Bri Update

As most of you probably saw on facebook our little B had an accident Friday night involving a bookshelf. She was eating a quick dinner before band practice when she decided to play in her chair instead of sit in it. With daddy across the room getting more pizza and me in the office talking with the pastor's wife and everyone else occupied with their food she stood up turned around and flipped the chair with her top two front teeth making contact with the bookshelf behind her. As with most injuries involving the mouth there was immediately a lot of blood. Not having any ice handy I grabbed a cup full of snow to help stop the bleeding to get a better look at the damage. At first glance she had a pretty good busted top lip, but not something that would need stitches. Upon further inspection we notice that the gum just above her teeth was also cut pretty good and there was also white showing through the gum as we could see her teeth we weren't sure what the white was so we aired on the side of caution and ran across the street to the hospital. The ER had no patiences and they were ready to see us before I was done checking her in. The Dr. was also in the room ready to examine her before the nurses were done asking questions and getting her vitals. It was by far the best ER visit I have ever had! It was determined that she cut the tissue that connects her upper lip to the gum and that she possible jammed her teeth. None of the cuts seemed severe enough to need stitches and she seemed okay as long as you didn't mess with her lip so nothing was given to numb her lip either. There was also nothing to be done about the teeth except to follow up with the Dentist and have them access the damage, which we did today.
The dentist confirmed that the white was partly bone and partly root, the gum is fairly thin in that area so it wouldn't have taken much for either one to show through. She didn't think that the teeth were jammed due to being able to see the roots and the teeth still appeared to be positioned correctly they also didn't feel loose. Also, with B's age she felt everything would heal quickly and correctly without having any problems. We do have to keep an eye out for any possible infection as there isn't a good way to clean it, since we can't brush up there due to disturbing the clot and causing more pain and discomfort for B. We were also warned that the teeth may change color as the bruising continues to heal but they should change back as the bruising clears up. The only concern would be if they didn't change back and she began to act like she was having pain in that area, in which case we would need to go back to check of infection or an abscess. The extent of some of the damage may also be unknown until her permanent teeth begin to come in, in which case she may have some spacing or other issues that would be addressed at that time.
So that about sums it up. Overall, she is acting like herself and eating just fine. The dentist was impressed with how well B took to her messing with the area and thankfully nothing else needs to be done at this time except keeping an eye on it.

I'ma Huntin' Wabbit

As S and I have been discussing different ways to cut our food budget down the last few weeks several options have come available. Several areas have already been taken care of such as we obviously don't have to worry about seafood, now that S has a subsistence licence. Now with the offer of caribou we have red meat covered for a while. However, I hate buying chicken. The quality isn't that great as most of it looks like it has freezer burn or it is VERY pricey. Since our favorite food however seems to be chicken we have simply paid the price. However, a few weeks ago we heard on hotline (local radio station plays call ins for pretty much anything) someone advertising to rabbit hunt and catch as many as you want as there isn't a bag limit on the island. While this sounded interesting we didn't really know any details and we didn't get the guys number as we caught the tail end of the ad. However, last week at work S ended up talking with a couple of guys that were going rabbit hunting this Sat. and invited him to go to. They had an extra gun (since we don't have any) and offered to split whatever they caught. Having never been rabbit hunting S jumped at the chance to learn something new and went out for a few hours yesterday for a very enjoyable and interesting guys afternoon. He didn't realize however that the guys he was going with had also never been rabbit hunting. So after an hour of not seeing any rabbits they decided to head back read up on the subject then go again. Thats when they spotted them. So after about 2hours they had 2 rabbits and a squirrel. Then came the questions of how to bleed, gut and skin it. Next thing I know they are back here at the house with 2 bled and gutted rabbits and the internet pulled up to give tips on how to skin it. Finally the meat was divided up and they were discussing what to do with the pelts, up comes the internet again on how to tan hides. As the other guys weren't too interested in tanning the hides I now have two hides soaking in our garage that S decided to experiment on, using a tanning recipe he got of the internet. So the guys are back out again today, having also looking up hunting techniques, trying to catch more rabbits. With any luck I may not have to buy too much more pricey chicken as I've heard rabbit replaces chicken very well in most recipes, we'll see.

