Christmas to Now: Project Catch Up

So...we have been pretty busy, but honestly I have been lazy when it comes to updating the blog.  I think about it often and then I end up reading or catching up on TV episodes of Psych or The Walking Dead.  Today I decided to update the blog and let people see some of the things our family have been up to for the last five months.

Christmas 2012

A tradition at Brevig Mission School is to put on an annual Christmas program.  Each grade level teacher picks a song or skit for their students to learn and perform.  This year the kindergarteners or kinderfriends as I like to call them performed the traditional Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.  Claire's class did a line dance to a funny version of Jingle Bells, the middle schoolers acted out the song Can't Wrap This and the whole school did a flash mob of Pamyua's Bubble Gum.  Below are some pictures from this event.

 For our December school wide art project we made 3D snowflakes and hung them in the cafeteria.  It made the school festive for the holidays.

 During the Christmas holidays the city of Brevig host nightly Eskimo games, dancing, and raffles.  The above picture is of some of the Eskimo dancing.  To take a break from the village we went  for a few days to Anchorage.  While in Anchorage we drove to Seward to meet some friends of ours -- the Rudstroms.  It was great to get a break, eat out, go to the movies, and do some shopping.  Not to mention see some great friends.

Cate and Claire in Seward.

Cate, Claire, Tizita, and Harold at the Seward aquarium.

February

Two of our teachers became moms for the second time this school year.  We had a baby shower for them.  Angie adopted her second baby, Levi.  He was born in late November, three months early.  We had the shower a week after he has able to come home.  Liz was 8 months pregnant with her son Russell who was born around the first part of April.  

Angie and Levi

Liz and soon to be Russell

Our school wide art project for this month was a giant heart.  The heart was created with handprints from each of our students.

Kindergarten Happenings

I have enjoyed my eight little sweet hearts this year.  They have been the easiest class I have taught in fifteen years.  We have had a blast this school year.  Below are some pictures illustrating our adventures.

Living in Alaska affords students opportunities that kids in the lower 48 don't all get.  One of those is cross country skiing.  Our school has skis for all students.  I have been taking the kinders out every Friday when the weather is good to practice balancing on skis.  We don't use poles, yet because we are learning to balance and move our feet.  Can you believe a girl from Georgia is teaching kids to ski?  Yeah, me either.

Cate has a hard time keeping her skis straight, but she doesn't give up!

 Sledding in Brevig is called sliding.  I took the class to the lagoon to slide.  We slid on plastic sleds owned by the school.  We then wrote a poem about sliding.  We had a blast.

Damien is so cute!  I had to post this picture of him in his parka made by his grandmother.  

Cate has fun wherever she goes! 

We made Easter bonnets for our Easter Parade. 

Next Year

So the question a lot of people have is...are you coming back.  The answer is YES!  We prayed for several months and believe that God wants us here for another year.  We are excited about next school year, and ask that those of you who have been praying for us to continue.  I will be moving up to 2nd and 3rd grade next year.  This will be a challenge due to having to teach two grade levels, but I am excited for the opportunity.