It can be tough sometimes to be so beautiful, but despite the heat and the urge to play in the dirt, Natalie Yakey, 5, and sister Madalyn, 2, braved the elements and showed off their beauty with dozens of other children in the Little Mr. and Mrs. Bowie Pageant.

After battling with their mother, Jenny, Saturday morning at their house in Vidalia, the girls gave in to getting ready for the pageant and walked out of the house with their hair curled and wearing brand new outfits.

Natalie wore a pink plaid school girl outfit with pink jeweled tennis shoes and Madalyn wore a black polka dot dress with a hot pink ribbon around her waist and matching bow in her hair.

After the hour of war with the hot rollers and their mother tugging at their clothes, they finally arrived at the Jim Bowie Festival at the River View RV Park with a half hour to kill before the start of the pageant. To occupy their time, the girls brought out their tomboyish sides and played in the dirt and climbed on the fence along side of the pageant stage.

Even though they had a little dirt on them and some sweat around their brow because of the 90-degree temperatures, the girls brought back their feminine side and glowed beautifully on the pageant stage, with Natalie taking home a second place trophy.

“I think they did good,” Jenny said. “I like seeing them pretty and happy.”

Michael Yakey, Natalie and Madalyn’s father who takes the girls hunting and four wheeling often, agreed that he liked seeing the girls happy and all dressed up, but he wished that he could have taken them on a fishing trip Saturday as well.