Sight seeing and ice packed...

Well, we love venturing out and doing things as a family. This time when we went out kayaking, we took Skylar and Adriana out with us. It was fun, girls were excited to go out with us! This time we didn't go far, just in front of St.Michael, since we had the girls. We spotted some seals fifty yards ahead of us and decided to watch them for a while and hopefully take some pictures of them. We sat there for awhile hoping to get a little closer. We didn't pay much attention to where we were and how fast the ice was coming in. Well, when we decided it was time to go home, girls were falling asleep in the kayak, making it harder to paddle. We got ice jammed and had to think of what our next move was. It was a little nerve wrecking at first, I was nervous, just cause we had the girls and wasn't sure if we may need to call town for help or even the Coast Guard, being St.Michael was just a few hundred feet from us. You can see people, well, kids on the beach playing. After thinking this clearly, we started heading out to open spots where there wasn't any ice and slowly made our way to open waters. Drew and I had to get up onto floating ice a few times to pull the kayak to more open spaces. I was getting a little afraid for him to go jumping out of the kayak and onto the ice. I didn't want him falling in, the waters here are very cold, at least 15-20 degrees. Ulapa!!!! Meaning, cold in Yupik. We had a VHF radio with us, we called out to people we knew and thought would have their radios on and would come and help us out of there. But we didn't get any response back. Our radio wasn't working! We didn't give up, we had another to keep calm, we had no time to panic. We just knew we had to get out of there fast and before it got colder out. It was drizzling, so I put the girls hoods on to keep them warm and dry, I wasn't sure how long or late we'd be out there or even if we'd get out. We saw some guys at the beach, at firls we though, " Hey, they saw us, their coming to help us out!" We were happy and excited and thought help was heading our way. But no, we called and called. I tried whistling their way, but no, they didn't hear us. They were out to hunt seals. We left at about 7pm and didn't make it home till near 10pm. It may have not seem long, but sure felt long enough trying to get out of the ice. You can see in one of the pictures St.Michael was so close but, yet so far for us. But we made it home, girls had no idea we were in trouble, but we did and we had to get our girls home and on land safely.

Kayaking St.Michael Bay

Here we are, kayaking the St.Michael Bay looking for any signs of wildlife and hopefully go home with a seal. Drew called me up in Anchoarge Friday and gave me the good news," Our kayak is here!" I thought that was pretty quick, he placed the order last week Monday and we recieved it on Friday that same week from Sportsman's Warehouse in Anchorage, Ak. We have yet to explore the tiny island of Stebbins and St.Michael, Stuart Island just across Stebbins, down the coast, south from here..well, alot of places we'd like to go camping, fishing and hunting this spring, summer nad fall! We have yet many years to come and hundreds and hundreds of miles to which we can go exploring.

Girls 4th Birthday Party!

Girls had a fun and exciting four years! Alot of new happenings. We had a full house, we invited family from home. Pam and her two kids came Everette and McKenzie. My three brothers Wilfred, Brendan, and Zachary and my sister Addie, cousin Paba John, his girlfriend and daughter. Shirley Andrews family. Michelle Snowball and her two kids and a friend of ours, Jodi Grewe. We made homemade pizza, thanks to Drew's lovely mother who gave us her pizza dough recipe! Everything turned out great! We ordered the girls cake in from Nome, which were absolutey too cute to eat! We gave them two choices, The Four Princesses or Cinderella. They got the Four Princess and still had the Cinderella birthday theme!

Seal Hunting Success!

