Mrs. Alaska United States 2011 Pageant

As my year as Mrs. Alaska comes to a close, I have so many thoughts and feelings about my experience-enough for a book (don't worry, I will save most of them for my book and not try to squeeze them all into this blog posting!) First and foremost I am so grateful-to God for giving me this opportunity and growing me into the woman He's designed me to be, to my family and friends for all their support, prayer and love this year and always, to my sponsors and supporters for their generous hearts and for believing in me enough to invest in me. There are so many moments from my reign that I will look back on fondly, and proudly and I can honestly say I have no regrets-nothing left undone, or unsaid. It's bittersweet saying good-bye to my time as Mrs. Alaska and the opportunities for service it brought, but I know opportunities to show God's love and advocate for children and families will always present themselves in my life. They were plentiful before and during this year and I have no doubt that they will continue to be so in the future. I am so incredibly blessed by all the memories I made this year, and especially by the friendships and partnerships that I formed. I will forever be grateful for the chance to invest in the pageant world, our community, and most importantly people. The 2011 pageant brought together 6 of Alaska's most motivated women as they competed for the crown. It was such a delight to get to know each of the contestants and to learn about their passions and visions for our state. It was great to build up friendships I already had with some of the contestant I already knew, while making new friends with the ones I didn't. We had such a fun time sharing a meal together and just having a chance to talk with each other, get to know each other more and share the excitement of the pageant experience. It was special to sit with them during their judge's interview on pageant morning and feel that I could call each of them friend and celebrate the success of this accomplishment with them. I was thrilled that my good friend (and Mrs. AK successor) Renee Scott was MCing the pageant. It was so special to have someone who'd walked this incredible journey with me for two years now be there to share and celebrate my final house as Mrs. Alaska. She got to introduce me for my final farewell video and help my hand tenderly through the whole thing, commenting on some of our shared memories and the sweet photos as they played across the screen. As always, the competition went so quickly that before I knew it, it was almost over. The ladies all did such an amazing job showcasing their platforms and answering questions about themselves on stage. They all looked spectacular in their swimsuits and so elegant in the evening gown portion. After a brief intermission, my video played, I took my final walk (Lem brought flowers up to me on stage with a hug and a kiss) and it was time for awards and crowning the new Mrs. Alaska. Our new titleholder, Brandy Wendler, has such a knowledge and passion for her platform (Celiac Disease) and I know that she will have an amazing year. She's a fellow woman of God and I'm excited to walk with her through this year as she seeks to put God first and bring Him glory in all things. I'm thrilled to be passing on the crown to someone who knows her beauty (inside and out) is designed by our Creator and her year, like mine, is sure to be guided by that truth. I couldn't have asked (or prayed!) for a better successor. I wish her all the best in her experience as Mrs. Alaska United States 2011 and will certainly be here for whatever support she needs, and if nothing else, as a new friend.

AAFS Fun Skate

I got to be the special guest at the Alaska Association of Figure Skaters' Fun Skate Fundraiser event. It was a super fun time that combined two of my favorite joys, kids and skating! The skater volunteers did a great job sharing their passion for skating and making sure everyone was having a fun time. The event offered free 10 minute, mini-lessons, skills demonstrations (jumps, spins and spirals) and of course, lots of games including limbo, red light green light and squat.

I was able to skate and talk with tons of kids and pass out prizes to the participants and, as always, posed for lots of pictures. I also signed autographs and passed out signed photos for those who wanted them. I especially enjoy events where I am able to promote and support organizations that have impacted my life and helped shape me into the person I am today. AAFS is not exception. My involvement with skating over the last 24 years has played a huge role in shaping me into the woman I am.

Alaska Aces vs. Las Vegas Wranglers

I had another chance to cheer on the Aces last weekend as they faced off against the Victoria Salmon Kings. It was a great game with lots of skating action and impressive puck handling with the Aces pulling out the win.

Between periods Boomer, the Aces mascot tosses out t-shirts to the crowd. After a little through the glass pantomime, Boomer made it clear, through gesture, that I was his target. I was delighted to catch an official Aces t-shirt, a must have for every true Aces fan.

