4/25

Well Happy Easter....even though I am late! I have been soo bad about blogging. I have been so busy with work thing. Well I posted some Easter pictures of Qyanna in her Easter dress. I was asked to give a talk on Easter Sunday. The topic was on the Resurrection. A very fitting topic for the day. I guess it was a good talk. That afternoon our home teacher came over. Then that evening a friend came over and had dinner with us. I made honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, and veggies. For desert I made a sunflower cake...I think it turned out cute....and it was supper yummy!

My yummy sunflower cake...cute huh?

Qyanna looking at her bunny!

I love my bunny....awww

Isn't she cute in her Easter dress?

This past week I went to Anchorage with the four deaf kids from the district. We went out this past week because the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing had a deaf comedian visiting. His name is CJ Jones. He is soooo funny. He worked with the kids at the school on Wend, Thurs, and Fri. My students had a blast and a half! We spent the rest of the days in the classes with the students. We also visited the Anchorage Museum. And the kids had a blast there as well. They just soaked up everything there is to do and see!

The students, parents and staff that was there to work with CJ Jones at the school.

My adorable students!

Students and teacher from the NWABSD

Also while I was out in Anchorage I had my screening interview with the school district on Wend. On Thursday I found out that passed my interview, and my application will be passed on to the principals for hiring.....hopefully soon I will have a new job!!!!

4/18

We today was a basic day at work. Tomorrow will start the craziness of my week. I am taking 4 deaf students, their parents and teachers to Anchorage to visit the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ASSDHH). The students, parents and teachers will come in from villages tomorrow morning, and we fly to Anchorage in the afternoon.

While we are there I will have my screening interview for the Anchorage School District. I hope all goes well with that. It is the first step to getting a job. I hope all goes well and I get a good job teaching there.

Well I got most everything packed for my 5 day adventure in Anchorage. I am going to miss my baby and hubby so much while I am gone.

We are down to three weeks left of school here. I have signed up to teach the extended school year. I am not sure what I will be doing or with what ages. But it is only three more weeks of work, and more money for moving.

3/15

So today was Qyanna's birthday party day. We had a few friends over and had cake, and just and a good time. Qyanna also got her 12 month shots....that was not the high light of the day. She is a brave little girl. She only cried when she is getting the shots. A few minutes after she was her happy self.

Here is baby girl playing with her new toys...a interactive kitchen and a wiggle cow.

Her birthday cake. I baked and decorated it, Luke cut it into shape. It is carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting.

She is just starting to eat her cake....

Look mom.....I'm covered in cake....

4/14

Last year on this day I spent all day in labor. Qyanna Belle was born at 10:40pm. We went to the hospital at 4:30am. So, yes it was ALL day. I love being a mommy!

Today was a fun day in Kotzebue. It was the beginning of the Kobuk 440. It is a dog sled race that starts here in Kotzebue, goes to Kubuk, and returns to Kotzebue. I took Qyanna out to see the start of the race. She loved it!

Then we came home and had dinner, then of course cake. Overall a pretty good day! Tomorrow we will have a few friends over and have another cake. I will post more pics tomorrow.

4/12

Well today has been good...Today I was working with members of NEA to get some information gathered for bargaining the teachers contract. Looking at the cost of living up here is just crazy. We pay over 200% higher on food than Anchorage. WOW! It is just more reasons why we want to move to Anchorage more. Yesterday I turned in my resignation for next year. I really hope that I find work in Anchorage.

4/7

Today is my baby sister's birthday. So Happy Birthday Amanda!!!!

Today was a really good day! It was the last day of the state testing, and my student did great on the math test. I think I will be his best test of the three. Then this afternoon I got everything finalized for a trip to Anchorage that I will take the deaf kids and their parent on in a few weeks. Then my amazing hubby helped clean the walk to our apartment building....he is sooo good to me and everyone that uses that door. We have a bad winter storm going on, so snow was blown up to a high drift.

Tonight I made tacos for dinner, then I made donuts. I don't actual have a round cutter for donuts, so they are star shaped. I love it. They are really yummy if can say so.

4/6

My step-son Jackson sent us his Flat Stanley, and this is what we came up with for his class at school.