Happy Birthday

Scott's birthday was Monday as many of you know. This year it worked out that he had his birthday off in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. The girls were thrilled to have daddy home all day. We started the day with breakfast in bed for daddy. I was a little concerned that they would wake him up before I got his breakfast finished. However, they must have heard me downstairs and not seeing any lights on in our room they came straight down and helped me finish his breakfast. I was making the last of the pancakes when they arrived so A helped me scoop out the batter which I then put on the skillet while B got the silverware and supervised. Daddy's Birthday breakfast consisted of bacon, eggs, potatoes and pancakes as well as an orange that I had hoped would keep the girls out of his food. Once everything was ready we headed upstairs, A carried the birthday card, B had the very important syrup and I brought up the food. I think A was more excited about the surprise than daddy was. She ran in the room yelling Happy Birthday and Surprise then insisted that he open his "mail" (the birthday card). We had discussed several things that he wanted for his birthday however with limited funds we decided to get a small tool chest that would hold the few tools that he has in the garage. However, I wasn't able to find one for the price I wanted before his birthday so I got him a gift card for when we did find it. After the card it was time to dig in. He offered the girls some of his orange and before we knew what was happening they had both jumped on his food and grabbed handfuls of orange and pancake. After being scolded for having such bad manners they both sat back and waited for him to give them some food.
After breakfast the fun began, the kids were bundled up and a morning of sledding was enjoyed by all. We then had a Doctor appointment and got to hear the newest member's little heartbeat. It was then back to the house for a quick hair cut and we got ready to go on a date. We grabbed a little to eat at a local restaurant then went to the movies. The theatre here only has one screen so the movies are generally several weeks behind from every where else and there is only one showing a night of a particular movie. So they may be showing two movies but one shows at seven and one at nine, it takes a little getting use to because the movie you want to see is never playing on the day and time you want to see it. This time however we got lucky and the movie S wanted to see happen to be playing that night and at the right time.
Since his birthday S found something that he wanted more than a tool chest. Someone happened to be getting rid of a Wii on the message board at work with accessories and games for very cheap. So he asked if they would take a gift instead of cash and they guy agreed. We now have a new Wii game system and a very happy birthday boy.