The night was extra fun as Lem and I were joined by his parents, his aunt and uncle and his cousin and his fiancee. Lem's brother got married the night before so checking out the game was just one of the many fun bonding activities we all shared with extra family in town. It was a good game and even better company. Lem and I will be watching the Aces play tomorrow night in Vegas against the Wranglers on their home ice!

Special Olympics State Games

This past weekend marked the culmination of Special Olympics' winter season. State Games were held all over Anchorage with figure skating taking place Saturday at Dimond Ice Chalet. As the Head Coach for Anchorage's skating delegation, State Games is always one of my favorite parts of our season. It's so great to get to celebrate the progress all the skaters have made throughout the season.

The athletes work hard at our weekly practices and demonstrate perseverance and determination to overcome the obstacles presented by their disabilities. For five years I've had the opportunity to coach these amazing and inspiring athletes and I've never worked with a more rewarding group of skaters in all the years I've been involved with skating. My Special Olympics skaters are so grateful to have the opportunity to skate and full of such joy and delight it's contagious.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

I had the privilege of celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday with the children at the Providence Center for Child Development. The pre-school children gathered to listen to me read a few of my personal Dr. Seuss books.

First, by popular demand, we read Green Eggs and Ham. We followed that up with the Foot Book and rounded out our time together with Horton Hears a Who. I just love the message in Horton: "A person's a person, no matter how small." What a great tool Dr. Seuss has been to help me deliver the message of the importance of our youngest citizens. Engaging with children in positive activities has been my favorite part of this year, what better way to communicate the importance of the early years than investing in them firsthand?

Iditarod- the Last Great Race on Earth

I had the opportunity to get to be front and center at the staging and starting line for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start in Anchorage. I bundled up in about every piece of clothing I own and spent the whole morning hanging out with the mushers, their handlers, race volunteers and of course, the true athletes, the dogs!


I was able to be a part of the whole mushing process, visiting with the teams as they unloaded and hitched up their dogs to their lines, entered the shoot and made their way to the official starting line. The air rang with the yelping and excited barks of anxious dogs ready to start their 1,000 mile plus journey to Nome.
The Iditarod Trail had its beginnings as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the interior mining camps at Flat, Ophir, Ruby and beyond to the west coast communities of Unalakleet, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain and Nome. Mail and supplies went in. Gold came out. All via dog sled. Heroes were made, legends were born.

In 1925, part of the Iditarod Trail became a life saving highway for epidemic-stricken Nome. Diphtheria threatened and serum had to be brought in; again by intrepid dog mushers and their faithful hard-driving dogs. The Iditarod is a commemoration of those yesterdays, a not-so-distant past that Alaskans honor and are proud of.

A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150miles in 10 to 17 days.

Mushers enter from all walks of life. Fishermen, lawyers, doctors, miners, artists, natives, Canadians, Swiss, French and others; men and women each with their own story, each with their own reasons for going the distance. It’s a race organized and run primarily by volunteers, thousands of volunteers, men and women, students and village residents.

It was so great to spend the day among the faces of the Last Great Race. As a child, I watched some of these same mushers mount their sleds at the Anchorage starting line and here I was walking among legends like Dee Dee Jonroe and Rick Swenson loving on their dogs and cheering them on as they set out for yet another race to Nome. I was able to hang out with Rick Swenson's team (who sported my favorite fashions, hot pink and black, just like me!)even having the chance to visit with Senator Lisa Murkowski who had stopped in to wish them luck. This year's race could bring forth new Iditarod history as Rick Swenson races for his 6th win and Lance Mackey fights for a 5th consecutive win!

Every year the race sees new rookies making their first trip to Nome. I got a chance to develop two new rookie favorites, the "Mushing Mortician," Scott Janssen (a local funeral home owner) and 19 year old, Cain Carter, step-son of the famous, Lance Mackey. I was able to hang out with both of these new teams, help them get harnessed and hooked up to the sleds and ready for the start. I enjoyed loving on my new furry friend, Joe, one of Cain Carter's dogs.

With the potential for history in the making, I'll be following the race this year, as always, but with a little extra interest as I feel a little more personal investment in some of the teams I spent time with. It certainly was a different look at the race start than I've ever experienced before. I'm excited to cheer them on as they make their way to Nome, some for the first time.

