that. Now, when I get home from work we play a little then have a snuggle fest on the couch and watch Friends. What a great way to spend the night, right?! I am so thankful that Jonathan helped me find and get a puppy of my own. I do not know what I would do without her now...except maybe go on vacations and not have to find a dog sitter. I completely agree with those who say puppies are just like children. Boy is this preparation for the future!

snuggle time on the floor, Lady is on the couch

Two key points to remember, though, when transitioning from having puppies to having children: 1) you cannot leave a child in a crate for 8 hours while you go to work and 2) you have to clean up a child's mess regardless of if they "go" outside or inside. Heed these words of wisdom as you make the great transition through life.

Chanel in one of her sweaters

Until next time....

It's been a while...

Hello everyone!

Clearly it has been quite some time since I have posted. Seems as though fall and winter semester got the best of me. But I am back in action, ready for the spring!! A lot has happened since my last post so I will try to fill you in on as much as possible without taking up your entire day.

Well, to start, I made it out alive from my fall semester at UD. I took six classes and it was rough to say the least. However, it managed to be one of my best semesters GPA-wise. I guess I got in the groove of things and just went on auto pilot till it was over. The winter was very similar in that I was so busy that I didn't have time to slack off on my school work. I finished my first graduate course as well and managed to come out with a B+! I can't complain. I am hoping to graduate with above a 3.7 overall GPA...keep your fingers crossed!

My entire immediate family has celebrated their birthdays since my last post: Dad and Josh in November, Mom in December, and Carrie, Allison and me in January. Add Christmas into that and it was quite the gift giving time. So, I am finally 22. The other day a gentleman asked me how old I was, and it was the first time I got to say that I am 22. My mother informed me later that I made it sound so old, as though I had been 22 for a while, meanwhile I have only been 22 for 2 weeks. She kept my secret for me though and let it slide!

I had the pleasure of singing at my friend Dana's wedding in the beginning of December. She asked me to sing a french song by Josh Groban. It ended up being a huge success, and it was the perfect touch to her walking down the isle. Thank you so much to Phil Doucette, who taught me how to pronounce all of the French words, and helped me create a cheat sheet of all the sounds so I could sing the song and sound French.

The Meludees, the a capella group I am a part of at UD, had our winter concert in December as well. The theme: Candyland!! It was amazing!! Everyone dressed up as different characters and my good friend Neil and I were the dice! Now, you may be thinking, "There are no dice in Candyland.." Well, you are correct. However, it took everyone a long time to figure that out, so then we were supposed to be the cards...ummm yeah. So, we petitioned the group and declared victory as dice! So, we sent ourselves out on a journey to build cardboard dice using a box, scissors, spray paint, and construction paper. The perfect touch to all of it....black and white unitards!! Classic! If you missed that concert stay tuned to hear about our spring concert in May...

January was an exciting month, even beyond all the birthdays. The first weekend was Dancing with the Delaware Stars. I was honored to be one of the stars and dance with Bill Mitchell of Ballroom by Bill. We danced a tango that would knock your socks off! At least, I think so :)
It was a night filled with dinner, cocktails, and dancing. What could be better?? Although we did not win, I was so proud of what we performed and I am incredibly grateful to Bill and Alex for teaching me how to Ballroom dance. I also started my internship at Legislative Hall in January. Three days a week I go down to Dover to work for the Senate Republicans in Legislative Hall. The internship is through the University of Delaware and goes through the month of June. It has been incredible, and I am so excited to be working there. The Senators I work with are phenomenal!! Everyone there is soooo nice. I do research for bills, write letters to constituents, find co-sponsors for bills, and I am sure there will be even more things yet to come! They also allowed me to be the primary creator of the Senate Republican Redistricting map for the state of Delaware. Each caucus has one or two people work on maps using the latest census information to redistrict the current senatorial districts. Hopefully by June both the House and Senate, along with the Republicans and Democrats, will have a map they can agree on to present. I get to be a key player in this process!! This internship has got to be one of the most rewarding jobs I've held. It's running a tight race with my year as Miss Delaware. I think it just goes to show that even after you hold a title, there are other things in life that can make you feel important and like you are giving back to your community.

I also bought a new car in December! Bye bye Mustang, and hello Milan. I traded in my Ford Mustang for a 2007 Mercury Milan. It is all wheel drive and has heated leather seats, auto dimming rear-view mirror, side mirrors that defrost, a sunroof, and (my favorite) a built in GPS system for a head unit! No more sticking my GPS on my windshield only to have it fall off two seconds later.

