Life in PA and a much needed ramble...

Much like I started my last random post, I'll say that I'm not even sure how many people, if any, still check this for updates periodically but I thought about this the other day and realized that I miss posting. I also just got done Skyping with Kasie back in Port Heiden and it has me thinking back on my time. I really enjoyed writing and posting about what was going on with my life while in Alaska and it was nice to be able to almost vent and relive what I'd been doing. I stopped since I've been back in PA because I really don't have anything near as exciting to talk about. No whale watching on the shores of the Bering Sea. No moose or caribou or bears roaming around or being shot, etc. Life in PA is fairly quiet most of the time. The only excited with wildlife we encounter is with deer. Each night I take Macy outside and for a long while since I'd been home, I was able to not put Macy on a leash (She doesn't use a leash throughout the day anymore) even when it got dark. Well, since it's gotten cooler out, the deer have been making their way closer and closer to the backyard. They are venturing out of the field and into the yard to eat the acorns or fight the deer decoy we have under the apple trees in the back. The one night we went out and Macy spotted the deer for the first time..... needless to say, they took one look at each other and they were both off into the field. Pitch dark and I was basically in my PJ's, standing there panicked because I didn't know if Macy would come back but she was a good little puppy and came right back after some calling. Thank goodness! From then on, once it gets dark out Macy is on her leash! 

We're both pretty well adjusted to being back in PA. I'm lucky that I have a wonderful family because the family that I have and being around for all of our family gatherings, Sunday football dinners or just little outings with them make me know that I'm supposed to be close to home. I guess my friends help with that a little bit too. ;) I've been able to see my friends regularly, go to haunted houses and concerts and football games, etc. All of the things that I missed while being so far away.... it's nice to not miss out on things here at home. 

With that being said, I can also say that there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Alaska. Most days I end up talking about my time there for some reason or another and a lot of days I end up thinking that I wish I was back there. I miss the way of life that I had up there. It was so simple. Other than school, getting to the Post Office or store before they closed or crossing a river and watching the tide, there was no real need to be anywhere on time. If we wanted to go out on the Hondas but got distracted looking at caribou for 20 minutes before we actually started to suit up, that was okay. I even just miss being able to go out and explore... take a honda ride out to the beach and ride around, take a walk and admire the beautiful scenery or go on the snow machines. Even just hop on the Honda for a weekly trip down to the store to get that bottle of soda that I'd been craving for so long. I miss all of that. I love being able to go out and explore new things or just enjoy the things that I already love. Right now I'd give just about anything to be able to take a Honda ride on the beaches of Port Heiden.... running parallel between the Bering Sea and the bluffs while the Bald Eagles soar above us and the foxes are running around. Or while the whales are out swimming with the seals under an amazing orange, yellow and red painted sky. I've gotten the taste of what that life is like and it's so hard to not be able to do anymore. It's a battle that I struggle with often. I know there's a reason for it all but I wish so much that Alaska and PA could be closer to one another. I am so happy at home with my family and friends but I so badly miss Alaska and the family and friends that I made up there, so much. I miss that way of life. It's gotten to the point that I almost cannot even watch the shows on the Discovery channel because they make me miss that beautiful state so much. After talking to Kasie, it makes me realize how much more thankful I am for the friends and family I've made up there and how lucky I got to spend all of that time with great, great people in both villages I lived in and all the people I met in between. 

It's hard to believe that this January will make two years since I made my first trip up to Alaska for what I thought would be a quick three months. Never would I have thought that that decision would impact my life the way it has. This was probably a cheesy post to most of you, if there's anyone that is still reading this, but it's just these thoughts I have running through my head that I wanted to share.... :)

One of my favorite views even after traveling to Alaska will always be my backyard.....

Jade and Macy are also adjusting to life in the same house. Macy had an easy time adjusting... she loves Jade and thinks they're friends - she just wishes Jade would play more. Jade on the other hand does not enjoy Macy's energetic self most of the time! 

This crazy pup has gained quite a bit of weight since we've been in PA. Some people think she just filled out due to turning one. I think it's because of all the treats she gets here. :)

Until the next random post comes along....