Alaska Aces Game

Lem and I took in some hockey and spent the evening cheering on our hometown Alaska Aces as they took on the Las Vegas Wranglers. These two teams are battling it out for the top spot in our league's division and they sure played like it, going into overtime with a tie game, which ended in a shootout! Unfortunately, the Aces lost in the shootout, but we're hoping we get to see them avenge themselves when these two teams meet again in a couple weeks down in Vegas. Lem and I will be in the crowd cheering on the Aces at the Orleans Arena, celebrating his upcoming 30th birthday! The Wranglers stadium is connected to the Orleans Hotel, where the Mrs. United States pageant took place, so we'll be back on familiar territory for a few days.

Fur Rondevous

My family and I took in some Fur Rondy fun last weekend. Beautiful, clear blue skies made for cold days and wind gusts up to 80 mph made things extra challenging, but we bundled up and headed out to enjoy the festivities. Fur Rondy is something I've been enjoying since childhood, and I love being able to share the same winter festival fun with my own children 20 some years later. My two year old, Ella, loves dogs these days, so she was super excited to get to go watch the World Championship Sled Dog Races, despite the cold.

The Fur Rondy Festival is a significant part of the history and tradition of Anchorage. In the mid 1930's, Anchorage was just a small town of about 3,000 people that stretched between Park Strip and Ship Creek. Winters were brutal and stoking fires, shoveling snow and surviving the elements was the basic daily pastime in those days. Vern Johnson, the father of the Fur Rendezvous, was a likeable, outgoing Anchorage citizen with a keen understanding of social conditions. He and his friends decided to establish a 3-day Festival to coincide with the time that the miners and trappers came to town with their winter's yield. It began as a three-day sports tournament on February 15, 16 and 17, 1935 and featured skiing, hockey, basketball, boxing and a children's sled dog race down Fourth Avenue.

Since then, the Fur Rendezvous has earned national and international notoriety, and visitors from throughout the world descend on Anchorage every February.

Despite the passage of time and a multitude of modern diversions, Fur Rendezvous remains a highly anticipated time of year. There are still many Fur Rendezvous events that have withstood the test of time and continue to maintain their unique character.

The World Championship Sled Dog Race debuted in 1946 and has become the cornerstone event of the Festival bringing teams of sled dogs and mushers to Anchorage from across Alaska and all over the world. Four decades later, dog owners are still competing against each other for the cash, notoriety and the illustrious World Champion title for the event. Other traditional Fur Rondy events include the Rondy Carnival, the Grand Parade, running with the reindeer, parade, fireworks, snow sculptures, Yukigassen (snowball fight), the uniquely Alaskan Original Men's Snowshoe Softball and the Grand Prix Auto Race, one of the oldest street races in North America.

Dare to Care Gala

Lem and I were invited to be a part of Dare to Care Alaska's Annual Gala. I served as a greeter during the event and helped to supervise the silent auction while Lem played the role of "spotter" during the live auction. He even got to use a light saber looking light wand, which was a real treat to a man who grew up eating, sleeping and breathing Star Wars. We had the chance to enjoy some delicious food and make some lifelong friends all while supporting and organization that is doing important work for children in our community.

This Gala was a fabulous event with a lively crowd that was so generous and so enthusiastic in their giving and support of this essential program. The items donated for the silent auction were so fun and creative and it was great to see the support of local businesses and the community. The live auction items were incredible, several raising several thousand dollars on their own to support the work of Dare to Care, feeding our hungry children. Dare to Care, Inc. is dedicated to ensuring that no child goes hungry in our schools. Dare to Care facilitates private, corporate, and individual funding to provide breakfast and lunch to children-in-need identified by school personnel.

Dare to Care Dare to Care was developed to provide food to children in need within our schools. Dare to Care is not intended to replace federal free and reduced-fee meal programs, but rather to help those children who for various reasons are failing to receive those benefits and, therefore, are not eating. Some students may qualify for reduced-fee meals but do not have the $0.30 for breakfast or the $0.40 for lunch required under that program. Other children may be abused or neglected. Sadly, some abusers withhold food as a means of control. Alaska is number one in the nation for reported cases of child abuse and neglect.

