Veterans Day with Mark Chesnutt

Tonight Mark Chesnutt hosted a Veterans appreciation concert at the PAC. I was invited to help out so I brought one of my besties with me Jodie. She's currently pregnant and I couldn't be more excited about it unless it were me. ;) Anyway her and I were told to dress western. (we did our best) I was sort of Marks assistant tonight as he signed autographs. I helped families take pictures and pointed people in the right direction. Mark is a very down to earth guy. He blends right in Alaska. He talked to people about Texas and hunting and fishing. His behind the scenes guy (the guy with the hat in the pic with me) was a pretty funny guy to hang out with. I was also able to meet a retired colonel (he's the handsome guy on my left) and a gentleman running for state senate and his lovely bride were in the picture on my right. Jo and I of course had to show off our western wear. It was a fun way to celebrate Veterans Day and get to spend some time with my little pregger. Thanks for going with me Jo. <3 you! Hope all is well with everyone and their surviving the snow here in Anchorage.

<3 in Christ,
Renee'

Miss Chugiak Eagle River/ Miss Chugiak Eagle River Outstanding Teen

I was asked to judge the Miss Chugiak Eagle River/ Miss Chugiak Eagle River Outstanding Teen by the director Alisa Parent. She is an amazing director and I'm blessed to have met her and Bonnie. We started the day off at individual interviews. I really enjoyed meeting the other judges: Mike, Ariel, Paul and Darlene. I truly love the people that are brought into my life through this experience. Then we went to the Steve Primis auditorium for the pageant that evening. The girls competed in active wear, swim suit and evening gown. They came out and did an opening number in black and red and loved all the outfits they put together. Jessica Fulton was rockin a hot little red dress btw. I LOVED being a judge. I enjoy watching pageants so much, actually I enjoy every aspect of the pageant industry. Who knows if I'll ever get to compete again and being involved as a judge was an experience I hope I get again. Congratulations to Bianca Temple Miss Chugiak Eagle River Outstanding Teen 2010. She did soft shoe Irish dancing as her talent. She did remarkable and I applaud her ability to keep her stage presents in the midst of an awkward moment. Congratulations to Kimberly Mauser the new Miss Chugiak Eagle River 2010. She is a beautiful talented young woman and I hope this title brings her some of the tools she needs in meeting her goals and reaching her dreams. Thanks again to the directors of the Miss Alaska organization for including me, I really enjoyed myself.

Hope all is well with everyone! Don't forget to thank a veteran on Wednesday!

<3 in Christ,
Renee'

EAB photography

I had my state head shots taken by some friends in my church who shoot a lot of our high schools seniors and some families in our church so I thought I would ask them to take my head shots for Mrs. Alaska. Well Mr. Bowden did take them and his image won most photogenic. (that's the one with the orange back drop) After winning Mrs. Alaska I had to have another head shot taken for nationals I went back to the Bowdens and they took another amazing image. (that's the one in the pink jacket) They also did some fun crown and sash pics. I've been so blessed in the picture department as Mrs. Alaksa. I've been able to work with Jeff Nordby of Nordby photography and Eddie & Linda Bowden of EAB photography. I kept meaning to post these and always had an event to blog about and forgot so anyway I just wanted the world to know how incredibly talented these two men are and how incredibly thankful I am to have these images to remember my year as Mrs. Alaska United States. Someday when I'm old I look forward to looking back and remembering these moments.

Love in Christ,
Renee'

Barnes & Noble..... Anchorage Wild Cheer Team

Last Friday I was invited to read at Barnes & Noble as part of my daughters school book fair. Can I just say their cafe is FAN TASTIC! I read Gigi God's little princess and Will God's mighty warrior. They had an art table set up to make your own bookmarks and they even had high school students put on skits. It was a great way to spend an evening together with your family and friends. As always I LOVE LOVE the little girls that want to talk to a "princess." They make being Mrs. Alaska like a fairytale. I put my crown on my daughter while she was looking for books, that was pretty cute too. My daughter picked out The little house in the big woods. I read that when I was little so her and I have been reading together at night. Such a special time for me. My son picked a Transformer book that had 200 stickers in it. So ya I have Bumblee on my keys, and my arm, and my car, and and and you can imagine.