Flat Stanley's Adventures in Kotzebue, Alaska

by Joseph Luke Abney on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 7:24pm

One day, Jackson's friend, Stanley, decided to leave Salem, Missouri to go to a small village named Kotzebue, Alaska so he could visit Jackson's Dad. He asked Jackson to wrap him up in a letter and put him in the mail. Jackson put him in the envelope along with enough food and water for the trip. In two weeks, he arrived at the Post Office in Kotzebue, where he had to lay in the mail box, waiting to be picked up.

After he was free from the mail box, Stanley asked if he could go look around town, amazed at all the snow still on the ground at the end of March. He saw a house just a few doors down from the post office that everyone calls the Kotzebue House.

Then on the wall of the store, he saw a sign congratulating John Baker, a local native resident, for winning the Iditarod, which is a very long and tough dog sled race across Alaska.

After a good night's sleep, Stanley was ready to go to school where Jackson's Dad and Step-Mom work. There, he met Nixon and was able to do classwork on the computer. Nixon is a deaf student that Jackson's Step-Mom, Lori, teaches.

When school was over, Stanley got to go out and play on the playground. He played on the swings, the monkey bars, and even went down the slide a few times.

Next he got on a snowmobile, which the local people call a "snow-go". He saw other people on 4-wheelers, which are all called "Hondas" in Kotzebue. He was a little cold as he rode around town, because the temperature was still below 10 degrees.

When Stanley got back to the apartment, he noticed a Sheefish by the door. He learned that since it's so cold in the arctic, people don't have to put all their food in their freezers. He was amazed at how frozen the fish was. He was told that people in Alaska enjoy eating seals and fish from the ocean, as well as caribou and moose.

Stanley had a good time playing with Jackson's little sister Qyanna. Her first birthday is on April 14th.

He really liked the Eskimo artwork that he saw while in Kotzebue. He got to see bone carvings, Seal skin gloves, hats, parkas and mukluks, which are warm boots for walking in the snow.
All too soon, it was time to get all bundled up for the long trip home. He hopes you enjoyed hearing about his time in Kotzebue, Alaska.

4/5

Well I wish I could say today was work like normal...but it was the first day of State testing. My student was done just before lunch. Plus I had a huge wrench thrown into a trip that I was planning to Anchorage for some students. Just love when something like that happens. Both Luke and I went to the Chiropractor. We both feel so good after going.

This morning when we left the apartment building we saw this fish outside. You have to remember that it is colder outside here than your average freezer. We used to keep our ice cream outside last year when our freezer didn't freeze ice cream....but that is another story for another time.

Yesterday when Qyanna was at the babysitters he caught her finger. So now she has her first boo boo. The babysitter said she cried for a minute and then was fine. She wouldn't keep a band aid on that finger for anything.

4/3

So today was General Conference. With the time difference between us and UT we were not awake in time to watch the first session. But we were able to stream the afternoon session. It was really to hear from the general authorities. It was a miracle that the internet let us stream it. Other than that I did laundry, and cleaned house a bit. I made yummy yummy lemon chicken.

Qyanna is down pulling herself up on everything. There is no electronics or remotes safe in the apartment any more. She will be 1 in just a few weeks. I can't believe how fast the year has flown by.

4/2

So I have been bad at blogging the last few days....I can chalk it up to being busy with life...yeah that's it. So on Wed. I was at the bargaining table for the teacher's contract for the district I teach in. It was a rough day. That night I had dinner with the table team and went home to bed. Thurs a good friend of mine divorce was final so we went there to celebrate with her. We played a game of Apples to Apples. She had been wanting to play so we played. Friday night we stayed home and had a quiet night at home. We just read...I know boring...but it was a well needed night of boring. Luke was reading the Inner Circle. I had finished reading it and passed it on to him. It was the first Brad Meltzer book that we had read. Not bad...I think I might download more of his books. I have been reading the Hunger Games book. I am currently in the last of the three books. I LOVE them. I can't wait to find out what happens as I read them. In my opinion they should be make into movies....yes definitely movies. I am done with travel for a bit. I hope. Next week is state testing week, so I will be home to test my student here. Only 5 weeks of school left.

Luke and I have almost definitely decided that we are moving to Anchorage this summer. I will share more info as we get it. I have applications in with two of the districts there, and a friend has a house that might be able to rent. So all is looking good.

Tonight the plan is to have a nice quiet night at home again....I love quiet nights at home. :)