Teachers, nurses, counselors, principals and cafeteria managers identify students based on their chronic hunger, their lack of a bag lunch, or their inability to charge a meal due to an already existing excessive charge balance. School staff members notify Dare to Care of the need in their school, and Dare provides the school with funds for food accounts to be set up in the names of those students identified. The accounts are monitored and replenished as needed. Some students may need help for a week – others may need help for months or even the whole school year. Although there are other programs which provide meals to children-in-need, these programs are before and after school and do not provide meals during the school day. Another concern is that these other programs are not offered at all schools.

Our schools are maxed out financially and it is not their responsibility to “feed” our children. It’s their job to “educate” them. But how can we expect children to learn when they are fighting hunger knots in their stomachs and the consuming thoughts of where their next meal will come from? Dare to Care wants to help ensure these children have access to food and take away at least one barrier to their education. The federal government has developed the national slogan “No Child Left Behind” in terms of educating our children. Dare to Care’s slogan is “No Child Goes Hungry.” They are currently feeding 2,500 children in multiple school districts. They hope to grow even more this year. Their goal is to ensure that “No Child Goes Hungry” in all of Alaska.

For more information about Dare to Care, or to help support their cause, visit their website at www.daretocare-alaska.com

Governor Sean Parnell's Inaugural Gala

Lem and I attended Governor Sean Parnell's Inaugural Gala last weekend. It was a much different affair than what we experienced 4 years ago at Sarah's ball, a different program, different setting, different crowd, not necessarily better or worse, just different.

It was not quite the celebrating party we went to 4 years ago and was more of a formal, ceremonial event. There were photo slide shows from across the state, a formal, sit down, multi course dinner, and a dance presentation including hula, native and ballet dancers. After the formal program was finished the dancing started, but most folks had cleared out around then. We spent a little time on the dance floor before heading home.


We did enjoy getting to visit with lots of friends from the Governor's office and picnic committee, like Angelina and Tara, as well as our pastor and his wife, old family friends including the Colianders and former Lt. Gov Loren Leman and his wife Carolyn. We did do some networking and meet some new folks as well.

Chinook Elementary's Literacy Night

I was invited to be a Guest Reader at Chinook Elementary's Literacy Night. I shared one of my favorite picture books, The Kissing Hand, a story about a raccoon named Chester heading off to his first night of school and feeling sad about leaving his mom. She gives him a kiss in each hand which warms his heart as he carries them off to school with him. At the end of the story he gives his mom a kiss in her hand to carry with her. It's such a sweet, heart warming story for a mom. It's especially sentimental to me because as a young child, my mom did put kisses into my hands each morning as she headed off to work. To this day, she still finishes a phone call with "What's in your hands?" I was happy to share this book with the students and families of Chinook. Sycely helped serve as my page turner :)

Families gathered at Literacy Night dressed as their favorite story character and enjoyed art activities, a dress up and puppet area, guest readers, free food and most importantly, free books for every Chinook student! My favorite costume, by far was Chinook principal, Anita Stevens' Very Hungry Caterpillar outfit. It was a fabulous rendition of the famous Eric Carl character and it was no surprise what book she chose to read: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle!

Target helped sponsor this event, providing hundreds of free books for the students in attendance. It was so great to be a part of an event encouraging literacy and supporting families in imparting the importance of reading within their own homes.

Crown Making at Providence Children's Hospital

I had the opportunity to visit the Children's Hospital at Providence and do some crafts with the patients there. I brought along some crowns that we decorated together as we visited and got to know a little about each other. In addition to meeting with children in the play area/craft room for crown making, I also visited some of the patients that weren't able to leave their rooms for our activity. I visited children in both the pediatric unit and the pediatric intensive care unit.

The Pediatric Center is dedicated to providing a full range of services to infants through adolescents. They are committed to working with children, families and professional staff to create a comfortable setting to help families through the hospitalization of their child while maintaining the highest quality of care specific to each patients needs. A team of professionals representing many specialty areas offers their expertise to support families and the child throughout their hospital experience. They believe that families play an important part in the development and well being of children including their recovery from illness or injury. They understand that this is a stressful experience not only for the child but for the entire family.

