The countdown has begun! Don't forget to check out www.mrsfloridaamerica.com for pageant details!

Also, since it is OSCAR DAY....my sponsor, ELizabeth Grant International is once again part of the festivities! Check out www.elizabethgrant.com and the Torricelumn Girl blog spot for updates. I am sure you will find some pictures of your favorite celebrities there!

Much love to all-

Deanna

Our last stop was Ireland. I am hoping for a little luck of the Irish on March 17th! We spent a few days in Dublin. We saw the Dublin Castle, St.Patrick's Cathedral and the Guiness Brewery. A common theme throughout Europe are castles and beers! The weather was great and Mom & Dad Linz need a vacation from vacation!

Hello family & friends-

It's been crazy lately but all in a good way. Andy and I have been taking advantage of some travel opportunities and spending time with family and friends. After a short stint in Amsterdam with Christine and our military ball, my in laws came over for a holiday. The journey started in Bavaria. This is the location of one of the Ludwig Castles...aka...Neuswanstein Castle. This is the castle the Disney Castle was modeled after. It was beautiful and the day could not have been better. The story goes King Ludwig broke Bavaria in the building of this castle. Not all rooms were completed and he mysteriously died after only living in the palace for 172 days. I have attached some pictures of the outside. We were not allowed to take pictures inside. http://www.neuschwanstein.com/english/castle/ludwig/index.htm

The next stop was Prague. What a beautiful city. The Architecture was beautiful. We visited the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. There is a tower standing on each end of the bridge. Both the Staroměstská věž on the Old Town end and the Malostranská věž on the Malá Strana end can be climbed for a view of Prague and the bridge from above.

Baroque statues (a total of 30) began to be placed on either side of Charles Bridge in the 17th century. Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Lapidarium. The most popular statue is probably the one of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed during the reign of Wenceslas IV by being thrown into the Vltava from the bridge. The plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by countless people having touched it over the centuries. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague. I rubbed the stature a lot!;))))))

We then decided to take in a little German Fasching. This is Germany's Marti Gras. This was nothing like I expected. There were people young and old dressed in costume. This is actually a national holiday in Germany!

Hello-

As some may know, my sister is going through chemo for breast cancer. Her spirits are great. I wanted to extend a special thanks to I Love My Attitudes Studios in Dunedin, Fl. The owner, Sheila, also works with the Look Good, Feel Better organization. They have been wonderful in helping my sister in both her spiritual recovery and also have a great selection of wigs. The seminar was an amazing inspiration for her.

Thank You!

Hello-

I wanted to do a quick update. We had our first mandatory rehearsal this past Saturday in Orlando. This is the first time I have gotten to meet all of the contestants. WOW! What a group of ladies. ALL beautiful and ALL thin! As I said to my husband, swimsuit is anyone's game. I can tell a lot of us worked really hard and it showed! There were some amazing women ranging in all ages and all heights. I think we run from about 5'1-6'0. The production is going to be amazing. Linnea and her team have done a fabulous job with the Choreography. Leeanne Bishop, Mrs. Florida America 2000 was there also as was Evie. Leeanne is BEAUTIFUL and really funny. I can definately see how she won. If it is possible, she is even prettier today than she was 7 years ago!

There are 22 of us and I did get to speak to a few of the ladies. Mrs. Lutz is a doll.Her husband plays for the Devil Rays. Jamie is just as beautiful on the inside as out. Also, funny. Monique, well Barbie could have been modeled after her. Really, there is not a single lady that would not wear the crown with pride and represent the sunshine state well and I could go on and on about each and every one of them! All I can say is that pictures do not do ANY of the ladies justice.

There are quite a few returnees which speaks volumes of just what a wonderful experience this is!

My nerves are building and hope to make my family and friends proud. I will do my best! Even to be there is an honor!

Deanna

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam


Royal Palace, Amsterdam


Christine arrives in Germany!


Happy Monday family & friends!

YEAH COLTS!!!!! SUPERBOWL CHAMPS! Once a Dungy fan, always a Dungy fan! He did build the Tampa Bay Bucs Superbowl team ;)

Just a few updates...

This past week has been busy. The next few weeks will also hold the same excitement. The 40th Engineer Brigade Ball, Baumholder Germany was held last weekend. This was the first event since the the soldiers return home from Iraq. It was a very nice event as they also took the time to recognize the soldiers we lost serving in the War on Terror. The most moving part of the event was the single table set up in the corner with a single candle lit and the glassware turned upside down. This is set up to recognize the fallen soldier who is no longer with us. I continue to feel blessed to be amoung the military community and incredible humbled by the strength,service, courage and intergrity of those who serve. God Bless America....

We toured Amsterdam the following day. The architect was beautiful. This was my first visit and I have to say, I was at times left speechless. Yes, I have led a very sheltered and clean life and I found myself wanted to tell the ladies to close the blinds...WE CAN SEE YOU or start a group to "SAVE THE WOMEN IN THE REDLIGHT DISTRICT" You can be so much more! Ok...wasn't well recieved;) We toured the Heinken Brewery and Anne Frank House (photos were not allowed). The Van Gogh museum is also located in Amsterdam.I have attached a few pics.

I am excited that this Saturday I get to meet all of the beautiful ladies who are competing for the title of Mrs. Florida America 2007!!!!!! It is hard to believe the pageant is a month away! It is on St. Patty's Day!!!!!!!

In closing, a VERY big THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE to 1SG Fredrick Whitehead who retired after 24 years of service. Andy's command would not have been the same without you. Good luck to you and your beautiful family! God speed!

Deanna