Happenings

So I have so far not kept one new year resolution to keep this thing updated. Oh, well I try, sorry folks. We have got big plans for this year and have so far been having a blast. From snow storms to planning for the newest member to arrive. Many of you already know that care on the island won't allow me to deliver on island so I have to go to Anchorage for the last month. However, we did just learn that there is a midwife that "unofficially" does natural births after C-section but you have to deliver in your home. With as fascinating as that sounds we will still be going to Anchorage and enjoying a few weeks off island to explore the main land and enjoy civilization again.
Over the past few weeks we have had several things happen that I've wanted to write about and just haven't found the time or energy to do it. Now I can't remember half of them so real quick the one's I do remember.
We enjoyed a beautiful snow storm for about a week. Followed by several chilly but very sunny days. The girls and my hubby have thoroughly enjoyed sledding and playing in the snow. After the sunny days we've had several days of rain as temps went back up into the high 30's, so now all the pretty powdery snow is slush and ice and NOT much fun to walk, play or drive on. S came home for his lunch break to find the girls begging to go sledding so he went out with them I think he had a pretty good work out. He would walk them up the hill then run back down so that he could catch them at the bottom. Coming back in B got the idea to clear off the railing on the porch steps only after touching the snow it all let loose and avalanched right on top of her head. Thankfully it wasn't much more that a few handfuls however she was not impressed.
Aside from the interesting weather A is just as sassy and "do it myself" as ever. Now B has decided that she too can do everything herself. I had thought a couple of weeks ago that I would attempt to potty train B however after falling in the potty the first morning we soon decided to wait until she got over her trauma and try again. So the other morning she comes to me with diaper and wipes in hand telling me she needs a change when I get the diaper off she ask to sit on the potty. After about 15min playing on the potty she still hadn't gone so I made her get off and we tried potty training again. Only she got things a little backwards. She was fine sitting on the potty singing and playing then would get off walk into the other room and pee pee on the floor. After half a day cleaning up behind her I decided to get things together to try again on Monday when I'm more prepared. I can't believe they will be 2 and 3 this year it seems amazing to me how fast the time goes.
S and I are also keeping busy. This week we will be starting a young adults Sunday school class at our church. Praying it goes well as there aren't' but a few young adults that attend. We have also started a praise band. In December our pianist's work schedule was changed so she was no longer able to attend every other Sunday. So after a few weeks of singing a Capella we got several other musicians together and began playing on the Sunday's the pianist has to work. So far it has worked out great.
We also had a wonderful surprise last week. Wanting to start eating healthy and more natural we were a little concerned with the cost. However, last week S ran into a guy that he'd worked with in Clearwater that was going on a Caribou hunt and offered to bring us one back as well. It was perfect we would get to sample cooking and processing methods without having to pay too much out of pocket. However, with the weather being nasty the last couple of days the flight got cancelled so the guy had to postpone the trip. We did talk to him last night and he was hoping they would get out today and also offered to bring us back some crab. I was thrilled!
So that has been the last few weeks in a nut shell. Oh yeah. We also had our first and supposedly only ultrasound. Everything looked fine and healthy with the new baby (Pics on facebook) and I have an appointment with the Doctor from Anchorage in March. We couldn't determine the sex as the umbilical cord was between the legs. So we are still left wandering on that end hopefully we will get another ultrasound at some point and will be able to tell then.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas. This past month has been insane so to start November as many of you already know we learned that we were expecting a new little one. The due date is currently June 4th. I would have posted sooner but we were waiting to tell family in person. After learning this exciting news we also realized we would be needing a new house. We had been in a 2 bedroom (S called it 1 and 1/2) the girls room was so small that A's twin bed and B's crib barely fit let alone moving B into a twin bed and leaving the crib up for the new addition. So we put into housing for a 3 bedroom. They had one available that we had to get into before S left at Thanksgiving. So the first half of November was spent moving. We then had about one week to get ready for Thanksgiving. We had a special dinner with our pastor, his wife and some church friends. Then S began preparing for his deployment. He left the day before Thanksgiving and the girls and I followed the next week for a couple of weeks home with family. We had a wonderful time in Georgia (even if we did spend most of it sick). We arrived in Orlando with no delays until the last leg about half-way into the drive from Florida to Georgia we had car trouble and had to get a tow to a hotel for the night. I was then hit with a stomach bug so thankfully my parents were there to care for and entertain the girls for the night. We were all suffering from jet-lag so after sleeping most of the day and the night we finally started gaining some energy. We finally had to rent a car to get the rest of the way home. Once there we had a wonderful visit with all of our family. A learned how to say Merry Christmas at the Christmas parade, we also got to see several friends that we may not have seen other wise. We also got to take a family trip up to Pine Mountain and view the Callaway Gardens Fantasy of Lights. This was a big hit with the kids, A has since called Christmas lights "Toys". Before leaving we also got a wonderful surprise. My parents dog had puppies! A was fascinated and while she was a young mommy, the pups mom was very patience with us checking on her puppies. She even let A and B hold them before we left. Although, I'm not sure she really knew it was going to happen at first. A was "checking" on the babies when I hear one start to holler. A then comes walking in grinning from ear to ear and informed me that she "stole this one", Momma was right on her heels looking at me like "would you please control your child and make her give me my baby back!!" We spent our last week visiting friends and family and getting to do some shopping that we can't get done on the island. Before we knew it it was time to head back to Florida to catch our plane. Both of the girls were running fevers and I was still fighting congestion from a sinus infection I had earlier in the trip. Needless to say the girls were not has well behaved as they were coming to Ga. Even being sick they still weren't too bad. A only had one break down and that was on the 6hour flight to Seattle. We arrived back in Kodiak to some wonderful friends that met us at the airport and gave us a ride home. It wasn't until much later in the day that I realized that our car battery was dead, nothing like S being gone to kill the battery. Our paster came and gave us a jump the next morning so we were able to get some errends done. After finally getting caught up on everything from the last month and set up for another week of waiting to see if S made it home from his deployment. Thankfully he did make it back the night before Christmas Eve and was the best present we could have asked for. The girls have been all about daddy every since he got back. The one day he has had to go to work they asked me all day about daddy. We have been having a blast enjoying the snow and being able to relax with everyone home. I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did.