So, I am back in the swing of things at school and starting off my final semester as a University of Delaware Undergraduate student. I graduate May 28th with my Political Science Degree, and I simply cannot wait. Last weekend I sang the National Anthem for the Kent County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, and a few weeks ago I sang it for a local Miss Delaware pageant. I already have several other events that I will be singing at in the next few months, too. So, if people try to say that titleholders are washed up after they give up their title tell them they are wrong. I am still constantly doing appearances, while finishing my degree. It's the best of both worlds, and I couldn't be happier!

Until next time...

150th Governor Ross Plantation Celebration

For those of you who may not have seen or heard, I have indeed dyed my hair yet again. I guess once you start changing it's hard to stop. I feel as though the sky is the limit. But I'm actually really liking my new hair color so it may stick around for longer than 5 months unlike the blonde. Nonetheless, this was my first appearance with my new deep auburn hair. It had just been dyed so it ended up looking black for a while. It has since calmed down, but the pictures from this event make it look incredibly dark. I kind of like it though...hmmm... anyway that's for another day.

I was asked by the wonderful Ron Breeding of Nemours to sing the National Anthem at the 150th celebration of the Governor Ross Mansion and Plantation. It was a great day filled with various vendors, exhibits, and even a corn maze! Unfortunately, I did not have the time to get lost in the corn maze so I figured I wouldn't even try to start it. Several people spoke at the opening ceremony about the impact agriculture has on our state. Our Secretary of Education, Dr. Lillian Lowery, and 39th District Representative, Dan Short, were in attendance. The handsome fellow in the middle's name is Caeden, and he was generous enough to give me his Governor Ross pin that you see me wearing in the picture below. Thanks bud!

It was great to see the excitement of the audience as I sang. One thing that topped off the whole experience was the true Sussex County flyover....a crop duster! After I was done singing, we looked towards the sky to see a crop duster give the National Anthem a proper ending. I guess there is a first time for everything. I can't say that I have ever experienced a crop duster flyover before. Definitely one to add to the books.

Of course, in true pageant queen fashion, I wore heals to the event. Poor decision! The entire event was in the grass and I punctured little holes everywhere I went. When I got in the van to go home, I realized I had a collection of leaves on my stiletto heal like a shishcabob! Gotta love the good ol' country. It was great to spend time in the fresh air and learn all about how agriculture benefits the state of Delaware and people everywhere. Thanks Ron for inviting me to such a lovely event!

Voting

So yesterday I voted and worked the polls all day in Dover. It was a crazy day, but I was thrilled to see that so many people turned out for a midterm election. Although not every race went the way I had hoped it would, I am still thrilled that people came out to let their voices be heard. One can only pray that they were educated about the candidates they were choosing.

It's a difficult dilemma, voting, because we always say that people should go out and vote, but what if they are uneducated about the candidates? I think the bigger message should be vote educated. Don't just vote because you remember someone's name or you are a part of a particular party. Vote because that person stands for something that you agree with and would be satisfied if they pushed legislation for it. I cannot stand people who complain but never vote, and I equally cannot stand people who complain after it was because of them that the particular person is in office.

It's tough to see so many campaigns walk away defeated, but I think so many wonderful lessons are simply in the journey alone. Great things come out of the worst of times and a light is able to shine its brightest in complete darkness. So although this is a rough time now for some candidates, I hope they know that it will just make their future victory that much sweeter in the end. Everything happens for a reason and I fully believe that. Congratulations to everyone who won and to every citizen that went out and voted! I'll see everyone at the polls in 2012!

Magnolia Heritage Day

So, a couple of weekends ago, on October 2nd, I had the opportunity to take part in the first annual Magnolia Heritage Day. Magnolia, DE is my hometown and my dad is the Vice Mayor. It was a great day filled with a parade (which I started off by singing the National Anthem), a brief history of the town, food, a dunking booth, tours of the fire company, and tons of fun! Plus, I was able to do a bit of entertaining for the afternoon. I performed Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood, Hot N' Cold by Katy Perry, Need You Now by Lady Antebellum, Love Song by Sara Bareilles, and My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. All songs I love!

It was great to give back to my community. It was the perfect day for an outdoor event! I am certain over half of the town was there. Granted our town population is around 250 people. But overall, I think it was a great success. I cannot wait till next year!

