Post Bush summer life

Summer break has officially begun! Jack is back in Illinois. He returned to Elim after Natalie's memorial service while I stayed at my parent's. Its been super tough losing her to mental illness and suicide.

We were finally all together and fulfilled Natalie's wishes of spreading half her ashes at a park she walked daily. We walked across the street from my parents house to the park in silence and tears. 

I wasn't planning on blogging this summer out of the bush, but with four birthdays and visiting four states including a trip to Disney (principal conference) I decided to do one or two posts! 

This past year was the start of our journey to financial freedom and it was HARD in the bush. Lots of adjustments and changes took place. Not having a group of friends to rely on or anywhere to go to to break up the monotony was trying! But we are on track, well more than on track, to being debt free sooner than we planned so sacrifices were made and we survived. 

If you need a good laugh check me out on my way to work! I got an evening job at Fedex. Every time I pull into the parking lot I have to laugh a little at myself for one, the way I'm dressed and two, my blue collar job! I wanted to pay for our entire Disney trip so we could stay on track with our goal. 

My mom invited Holly's family over to celebrate Zax's 6th birthday and threw a water party! It was true Linda style, over the top, and special.

Happy meal for birthday lunch.

My 11 month old stud.

His favorite expression makes me laugh every time.

I found the Disney princess Ila's eyes look like 😂😂

Touch a truck in Champaign with Amy's boys and my parents.

And then we went to Ohio for memorial day to visit our awesome cousins. This was the only picture I took, what was I thinking!?!

We got to attend the annual Bucey camping trip! This year was at Shades park Indiana.

We had a joint paw patrol birthday party at the camp site for Zax and Ila.

The Iditarod in Elim

I had been waiting for the Iditarod all year and finally it came! It was so exciting to have my village be a check point in the race. The mushers didn't have to stay for a certain amount of time so if you wanted to see someone in particular you had to be on it in case they didn't stay to feed their dogs. Many would stop right outside the village to rest instead.

Jack flew to Anchorage with the boy's basketball team the morning the first musher arrived! So he missed all of it!

It is the fire station and mortuary turned Iditarod headquarters.

The mushers have bags of food and supplies at checkpoints waiting for them.

Larry Daugherty was related to a friend of mine so when I was told he arrived (about 7:30am) the three kids and I hurriedly got ready in our gear to meet him! It was pretty fun.

Full snow gear to survive! It was a bitter cold sunny week.

Zax's class learned about the ice melting so they went to the ocean to do watercolors! We went along and Ila got to join in.  The paint brushes froze after 15 minutes.

Megan, the 1st grade teacher, helping Ila.

While painting, two dog sled teams were leaving Elim to the next checkpoint! This is on the ocean.

Virtual church and School outings

The Bush Branch's first relief society presidency meeting was over vidyo and voice was over a phone line.  It worked great to be able to see each other.  We are in three different villages and one in Anchorage.  It is definitely interesting and I am learning a lot from these wonderful women.

Zax's class at their Valentine's party! 

We took 2 snowmobiles out to Next Creek and onto the ocean to check Mark's crab pot.  You have to shovel the snow, then break the ice and shovel the ice chunks out of the water.  There weren't any crab this time sadly, but it was a cool ride and process to see.  I was glad I got to see how it all worked.

There have been five principals in five years here so there isn't a warm welcome when you arrive. Jack has been doing what he always does, hard work, and little by little he sees the fruits. A student sadly took his own life this week and a teacher wrote this to Jack.

There is a district art director who flies to all the sites and teaches art. Jack wants that job next! The community night was screen printing/painting.  We did a picture of an eagle with Elim written on it and a moose.  A lucky uncle is getting it in the mail!

When the unit is places and there is a store and a post office in town to choose from these lucky kids got to write letters and put them in the box!

Postmaster Gary, he is a character!

Taking turns mailing their letters.

He turned 8 months this week and is one skinny man at 15lbs

I couldn't wait any longer to give Ila her Ana dress I bought online.  She loves to dress up and rotates between a cheerleader costume and a wrestling singlet so I thought it was time to throw another outfit into the mix.

Ana and batman at the family game night held at the school.

Twirling in her dress.