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place.... like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and at this place, because you'll never be this way ever again."

Wedding weekend!

I don't know that any of you are still reading this... Or checking this, I should say, but I have to say Congratulations to two people that influenced my time in Alaska so much. Two of the greatest people I've ever been fortunate enough to meet, got married last weekend. Not only was I fortunate enough to meet them but I got to live with them and spend so much time making awesome memories and on countless adventures. Yes, if you've followed this long enough, you'll know who I'm talking about! Kasie and Derek got married!! I am so, so thankful that I was able to be there for their special day. They got married out towards Pittsburgh so it was about a 2 1/2 hour road trip for me to spend a few days with them, their families and their friends. 

It was an awesome, amazing time and I couldn't be happier for them. My time in Alaska was made even more special because I had them. I love them both very much and can't wait to see what their future holds. 

I just thought I'd share a picture or two. One of which, I borrowed from a former LPSD teacher that was at the wedding. Believe it or not, there's a handful of LPSD staff members, past and present that live in Pittsburgh or on the East coast and they were all able to come. It was pretty awesome having a group from Alaska there. :) 

Alaska!

My best friend made a beautiful bride.

Myself, Kasie, her mom, sister and her best friend all got our hair done for the wedding. Sucha fun group! 

For those of you that may be wondering, I'm still waiting to hear about jobs here in PA. It's a tough job market and so I keep praying something will come sooner than later. 

Until the next random post.... Missing my second home. <3

A whole lot, wrapped into one post.

What a crazy, crazy couple of weeks. Last day of school, tears, packing, mailing, flying, reuniting, camping, family and fun have made up my last couple of weeks. I'll start from the last day of school and I'll work my way to now.... giving a little bit of details here and there! 

The last day of school was a whole lot harder than I could've imagined. It was an early dismissal day and we got out at 1. I held it together really well all day. I made the kids a movie that was about 20 minutes long that had pictures from the entire year on it to music.... we watched that three different times and I managed to hold in my tears throughout those viewings, too. Considering that I cried while making it for months, that's a big deal. Then, around 12:55, I hit a wall and the tears started coming and they did not stop. I, however, blame my kids for that because two of my girls started crying first and then before you knew it, my whole entire classroom was silent except for the sniffling and the sobbing - myself included. I wrote each of them a note to end the year and so I gave them out with a hug on their way out the door. Those are some very, very special kids that I had and the tears that they cried and the hugs that I got going out the door for the very last time are the greatest gifts I'll probably ever receive. So thankful for them, more than they'll probably ever realize. 

After the last day of school came lots of packing and cleaning. I think I wrote before about how I ended up with Bronchitis the last week of school which put me down and out for a few afternoons/evenings and then one whole day. Because of that, I didn't get my apartment or even my classroom done as fast as I would have liked. Thankfully, I have some great coworkers and friends that helped me pack up and clean my place. They also took my leftover food and stuff off my hands. I was supposed to fly to Dillingham on Sunday morning after working on Saturday, and then fly over to King Salmon and then down to Port Heiden either Sunday night or Monday morning - whichever they could do. Well, things changed and because I had one of the teachers' husbands flying me to DLG in his personal plane, he offered to take me in on Saturday night and I spent the night with LeEsia in one of the hotels in DLG. Macy, however, could not stay at the hotel so luckily for me and once again, thank goodness I had some great coworkers, she was able to stay with one of the teachers and her family who just moved to DLG that day. The whole traveling process really makes me realize how lucky I am to have the great friends in Alaska that I've made over the past 2 years. Anyways, the next morning after saying goodbye to LeEsia and trying not to cry, the Special Ed director in the district (you can add her to my list to be thankful for, too) took me to pick up Macy and then drove us out to the airport. We waited there for awhile and then we were off to King Salmon! 