WOW!!

Has it really been three months since my last post??? We have been running around like a couple of chickens with our heads cut off that I almost don't remember the last few months! Let me see if I can catch up real quick, then I'll try to post more in-depths in the next few day. So September brought back the cold weather. Surprisingly it stays around the 40s and 50s. I got certified to provide in home child care however I have only watched a couple of kids mostly just friends kids however the base is very strict about watching kids in base housing without having training. Which I think is crazy.
October brought very cold weather. We had our first slush/ snow which had to come on halloween when all the kids wanted to be out getting candy. A friend sent us costumes for the girls so we had an adorable bumble bee and fairy. The girls had a blast dressing up all month and continue to even now. They also were amazing sharer giving their candy to kids that came by. I was very impressed with A as she looked for kids to share with. At one point she was standing in the garage door yelling for kids to come to the house. There weren't very many out due to the cold though.
NOvember is also proving to be a very busy month as Scott is preparing to leave for a deployment and the girls and I prepare for our first trip home. We will be traveling for just over 24 hours. I am very much looking forward to seeing old friends and family for the holidays. Hopefully I will get pictures up in the next couple of days and can update somemore.

Don't Blink, You Might Miss It!!!

WOW! Summer is finally here, but don't blink or you might miss it!! I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted. Sorry about that everybody the time has really gotten away from me. The end of last month Barometer finally got green all the way to the top, and everything on the island swung into high gear!

The salmon berries and blueberries are in abundance and I'm attempting to learn how to make jams and jellies from them. We have been berry picking several times and my freezer is trying to overflow with items that I want to make into jam. Aside from the berries the wildlife on the island has also started coming out more. We have seen several bears that are very curious and adorable!!

This little guy just knew there was a fish in those rocks.

After giving up on the rocks he took a stroll down the creek chasing fish.




After playing in the grass this guy decided to get in the river to get some dinner and take an actual bath.

All of the bears have been very bashful. We were even fishing one day and a bear crossed the road between S, who was caring 2 fish and the car. The bear across with his head turned away from S like "I can't see you, you can't see me". It was very cute!

Fishing has also been in high gear. The pink salmon have pretty much finished their run and are dieing off and the silvers have just started their run. However the weather has been so beautiful with very little rain the last several weeks that the rivers are almost too low for them to get up. In all of our fishing the last several weeks S has only caught 1 Silver. We even talked to a guy that had put out a gill net and in 5hrs had only caught 3silvers.

The girls have also been thoroughly enjoying the warmer (mid 70's) weather. We have been outside almost everyday with some kid of activity, even if it is only playing on the front porch. They are getting so big on the me!

B has gotten a very independent attitude and copies everything A does. She has finally gotten some teeth in and has a grand total of about 5 1/2.

A has also been growing by leaps and bounds. She is completely potty trained and acts very much like a little momma!

Her hair has also gotten long enough for her first pony tail.

Once again sorry it has been so long I will try to do better in the future. I really have lots to write about I just can't seem to get it all together to post when I finally find the time!