Dimond's Got Talent

Last weekend my husband and I joined the judging panel for Dimond High's annual talent show, Dimond's Got Talent. (I'm quite pleased to announce that my introduction actually scored more applause and cheers than the famous Mr. Wheeles') I always enjoy doing events that bring me back to my alma mater and let me get just a little taste of high school all over again and the talent show did not disappoint.



We were entertained by beat boxers, singers, rappers, dancers and musicians. It was a wide range of acts (which made picking a winner hard!) that all featured some pretty amazing talent (which made picking a winner even harder!) I was impressed by the level of maturity and stage presence these young performers have mastered. Several of them would have fit in just as well on America's Got Talent as they did among their teenage peers on the high school stage.

After all 11 acts performed the judges deliberated tasked with the difficult assignment of choosing an overall winner. My top three choices were all tied, and fairly similar acts (my personal taste must have played out there) but the overall winner was a nearly unanimous vote for 1st place. Congratulations to Scout Smith this year's Dimond's Got Talent winner. She played guitar and sang an original song called Orange Dice. Her performance was somewhat Jewel, somewhat Taylor Swift and pretty darn good for a high schooler. I can't wait to see where her and other performers go in life with their incredible talent!

Advancing in Freedom- Anchorage City Church Ladie's Retreat

I was invited to be a part of Anchorage City Church's Ladies Retreat at the Sheraton Hotel. Originally, I was asked to be a part of a modesty fashion show, but that snowballed into me being a part of the planning committee and being a part of several of the weekend's events. The Retreat's theme was Advancing in Freedom as was based on knowing God and living freely in Christ. The Bible (1 Thess. 5:11) instructs us to "encourage one another and build each other up" and this retreat was designed to do just that. Our society is so focused on competition that it was certainly refreshing to spend the weekend among women seeking God's direction in their lives and focusing on supporting and building up others.

I was able to participate in several sessions, including sitting on a relationship panel where we fielded relationship questions from the audience. As women, we are engineered to be communicators and we focus so much on relationships. It was such a honor to be considered an experienced, woman of wisdom and to be able to offer advice to the women in our audience.
One of the goals of the retreat was to try to bring together the older and younger generations of women in our congregations. Oftentimes a divide develops when the two generations don't have an understanding for the value the other can bring to our lives. I developed the fashion show activity to help be a visual, fun representation to illustration how similar we all really are. We are women, after all, and that alone joins us by a very strong thread!

The fashion show featured "older" generation models wearing fashion trends from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Each "older" generation model was paired with a "younger" generation model who wore updated, current fashion trends from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Fashion trends are often recycled every 30 years or so today, we see alot of tunic shirts, flowy bohemian skirts, leggings, sweater dresses, mini skirts and boots- all trends passed on from former generations. Fashion was just one example of how the "older" generation continues to be an influence on the "younger" generation. The crowd really loved the fashion show because it not only featured music and fashion they were familiar with, but the models were all folks from our churches, including both our women's pastors, which were a real riot!

Thread Vote for Kids Rally

I recently participated in Thread's Vote for Kids rally. This consisted of three simultaneous rallies in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks. My youngest daughter Ella and I were able to be a part of Anchorage's rally at the Success by 6 building in Mountain View. This event was part of the National Step Up for Kids initiative which encourages voters to vote for candidates who place children's issues as a high priority.

This is the third year of Step Up for Kids, and this October child advocates, politicians, parents, and kids are joining together across the country to rally for children. Events across the states will raise awareness among voters and political candidates regarding the issues American children face; among them are early childcare, after-school programs, poverty, child abuse and neglect, and health care. Spearheaded by Every Child Matters in Washington, D.C., this is the third annual Step Up event with events taking place in more than 25 states.

Step Up events range from rallies and family-friendly festivals, to candidate forums and press conferences. All include speakers who address the needs of children both nationwide and in their own state, and most of them are professionals who work with children on a regular basis – politicians, teachers, nurses, pediatricians, social workers, etc. The idea is to educate those in attendance (voters) about just how poorly American children fair when compared to other rich democracies, and how it is up to the government, both federal and state, to step up and invest in kids.

Despite the rainy weather, a good crowd gathered to waves signs to raise awareness among voters and speak with the media about our message. Children's issues (and their funding) should be an essential component of our State and National agenda and are often times dismissed because of their price tag. The fact is, research continually shows that the return on the investment in children and their families has some of f the greatest returns of any social program. Longitudinal data shows that investing in quality early care and education of children decreases grade retention, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, and welfare dependence, all thing that come with a huge cost to our Government.



