Tender Mercies

I never wanted to be a figure skating coach.  It is just something that I started to do when I turned 16 to help pay for my ice time and my lessons.  And then I continued to do it to support myself when I went to college.  Now I am living in Alaska, and I still find myself coaching. Maybe I do like this coaching thing after all. I think I like it best because I get to interact with so many people.  I teach Learn-to-Skate lessons at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and the kids that I have met and skated with have just about melted my heart.  I love them so much.  For example, at the end of the most recent session, one of my students ran up to me before class and handed me a picture she had colored.  On the bottom of the page she wrote, "I like you. Laura."  Seriously the cutest thing ever!  Another wonderful moment that happened more than once occurred as I was walking out of the rink to my car.  As I walked across the parking lot I heard "Hi Coach Jenessa!&q

One year ago our "Grand Adventure" began. I married my best friend in the Mesa Arizona LDS temple on November 25, 2011.  Marrying into the military is a lot different than a typical marriage, but oh how I am grateful for all the adventures and lessons it has taught me! As I look over the past year, there are so many fun adventures that we have experienced. 1) Living apart for nearly 6 months...not ideal, but it sure made our reunion that much sweeter! 2) Moving to an unknown land called Alaska! 3) I graduated from Drury University with my Bachelor's in exercise physiology in May. 4) We both bought cross country skis and learned how to ski. 5) Hiked Granite Tors in August and went rock climbing and berry picking (and made homemade jam!). 6) We enjoyed driving to Anchorage 3 times to spend time with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. How grateful I am to have family in Alaska!! 7) Attending the Temple with my sweetheart. Those have been special moments in our ma

Whoever thought that teaching the three-year-olds in nursery would give me reason to fall in love all over again?  I sure didn't think so, until my sweet husband helped me this past Sunday since the other lady who does nursery with me was sick.  There are six to eight two and three-year-olds in my class.  They are all great kids, but you can expect what would happen when you put them all together for two hours during their nap time (2-4pm).  Those kids loved Marshall.  It was so cute to see them all sitting in their chairs that were lined up, pretending to be riding on a train.  "chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga-CHOO-CHOO!" was their cry.  They must have played this for 10 to 15 minutes.  And each time they would "stop" at a certain destination.  My favorite was when they stopped at the fair and ran up out of their chairs to get pretend cotton candy from him.  Another game they played was animals.  At one point they were getting really loud because they were preten

There is about a foot of snow on the ground.  The daily forecast for the next week is in the single digits.  I could just stay inside and read or watch TV.  Or I could cross country ski in my free time. I pick the later! On Friday, my sweet husband bought me my own cross country skis and boots, which we found for a pretty sweet deal at Play it Again Sports.  I was so excited to go out and try my skis for the first time on Saturday, but it was a little trickier than I thought it would be. Everything I have learned from ice skating, and everything I have trained my muscles to do on the ice had to be pushed aside.  For example: --You learn in skating to NOT skate with your toe picks.  This is like the biggest no-no.  But in touring cross country skis, you glide in a straight line and you DO push off with your toes.  At first I wasn't using my toes when I was skiing, and Marshall was like,"push with your toes!" and I would respond, "I can't!"  It was rea