Once we landed in King Salmon, I was hoping that I'd be able to get down to Port Heiden and wouldn't have to find some place to stay and it all worked out better than I could have imagined because Kasie flew in to KS from a different village earlier that morning so I landed and before I knew it, she was at the airport!! Man, it was good to see her! As it always is. And it was good to be back in KS with her, too. We took a quick, quick run to the little store down the street to get some food and a soda and then headed back to the airport to wait for our flight down to PTH. I also got to see Caleb who's a friend from LPSD and Rick who works for LSPD. I love how everyone makes me feel so welcoming and how great everyone is. I know I seem to say that in every post but I don't think I can say it enough.... the people I've met during my time in Alaska are some of the best people I've ever met and I know that I'll remain in touch with most of those people for the rest of my life. Soon we were off to my first Alaskan home with my best friend! I couldn't of been happier to be headed back! 

They still had school Monday and Tuesday and then a work day Wednesday but I was over hanging out in school with them and the kids and visiting. It was so good to be back in that school. It was a little different without the Mannings and Jeff there but I still loved it. Just made me miss them and think about what they're doing. It was great to see the kids and then Monday night was the school picnic for the end of the year. Lucky for me, it was postponed from the previous week so I got to be there with all of them down near North River. There was great food as usual and a bonfire while the kids played in the river next to us and dogs ran around. We didn't take Mox and Macy but I'm sure they would of loved it. They loved eachother.... they'd run around the house wrestling and since Macy was bigger, she'd bite him and get him on the ground and then he'd bite her lips and not let go. They had a great time and I'm certain that Macy misses her Mox and I do, too. While we were there, Macy accomplished a whole lot. She got to run around with Mox and two of the other dogs (the one teacher, Jerry, his two dogs are Bones and Spike) outside without being on a leash all week! She LOVED it and to tell you the truth, I did too. She was running around and exploring, chasing the birds and diving into the swampy areas. She did so good! 

We went down to the beach a time or two and Macy dove right in the Bering Sea to follow some birds.... she loved it but it gave me a heart attack. She was swimming in the waves and I'm sure it was freezing. She took a few swims in North River the night we went camping, too. She eventually had to go on her leash because she was scaring me too much swimming against the tides and making it to the other side of the river. This puppy mom can't handle all that so she was eventually on the leash. Kasie, Derek, Jerry and I took all four dogs and went camping my last night in Port Heiden. It was a beautiful night and awesome to just hang out. It was the first time I'd been camping in so long.... I'm always wanting to camp but seems there's never anyone to camp with. I think I'm going to have to start making more of an effort to go, although it won't be nera as fun as camping along North River in Alaska. Macy did awesome sleeping in the tent with us and she seemed to enjoy the camping experience for the first time. Sometimes I think about how crazy it is that her and I are experiencing all of these awesome things. She's been in the Bering Sea, she's travelled across the country three times now, she's spent 4 days in a hotel room in Chicago, she's done so many things and I'm so glad that I've had all these experiences, too. Still seems unreal most of the time. 

That morning Kasie and I got up with the dogs early and headed back to the house so I could do laundry and pack since we weren't entirely sure what time my plane would be coming. The guys stayed and fished for awhile before heading back. I really miss that place and each time I fly away from there, I leave a little piece of my heart. I loved living in Manokotak, too, and am beyond thankful for all of the amazing people in that village that made me feel at home and welcomed me in; Port Heiden has a special place being that it's the first place in Alaska that I called home. Each of my experiences in Alaska have taught me different things and given me different perspective on things but my first time in Alaska, in Port Heiden in particular, changed a whole lot for me and I owe that place a lot. 

