Merry Christmas

This was the first Christmas that I have spent away from home and my family.  It was different.  It didn't feel like Christmas.  We hadn't up up decorations, we didn't have a tree, and it was very quiet.  Nathan and I called my parents over Skype  and we were able to see and talk to my family for the first time since August.  We saw my parents, Dale and Janis; my sister, Michelle, and her husband, Michael; my Aunt Karyn and Uncle Doug, my Grandma Kaye, and Hal, our close family friend.  They had opened their gifts from us already.  We opened the gifts from them over Skype.  Seeing them and feeling like we were together made it feel like Christmas finally.  

Merry Christmas everyone, we miss you!

That night we went to church and got to see our friends from the village.  Even though our church is small the people are very friendly and welcoming.  At the end of the service, everyone goes around the room and shakes hands and say hi or Merry Christmas.  That was hard for me at first, but I am beginning to do the moving part of this and initiate some of the exchanges.  It makes the community more connected with people showing their support.  

The Week After Christmas

The temperature has remained between 15 below and 21 below this whole week.  The floor is noticeably colder.  (Thank you Gram for the slippers!   They are wonderful!)  Frost is settling over everything and the air is very crisp.  Our groceries have been arriving this week (we have received 10 so far).  Katie has loaned us her honda for the break and we are taking advantage of it.  It makes bringing four 50+ pound packages back from the post office at one time manageable.  Thanks, Katie!  Our pantry is looking well stocked.  I have spent the last few afternoons organizing it as I put away our groceries.  (Our checked bags and coolers made it to our house the day after we got home.  They were on the next plane.)

Between tomorrow and Monday the other teachers will return to the village.  School begins again on Tuesday.

Week in Anchorage

We spent the first week of Christmas Break in Anchorage with Nathan's parents and the Hollands.  On Sunday, the temperature was too warm for snow machining.  Instead, we slept in and enjoyed the Bed and Breakfast.  That afternoon we went to Cyrano's Theatre and watched "It's A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Show".  The set was an old fashioned radio studio with the stand up microphones, sound effects table, Christmas decorations, the "Applause" light, and the "On Air" light.  There were five cast members who then performed "It's A Wonderful Life" doing all the characters in unique voices.  We were able to recognize what character was talking based on the voice.  It was wonderful.  A great way to spend the afternoon.  After the play, we went back to the Hollands' house for dinner and games and a fireplace.
On Monday we got up early and met the Hollands at there house at 8 am.  We were going snow machining.  We loaded up the Suburban (Ky, Sharon, and Dave on the front seat; me, Ellen, and Nathan on the back seat).  The back of the Suburban was full of our supplies and clothing for the day.  We drove about 2 hours to Suisitna Landing, a park on the Suisitna River.  We unloaded the three snow machines and got dressed (knee socks, bottom base layer, spaghetti-strap top, top base layer, top mid-layer, wool socks, jeans, Patagonia jacket, insulated snow pants, glove liners, mittens, knit hat, face warmer, helmet, goggles, parka, and boots).
Ky unloaded the three snow machines, we loaded them up with gear for the cabin, and then, after a snow machine tutorial, we were off.  We went through the park (with picnic table covered in mounds of snow), then we began our crossing of the Suisitna River.  The crossing points were marked for us.  The scouts mark the crossings where the ice flows pile up across the river.  The crossing is not flat like I expected.  It is rough, with big dips and climbs as the trail goes over the huge blocks of ice that have frozen together and been covered with snow.  We would parallel the river, then cross, then parallel, then cross, until we reached the other side and rode up a steep hill to the top of a bluff.  This was the first and only time that Nathan and I tipped the snow machine and fell off.

The Snow Machines!

Looking at the picnic tables at Suisitna Landing.  Look at all that snow!

 On Snow Machining and Marriage

The snow machine has two skis on the front that keep it on top of the snow and a track that is less than a foot wide the supports the entire machine and propels it forward.  Therefore, the riders must actively ride the machine.  We have to lean into the curves and if we feel the machine tipping we must adjust and lean the opposite way to keep from tipping over.  

While Nathan and I took turns driving the machine, Nathan drove most of the time (he was a good wind block for me).  This meant that in order for me to watch the snow ahead of us I had to lean to the side and therefore disrupt the balance.  While I was riding I was hit with a great analogy:  Snow Machining is like Marriage.  The passenger needs to trust the driver.  When Nathan leaned to a side, I needed to trust that we were approaching a corner and lean with him even though I could not see the turn.  (Nathan had to do the same thing when I was driving; although he had an easier time seeing over me). If I decided that I knew better than he did and leaned the other way, I would cause the machine to tip and we would both fall off.  Now to the marriage part.  In marriage sometimes the husband is "driving" and the wife needs to trust that he knows best and support him.  The same thing is true when the wife is driving.  With  trust (at times blind trust) we follow and support each other and this keeps our marriage from "tipping".

