2010 wrap up

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas. We just returned from Christmas in Wichita, where my mom and dad live. I was also able to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday! I feel so lucky to have her and that my girls have a relationship with their Great-Grandmother.

Right before Christmas I had the opportunity to participate in a holiday surprise for the residents of Safehome. Safehome is a shelter for battered women and children here in Johnson County, KS. A local hair stylist had the idea to treat these women to a makeover and professional photo shoot. It was fun to see them smile and feel good about themselves! I also had the honor of meeting the KCTV 5 morning news anchor Kelly Jones, 2 local professional photographers, and the director of Safehome, Sharon Katz. I was there with Hoffman Models and Talent Director of New Faces, Laura Beckley and Linda Loveless, a model and former Mrs. Kansas America. I was able to present each woman with a gift bag filled with items donated by local companies. I was deeply moved by being a part of this special event and could feel the spirit of Christmas all around me!

Safehome is such a worthwhile organization. I was reminded that they not only need cash donations but also basic items such as soap, toilet paper, paper towels, underwear for women and children, etc. They have a website where you can find more info at http://www.safehome-ks.org/. Click on the "needs" tab and you can find a link to their wish list.

Here is a link to the video which aired on Christmas Eve: http://www.kctv5.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4473979.

Angels for Afton

I am really excited to help out with a new ministry "Angels for Afton." This caught my attention from a friend on Facebook. Afton, Oklahoma is located about 3 hours from Kansas City and over 80% of the children in the school system are living in extreme poverty. Their principal is collecting gently used children's clothing, shoes, backpacks, books, personal care items (such as body wash) and food for the kid's grades K-8.

Tomorrow they are having a sorting party with all of the donations they have collected from the KC area. On Monday several volunteers are driving down to Afton to deliver the gifts and watch the children's Christmas program. I will be there bright and early to sort clothing and other donations!

I am competing in the Mrs. Kansas America 2011 pageant in January as Mrs. Kansas City 2011. Since our pageant is being held with the Mrs. Oklahoma pageant in Guthrie, OK, I am inviting all of the other contestants to join me in being "Angels for Afton." We are going to bring all of our donations to Guthrie and present them to someone from Afton during the pageant on January 22, 2011. I am excited to see how much we can collect to help these children!

December Christmas Tree Lighting in Lenexa

Last night at volunteered at the Lenexa Community Center. It was so much fun to help with the lighting ceremony along with Santa, Mrs. Claus, Allie Marx (Jr. Miss United States World), and some children from the audience! Next I helped at their holiday gift shop where children of all ages shopped for holiday gifts for family members with the help of Santa's elves:) It was fun to see how excited the children were to see Santa, giving him great big hugs and high fives. I saw children from age 18 months to 14 years old go in the holiday shop to select gifts for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, cousins, aunts and uncles. They came out with gifts wrapped up and smiles on their faces! I wonder how many of them will be able to keep their gift selections a secret until Christmas? I also met several people who work for the city of Lenexa, KS and really love serving their community. I saw alot of joy in people's faces last night. Of course, I got my picture taken with Santa!

November news

Hello all, I hope everyone is enjoying this unseasonably warm weather! I guess that will change on Thanksgiving. The month of November has been filled with family activities for me. My oldest daughter Alyssa tried out for club volleyball and made the U13-1 team! I can't wait to experience this level of volleyball. In the past, she has always played rec volleyball. Today we had the pleasure of watching Alyssa's confirmation ceremony at our church (COR). It was awesome to see 166 young people accept Jesus as their personal savior and become official members of the church. More than a few tears were shed this afternoon!

I had the pleasure of meeting several women in the Mrs. Kansas and Mrs. Oklahoma America pageant system this past weekend in Manhattan, KS. I am looking forward to competing for the title of Mrs. Kansas America 2011 in January in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The America system is a new one for me. I am looking forward to new friendships and new challenges!

I will have the pleasure of watching my dear friend Kiley celebrate her marriage to John right after Thanksgiving. Several of us in my small group hosted a fun bachelorette party for her a few weeks ago. It has been many, many years since I have been to a bachelorette party!

