Home for the holidays

Part of what excites me the most about being Miss Thurston County is appearances around the Christmas season. It is a season of giving, friendship and community. I love being around community members when there is so much love in the air. The decorated trees and bright lights are enough to bring smiles to these events that I have attended.
On Thanksgiving I attended the Christmas Forest at the Red Lion Hotel. The people at the St. Providence hospital did a wonderful job at putting together this event. At Christmas Forest there was a display of beautiful and inventively decorated trees. There was a masquerade tree, a princess tree, a sports tree, even an upside down tree. I also came to this event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and painted children’s faces and did crafts with them. I had a great time with my little sister, Alicia who was my travel companion for this event. She is 16 and just got her license. It was cool riding in the passenger seat after all those years of driving her around.
In the passenger seat!
That Sunday I participated in the Olympia holiday parade. Although the weather was on the verge of rain and in the height of cold, it was a lot of fun. I got to ride in a new Mustang convertible GT with my pageant little sister, Mikael. It was so new it only had 20 miles on it when we got it. Thanks All-star Ford for lending it to us. We rode with the top down through downtown Olympia during the parade. I even recognized some of the kids in the audience whose faces I painted at the Christmas Forest kid’s day.


Mikael and I at the parade
The following Thursday I was honored to be a special guest at the Lacey Tree lighting ceremony. As a co-emcee I announced the arrival of Santa after the trees in Huntamer Park were lit. I was amused as I sat next to Santa as eager children came and sat on his lap.
Friday was the Panowics Jeweler’s “Men’s Night Out” which featured raffle prizes for men to get their significant others a wonderful Christmas present and enjoy some good food. I was able to be there to chat with the guests. I also picked the lucky winner of the raffle every hour. I greeted at the door with a few of the girls on the Tumwater dance team. They were a lot of fun and I enjoyed laughing with them. I wish them all luck as they compete in the state and national dance competitions.
Finally on that Saturday I got to be in the Yelm Christmas in the park parade. This event was particularly special because it is my hometown. Going through the parade and having my school friends, teachers, coaches and various community members waving and yelling my name made me realize what I love about the small city of Yelm. At the awards ceremony after the parade there was an intense surprise that I was so not expecting! As the mayor of Yelm, Ron Harding called me to the front of the audience, I was taken aback that he was presenting me with “Sharise Williams day” haha! Thank you city of Yelm for this extreme honor!
More pictures soon!!!!