After traveling ten miles across the river, through the woods, and on top of the lake, we reached the Hollands' cabin.  It is on an island in the middle of Trapper Lake.  They own half the island and the other half is swamp and marshes and is public land (although no one wants to camp in a swamp).  We parked the snow machines in front of the cabin and began unloading, shoveling snow, and looking for trees that fell in the storm (firewood).  

Nathan checking the snow machines while Ky shovels the porch.

Looking out at Trapper Lake.  To the right of the picture is the boat house.

Ellen and I at the Hollands' cabin on Trapper Lake.  This was our destination on our snow machining day.

After unloading and bringing in the supplies we brought we settled in at the cabin.  It was about the same temperature inside the cabin as it was outside (about 20 degrees).  Ky and Sharon worked with the wood stove and got a fire burning.  Ellen and I shared a coat to keep our feet warm.  Dave took the snow machine out on the lake to explore the capabilities of the machine.  Ky and Nathan took the other two snow machines to the spring to get water.

Heading back to the car after snow machining to Trapper Lake (around 4:15pm).

Dave and Ellen on the left and Ky and Sharon on the right.

After snow machining we went to Anchorage and met up with Katie and her parents, Katie's former St. Michael roommate Lacey, Pam and Michael (also from St. Michael), and Michael's daughter, for dinner at LaMex.

Nathan and I at LaMex. 

Ellen, Sharon, Ky, and Dave at LaMex.

Tuesday was our shopping day.  We went to Costco first and bought our non-perishable food items.  This included ridiculous amounts of some items.  Nathan and I had gone through our food inventory that Ellen and I made this summer and used that to determine the amounts needed to feed us through July (our next trip for groceries).  I was going through the store with Ellen and Sharon putting things in the cart thinking this is way too much.  Ellen had to remind me that there was a reason behind the amounts I had determined.  We filled three carts at Costco (just like in August) but the amount we spent was less than we spent in August.  Then we went to Fred Meyer to buy the items that we couldn't get at Costco and filled one cart.  Significantly less than in August.  Nathan had a bet with the checkout lady on the price.  She found several coupons for us just to mess up his guess :).  

After shopping we called Ky and Dave and let them know where to meet us for dinner.  We went to Sorentos (an Italian restaurant).  After dinner all six of us went to see "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" and then Dave and Ellen headed to the airport to catch their 12:30 am flight back to Utah.  Nathan and I went back the the bed and breakfast.  

Wednesday Nathan and I went over to the Hollands to use their garage to pack our groceries for mailing.  We ended up buying a few more RubberMaids and ActionPackers in the process.  We ended up with 14 total containers that we were going to mail back to St. Michael (not including our perishable groceries).  

On Wednesday night we watched "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol".

Packing up our groceries for shipping.  We filled three shopping carts at Costco and one at Fred Meyer.    We packed those groceries in 14 RubberMaids and ActionPackers.  

On Thursday we went to the post office at the airport and delivered our containers via the loading dock (because we had more than ten), weighed them, loaded them onto a pallet, and paid for them.  We ran out miscellaneous errands.

Mountains around Anchorage.  Beautiful Trees!

The living room of North Country Castle Bed and Breakfast.

On Thursday night we watched "Breaking Dawn: Part 1", then walked to Red Robin for 45 minutes (a quick dinner-snack) and then watched "TinTin".  Every night the snow would start falling.  On Thursday the snow started falling around noon and didn't stop.  By the time we finished our last movie we had at least five inches on the car  and around the wheels.  

Thursday: On our last night in Anchorage, Nathan and I  shipped our containers, then celebrated our accomplishment by watching Breaking Dawn and TinTin.  By the time we got back to the car, we had gotten five inches of snow.  

By the nest morning the snow was up to the bumper of the suburban.  It was up to the top of my boots (just below my knee) no including the snow I pushed down with my step.

On Friday morning we left the Bed and Breakfast (one foot of powder had accumulated around the suburban overnight).  

