Congratulations to Kathryn Knuttila, the new Miss Minnesota 2010. You deserved it, Girl!

Quality of Life Award recipient-Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Twin Cities

Preliminary Talent Winner-Siri Freeh, Miss West Metro

Preliminary Swimsuit Winner-Lexy Okeson, Miss Northwest

Top Ten:
Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Twin Cities
Siri Freeh, Miss West Metro
Lexy Okeson, Miss Northwest
Aja Majkrzak, Miss South Central
Lauren Johnson, Miss Brainerd Lakes
Bethany Beniek, Miss Moorhead
Kaylah Dockter, Miss Capital City
Samantha Philippi, Miss Mankato
Allison Lordbock, Miss Coon Rapids
Liz Abbas, Miss City of Lakes

Top 5:
Winner-Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Twin Cities
1st Runner Up-Siri Freeh, Miss West Metro
2nd Runner Up-Samantha Philippi, Miss Mankato
3rd Runner Up-Lauren Johnson, Miss Brainerd Lakes
4th Runner Up-Allison Lordbock, Miss Coon Rapids

Congratulations to the new Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2010, Katarina Akridge! Welcome to the MMOT sorority!

Yesterday, 12 young women with beauty, brains and talent from across the state of Minnesota competed for the title of Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen. The competition was impressive!

The results:

Congratulations to Alida Fowler, Miss Congeniality.

Congratulations to Victoria Haler, Overall Evening Gown winner.

Congratulations to Bailey Wachholz, Community Service winner and 2nd runner up.

Congratulations to Paige Meyer, Overall Interview winner and 1st runner up.

Congratulations to Katarina Akridge, Overall Talent winner and Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2010.

And finally, congratulations to our very first Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Princess, Melanie Clark!

Melanie will be joining Katarina on her trip to Orlando, Florida to compete for the title of Miss America's Outstanding Teen. For more information about the Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen Organization, visit http://www.missminnesota.org/teenindex.html

(Below: 1. Miss MN's Outstanding Teen and her Princess; 2. MMOT contestants)

Trevor's graduation was this past weekend. Class of 2010! We had a big open house party for him at my home in Dassel on Saturday. Over 100 people came to eat our delicious chicken salad, turkey sandwiches, chips, sherbet punch-the works! Our older brother Jimmy flew in from Long Beach, CA to share in the celebration as well. We were so happy he could come! (Happy birthday in one week, Jimmy!--He'll be 40!) Trevor did such a good job greeting everyone. His actual graduation ceremony was at Dassel-Cokato High School on Sunday. His graduating class was made up of about 200 people.

Trev loved having a weekend that was all about him, though he was quite exhausted by the end because 1) the celebrations were a HUGE change in routine for him, and 2) they required extensive use of social skills. Nonetheless, he did wonderfully! He is especially pumped about the cards full of money he has received. I called home (I'm living in Minneapolis and taking Physics at Macalester this summer) a few weeks ago and he got on the phone: "Mom wants me to tell you about my extremely great day! I'm filthy stinking rich!" That one made me laugh! I just called him a few minutes ago and he's working away to finish his Thank You cards before he and my mom go on vacation to Nova Scotia in a week. I am SO SO SO proud of my brother for his work ethic and, of course, his sparkling, humorous personality. He honestly works harder than anyone I know, and I come from a family of work-horses so that's really saying a lot. Trevor will be attending St. Cloud State University next fall as a part-time student. Way to go Trev!