Gpa Bill and the Eldridges

A week or so before Christmas, we were surprised by receiving a cooler filled with yogurt! The boys knew immediately that it was from Grandpa Bill:) Actually, it was from his daughter, Lisa. Lisa was the camp director at the church camp near Fairbanks where Jacob spoke this summer. She, her parents, and several others stayed with us in Savoonga last March. Lisa has been coming to Savoonga many years. So that is how the connection came about. They are incredibly wonderful and generous people who have blessed our family immensely since meeting them last March. It was during that visit that their group brought yogurt and fresh fruit (2 items that we don't see much in Savoonga). Gpa Bill was never able to eat much because the boys were incredible moochers and Gpa's spoon would soon be directed into their mouths rather than his own! When they flew us to Fairbanks this summer, he blessed us with several bags of groceries...lots of ice cream, fruits, veggies, steak! This Christmas, he told Lisa that for Christmas, he wanted her family to bless another family. They chose us! The following are pictures of the opening experience:)


Owen with his yogurt...the first package.


Logan and Owen opening the second package.


Logan and Jacob


Logan and Owen with the fruit. I love how this picture communicates their excitement over fresh fruit:)


The fun never ends...Logan pushing Owen in the box.

They also sent us another box full of ice cream, a variety of meat, cinnamon rolls, and more. Wow! We were all so very happy to receive these special treats. A couple of days after Christmas we received another frozen box from Gpa Bill...they sent us an extra Christmas turkey:) I think it is so great that what Gpa Bill wanted most for Christmas was not another material possession, but to see the joy that he could bring to the faces of our children...I think blessing another family at Christmas should be a part of everyone's Christmas tradition!

Finally...Some Snow!

We've had snow for awhile, but nothing like last year...yet! We keep having blizzard warnings, but we're not walking level with rooftops and having to duck under telephone wires yet! I found some fun snow photos on our camera and wanted to post them. The first ones are from at least a month ago.

We haven't had a ton of snow, but we have had some good wind to blow the snow we do have around. In the summer, Savoonga is very flat. In the winter, thanks to the incredible drifts, it is very hilly! These are photos from our first day of drifts this year. You can see in the distance, how beautiful they were...before the children reached them:) Owen and Logan had a great time shoveling out a path for us.


Me, at sunset, with the village and mountains behind.


Sunset over the Bering Sea


View of the sunset from our kitchen window (and Owen and Logan at the table!)


Jacob, Owen, and Logan with their snowman.


Jacob pulling a sled full of trash out to the dump 1 1/2 miles away.


Last year someone from Anchorage thought we needed a live/cut Christmas tree, so they flew one out to us! We made a wreath out of it and saved it in the attic for this year. After Christmas, we dismantled it and Levi, Owen, and Logan "planted a forest" outside our window.


Martha (Levi's mom) and I dug mini-snow caves into the snow bank. This is Owen in his.


Logan in his cave.


Levi, Logan, and Owen

The boys have had so much fun playing with Levi this year. We all visit together almost everyday, but Levi (6 months younger than the boys) still has a hard time telling Logan and Owen apart. The other day, Levi and Logan were standing next to me and Owen was playing in Levi's bedroom. Levi said, "Owen took my airplane." I called back to Owen to ask him about his airplane. Levi became a bit flustered and then pointing to Logan said, "No, the other Owen. This one, Kami!" Ah, right. Logan or "the other Owen":)

Ivory Carving

Carving ivory is a longstanding native art form on St. Lawrence Island. The school recently received a grant to buy thousands of dollars worth of carvings from people in Savoonga to display in their showcase. It's wonderful to view the beautiful pieces and see the native people of Savoonga acknowledged and praised for their talent.


Charles Edwards is our neighbor and a very gifted carver. He recently finished this piece for the showcase and invited us over to see it. If you click on the image you can see the detail a little better when it is enlarged. The next picture is a closer up shot. The igloo at the base is carved out of whale bone with a tuft of polar bear fur in the doorway for the snow. The rest is carved out of ivory. All of the black (for eyes, seal spots, etc.) are inlaid baleen...he wasn't quite finished with this when we viewed it. And the black stuff in the middle that looks like hair, is also from the baleen.


This is a close-up of a seal that he carved.



I'm not sure how this photo ended up on the "Ivory Carving" post! I uploaded these awhle ago. Perhaps, I was just so excited to capture a photo with both boys looking at the camera, smiling, and with their eyes open...even if Owen is sitting in a box!:)

Christmas 2009

Owen, Logan, and Jacob after we decorated the tree.


Logan and Owen dressed up as shepherds before the Christmas Program. I wouldn't want to mess with these shepherds! Apparently, they took their job pretty seriously.


The Christmas Program. After noting the punching/wrestling older shepherds on the other side of the stage, I encouraged the boys to hang out on the side of the stage closer to me on the piano!:) The Christmas Program is always a riotous time here. A handful of kids show up for the "practices" and then 1 hour to 1 minute before the program starts, 40-50 kids show up asking for their costumes. For the sake of my sanity, I refused to lead it this year. Jacob ended up fulfilling that role and he really did a great job getting at least most of the angels to sing most of the songs while he tried to get the shepherds and wisemen to stop wrestling and follow along!


After the program, it is tradition here for people to exchange gifts with one another.


Logan, me, Owen, and Jacob in front of the Christmas tree (at least the bottom part of it!)

Grandpa's Boat

Our last vacation post!:) My mom and I went out one day and returned home to find my dad had built a wooden boat with the boys. They had so much fun that they built another the next day, so I photographed the process:)



Logan, Owen and Grandpa making the boat.


Logan, Gpa, and Owen showing off their final project.


Ready to sail!


In the water! It didn't quite sail, but the boys thought it was really neat how the paddlewheel splashed water into their faces.


Logan with his boat.

Back in Sequim

We did A LOT of traveling during our 1 1/2 month vacation! Here we are back at my parent's house.


Owen, Logan, and Gram playing with my brother Lance's old Tonka trucks. I hope my parents never decide to claim all of their dirt for flower beds:)...Maybe after the boys are teenagers.


My dad and I wanted to go for a walk one day, but the boys were tired and we didn't have our double stroller. Since having twins, I've learned to improvise when needed. Logan is in the front and Owen in the bottom. We gained a few curious looks from the neighbors, but we all enjoyed the fresh air:)

Whidbey Island

The boys and I travelled to my sister and brother-in-law's for a few days.


Our first challenge was fitting all of us in the car! We met our first challenge only to realize that fitting them all in the backseat was easy compared to keeping them from doing physical harm to one another during our long rides in the car! Ihhh!:)


We spent one day shopping for supplies to send back to Savoonga and getting side tracked along the way with fun stops (something my sister and I have always been good at doing). These photos are taken at a farm north of Bellingham. Here, Owen and Logan are enjoying the ducks.


Logan, Caleb, and Owen watching the goat.


Logan on a tractor.


Owen


Owen, Caleb, Logan