Well, back to my adventure. Macy and I ended up leaving PTH around 6:15 and got to KS an hour later, just in time for them to RUN Macy and my bag onto the plane and we made it for our 7:30 flight to Anchorage. I was thankful for that extra long day in PTH with Kasie, Derek and Mox but I could of done without the running and rushing to the plane. I landed in ANC and Lauren and Susana (the VPSO's wife and daughter and friends of mine who actually lived in PTH last year when I did, too. I unintentionally followed them to KMO ;)) picked us up and we were off to the hotel! We stayed in ANC from Friday night until Monday night/Early Tuesday morning when we flew home. While in ANC, we shopped and ate all the good food and drinks - enjoyed civilization basically. We took Macy to a park right on one of the side streets in Anchorage. It was nice, made you forget you were in the city and it was right along the water! We also took a drive out towards Girdwood/Alyeska (for those of you that have been with me since my first couple blog posts, Alyeska is the resort I stayed at when I first ventured up to Alaska with LPSD for meetings and stuff). It took about 45 minutes to an hour. That drive from Anchorage up there is rated one of the top 10 drives in the country.... it's gorgeous. Right on the water and mountains. Pure Alaska. However, because of the numerous wildfires in Alaska that are burning so fast, the smoke really clouded the view and the mountains were hard to see the entire time I was in town. It's a shame really, that the wildfires are spreading so quickly and that so many people and animals are being effected. If I'm correct, I think that the fires are about 2 hours from Anchorage, it just goes to show you how fast and how far the smoke can go. I was bummed that the view wasn't as it usually is but I'm grateful that I've gotten to do that drive before and that I've seen the most amazing views in Alaska. I felt terrible for the people that have waited for so long to get to Alaska and that was the week they were there, waiting to see the views and take in the sights that leave you breathless, because while that smoke was there, it wasn't the same at all. I was told that it got better the day after I left and I'm praying that the wildfires are soon put out and everything can start to repair. 

Now, I've been home for a few days. I've been catching up on sleep and seeing some friends and family. We celebrated my moms birthday and I've made it to the races and took Macy for her first walk down to the river where she LOVES to swim. Her and I went out on the boat with my dad and Scott. It's been beautiful out - a lot hotter than I was ready for! Macy is adjusting and she's been working on playing outside without being on a leash like she did in Port Heiden.... she's been doing better. We're working on it. 

So here on out you'll be bombarded with pictures. The pictures of Prom and Graduation that I've been promising and also from the last days of school until recently. So I apologize for that now..... : )

Graduation for the 10 Seniors and promotion for the Kindergarteners and the 8th graders!

Myself with Governor Parnell, Katrina, LeEsia, Kirk and Dana.... and Ryan in the background!

One of the last days with my kids. Love & miss this crazy crew.

Deb, LeEsia and I at Prom. What would I have done without them this year? They helped me with so much! Both inside & outside of school and I'm very thankful for them both.

Prom: A night on the red carpet.... the gym turned out beautifully!!! We were pretty proud of it, haha.

Dancing the night away on the dance floor! Ryan did an awesome job hanging the lights!

Moxie & Macy in Port Heiden. They loved each other. Rare moment that they were laying together. Most of the time was spent wrestling around on the ground. I love this picture!

Missed my roommates so much. It felt so good to be back in Port Heiden with them and staying in my room that they put back together for me!! Yes, the curtain and Christmas lights were even back up... they're too good to me!  

My little fur nephew.... Mox!

School picnic meant that I got to see everyone again. Missed my PTH family!

Feeding my friends. Mox, Macy, Bones & Spike. Bones and Spike were one of the teachers, Jerry, dogs! Such sweet boys!

And Port Heiden never fails to amaze me. I'm back a day or two and there's already a momma bear and her two cubs out on the beach. They were pretty far out on a sand bar during this low tide. Along with these bears, I got to see a fox, a seal, so many eagles, sand hill cranes, etc. It was a great trip!

SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS LITTLE MAN! My little baby Tate that I used to steal out of his car seat every day after school last year is now up and walking. He is so sweet and smiley. AND I'm so glad that I got to catch up with his sweet parents, too.

Macy and I on the beach for Macy's first time. This was right before she dove right in to chase some birds and give her mom a heart attack. Crazy dog!

She LOVES birds and when she sees them, she's off and she forgets that she's supposed to listen. She was loving life, the birds, not so much!

My best friend and I back together. Someone said to us "The dynamic duo is back together". Made me smile!

<3 <3 <3

North River.... last time I saw this place, I was floating down it on Relda Jean with Kasie before we jumped in the ocean by accident, haha. Oh the memories!

Selfie with my girl!

