Our Latest Happenings

This past week has been insanely busy. Jacob has taken on the youth program in addition to being the only pastor of our church. It's good, but....! Wow! We need to seek a healthier balance between work and play!:)

We started off the week with rain...lots of it. The farmers were happy. Owen and Logan were also happy. They stood under our piece of gutter for an hour (I'm not exagerating!) filling up their buckets and then dumping them on the plants.



While in Seattle, the boys acquired their very own "hoppers". They prefer "Hoppity Horse" but I think they stopped making that model in the late 70s:) One of Logan's favorite pasttimes is to sit on his hopper and compose music for us.


We brought our wagon back from my sisters and were given a wagon on the same day...much to my dismay(more stuff...ihhh) and much to the boys' delight. They called me out to watch their "parade". Jacob, Owen, Logan


The end of the week turned out to be sunny and beautiful. We pushed the boys about a mile from our house to this amazing picnic spot at Pine Creek. It was great fun for the boys to splash in the water. We were reminded that we're in tick country as I spotted one crawling across Owen's hood. Thank you Lord that the boy insists on wearing his hood rain or shine! Jacob told me to throw the tick in the creek. Later I heard the boys saying, "Here tick. Come here onto my stick and I will throw you into the creek." Ah, what entertainment!


We even put our picnic in a basket:) (Logan, Kami, Owen) Shortly after we ate, our neighbors called down to us from the road. The wind had kicked up at the top of the hill and they insisted on driving us home so that they boys wouldn't be miserable and not want to go on another picnic. More friendly people in Bickleton.


And then...we went to Portland. Jacob took some youth to a conference there, and we accompanied so I could be a female presence overnight. The boys and I skipped the conference (too loud and not really geared toward 3 year olds!) and hung out with Catherine, Heather, and Robin(college friends) most of the day. Here's Catherine reading to Logan and Owen. Today I read "Country Mouse, City Mouse" to the boys and asked if they would rather live in Portland or Bickleton. Logan replied, "Portland" and when asked why, "Because I like the desserts there." Earlier, before going, Owen told me he wanted to go to Catherine's house and see Oliver(her big dog) and because Catherine feeds him pears on a plate. You can see what is at the top of the list for the boys...possibly they picked it up from their parents?

Seattle Visit

The boys and I spent last week visiting family in Seattle.
My Grandma turned 90 so we joined in the festivities.

Not too great a shot, but our family is officially large enough to now have a kid's table...and...my cousins are young enough to be at the table, but old enough to watch my own children so I don't also have to be at the table:) I understand they all fed each other well!


Owen, Gma, Logan and Caleb(my nephew)


Logan, Caleb, Owen

Cousins enjoying a bath together...Apparently Logan was being quite entertaining??

Owen, Logan, Caleb, and my mom enjoying Caleb's swingset.

My cousin Pamela spent the last night with us. And the next day we drove home our new SAAB! The only downfall is that it's a stick shift and I haven't driven one since college. I only had a few embarassing moments. I'm anxious for my brother to return from his latest expedition (1700 mile bike, 19,850+ft. climb, and 1600 mile sea kayak back home) to teach me how to drive!

HELP!

A couple weeks ago, our computer died. Jacob was able to revive it, but we lost everything on it...it's alright, just another way to clean house! Anyway, I lost all of my "favorites" which is where I had all of my friend's blogs stored. So, if you have a blog please let me know how to view it again...I'm especially talking to you Erin...I want to know how your boys are doing (and you and Steve!) Anyway, I remembered a few addresses(Sherilyn, Nik, Liz) but most are lost...and I love keeping up with you all this way. Thanks.

New Neighbors

The boys and I went for a walk today and when we passed our neighbors house, Logan said, "Mama, I smell that pink dog." Thinking that a pink dog would be a rather peculiar sight, I glanced over to see a pink pig! As my friend pointed out, we may have "visited" (via the Internet) too many zoos while living in Savoonga and not enough farms:)

More of Bickleton

The following photos show a bit more of our house and church(in the background). Someday, I'll take my camera to town and post some photos of the community.


Owen and Logan on a rock in front of our house...I thought you'd want to know we had a rock there:)

My parents with the boys on the same rock!