It's fun to do spur of the moment stuff! "Hey let's do this, let's do that,....Let's go seal hunting!" Without planning, anything can happen. It's fun, it's daring, you never know what will happen. Drew and I went riding on the frozen ice. It was a warm, sunny day, light breeze, and the ocean's filled with seals on the Bering Sea, St.Michael Bay. We just took off and we weren't gone more then an hour before we spotted one close to the first ridge. Theres two ridges, you have to be careful when your out on the ice, especially near spring. We spotted this seal, so we parked Drew's 340 XCR Polaris about a 150 yards away from the ridge where the seal was spotted. we left the snow-machine running to keep the seal distracted from us crawling on the ice. Being it might have heard us and may have slipped away into it's breathing hole and have lost the seal, which worked, thanks to Drew's bright idea. Before having left I was looking through pictures to work on my scrapbook and found a picture of my Upa Louie. He was working on his wooden boat, preparing to go out hunting. I thought of him the whole trip out. What he'd be doing this very moment. things he'd be gathering to prepare for a hunting trip. When we spotted that seal, I prayed that he'd be with us and he'd help us get one. I felt his presence near and blessed the moment for having given this day to us. Having sneaking up on this seal, made me thought of being in the military, it just looked silly and Drew looked like a big bear crawling on all fours! I had to laugh to myself, then I told him what he looked like when he was infront of me crawling. Lol! At about 150 yards away from the seal, we got ready, got the seal insight...held my breath a few times and made sure I was comfortable. I didn't want to have it jump into it's breathing hole, it would be gone in matter of seconds. I held my breath and shot once...missed, the shot went passed him. He looked up and I shot again, this time hitting it in the throat. " I GOT IT!", I thought. With this seond shot, it really scared the seal and dove into its breathing hole. This time, I thought it was a total loss. " Damn, he got away!" We ran up to where he was lying and there he was, face up, breathing, so I shot him again in the head. We got the rope and pulled him out! We jumped for joy that we got one! We just looked at it, smiling ear to ear! There I said a silent prayer and thanked my Upa Louie for having been with us that day. He was a great hunter and knew the ocean like the back of his hand. I knew and felt him the whole time we were out there. We loaded the seal on the sled and looked at another, smiling, hugged and kissed at the success of what we came out to do. Drew asked what I was going to do with it. I told him, " Since it's my firs seal, I must give it away." I knew my parents would love it and would be very happy to have it. It's tradition to give your first catch away to elders, in my eyes, they are. They're in that age group. Anyway, my sister Pam was at home watching the kids, we got back and proudly showed our catch. They were all happy for us. We borrowed Pam's four wheeler and loaded it on the back and headed for Stebbins. We got there, brought it in th house and waited till my parents came home, when they didn't show up, we went looking for them. I was too excited and happy at the thought of what they'd think of their daughter catching a seal. With Drew's 30-06 rifle and the first bullet that got it, We both got it. It's Our seal that we caught. I may have shot it, but it wouldn't have been a success without Drew's rifle. It was blessed with my Upa Louie to guide his granddaughter and her boyfriend to have a successful hunting story to tell, like he did. It's days like this you can get lost in, stories of a very successful seal hunting trip. I see now how the ocean has lots to offer to subsistance way of living. He used to sit at the beach and watch the ocean, Winter, Spring (ice break-up), Summers and Fall. "There" he'd say and point out the the sea, " You'll never have to go to the store for food, you'll never go hungry when you have the whole ocean infront of you, our land is full of food."

Doing dishes with Daddy Drew!

The girls teachers sends us a bulletin every first of the week and let us know whats happening with the kids and school. One asked us to have our kids learn choirs, so one evening after gym night and dinner Drew and I had the girls hel with dishes. It's fun watching them do these kinds of things together. Everyime they got wet, they'd ask to change their clothes. We made sure they kept them on till they were done with dishes and when it was time for their bath. They did well, Adriana did the washing and Skylar rinsed. Adriana would wash and reach passed her sister and put the washed dishes in the drying towels. We'd tell her, "Give them to sister and she'll rinse and put them away for you." They're a had full at times, but I guess kids will do that to you.

Happy Easter Sunday!