Every year I look forward to packing a "shoebox" for a child living in extreme poverty through the Operation Christmas Child ministry. Alyssa and Lexi each packed their own shoebox for a girl their own ages. Since we donated online this year, we can actually track which country our boxes go to! This is such a fun family activity. Alyssa and I started doing this when she was in kindergarten and now she is a 7th grader. You can get more info on this wonderful ministry at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/, then click on Operation Christmas Child.

I want to wish everyone a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. I will celebrate with my in-laws in Lawrence and then head to Topeka for dessert with my side of the family. After dessert, my girls are looking forward to a weekend at Mimi's house in Wichita! I guess I will be decorating my house for Christmas without my little helpers this year as they will be helping my mom do her house:)

Sacred Steps 5K fun

Hello all! It has been a great month so far. The Walk Now for Autism Speaks event had around 10,000 walkers and raised $200,000 in Kansas City! It was an absolutely gorgeous day! I just got home from the Sacred Steps 5k event which raises money for people in Africa living in poverty. I got to ride in the lead car and watch the winners cross the finish line. As a runner, I am amazed that some people can run a 5k in 16 to 18 minutes! After the race I had the honor of presenting the winner's in each category with their medals/certificates. It was an honor to meet Adam, who participated in his wheelchair, who finished faster that I could ever dream of running! I was only able to snap a couple of pictures but more will be posted on http://www.seekcrun.com/.

October events

Hi all, sorry it has been so long since my last update! I am looking forward to my appearance at the Kansas City Walk Now For Autism Speaks event at the Kansas Speedway. It is this Saturday, October 16th and the walk starts at noon. I will be there early to help with registration. You can still register or donate at www.WalkNowForAutismSpeaks.org/kansascity. I worked with this organization this past summer at an event and they are doing great things to raise awareness about autism and fundraise for a cure! Families with strollers and wagons are welcome to participate in this 2 mile walk.

On Saturday October 23rd I will be at Church of the Resurrection's Sacred Steps 5k Run/Walk helping with late registration and presenting awards. This annual event raises funds for widows, children and orphans living in poverty in Africa. Register or donate at www.cor.org/missions/beyondkansascity/sacred-steps-5krunwalk.

On a personal note, I am looking forward to shopping for a cause at the Junior League of Kansas City's annual Holiday Mart on October 21st. This event raises money for local children's charities and is one I look forward to every year! On October 23rd, I look forward to celebrating my friend Hailey Johnson's remission from leukemia with a costume party! Hailey was the 2010 LLS Girl of the Year. It has been a joy getting to know her and her family this past year!

Birthday Week

Hello family and friends! My birthday week was fun and exhausting! My virtual food drive ended up providing almost 1,000 meals to Harvester's Community Food Network in Kansas City. Several of us went down to the warehouse and sorted fresh fruits and veggies that were donated to Harvester's. I have never seen so many bell pepper, tomatoes and jalepeno peppers! We accomplished alot in a few short hours.

I enjoyed a birthday lunch with my dear friend Sherri Hoover, dinner with my family, and a girl's night out celebration on Thursday evening with my small group from church. We laughed a lot this week! Looking forward to being in the Overland Park parade in the morning. Will post parade pics soon after!

September events with Mrs. Kansas US

Happy September everyone. I have been busy with both girls in school, dance and volleyball! I ran on a relay team on September 11th in The Patriot's Run benefiting the Salvation Army in Olathe. Our team placed 5th overall with over 50 miles ran!
I also went on a kindergarten field trip with Lexi's class to Louisburg Kansas to see the Cider Mill. We saw how they make the cider and delicious apple donuts! I can't believe I live so close to this and have never been before!
This weekend I am preparing to celebrate my 40th birthday at Harvester's Community Food Network in Kansas City. My mom is coming into town to help us celebrate and about 40 friends are donating their time to celebrate my birthday and give back to our community. I have a virtual food drive at http://www.stephaniesbirthday.harvesters.org/. So far, friends have provided over 800 meals through my virtual food drive! I am also blessed to celebrate my 16th wedding anniversary on September 17th. Sixteen years has flown by!

Finally, I am looking forward to being in the City of Overland Park 50th Anniversary Fall Parade on Saturday September 25 in downtown OP. I am riding in a blue convertible Corvette and will be towards the end of the parade!

