Some Old Some New

I haven't been able to access the Internet for awhile, so I just cut and pasted some entries I've been writing in Word...some are old stories and some are new:) Enjoy.

I think that we have finally recovered from a week of illness, during which Logan developed a new favorite phrase. Owen was the first to develop a 24-hour fever and need to be held all day. At the end of that day, Logan once again pleaded for me to hold him and I once again explained to him that Owen was sick and he needed me to hold him and once he was better I would hold Logan for hours on end if he so desired. Logan looked at me and said, “Me have no mama.” I thought this was a one time comment, but today, as I was actively engaged in cleaning out the dresser, Logan wanted me to play with him. I told him I would in a few minutes. Soon, I heard him mumbling in the corner, “Me have no mama.” I really think that we need to move back to Hollywood because I think our children would be stars!:)
While cleaning our room, we found our missing Berenstein Bears book. The boys were quite excited, so I left Jacob upstairs to read with the boys while I went down to cook dinner. I returned awhile later to find Logan, sitting in his bed with tissue sticking out of one nostril, blood covering most of the rest of his body, and a huge grin on his face. What happened? Jacob explained that as he was reading of Brother Bear first meeting Sister Bear, after she was born, Sister Bear “popped” Brother Bear in the nose. So, of course, I realize that Owen, in an attempt to act out the story, popped Logan in the nose. Jacob informed me that I was wrong. Logan, in an attempt to act out the story, popped himself in the nose! Apparently their was no pain involved, because Jacob continued to read the story only to hear Owen burst out in frantic tears as he noticed his brother's bloody face. It was quite the bloody nose and through it all Logan just laughed hysterically!

Just a quick update...This YWAM group will continue staying with us through next Friday and then we leave for Seattle the following Wednesday AM so we are sorting and prepping to pack for a month and a half away!:) Hope you're all well.

An Appropriate Response?

I suppose that when someone walked into our house and said, with wide eyes, “A cargo plane was just blown off the runway!” I probably shouldn’t have responded with, “Oh, that’s too bad. I’m going for a walk out to the dump and back.” Maybe I should have been clued in that the wind was rather intense?...But I was all ready and psyched up for my hour of exercise…so, off I went. I don’t run. It’s just pretty much misery to me, but today, I ran out to the dump. It was amazing! I just let my body go and with no effort at all, before I knew it, I was there…and then I turned around to go home! Whoa! It was literally everything I could do to lean into that wind at a 45+ degree angle and fight step by step to keep from being blown off of the road and out onto the tundra. I was soaking wet by the time I reached home (not from rain, but from the sea spray!) and I was having a difficult time standing up and walking straight, but it was worth it…I definitely had an hour of exercise!

Owen and VBS

The group staying with us is doing a sort of Vacation Bible School in the evenings. The boys attended the first night with Jacob. Afterwards, I asked them how it was. Owen replied, “I squished a boy’s head at Vacation Bible School, Mama.” Oh really?...I looked at Jacob. He shrugged and said that one of the older boys was attempting to pick on Owen and before Jacob had a chance to intervene, Owen reached out with both hands and squished the boy’s head! Apparently the kid didn’t try to mess with my boy again:) Just a side note…the lesson was about how God loves us and we need to love others!

A Day's Entertainment

The boys always seem to keep us entertained with their words, but today was an especially joyful day:) Upon wakeup, Owen sat up in bed, saying, "Me give Logan a red airplane and Logan gave me a blue truck!" I said, "Oh, were you sharing in your dream?" Owen replied, "Yes...where is it? Where is my blue truck?"

After breakfast, I noticed it was a little too quiet upstairs. I called up through the vent (hole in the floor covered by a grate), "What are you doing up there?" I heard Owen say, "Oh...uh oh." Followed by Owen peering down at me through the floor, saying, "Hi Mama! Go away Mama!" As if that was really going to happen!

Still later, I went upstairs to find Owen had laid out some crayons on the floor. Knowing that he took them from a place where he is not allowed, I said, "Owen, What do you have?" He replied, "Crayons." Me, "Where did you get them?" O, "From box." Me, "Where did you get the box?" O, "Up there." Me, "Are you supposed to be up there?" O, "No." Me, "What do you need to do now?" O, "Get some paper?" Me, "Owen." O, "Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! Put crayons in box. Put box up there, Mama."

Before dinner, Owen sneezed and said, "Oh! Bless me!"

During dinner, Logan informed me that some kids came over to visit earlier and one of them gave him a piece of popcorn. I said, "Did you say thank you?" Logan replied, "He's not here anymore, Mama." (He said it in a tone that seemed to question my sanity!)