I was so impressed by the work of the Child Life Specialists overseeing the care of the young patients here. Their genuine care and nurturing character was so apparent in their every interaction with the children. It seems to be such an emotionally demanding and yet rewarding job. I feel so grateful for all the care providers, including the child life specialists, at the Children's Hospital. It's comforting to know that Alaska's families as getting superior treatment and care. Even more so, I am thankful for my healthy children. My prayers are with all those Alaskan families dealing with childhood illness or injury.

Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference

I was thrilled to be a part of the Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children's recent early childhood conference. I have been an Anchorage AEYC board member for 9 years so when the time for the statewide early childhood conference came, there was no question I would be involved as always. This year, as Mrs. Alaska, I was invited to deliver a speech during one of our morning general sessions to our conference attendees. It was quite an honor to be following our school district superintendent on the morning's program.


The Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children is an Alaskan affiliate formed under the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).Anchorage AEYC promotes quality care and education for young children and their families by offering professional development opportunities to early childhood educators and by supporting families and those who have a vested interested in the young children of our community. In addition, Anchorage AEYC participates in the development of standards which strive to ensure high quality programs for young children. Anchorage AEYC supports advocacy by disseminating information about public policies and pending legislation and interpreting issues and alternatives at the local, state, and national level. Anchorage AEYC collaborates with community members, organizations and agencies to meet the needs of young children and their families.

In addition to providing training and resources for conference attendees, networking with colleagues is also a huge part of this three day event. The networking is one of my favorite aspects of the conference. It's so great to have an opportunity to meet new folks in the early childhood field, to learn what other programs are doing, to catch up with friends you haven't seen in a year and to just feel generally encouraged in your work with young children and their families.

For more information about AAEYC, our mission or the conference you can visit our website at : www.anchorageaeyc.org

Anchorage Wedding Expo with Anderson's Bride

My oldest daughter Sycely and I modeled dresses for Anderson's Bride, one of my sponsors, at the Anchorage Wedding Expo. We'd done this last year for the onstage fashion show and it was a little different this year as we were tasked with touring the crowd in our fancy bridal duds. She was a pro and super precious in her flower girl dresses and carried our Anderson's Bride sign. People were so captured by her cuteness that I think they barely noticed me or my gowns! We had a really great time in our beautiful dresses feeling extra pretty and girly all day.

Alaska Music Awards

It was a huge honor to be asked to be a part of the first Alaska Music Awards. I truly believe in the importance of highlighting the gifts and talents of Alaskans and I certainly have a love for music (and dressing up!) so I was thrilled to be a part of this premiere Red Carpet event.

Not only did I get to share my Red Carpet walk with my handsome hubby, Lem and my pageant sister, Courtney Anderson who was co-hosting the event, I saw a handful of old friends who were also involved with the event. My friend and colleague Anna Castillo was there with her husband who was running the sound for the event. Anna and I worked together for several years at the Providence Center for Child Development and still serve on the Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children board together. Like me and so many others, Anna works day in and day out to support young children and bring awareness to the needs of them and their families.
So much of the talent that was featured and awarded included young people. It was so great to be a part of something that was bringing attention to and honoring the positive things that our young people are doing in our community. It's so common to hear the negatives broadcast in the media and it's unfortunate that there are so many young people out there working for positive change in our world that don't get to publicity they deserve. One of my favorite acts of the night was only 15 years old and what an amazing and talented performer she is! Another nice encounter was our former high school classmate, Phil Crawford who performed at the event. Just a little shout-out to the Dimond Class of 1999! :)

I was honored to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Elvi Gray-Jackson. Her service with the Anchorage Municipality began 26 years ago and today she serves as a member of the Anchorage Assembly representing Midtown. During my presentation of the Award, I gave props to all the ladies who were in the crowd. I mentioned that I was excited to be there and that it was important to me enough to put on a sleeveless dress and open toes shoes, even though it was only 2 degrees outside (and the temp continued to fall well below zero that night!)


I also presented the Award for Best Country Artist. Country music has always had a special place in my heart. I'm pretty sure I was at least 12 years old before I knew any other kind of music even existed. I grew up listening to The Judds, Anne Murray, Randy Travis and was an avid Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill listener through my high school years. Despite the cold, the crowd enjoyed a night of live performances by local artists and it was a delight to honor those who are sharing their musical talents and gifts with the world.