Happy easter to all! We had our first family photo taken together today, this fine Easter Sunday and our first holiday dinner celebration. It turned out good, we're all still stuffed from dinner. Drew had a nice nap during a movie we put on. I had my cousin Paba John and his girlfriend over for dinner. We can never get the girls to take cute, smiley pictures, they always have to make funny faces! Thats ok, gives the photos character and a story behind the photo. We had my neices Star and Lauryn over for the night and thought it would be good for the both of them to come and hang out with the girls and spend Easter with us. They had a ball coloring eggs and hunting for eggs and plastic eggs filled with candies. We got them baskets and added more goodies in there for them.

Where does Time go!?

You know, with all the time spent sitting around the house after work or even during work, I think about Time. An where it's brought me. I have two very beautiful twin daughter's, Skylar Marcia (Ik-nuq and Nung-zuk) and Adriana Noelle ( Gup-uq and Arrsiaq). Those are their Yupik names, two of which I've named them both after my beloved grandparents, their great grandparents, Maria and Louie Pete. It's true, our native names given to us, are truely who we've become. Adriana is named after my Upa Louie and his cousin Cecelia Abouchak. Skylar is named after my Gramma Maria and Gabriel Tom's step mother Nungzuk. The girls first year, they were a year and a half, I remember this as if it were yesterday. Skylar was outside playing in the dirt, she had on a pair of Carhart jeans, a pink hoodie and a yarn knit beanie my aunt Sue had made them. Anyway, she was kneeling on the ground with one leg tucked under her butt and one leg bent up to her chest. She had a small piece of stick in her hand, holding it between her index and middle finger, looking so serious, she'd put it up to her mouth and suck on it as if she were smoking a ciggarette. After catching her doing this so many times throughout the years, I asked," why does she do this?" And found out that Nungzuk loved smoking tobacco. The kind you have to put in rolling paper. Adriana on the other hand is named after my Upa Louie. He was a great hunter! He knew everything there was to know about living in Bush Alaska the subsistance way of life! Camping, fishing, hunting, weather, kayak building, setting fish nets during summers in the ocean or rivers and during the winters in the ice, setting traps. I mean he knew everthing about subsistance living! He loved making native drums, and singing yupik songs. He used to sing in his sleep all the time. I don't know how my gramma slept through the night. But she did. I can go on and on about him. There's so much you could have learned from him. To hear him tell you a story about anything and everything.

But anyway, about Adriana and her being named after my Upa Louie, my parents were getting ready to practice native dancing at the city hall. My dad and Zachary were kneeling in the middle of the floor and my mom behind both of them. Adriana (Arrsiaq) knelt between my dad and my brother Zachary as if to show them both whose seated next to them and show them how to do the dance. To lead them. She waited till Skylar (Ik-nuq) to stand behind her and when she knew she was directly in front of my mom and behind Adriana, that's when Adriana started leading the dance when the singers and drummers started one of my Upa Louie's songs. They were both looking down, their hands out infront of them, palms up, motioning them up and down with the sound of the drumming in the background. They did this till the song was over and they were done dancing. It was funny cause after the song was done, they went about being little girls again. Playing, running around with not a care in the world, just being kids again! I had a huge lump in my throat, I saw it was both my Grandparents Maria (Ik-nuq) and my Upa Loue (Arrsiaq) in them. For that brief moment, they came to see us and be with us for that one song. Sorry my pictures of them aren't clear, I don't have a scanner. I hope you enjoy the pictures, it's of both my Grandparents, Maria and Louie Pete. My Gramma used to play the organ in church every Sunday and during holidays. Christmas was my favorite time of year and still is. The one of her playing the organ was during Christmas Mass at the old church. After I took the picture, she smiled and said I made her make a mistake with the flash. But she continued on and played gracefully.

Cousins!

Here's the cousins, lol! Alaina (girls call her Weena), McKenzie (well known as Muq), Cameron (Cam-Cam) and everyone else! To much to name! Lol!

Here's Stebbins for ya'll!