So many eagles out and around and I finally have my good camera to capture some nicer pictures. Now I just need a zoom lens ; )

They love each other... and sticks.

No words!

She loves her Auntie Kasie. This is how the slept in the tent the entire night, haha.

You've got to have the storms to find the treasures. And this time we found another float with water in it. Only the 2nd one of those I've seen. Pretty fitting for my trip back.

Alright, Kasie, now we can make that 19 blog posts that I've done since you've done your last one. Time to get on it lady! You've got people (aka ME) waiting not so patiently. ; )

** Last day of school!

It's the last day of school here in KMO! Bittersweet day. 

But before I go into that, I have to say that I have typed up a super long post about Graduation and Prom and the days leading up to it, TWICE now and it's gotten deleted both times so then I gave up for a few days. After I gave up, I found out I have bronchitis and had to take a trip to the clinic and missed a day of school (all this week) but here I am.... last day of school and surviving, for the most part. 

So, I apologize for not updating so quickly like I said I would. But hopefully within the next few days I can do that for you! 

Can't believe this time of year is here again...... see everyone at home SO SOON. :)

Time to enjoy this last half day with my kids whom I'll miss like crazy.

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life. Whether they're friends or family, near or far, or whether their an actual mom or not. Happy Mother's Day to any one who plays the role of a mom, who loves and nurtures and does whatever they can for the children in their life to be happy and successful. I think being a mom is the toughest job in the world and they all make it look so easy. I don't know where we'd be without them. I know particularly for me, I wouldn't be half the person I am today if it weren't for my mom and for my grandmas and aunts and other motherly figures in my life. I'm thankful for them today and always. 

Happy Mother's Day! I hope it's as amazing as all of you are. I wish I was home to be with my family BUT only a few shorts weeks and I'll be back with them. :) 

I'm recovering from a weekend of Graduation and Prom so today as I'm trying to get things packed up and cleaned, I'm going to also try to get a blog post written about the weekend! Stay tuned! :)

Just FYI!

Just for those of you wondering...

I'm not sure where I got Mayor from however, it's actually the Governor that is coming to graduation.  Big, big difference. Just wanted to clarify that for those of you reading. ;)

Almost that time again.

14 days of school left and a month until I'm home? Where in the world is the time going? Before I know it, it'll be that time again that I dread and that never gets easier. The having to say "good bye".  The time is flying by and the countdown is getting shorter and shorter but my to do list keeps growing longer and longer. Between school and home, I've got a lot to be doing and this is the last free weekend I have for the rest of the year. I'm proud to say that so far, it's been productive like I'd hoped. Last night was the last "little kid" basketball tournament. Like the other basketball games, I kept the score book for all of their games as well. They are comical, that's for sure. It's grades 3-6 and there are some definite future stars in the group! We were at the school pretty late for that and then after a long, long week, I was ready for bed! Today consisted of cleaning, laundry, packing more totes, taking down my curtains and stuff on the walls, cooking meals for lunches for the week and making fried bread. I made one of my favorite meals, sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. It is so yummy, takes a long time to make but worth the wait and the time. AND I am obsessed with fried bread so it'll be some nice breakfast for the week. 

My travel plans are coming together. A few more flights to book and then I'll be all set. I've got 2 1/2 of my flights from here to Port Heiden booked and then 1/2 my flights from Port Heiden to Anchorage booked and then ALL of my flights from Anchorage home booked.... so much goes into scheduling travel around here, especially with a dog because now I have to figure out where to get a health certificate for Macy before she can fly from Anchorage to PA. It's exhausting, but I'm getting there! 

Next weekend we have a Volleyball tournament on Friday, yard sale that most of the teachers are putting together on Saturday and then a baby shower on Sunday for one of the teachers' wives. The weekend after that calls for Graduation on Friday night and Prom on Saturday night - both of which I'll be helping with and decorating for. The mayor is coming down for Graduation so there is a lot to get accomplished before that weekend. Not to mention the testing we have going on right now, all the other placement tests that need to be done by the end of this year, for next year and all the projects and grades that need done. Phew.... what a crazy few weeks this will be. After Prom & Graduation, there's just one more weekend left and I'm not quite positive but I think there's something going on that weekend as well, if not, it'll be spent last minute packing and getting things done as well as enjoying this amazing place I've called home for the last school year with the people that have become my far away family. Boy, I can't even explain how thankful I am for some of these people and some of my coworkers who have gotten me through some pretty tough times this year and that have also been here to make this year so much fun! I hope that I've made some forever friends that I will always keep in touch with and can always visit and vice versa. 