Dr. Bridenstine's annual customer appreciation event

I had the privilege of being invited to attend Dr. Bridenstine's celebration in Lenexa this afternoon. Dr. Bridenstine is one of my Mrs. Kansas US sponsors. My girls enjoyed playing on all of the inflatables, dancing, and the picnic of course. It was wonderful to see Kim McDowell and her daughter Megan there too! They drove in from Wichita just to attend this event. Dr. B invited the Lenexa fire department to come and the kids got to explore the fire truck and ring the bell.

I was also able to help out some wonderful young women from the University of Illinois in Chicago, who are working on their thesis studying beauty. One is a plastic surgery fellow who is using computer technology to help disfigured children rebuild their faces. The other is earning her doctorate in orthodontia and studying how jaw structure and tooth alignment affect the face and lips. I know I am not doing their work justice in my brief explanation but it was amazing to see how their research will help children all over the world have a more normal life through reconstructive surgery.

Here are a couple of pictures from this afternoon!

Touch A Truck Event in Overland Park

Today I was invited to attend the City of Overland Park's 50th Anniversary at a special event called "Touch A Truck." This event had several community helpers such as the police department, fire department, EMS, OP Bomb Squad, Animal Haven, Wayside Waifs, KCPT, Johnson County Library and so on. The event was free with food donations to Harvesters. They had over 5,000 people attend! Needless to say, I ran out of lollipops and autographed pictures for the kids about half way through the event! I saw so many young children climbing through fire trucks, buses, ambulances, you name it! I was so happy to see so many friends and their children enjoying themselves this afternoon! I even got to meet the Mayor of Overland Park. Here are some of my pictures from this fun day!

Autism Speaks & Race for the Cure

Hello all! What a great weekend! I was at Olathe Bible Church on Saturday helping raise money for Autism Speaks. I met one of their directors who has invited me to help out with the Walk Now for Autism Speaks race in October! They had a raffle, a car show, a BBQ contest, helicopter rides, pony rides, and tons of families at this event! Although it was hot, I had fun meeting people and seeing some friends in my community!

This morning I ran a 5k for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Kansas City. 28,000 people registered to walk or run in this event. They raised over $1 million dollars! I also ran my personal best time in a race of 26:56 and finished 23rd in my age group! Not bad since it was really hot and so many people. I was inspired by all of the survivors and reading the back of people's shirts where they listed who they were running in memory of. I have so many friends and neighbors who have fought breast cancer. What an awesome event!

America's Mrs. US results and other updates

Just home from Mississippi and the national competition. I did not win the crown but won first runner up. Congrats to Mrs. Kentucky on winning the crown! It was fun to see Kimberly McDowell and her wonderful family and meet so many new friends! Mississippi was full of trees, sunshine, and history. I had a lot of fun with my daughter Alyssa, Mom, and Dad.

I am moving forward! I will be at the Cruisin' Car Show at Olathe Bible Church this weekend from noon to 1:30. You can find me at the Autism Speaks booth.

I am really excited to do the 5k Race for the Cure in Kansas City this Sunday morning. I haven't been feeling that great but hope to be in tip top condition by Sunday. Can't wait to run with some girlfriends from Prairie Life Fitness Center in Olathe. Ford is sponsoring our team and I want to run to honor all of my friends and neighbors who have fought breast cancer.

Mrs. Kansas Rez car show July 2010

Wow, I had a blast at the Rez car show this morning in Leawood! What a great group of people. It was fun to see the antique Mustangs, Mercedes, Corvettes, etc! I learned alot about cars today. Our head pastor, Adam Hamilton, was even there with his mustang convertible. It was a beautiful sunny day and I'm sure they raised alot of money for charity!

July updates from Stephanie

Hi all! I just returned from a family vacation in Minnesota. We enjoyed a few days at a cabin up in Piquot Lakes/Nisswa area and then took the girls to the American Girl store at Mall of America. It was a gorgeous, sunny, mild 4th of July up there! You can see some pictures of my girls and nephew making a 4th of July dessert with my Granny and one of me in the kayak!