Alaska ranks 35th in the Nation for its provision for the needs of children and their families. This election season I encourage you to talk with candidates and ask what they plan to do to help Alaska move up in the ranks. Help us keep children a priority by encouraging candidates to support programs and policies that meet the needs of our children and their families. And above all else, make your voice be heard; VOTE!
For more information on Step of for Kids visit: http://www.everychildmatters.org/national-campaigns/step-up-2010

Cinderella (West High Production)

West High School put on a spectacular musical production of Cinderella and my husband, and oldest daughter, Sycely joined me for the performance. They had a princess party prior to the show where they invited all the little girls to wear their princess dresses, make crowns and have princessy snacks.
Cinderella, is by far, our favorite princess around here (Sycely was Cinderella for Halloween 3 years ago, I currently compete with a Cinderella skating program and guess who I'm going to be for Halloween?!) so we were excited to get all princessed up and we enjoyed every moment of the show.

The musical numbers were great and the acting of the Stepsisters was a riot! I especially liked the creative costumes and props they came up with for the production- The Fairy Godmother wearing light up wheeled shoes was an interesting touch. All in all, we had a great time and it was such fun to be there among all those little princesses, and I got so many great ideas for our Halloween costumes this year!

Dimond Center Anniversary Skating Show

I put on my first pair of skates 24 years ago at Dimond Ice Chalet when I was 5 years old. I can't even begin to fathom the number of hours I spent skating there as a child-early morning Freestyles and late night public sessions make up the bulk of my childhood memories. I even had two, yes TWO birthday parties there (one of them was kind of a bust because the ice started melting and by the end of the party only half the rink was left!) My closest friends shared the ice with me for years and are still in my life today, through our graduations, weddings, and the births of our children, the bond and strength of our friendships built on the ice remain our foundation. I skated in my first competition at that rink when I was 6 years old and went on to do so many exhibitions on that ice surface that I can hardly even remember them all. Even when I was in high school, at the height of my competitive skating career, I always felt Dimond was my "home" rink even though I rarely skated there anymore. The early morning smell of chlorine mixed with cinnamon rolls, the sight of the "walkers" getting their daily exercise, the sound of blade scraping ice always bring me back to all the memories of this place that have such a special place in my heart.

Needless to say, when my skating club, the Alaska Association of Figure Skaters asked me to be a part of the Dimond Anniversary Show I enthusiastically agreed. This show, honoring the opening of the Dimond Center Mall over 20 years ago, featured some of our club's rising stars. It was such fun to see everyone perform their programs as full run-throughs, in full dress. Usually I only get to see these routines as partial run-throughs during practice.


I also enjoyed seeing how much our young skaters are maturing and advancing in their skating and performing. One of the girls who performed, Hannah O'Brien was in my Pre-School class 8 years ago! Skating was such a huge part of my life and such an impacting experience for me that I look forward to all the success and growth these skaters are going to achiever throughout their years of skating. Another great thing about exhibitions is the ability to perform for an audience without the pressure of competition. It's a great way to try out a new program and see how it works before using it in competition, or to get to show a side of yourself you usually don't by choreographing a number that is strictly for fun and pleasing the audience. All the skaters did an awesome job and the audience sure did get a treat in their performance. I was happy to be there to participate in the finale and thank the audience for attending.


For more information about our skating club, group, or private skating lessons, visit our website at www.akafs.com

Dimond High School Homecoming

Apparently, playing the judging role suits me well as I was asked to be a float judge at the Dimond Homecoming game. It turned out to be a beautiful, warm fall (yes FALL!) day with gorgeous sun and not a cloud (or raindrop) in sight. I was able to have my girls there with me, and of course, my hubby was there as the Student Government Advisor so it was for sure, a family affair. Doing events with my family is my favorite! I love when they're able to come along and share in my fun.

The floats brought back lots of High School memories for me (though I remember most of my Homecomings involving snow or sleet and being REALLY chilly!) The Sophomores were probably my favorite, and not just because I'm partial to Harry Potter, but because I thought they did the best job with their costumes, characters and set. They portrayed lots of different elements on their float and did it well. The Senior's Avatar float was my second favorite. I mean, you have to give them credit for being willing to paint their whole bodies with blue tempura paint a few hours before the Homecoming dance!

The Homecoming game festivities also included a presentation of the Homecoming Court. It was a please to get to give some fashion advice to these young ladies (even if they didn't all exactly follow it!) and to get to know some of the teens who get to spend their days with my husband. I enjoyed helping them decorate for the dance that morning and loved working the front door at the dance because I got to see everyone's dresses as they came in. I wish they would have given me score sheets for THAT!