December concert, travels, and first look at baby!

We decided to stay in the village for Christmas break until one week before I realized I wanted to be with my family! I knew this first Christmas without Natalie, my sister, would be hard on everyone.  We bought plane tickets, messaged my family in the middle of the night (according to their time zone), and went to bed hoping they wouldn't mind too much with our change of plans.

Elim's Christmas program was a hit with Santa handing out free slushies and cookies. Zax got to go to school for a half hour everyday to practice We Wish You A Merry Christmas with the first grade class.

Ila was thrilled she got to join the preschool class to sing on stage. Both kids are in denial they are home schooled and call the teachers at the school their teachers 😂

Crew and I hanging out on the bleachers at the program.  It is so weird to see pictures of me here because in the village I've given up everything but soap and moisturizer!  It's the "when in Rome" concept. 

1st grade Christmas party gift exchange!  They pick names a couple weeks before and buy presents for that person.  My sister Holly shopped for me and mailed the gift for the girl Zax is sitting next to.

Jack was Santa and visited every classroom with books and stickers for the kids.

And the flights home for Christmas begin! Crew is the hardest to fly with and here he is in action! 

I had my first prenatal appointment in Champaign.  At the time of this picture, haha, I am 12 weeks pregnant and measuring a week ahead, but my due date is June 30th still.  My mom babysat so Jack and I could go to the appointment alone.  Now that was a treat.  Even though it is my 4th baby, I still forgot how much it looks like a baby even at 12 weeks.  We will have the gender ultrasound at the end of January in Anchorage since the village clinic doesn't have an ultrasound machine, or a tech!

We finally saw a Santa they didn't know! In the village they recognized the Santas and were getting confused!

We had great cousin time with the Martin girls. We went bowling on this outing.

Christmas eve cousin picture at my parents house in Champaign IL!   Holly's 3 girls on top, my 3 in the middle, and Amy's 3 on bottom.

Nerf guns on Christmas day!  The kids had been wanting these for months. 

Annual Bucey karaoke performances! Jack choreographed this one with the kids! "Sweet dreams are made of these."

Amy won with her performance to a Cake song.  Choreographed to perfection!

Oh Gary!

Game night!  I resisted playing this game because strategy games are not my favorite, but I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it.

The electric animals at the mall are too funny!  Crew wouldn't let Zax steer and Zax was a great sport about it.

We drove 2 hours to Indianapolis to meet up with Bucey cousins and while playing Crew puts his foot on top of a basketball, fell over and then screamed.  We drove back to Champaign and visited Convenient care to get x-rays.  It was inconclusive!  He may have fractured a bone on his shin, but additional x-rays in 10 days will determine that.  For now he has a splint and I have a very fussy kid.

Back in Anchorage on our way home to Elim, we found a yummy place to eat that just happened to be at a mini mart.  Run by Asians, they serve EVERYTHING!  Cheese steaks, hot dogs, sweet and sour chicken, smoothies....and it was tasty.  We were looking for a Thai restaurant that turned out to be closed so because of the cold we settled on this place quickly.

Now in Nome we waited in the Bering Air airport for hours to discover our flight was cancelled for the day because of fog.  Crew withstood his hunger with an Isagenix meal bar! 

Two nights in a hotel in Nome before the weather cleared and we were cleared to fly!  We got to eat out a couple extra days, but we also had to sleep in a hotel.  The first night they ran out of pack-n-plays, now that is just plain torture.

My routine life, but so unordinary

Not only is this a secluded village really far north, almost to the arctic circle, but it's a foreign culture to me.  I haven't gotten used to bush life, but it is my routine. Random moments like the picture below reminds me of this interesting life I am living. 

This beluga whale washed up and was rotting on the beach.

There aren't restaurants or any type of take out food what-so-ever in the village so I cook every meal for the 9 1/2 months we are here! We happily discovered Paper Murphy's pizza freezes their pizzas and will fly them to the Bush for an extra charge! So on nights I don't want to cook this is our "takeout." The kids are helping me put the pizzas in the freezer.

Malachi shot the squirrel with a BB gun and his uncle helped him skin it!

School at the beach watching the sun rise. Since the sun is rising late in the morning we don't have to wake up early to catch it.  Ila showing off her coloring of the sunrise.  Camera phone didn't catch any of the colors in the sunrise. 

Best pals.

The store has pumpkins stocked for Halloween.

On our way to the school to get school pictures taken.

And the results. Yes, that is a mustache tattoo Zax is sporting.  I forgot it was picture day!

That's the whole village. Big building on right is the school. Bottom center is our duplex.  They are a very close distance and lately I've only left the house once a day to walk that short distance and home. I homeschool and there hasn't been outdoor recess so not much need to leave. I definitely get stir Crazy! Nuts, huh!

In Anchorage in October I had the kids pick out their Christmas wish list! I love that they are so young because I barely had to hide it in the cart without them seeing what I picked!

When you live in the bush and fly to town to shop, you shop with your cooler and a scale.

Flying with three kids is no fun!  These two make it look pretty easy, it's the mini man at the window that I battle!

Jack is playing a game with the 4-5th graders who are waiting in line to eat lunch next.  He is so dedicated.

Monthly assembly time!  Jack and the Elim Eagle handing out prizes.

Cheerleading team. 

Native American Heritage week sprang an Alaska culture morning in the gym.  Ila is learning to seal hop.

Stick pull

Jack leg wrestling

Ila and Evangaline.  She is Ila's favorite friend.

Ila winning at arm wrestling, those muscles!

And the Christmas pajamas December 1st. 

Fishing, hunting, 1st date, and school!

The end of summer weather has been good to us.  We've had regular walks, daily playing at the school playground, and playing on the beach!

We hiked this hill for the first time and it has the best view!  We were hoping for a plane to come in since the landing strip was so close.

Reflecting time on top

Half way up!

Jack took Zax out fishing with Mark (who is in the picture) and another teacher, Brendan.

Primary time!  We are still figuring out how to engage the children this time of church.  I tried sitting inbetween them...

Then the next Sunday we tried headphones... Still figuring out how to keep them engaged.

Going on a Sunday walk and attire is never a question.  Wear what you want and no one bats an eye.

He loves to suck on rocks and drool out the dirt.  The beach though, we love it!

This baby comes back for hugs and snuggles, I love it!

Elim hosted a kids fun run before the cross country meet and had a great turn out!

Day date to the hotsprings!  First time ever in Elim someone watched our children while we went out together.  It was a dream come true and we plan on swapping with them regularly.

Jack's first kill ever!  We stopped along the way when Mark or his dog, Sadie, saw spruce hen to shoot. Jack got two.

Half way there.

Strapping the dead spruce hen to the four wheeler!

Mark is a true hunter.  He tore all the feathers off the spruce hens and threw it in the river so he didn't have to do it at home!

A cabin next to the hotsprings that smelt more like a hotbox. Just learned what that is, lol!

Curriculum finally arrived so this is our official first day of school picture.

Sticker charts are huge motivators in our house!

Two of the three ginormously heavy boxes I carried from the school!
The daylight is slowly becoming less.  The weather is now in the 40's as the high, summer is over.