Their have been visitors in and out of the school and so I've gotten to talk to people from around the state. The road crew is also back in town so there's a lot more commotion around, more trucks driving around and a lot more construction equipment. They were here when we first got here for the school year. They're working on the road between the school and town and they spent a lot of time on it but now they're back for this summer to finish up. Some of them live in the vacant apartment up here in teacher housing so like I said, there's a lot more going on and more people around. 

The temperatures have been pretty warm! 40s I believe. On Easter, I didn't even need a coat - a sweatshirt was perfect and the sun gave off some great heat. As the end of the year approaches, it's always harder to get out of the bed in the morning and I really cherish those mornings that I get to sleep in but the sun has been helping. It's usually light now when I roll out of bed. Alarm goes off at 6:15 and it's just starting to rise but until I actually stop hitting the snooze and drag my butt out of bed to let Macy out, it's about 6:45 and it's light - makes it just a tad easier to get up. ;) Along with the light in the morning, it's staying light out until almost 11 pm now. I know that some people don't enjoy that because they can't sleep with the light but I love this time of year. I love going to bed when it's light out and waking up when it's light. Funny, considering how much I love the stars and how obsessed with them I am, you'd think I'd miss the dark but for these few months, I don't. I'm one of the few that don't put garbage bags or tin foil on their windows or use dark curtains to keep the light out at night, I really enjoy it. A downfall is that I lose complete track of time and before I know it, it's 10 pm. Luckily, I love my sleep and am pretty good at being in bed by 9 when I'm at my apartment, but if we're getting things done at school or out on a walk, we're all up a little later than we'd like to be - including the kids, trust me, I can tell. 

 "I found an Easter egg!"

 The boys are too cool for us. 

 Macy hanging out with Ryan and watching the Easter egg hunt. 

 Susana helping her little sister, Chloe look for eggs! 

 Two pretty blue eyed girls! 

 Tiny little Moose.

 Run, Moose, run! 

My kids and I. A lot of times we'll all sit on the floor and read together. Right now we're reading a book about a 12 year old boy who falls in love with three girls in his class... very funny book and a nice relaxing time for us all to read together. My mentor, Liz, took this for us on her last visit to KMO. 

I'll be back on the East coast before I know it. A few more weeks here in KMO, a week back in Port Heiden to visit the first place in Alaska that I called home and then a long weekend spent in Anchorage with a good friend and her daughter.... then Macy and I are homebound. I can not wait and am entirely too long overdue for bonfires and those perfect cool summer evenings! Not to mention being out on the river - my dad's getting that boat ready for me, I know it ;) and being home to enjoy my family!! I miss them a whole awful lot and can't wait to see them all. I'm still searching for a job back on the East coast and am praying that something will come up here soon.... Alaska hires a while before some of the lower 48 does so I know I need to trust God's plan for me and be patient. :)

I've been battling a cold and a sore throat so it's off to bed for me, soon. Hoping for another productive day tomorrow. Good night, all <3

NYO: Native Youth Olympics

I've heard about NYO and how talented these athletes are but when I got the opportunity to watch them, I found myself saying "wow" over and over again. These kids are so amazing at these events and I'm amazed at their skills. I'm so glad that NYO was held in Manokotak this year so I could have the chance to watch it and get some pictures. Definitely a memory I won't forget. It was a lot of fun! 

Kids from all over the district come to do these events. I took A LOT of pictures through out the weekend and will do my best to describe each event in the pictures. I'm learning, too! 

The different events that both boys and girls do. 