Twin Moment! I realize that the boys may not appreciate my posting this when they are in junior high (if they're like us, they probably really won't care!), but I thought it was too funny to leave out. They were so excited that they could both "poo poo" at the same time! Later that same week, I caught them both pottying at the same time in the same toilet. Geniuses I tell you!:) What good use of time!

Logan, Jacob, and Owen in our backyard with tumbleweed (with the church in the background).

Are we in Savoonga or Bickleton? The boys were so excited to awake Thursday morning to enough snow to warrant their snowsuits. The church fellowship hall and Sunday School building is behind them.

Logan, snowman, Owen...we even had sticks for the arms...never found those in Savoonga!

Logan, Kami, Owen with our wood stove in the background. It's good fun to heat with wood again.

Logan, Jacob, and Owen before an egg hunt at our house. On Easter we were invited to a home where the boys had hours of fun playing with kids 12-18 years old. It's totally different here. There aren't a lot of kids, so age doesn't really make that much difference. They found a 6 year old friend down the street who usually plays with a 10 year old and 11 year old. All the kids have been really nice so far and love to include Owen and Logan. I no longer hear the common refrain, "Me have no friends!" I think we're all making friends and feeling at home here.

Moving to Bickleton

Since all of our belongings were being conveniently moved by USPS, we opted to take 2 weeks to move out to Bickleton. I missed many people and places in my photos (I think I was still in shock and grief!), but here are some photos that I did take.


We promised the boys a trip to the zoo after leaving Savoonga. Owen, Kami, Logan at Pt. Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, WA

Boys on spider web at zoo.

Fun with cousins (Pam, Owen, Wes, and Logan)

Somehow I missed all the time spent with the rest of my family...I guess we were having too much fun to stop for a picture? :)

We spent a few days in Portland visiting with friends from college.

Riding a "horse" with Dan.

Dan, Gabriel, and Robin (2 nights ago, Owen woke me up saying "(something I couldn't understand)...Baby Gabriel....Baby Gabriel." I think they liked him.)

Owen, Logan, and Oliver (Catherine??? Where were you in my pictures? I do love your dog, but I honestly value you more! Good thing we live close enough to get you in another picture soon!)

Logan, Jacob, and Owen enjoying Multanomah Falls on the way to Bickleton.
During our 2 week journey to Bickleton, Owen once said to me, "Mama...It sure is taking a long time to get to Bickleton." We enjoyed all of our visits very much and we were all super excited to arrive in Bickleton.

Sorry, my initial shots don't show much of the house or Bickleton...but they capture our life!:)

Logan(top) and Owen(bottom) in "their house". I still don't have anything in those cupboards, partly because I have way more space than stuff in this house and partly because everytime I placed something in the cupboards, I would see it being thrown onto the floor with an annoyed, "This is MY house, Mama!" Alrighty...you just enjoy it then:)

Logan and Owen sliding down a mattress. (I never labeled any boxes and didn't find their toys until Day 3 of unpacking. Fortunately they are creative children.)


Logan and Owen having a snack on a box. I was often reprimanded for unpacking boxes because they were the boys "tables" and "chairs".

Ahhh...I'm glad to be settled!

Last Savoonga Photos

I just reviewed our blog and realized I haven't posted any photos for awhile. I think it's because it took forever in Savoonga and I was busy packing and saying goodbyes in the end. I'll see how quickly (or slowly) it goes in Bickleton!

Jacob returning from his daily snowshoe excursion.

Would you like muesli or mungtuk(whale skin/blubber) for breakfast?:)

Logan having his last fun in the sandbox.

Owen in the sandbox.



Best Friends

Happy Birthday Adadta Sivoy!



Fun with Levi

Pulling a casket to the graveside.

"Moving" to Bickleton. (Jacob pulled MANY boxes to the Post Office on that sled!)

Kami, Perine & Mandi...last real visit:(

Bernadette...flower girl.

Rachel and Joe's wedding in traditional dress.

Last night with Daphne. Owen held onto her until midnight that night and was so sad to see her go even then!

Goodbye Savoonga - You will always be in our hearts.