Miss NCC and Miss Diamond State 2011 Pageant

This past Saturday was the 2011 Miss New Castle County and Miss Diamond State local pageant. It is a preliminary to the Miss Delaware Pageant through the Miss America Scholarship Organization. As many of you know, I am both a former Miss NCC and Miss Diamond State, so this pageant is especially dear to my heart. I had the pleasure of spending the evening emceeing with the lovely Miss Delaware 2008 Galen Giaccone and getting to know 10 lovely ladies competing for one of these two titles.

It is always nerve wracking to watch everyone compete and wait for the results. However, soon enough they came and we introduced Jessica Tilley as Miss Diamond State and Steffi Holmes as Miss NCC 2011! Marcie Smith and Stephanie Bailey were the first runner ups.

In addition, I had the privilege of giving away a $100 talent scholarship to whomever received the highest talent score. Boy, was it a stiff competition for that one. The judges certainly had a lot to choose from in regards to fantastic talents! It was my honor to present the first ever Heather Lehman Talent Award to Stephanie Bailey!!

My new blonde-haired look confused some people, but in the end I think it was a success. I am still getting used to looking at pictures of me with blonde hair, but before I get too comfortable with it, it will be turning auburn for the fall and winter (so stay tuned!). It is definitely nice living a semi normal life once again, but I always enjoy the times I get to return to the Miss Delaware arena and help out the organization. Dineen and Tom, the executive directors for this local, have two awesome young ladies to work with this year. I know they will send them to states feeling nothing less than fully prepared for whatever comes their way in June. Good Luck at Miss Delaware 2011 Steffi and Jessica!

All my love...

Women of Faith

Last weekend I went to a conference called Women of Faith (WoF) with almost all of the women in my family and members of their churches. It was an incredible time filled with fellowship, learning, laughing and crying.

Unfortunately, I had to crop the weekend together due to an appearance I had accidentally scheduled that same weekend down in Dover for the Amish Country Bike Tour. But it was still a moving weekend nonetheless. This was the 4th year the women in my family had attended, and my second year going. There was praise and worship, comedy routines, skits, and lectures. Now, most people would think that an event like this may be boring with speaker after speaker. But it is completely different than anything you are assuming. The speakers there are witty, clever, and funny and they are some of the best orators I have ever listened too. They know how to tie in the funny little stories in life to a strong message about God's grace and mercy that really hits home. We bought so many books and CD's that weekend from the presenters it was unreal! I have never enjoyed learning about God so much in my life. They just really make it enjoyable, not the stuffy churchy stuff most people would expect.

Like I said, I also had an appearance as the former Miss Delaware at the Amish Country Bike Tour in Dover. I have never seen so many bicyclists in my life all in one place. Some of them were going to be riding 100 miles!!! Are they crazy?? I get tired driving 100 miles. I wish I was in that kind of shape. I had the honor of being asked to sing the National Anthem to kick off the event. Before Mayor Carey shot the starting gun they had a tribute to the victims of 9/11. It is nice to see that so many people still remember the magnitude of that event and how it still effects us today. It is so easy to forget sometimes with as busy as our lives can get. After that, the bikers were off, and I was off to Philadelphia for more WoF. Thank you Linda Kurtz for asking me to participate in such a great event. It is nice to know people still remember me. It is still a little weird to hear myself called the "former" Miss Delaware.

The whole weekend was a time of self searching for me. Who am I? What is God calling me to do with my life? How do I deal with this change from being Miss Delaware to a college student? Just when it seemed like the world was crashing in on me, I was pulled to safety thanks to this weekend. This conference can really change your life. I encourage every woman to look it up and see when it is coming near you. You won't regret that you went!

I also had the opportunity to help the life of a child in need thanks to an organization called World Vision. They have partnered up with WoF, and have cards of several children in need available to choose from if you are able to help. During the conference, they had mentioned that some children are called "Last Chance" children. That really intrigued my mother and me. At the age of 13 these children can no longer be in the program due to the magnitude of need throughout the world. So for the group of kids who are 12 years old, this is their last chance to get a sponsor. So we went down to the booth to look at the Last Chance pile of cards. She took one to sponsor and I took one to sponsor. Jonathan has graciously decided to sponsor my child with me. Our child's name is Haominlen, but I like to call him Hao. He is from India and has 5 siblings and only a mother to take care of all of them. He loves playing soccer, which I love too, and looks like he has so much more to give to the world if he only had the chance. So, for $35 a month we can give him health care, food, water, education, and opportunities to benefit his community. We are so excited to share the love of God with this child and impact his life forever.