 One arm reach. The athletes hold themselves up with one arm, keeps their balance and reaches for the ball that is hanging from the basketball hoop. After each set of athletes go, the ball is raised up. 

 Two foot kick. Standing on the ground, they jump up using both feet to touch the ball that is again hanging from the basketball net. Again raising the ball higher when the athletes have gone through. 

 Eskimo stick pull. Sitting feet to feet, two people compete against each other to pull the stick away. It's best out of three. You can see their are spotters on both sides with their feet on the girls to keep them in place while they pull. If I was listening correctly, this was used as practice for pulling seals out of the water. 

 Another two foot high kick picture. They can jump up SO high. Very impressive! I don't remember the measurements though. 

 I'm honestly not sure what this is, haha. But it was impressive none the less. 

 Making sure to measure the ball each time it needed raised. 

 Boys Eskimo stick pull. You can see that the boys have two rows of spotters. 

 Boys' Alaska High Kick above and Girls' below. Starting on the ground holding one foot, they jump up to kick the ball with one foot. And it's done just like the others are done, raising the ball each round. For all of these kicking events, they get 2 or 3 attempts at that height. 

 This coach was demonstrating how the "old school" way was to do the Alaska High Kick.... he pulled his body up there so slowly and hit the ball perfectly before coming down. Impressive!! 

 One foot kick - she can't reach the ball but she can jump up to kick it. She was the district champ & reached almost 88 inches I believe. 

 Wrist carry is the event that I was most excited to watch. It blows my mind that they can hold their whole body weight with their wrist around this pole while two people carry them around. There's a starting point and the carriers start running while the athlete holds on with only their wrist. It takes incredible body strength. A lot of athletes got a few feet out (farther than I could ever get for sure) but the farthest guy was Travis from KMO (in the blue shorts) and he got a a lap and a half around the gym. And the farthest for the girls was about a half a lap. This event not only relies on the athlete holding on but also on the carriers. If they aren't running at the same speed or if they're bumping up and down or even accidently hit the person hanging, it could really throw someone off. I was told (and now that I've seen it, I completely agree) that the wrist carry and the seal hop are the toughest two events. 

Just to give you a better view of how they hold on. 

 These next pictures are from the seal hop. The girls do it in a push up position but the boys are only on their knuckles and the tips of their toes. They hop as far down the gym as they can. There is a judge that walks along with them and taps them as a warning if they start to get too bouncy or if they start to arch their back too much. I can't even imagine their knuckles after this event. The farthest boy got about half way down the gym. 

 Indian stick pull involves a tappered stick that is greased with crisco. The two athletes stand with their feet together and try to grab the stick out of each others hands first after the judge places the stick. It's again, best out of three and they just keep going until their is one winner. 

There was one event that I didn't get to see because I was working the door but that was the kneel jump. They start out in a kneeling position and then jump up and see how far they can jump out. All of these events left me thinking about how I don't know that I could do any of them, haha. But, it made me want to try it when no one else was around. ; )

 The athletes that are going to states in Anchorage! 

The whole district team - all the kids from the different villages! 

Something that made me almost cry a few times during this event was the sportsmanship that these kids have. For much of the time there was two different events going on at once on either side of the gym, or the same event but boys on one side and girls on the other. There was a couple times where it would come down to an athletes last attempt at a certain height and the whole gym would start a slow clap and the other events would stop and clap with us and soon, all eyes were on that one competitor while they did their last attempt. It was just awesome to see them cheering each other on, stopping their competition and even giving each other advice. They were competing against each other but that didn't mean they didn't help one another either. It was just a really, really awesome event and I wish that it'd happen next weekend, too! I loved being a part of it and watching it. 

Now for some little cuties that came to watch. : )

And Gayle doing her kick! ; )

And my awesome principal, Deb! 

Love these kids! Now it's off to tackle some of my to do list that keeps growing... cleaning and packing today! I'm hoping to get most of my apartment cleaned and packed up so I can get that out of the way. We'll see how much it happens because it's already almost noon and I haven't done any of it yet. Oh well, I got another blog post written which is important, too. : )

Not too much longer until I'm home!