Friday morning we pack up all our things, loaded the car, said goodbye to our hosts, Cindy and Wray, and headed downtown to pick up Sharon.  Then we went to Costco with our three coolers to buy our perishable items that would be additional checked bags on the flight.  From their we went to the airport for our 12pm flight.  We arrived at 11:30am, unloaded, said goodbye to Sharon, and checked in...3 minutes too late.  

The other truck in the Hollands' drive way.  On Saturday, when I arrived it was visible.  On Friday when we left...well... you can see the side mirror.

Fortunately the lady at the counter didn't put us on standby.  She told us that our checked bags might not be on the plane with us but they would leave on the cargo plane later that day.  We made it to the gate (fortunately again, not behind security) with about five minutes to spare.  Then we boarded our plane (Pam and Michael were on the flight with us back to St. Michael).  90 minutes to Unalakleet.  Our bags didn't travel with us.  After we arrived we were told our plane to St. Michael was already in Unalakleet and we would be leaving early.  Our plane was supposed to leave at 4:30pm.  We left around 3pm.  The plane was so cold when we boarded that the ice you usually see on the outside of the windows of commercial airplanes at 30,000 feet, was on the inside of the windows at sea level.  We arrived in St. Michael at 3:30pm and were met by Tim B. (assistant principal) who drove us home.  The first thing we did when we got home was walk to the post office where we had two packages waiting, just in time for Christmas.

Traveling to Anchorage for Break

Friday afternoon sunset...at 3:52pm.  The sun finally came over the mountains at noon.

On Friday evening, Katie and I had a sleepover at my house since Nathan was in Anchorage already.  We made pizza and apple-pear sauce.  We watched "The Painted Veil" and then stayed up talking until after midnight.  The next morning we both woke up before our alarms (at 6:30am) and then got ready for our trip.  She went back to her house to finish packing and I finished packing and got the cats ready for the week.  At about 8:15am I went to Katie's house and we had grapefruit and omelets for breakfast.  At 10:40, Carolyn came and picked us up in the Suburban and drove us out to the airstrip where our plane was waiting.  Then we took off and headed to Unalakleet.

The view from the plane on the way to Unalakleet as the sun comes up (11am).

 We spent about three hours in Unalakleet.  It was very windy but we braved the wind and walked around before our Pen Air flight left.

Unalakleet layover walk.  

The five-plex where Ellen and I stayed on the way to St. Michael in August.  The windows under the snow drift are where we slept.

Ice that had been pushed up on the beach during the "Snowicane".

 We left Unalakleet at 2pm and landed in Anchorage at 3:35pm on Saturday where Nathan was waiting.  Anchorage was under a winter storm warning with wind gusts to reach 100 mph We stopped by REI to buy snow pants for snow machining.  We also went to Tidal Wave Books (a used book store) that was next door.  After shopping we went to North Country Castle Bed and Breakfast where we are staying and brought in my luggage.  I changed out of my traveling clothes and we went over to the Hollands for dinner.  During dinner the power flickered off and on many times until it went out for good.  We lit candles and lanterns and continued dessert and conversation until 11:30pm.  There was no power at the bed and breakfast either.
The storm continued through the night and morning bring the temperature up into the forties.  This meant that is was now too warm for snow machining.

Christmas Program

At Anthony A. Andrews School (the big school) in St. Michael, the students and teachers put on a Christmas program for the community.  Each class comes up with something to do--either a song, skit, dance, etc.  My class made an acrostic poem using "MERRY CHRISTMAS" and as a class came up with a word for each letter.  When we stood up in front of the community to present our poem, we began with "S" and moved down the line to "M".  Then Flora and I said our line "Now if you read our letters from left to right, you'll find a Christmas greeting for everyone tonight."  Then we all sang "Jingle Bells".
My class of four (and and now some five) year olds has 20 students (we got a new student at the beginning of the month.  If you count the letters in Merry Christmas you will notice there are only 14 letters.  This didn't bother me, because I know there is a very good chance that certain students will not be at the program.  I was right.  We had 13 out of 20 students show up for the program.  Cecelia, our teacher aide, got to be one of the letters with the kids.
After we were done preforming, the students went to sit with their parents and I got to sit back and enjoy the rest of the show.

Waiting "backstage".  From the left: Regina, Dorris, Cecelia, Chris, Kyra, Leandra

From the left: Lennie, Zach, Staci, Paul, Kobe, Daiza, Tennille, Carter, Regina

Me and 13 of my 20 students waiting "backstage" while the 3 year olds performed.  They did a mini-musical based on the book the Littlest Christmas Tree.  I wish we had been able to see it.  