I was also invited by one of my directors Laura Dagon to be a judge for the Alaska Wild Cheer Team. It will be a two part event so I look forward to day two. One of the other judges was Gabe and he is the owner of Underground dance company. It was such a pleasure to meet him, we were able to chit chat over lunch and I learned a lot about dance. What an accomplished young man. I say young man him and I are the same age. It's amazing how having kids just makes you feel older then people that don't have kids. Anyway... I was a little worried about my ability to judge dance as I was a basketball, track person. But when we got started it was VERY easy to see who had it and who did not. The try outs were in the University Center mall lobby. So I high five all the girls for simply trying out infront of an audience. That is not an easy thing to do. Michelle is the girls coach and also works for Laura and I just love her. I was able to meet a couple of the minority owners for the Alaska wild and look forward to seeing them again. I hope this season brings great things for our arena team.

I'll post pics soon. Hope all is well with everyone.

<3 in Christ,
Renee'

Busy busy

I went to the Miss Anchorage pageant last week with my new friend Libby and had a great time. I watched my good friend Jessica pass down her title as Miss Anchorage to the new Miss Anchorage Abby Hancock. Her evening gown was stunning. Congratulations Abby. I saw one of my art students Ellie she is in first grade and a title holder herself so it was so much fun to see her.

I was also invited by one of my sponsors and new friend Pete Armstrong to the second annual Oxygen and Octane Expo at the Dena’ina Center, October 16-18. Pete is the owner of Alaska Coast magazine and has the sweetest british accent. I just love talking to him. His wife joked around with me and said that's why she married him. ;) I introduced the Yukon princesses on stage and had such a great time getting to meet those ladies. I was also able to donate blood for the first time. That was rewarding to know that by donating blood I effected five different lives. Not going to lie, I was a bit nervous, but my tech. Bob was excellent at his profession and I worried for no reason. I visited a couple of my other sponsors while I was there as well. Charity from State Farm and Alaska Treeline who build THE most beautiful decks and docks in Alaska. I got to see a huge pile driver. It was pretty sweet! The Mrs. Alaska United States organization is overwhelmed by the generosity of our sponsors and thank each and every one. I had a great day with Jeannine and her fam. and I look forward to attending next year. Hope all is well.

<3 in Christ,
Renee'



















www.coast-magazine.com

www.alaskatreeline.com

www.charitycarmody.com

Stellar Kart/Nordby Photo Shoot

I went to the Stellar Kart concert at ABT. It was my second time seeing them in concert. I saw them last year at Fusion and they are great. I helped work the doors with my husband along with other volunteers with ABT. It's always a good time being with those people. I also did a photo shoot with Jeff Nordby of Nordby Photography. We went out to Beluga point with my bestie Jo and it was so much fun. It was a beautiful fall day. The leaves were all different colors, and it was warm. We shot some out on the rocks over the ocean and some on the train tracks. I was casual in jeans and a sweater in some and in a classy little dress for the others. It was so much fun and I love his work. Most of the pics on the Mrs. Alaska website were done by him. The other ones were done by EAB photography. Eddie did my head shots for Mrs. Alaska that landed me Mrs. Photogenic and he did my head shots for Mrs. United States. Both incredibly talented photographers that I am blessed to have gotten the chance to work with. I believe my next event is judging the Miss Chugiak/ Eagle River pageant. WAY excited about that! Well hope all is well and your enjoying this beautiful time of year.

<3 in Christ,
Renee'

Mayor Sullivan's veto

Today Mayor Sullivan vetoed the ordinance 64 that has had our community in an uproar for most of the summer. I went to the assembly meeting as Mrs. Alaska the first night they proposed this ordinance. By going as Mrs. Alaska I caused quit a stir in the "blue" shirt community. They posted unhappy blogs about my appearance, approached me at the following meetings (when I wasn't wearing my sash and crown) and called me names and even printed flyers about me. Attending these meetings and having my own opinion about a very controversial issue has come at a high cost for me. I could have kept my opinion to myself and stayed home and would have gone through my year as Mrs. Alaska quietly and happy with no problems, but I entered this pageant in hopes of making a difference in my community so I attended and I spoke my opinion. I wanted the assembly to leave such a huge decision for our community up to our community. I felt they should let Anchorage vote on it. I thought we lived in a country were we were free to have our own opinions and just as the "blue" shirt community doesn't want to be discriminated against for their opinions neither do I. I am entitled to mine and because my opinion wasn't "blue" they hated me for it. For every one person that said something negative to me I had five supporting me. So my stand wasn't in vain. I encouraged others to stand for what they believe "red" or "blue" and they did. I'm so blessed to know that the majority of our community supports me. So getting involved although hard was such a great experience. I'm blogging about this to say that I stood up for what I believe and it was hard but I have grown in grace and knowledge and I'm so thankful that I did. I would like to encourage you to do the same. Even when it's hard, stand for Christ!

Congratulations Mayor Sullivan for taking a stand for Anchorage!