Who needs a television? :)

Good Times

You may have noticed that in most every outdoor photo, the boys have walking sticks which they use to help themselves walk along the boardwalks, scramble up rocky hills, and to defend themselves from little girls who try to kiss them!:) They recently found 2 metal rods to go along with them so Jacob was teaching them how to make lovely music with them which you can tell Logan especially, was enjoying singing along with.




Logan wanted to help me make bread the other day. He was quite the good little kneader. Notice that the picture is blurred and his hair is flying as he pounds that dough with all his might:)



Owen busied himself "feeding" the duck.


And this is Levi, the son of a new teacher(he's only 6 months younger but quite a lot smaller, you can see!) I'm sure you can tell from the photo how much the 3 love each other already.

Sure Bliss

Yah! I tried the photos again and it's working:)
The other night I filled the boys inflatable baby bathtub with their "Calm" aromatherapy bubble bath:) I bathed Logan and left him to play for awhile. When I peaked to check on him, I found him with his head resting on the back of the tub and just looking totally relaxed. I said, "Ah Logan, you look so very happy." He said, "Me am so very happy Mama." It was so beautiful.


Owen had also peaked in on Logan and thought it a good idea to follow.


I laughed as I later viewed these photos because the day before I was talking with a friend who's son is the same age as the boys. She is putting him in a swim class of some sorts and I told her we didn't really have that option here. She is a very creative thinker, so she said, "You have a bathtub, right?" See Sherilyn, I just think we've outgrown our pool:) (P.S. Levi's mom didn't seem to think it too funny when I told her your idea of the 3 swimming in his full-size tub. I so miss you guys living down the street!)

Internet Woes!

I'm sure I've already used this title before...irrh! I may have mentioned before that we have the YWAM group staying with us now...9 more people in the house through the end of the month. It's a good group and we're enjoying having them here as we have before. The only bummer is that 5 of the girls are sleeping in Jacob's office (w/ the computer) and one seems to go to bed even before the boys which means the only time that I can really enjoy using the computer is no longer! So tonight, I was excited as they are all out at a native dance and the boys are in bed early and the Intenet keeps failing...irrh! Anyway, I'm giving up on posting photos and just hoping to post this entry.

I am finally reaching a point where I feel some sense of community and structure here, for myself. Sundays are filled with church activities. I'm still playing the piano, but slowly backing away, at least for the evening service in hopes that someone...anyone might step up. I'm also enjoying creating a Sunday School curriculum unique to Savoonga. MWF I walk with one of the teachers, who is also becoming a good friend. T & Th she leads a yoga class for the community that I've been enjoying. I never expected to enter the yoga scene in Savoonga, nor did I expect that my yoga instructor would be from Texas!:) Thursday night I'm in a Bible Study with some other teachers. Saturday, I walk alone and am enjoying watching the grasses change color and the snow begin to accumulate in the mountains. We've been in the 30's for a good week now.

While I'm finding many things to enjoy here...there are also so very many disappointments on a seemingly daily basis. I can't go into the details here, but please pray for the community here and for our family as we try to find our place within its struggles.

First Day of School

Many of my friends (who have older children than I) posted entries to their blogs with this title, so I thought I ought to post one myself, although it's a bit late. Earlier, I wrote of my 19-yr old "student" Sivoy who I'm attempting to help graduate. I think that this picture tells it all:)


I believe Sivoy's greatest obstacle to graduating is his lack of motivation to work, to put it bluntly!...but he showed up for our first day of class. We were attempting to meet from 2pm-4pm. He worked with me for thirty minutes before declaring that he was finished for the day. I coaxed him into working another half hour before he said, "I think I'm going to just go back to school." I reminded him that wasn't an option (and I also thought to myself how sad it was that he was able to work less in school than he was currently working with me!) We pushed through another half hour before I took the above photo and pulled a chair over to the futon to continue our lessons. He made a comment about my persistance and laughed miserably. I told him we could spend the last half hour reading. Logan and Owen moaned, "Nooo...Uncle Sivoy no read." What was this about? Where's my support? We were all laughing, I set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes and we read. That was Day 1. It's been not quite that successful ever since. The Russians are here to help celebrate the opening of the new school and Sivoy has been quite distracted with entertaining them. He told me not to give up on him. I told him that he was the one desiring to graduate, not me and I'd be around to help if he ever wanted to show up:)

These are some other photos of the boys on the futon. They take great pleasure in climbing on people and then doing gymnastic moves all over them:)
Owen (mid backwards somersault) with Jacob.


Logan with Jacob.