I am excited to appear at the 9th Annual Car Show and Expo on Saturday, July 10 at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. I will be there bright and early at 7:00am! This event will benefit inner-city charities.

Saturday afternoon I am looking forward to attending a volunteer orientation session for Animal Haven in Merriam, KS. I am going to partner with them at special events and do some speaking engagements to increase awareness of their no-kill animal shelter that serves many cities on the Kansas side of the KC metro area. See http://www.animalhavenkc.org/ for more information on this wonderful organization. I have a passion for animals and look forward to finding a new dog (or two) to join our family sometime in the near future!

Last but certainly not least, I am excited to compete at Nationals in Mississippi on July 31st for the title of America's Mrs. US 2010. I absolutely cannot wait!

My Father's House appearance

Wow, I had quite an afternoon celebrating the first anniversary of a ministry called My Father's House through my church, UMC Church of the Resurrection. This is a ministry that provides home furnishings to people in need in the KC area. I could feel the spirit of God at work in this place and in the hearts of the volunteers I met today. Thank you to my friend Mary Jones for inviting me to help them celebrate today! It was awesome to meet some of their ministry partners from the Red Cross and The Healing House.

My Father's House is receiving a donation of approx. 250 beds from a hotel in Leavenworth this coming week. They try to put a brand new mattress pad on each and every mattress they give out and are in desperate need of mattress pad donations. If you can donate one please contact me or visit www.cor.org and search Furnishings Ministry or My Father's House.

This weekend

Hi everyone, I am excited about my appearance tomorrow (Saturday June 19)! I will appear at the first birthday celebration of a really neat ministry at my church called My Father's House. It is a furnishings ministry that provides beds, furniture, etc. to people who are in need in the greater KC area. You can go to www.cor.org and then search My Father's House or furnishings ministry for more information on donations or volunteering!

Jazz In The Woods

Hi all, I had a blast on stage at Jazz In The Woods on Friday night. I got to MC on stage with Kathy Quinn and Mark Alford from WDAF TV Fox 4. I was back stage and got to meet several jazz artists, including Erin Bode, Mingo Fishtrap and Mindi Abair, who is currently debuting at #2 on the jazz charts! This event raised money for the following local children's charities: Marillac, Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center, Fox 4 Love Fund, and the Overland Park South Rotary Foundation.

My family enjoyed playing on the inflatibles, playing frisbee and various children's activities. I enjoyed meeting the Fox 4 team, the jazz artists, and the event organizers. I was able to meet and greet several children, take pictures, and promote my personal platform, skin cancer awareness and prevention on stage!

Saturday morning I attended the first annual Jazz In The Woods 5k run/walk. Over 200 runners and walkers participated in this event. We were able to complete the race and announce results/present awards before the big down pour hit !

What a great weekend!

Deanna Rose Farmstead a big success

Hi everyone, it was so fun to see so many families enjoying the Deanna Rose Farmstead together last night. I had a blast greeting the children who came to see me! I also ran into an old friend from high school, a sorority sister I hadn't seen since 1993, and my neighbors. The event was a huge success with lots of money raised for Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City.

First Appearance

Hello everyone, the purpose of this blog is to follow my year as Mrs. Kansas US 2010. My first appearance is Sunday, June 6th at the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead for their annual Farmfest fundraiser. I am delighted to be a part of this! I look forward to announcing the auction results and signing autographs for the children and families.

Farmfest at Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas

Calendar of Events - City of Overland Park, Kansas - FarmFest

Hello from Mrs. Kansas US 2010

Hi everyone, my name is Stephanie Leibengood and I won the title of Mrs. Kansas US 2010 on May 1, 2010. Our state pageant was held in Wichita this year. I am a married stay at home mother of two beautiful girls. I am currently active in my church, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS.


My personal platform is skin cancer prevention and awareness. My dermatologist and I discovered a small skin cancer spot on my neck a few years ago. Since then, I am very vigilant about using sunscreen and staying out of the tanning beds! I am excited to partner with my dermatology group and biggest sponsor, Johnson County Dermatology in Olathe, Kansas. It is so important to protect yourself and your children with sunscreen!

I look forward to a busy year representing our state in various charitable and community events!