This is my home town, the beautiful Stebbins, Alaska! Summers here are absolutely gorgious! Fall time especially! We have black volcanic sands that vary in colors, brown, red, blue, white and tan. Well, just come to our beach and you'll see! During the summers, my daughter's Skylar and Adriana walk to the beach in our bare feet. Our house is close to the beach so its not far to go. Walks toward Sour Dough Point or The Bluff (George Washington's hill) are always adventurous. My girls love looking for stained beach glass or little treasures. The walk to the other side of Bluff takes you away from all the noise, four wheelers, kids, people. One of my favorite hiding places for a nice full body tan during warm summer months are somewhere on this tiny island.

Timberwolves newest basketball allstar, Jodi!

Here's "My Jodi!", LOL...Skylar is crazy about a friend of mine. The two of them fight and argue," My Jodi, No MY JODI!" She's a teacher here at the Stebbins school. This is her first year here, she's been here since August and we've only gotten to know her this year 2006. It's funny, we talk on the phone even chat on skype or msn! And we live in the same town! How funny is that! We talk like we've been friends forever! Laughing is good! It always is, that's all we seem to do when we're together, especially on the phone. Skylar and Adriana climb all over her like she's a jungle-gym! She laughs and has fun with them! She's KEWL! lol,...like the pictures!? She's also a new recruit to our basketball team, The Timberwolves! Woo Hoo!!!!!! Go Jodi!

My Love...

I've met someone. I won't tell you how or where. I'll just tell you how long I've known him, his name is Drew. A teacher at St.Michael. He teaches science and other classes. Science being his favorite. I've known him since last year May 2005 and have gotten to know him even more these last few months of this year, 2006. It's almost as if I've known him for years. I've never been so comfortable with someone. I've never been so "in-love" with another. Having met him with so much in common, things you want to share, do, how two people can think so a-like. It's funny, we laugh at things we've thought about, things we were going to say or do. It's like God has finally answered my prayers and sent him to me. There is a God and he listens! I've never been so happy! I can't help it, what's not to smile about. I have two beautiful twin daughter's who are wild about him, but could take more time getting to know him. He love's my daughter's and especially he love's me. I can't imagine spending the rest of my years getting to know him more and more every second, minute, hour, day, weeks, months and years to know him wholey. I can give him that, I have time, I have patiences...and I'm In-Love with My Love,...My Darling Drew. I Love You. :) Skylar and A-Drana call him," Drew Daddy!, My Dew!" You all gotta hear them, you can't help put say," Aaawwww, how cute!" Lol. He's awesome with the two of them. A hand full at times, but he loves them just the same. After a month of him taking care of the both of them, getting up early on weekday's so he can be at work on-time, and girls off to a sitter in the early mornings before school, he did it. He survived a whole month with the two little rascals! They've learned lots from him, with the little time spent with him. He even taught them after school, got them to go to bed early (with putting up many fights), got them to love books, routines. Well, there's still plenty for them to learn, but in the month that he's had them, they've surprised me! And I can't tell him thank you enough!

SkyAna's Corner

Skylar and Adriana...my two most important little people in my life! They're full of energy, so full of life,...without them, I don't know where I'd be. We're going through a huge change in our lives. They've learned alot, here in the past few months. They've become more independant, two totally different individuals. They've taken all of my energy, besides work! Lol! They have a birthday coming up, and their learning numbers, so now we're going from three fingers to four. They turn four on the third of April. It's too cute watching them trying to make a four with their fingers. Don't get me wrong they can count, but watching them stick their middle finger out at you and say, "mama, look one!" They're eye's all excited to show you. You cant help but hold your laugh and say," good job girls!" They've come a long way and still exploring, things come up, everyday is a brand new day and you learn tons from the both of them. Girls love to fight, its funny to hear them and sit there and watch them through this! Lol,...when they argue and they can't agree on things, they call each other," You Alaina, Dolly, Terrence!" It goes back and forth. I think they do that cause they think of Dolly as loud and maybe scary, and with Alaina, they just think she's bossy, loud and mean, with Terrence, they just say his name just cause he's Dolly's boyfriend and Alaina's dad. So its pretty silly hearing Sky and Ana agruing and fighting over little things!