Performing.  On the far right, Lennie begins the presentation with "S is for Snowball".

Daiza saying, "I is for Icicle"

Flora leading us in "Jingle Bells" to finish up our program.

Leandra, Staci, and Regina made Christmas cards with me on Thursday.  

Our finished cards: mine, Leandra's, Regina's, and Staci's

I am so proud of my students.  They did a great job.  They came up to me after the program saying, "Teacher, I wasn't scared!"  They had a lot of fun.  Here is the poem we wrote:
S is for Snowballs
A is for Apple Pie
M is for Music
T is for Tree
S is for Ski Pants
I is for Icicles
R is for Ribbons
H is for Hats
C is for Candles
Y is for Yams
R is for Racecars
R is for Reindeer
E is for Eskimo
M is for Muffins

We performed it from right to left so the audience saw the letters in order.

December Begins

December began with a visit from the traveling dentist.  He came to talk with them about brushing skills and to make them excited to come get their teeth cleaned.  Many of these kids are missing teeth already, and many have silver fillings.  At Head Start, we have the kids brush their teeth three times during school, after each meal.  We also apply fluoride at the beginning of the year.

The three's class came into to our room to listen to the dentist.

The four's class.

Christine helping Chris, the traveling dentist, show how to brush the fish's teeth.

Kawerak Head Start Teachers
Left: Flora, Nora, Mary T., Alma

On Friday, I had a chance to explore pomegranates with the kids.  We looked at the outside, felt it, smelled it, listened to it.  Then we made guesses to what would be inside.

Kobe showing off the pomegranate from my grandma.

 Then we cut into it.  Immediately it begin dripping bright red juice from the cut.  The kids were tasting it.  Then we looking inside at all the seeds.  We talked about how with pomegranates we eat the seeds. We pulled the fruit apart and were amazed by how many seeds were in the fruit.

Zach showing off the seeds inside when we cut it open.

 At snack time, we pulled the seeds out the the pomegranate and ate them with our muffins (the kids were putting the seeds in the muffin before taking bites) and carrots.

Christine with the pomegranate seeds at snack time.

 On November 29, my mentor, Morgan, came for a visit.  His visits are special because he makes dinner for us.  Katie and Sara have hosted the dinner the last two months so this month we hosted the dinner.  He made us enchilladas.  We provide the meat (moose meat that we cooked in the Crockpot and then pulled apart) and he brought he main ingredients.  They were really good!

My mentor, Morgan, making moose-meat enchilladas for our meeting dinner.  

Over the weekend, (December 2-4) we had a storm.  Friday and Saturday had blizzard warnings.  Saturday and Sunday the wind was blowing so hard the house was shaking.  Nathan and I think the wind was stronger than it was for the "snowicane".  The storm brought in warmer temperatures.  The temperature rose from 8 below earlier that week to 34 on Saturday.  We had freezing rain that covered our windows (it looked cool), but we now have a layer of ice on top of everything.  The higher temperatures also mean that we will be getting some more snow.

I was sick with something Friday through Sunday and today I lost my voice.  Hopefully, I will have most of it back tomorrow for school.  Only 6 more teaching days until Christmas Break!  We also got a new student yesterday for a total of 20 kids.

The Day After Thanksgiving

On Friday, Nathan and I went on a walk to North Beach with Jill.  We needed to get out into fresh air, even though it was six below zero.  Fortunately the wind was not blowing.  The sun was out and it was beautiful.

Looking down the beach (we are standing on the ocean).

Nathan walking across the ocean back to the beach with Whale island in the background.

The ocean. 

Looking down into a crevice.  The crystals are about 1/2 inch long maybe a little more.

Nathan standing on a chunk of ice that was pushed up on the beach during the snowicane.

Our shadows: me, Jill and Nathan.

Footprints:  The footprints were left behind when someone walked on the snow and compressed it.  Later, the uncompressed snow blew away leaving white "shadows" on the dark ground.

When we returned from the beach, we noticed that our hair was covered in frost from our breath.  

My favorite part of winter so far is the sunlight.  Since the sun remains in the south over the horizon while it is up, it feels like sunrise/sunset the whole day.  The colors are really warm.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2011 was spent with the teachers of St. Michael.  We gathered at Jodi and Bonnie's house and shared a potluck-style Thanksgiving dinner.

Jill and Lily.  Lily's parents, Megan and Elias are in the background.

Julie, Carrie, Jessie, Amy (from Stebbins)

Nathan and me at dinner

St. Michael teachers

Pam, Julie and Lily