Family Fitness

As part of my New Year's fitness resolution, I decided to start doing an outdoor activity over the weekend in addition to my weekday workouts. Part of that resolution was to include C.O. and Harold to make it a family affair. Sometimes we ditch Harold opt for a babysitter and sometimes we go out as a family.

We've been blessed with an amazing winter this year. The weather has been warm enough and nice enough to get out and enjoy our surroundings.

We've done some hiking . . .

    

and little ice skating too.
After a January thaw followed by a cold snap,

we had this amazing ice on the lagoon just a few 

paces from our back door. We took advantage

of the smooth ice quite a few times.

*Photo courtesy of Mary Crockett

But our most popular activity by far has been cross-country skiing. 

*Photo courtesy of Harold

~AnnMarie

Ice Fog

     Ice fog came to call

        Spooky mist surrounded us

               Left a frosted world 

 

Happy Love Day

A Honeymoon Kiss

To his Coy Mistress

by Andrew Marvell

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

        But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.

        Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Man of the Year

C.O. will be traveling to Juneau today to be recognized at the state level for all the hard work and effort he puts into maintaining the Head Start facilities in our area. He will be attending the Alaska Head Start Association's 2011 Statewide Conference to accept the Maintenance Person of the Year Award.

We are so proud.

Here's what the award winner brochure says about C.O.

"Charles "C.O." Rudstrom has been our maintenance go to guy for over 5 years. He lives in the community of Brevig Mission. He fills our oil tank so that the building will be heated. He ensures that pathways are clear of snow so that children and their families can enter and leave the building. Not only does he do maintenance in Brevig but he is willing to travel to our sites. This past fall he boated across to Teller to fix the previous winter's frozen sewer pipes that caused quite a mess under the building. In the winter time if there are problems he snow machines across the bay. In emergencies he will travel (2 plane rides) to our other sites which include Gambell, Elim and Shishmaref that need maintenance work done. Not only does he do site maintenance work he does work by telephone. If he is unable to leave Brevig he will get on the phone with whoever is calling and he walks his way through the issue (to at least maintain it until he can get out there).

C.O, has taken the time to get to know each and every one of our buildings. He calls around to companies to find the best deals on materials. He also takes old materials and fixes them for future use as back up pieces. No task is ever turned down from fixing children's furniture to leaky toilets to broken sewer pipes to figuring out why buildings are consuming SO much energy. He always has a smile on his face and welcomes anyone and everyone."

C.O. blogs about his various jobs and projects here. 

~AnnMarie

Exchange Student

This past week we had the priveledge of hosting a cultural exchange student in our home. He came from the far away land of Anchorage. "But they're from the SAME state!" you might be thinking. This is true, however we live in an extremely diverse state. There is a significant difference between the culture(s) of Anchorage and the culture(s) that exist in rural Alaska.

16-year-old Ambrose came as part of the Rose Urban Rural Exchange program. Five students from West High in Anchorage along with their teacher Mandy Morell, traveled to Brevig Mission to attend school and learn more about the lifestyle of bush Alaska. In exchange, five students from Brevig will be traveling to Anchorage to stay with the families of these students to find out more about city life. It is an amazing opportunity for both parties.

*Please excuse Harold's face. All the kids were doing it.

Angie Alston was behind getting Brevig involved with this program. She did a wonderful job of finding cultural experiences for the Anchorage students. To be honest we hardly saw Ambrose, he was busy going from event to event. He saw Eskimo dance, ivory carving, went sledding down the mountainside, ate traditional Eskimo food and attended open gym each evening. The girls in the group even tackled a kuspuk making project.

This morning while Ambrose was packing up, he secretly wished the plane would be weathered out so that they could stay "just one more night". A good sign of a successful program.

~AnnMarie

How to dress for stormy weather :: A morning workout

I posted this a few years ago but it's worth sharing again.

Gearing Up from AnnMarie Rudstrom on Vimeo.

I secretly love stormy weather and being bundled up to protect against the elements.

~AnnMarie

Eskimo Kisses: They're Real

Eskimo Kisses: They're Real from AnnMarie Rudstrom on Vimeo.

Click, Clack, Giggle: Kids On Skis

Kindergarten Skiing from AnnMarie Rudstrom on Vimeo.

. . . click, click, TEACHER!, click, click, I'M COLD, poof, laugh, AHHHH, click, click, TEACHER HELP ME UP, click, click, giggle, giggle . . . 

The sound of eleven kindergarten students skiing for the first time.

=D

Ages 4 and Up

  

On Tuesday we celebrated Harold's 4th birthday.  It was a day that opened up many new possibilities for Harold.  On Monday he could not have played with his new tent or attempted his new puzzle.   We pointed out the age "restrictions" on his toys and he very seriously assured us he's four now and able to use them.

 We decided age four was just the right age for a pair of skis as well.

 

Mom and Dad had some pretty serious preparations to do before the big day.  Preparations included baking three forms of chocolate cake, making a donkey for a party game and blowing up balloons.  Harold had a total of three parties, one at school, one with kids and one with adults.  Phew!  Between the parties, phone calls from grandparents, awesome gifts and the outpouring of love on Facebook,

 

Harold had a pretty amazing day.

Happy Birthday Son!

Go Baby Go!

For the week falling between Christmas day and New Year's Eve there are daily races, games and raffles sponsored by the city of Brevig Mission and the traditional council.  The great part is that there's a little something for everyone.  There are numerous types of races and categories for all ages.  Can't walk yet?  No worries, you can still join in.

  "The Carrot"

Even baby's proud of himself.  =D
 

~AnnMarie

We Like Meat

We never completely finished processing all the meat from the musk ox C.O. shot last fall.  Dealing with the meat and the hide all at once can be a daunting task.  So we threw some big chunks of meat in the freezer to process at a later time. Christmas break allowed us the time we needed to make our final meat treats.  

Homemade Musk Ox Jerky.

 

Step 1: Grind Meat

Step 2: Add seasoning

Step 3: Extrude

Step 4: Dehydrate / Cook

Harold's cheeks get bigger when he's concentrating.

The rest, we canned.  We're big fans of canned meat.  We save the toughest, less choice cuts of meat for canning.  Cooking under pressure breaks down the fibers leaving it ultra tender.  Also, the meat is thoroughly cooked, so it makes a good last minute meal.  Just throw it in the microwave or in a stew and heat. 

 

First pack the meat and add some seasoning of your choice.  

Be sure to add at least one tsp of canning salt per pint.

 

Then cook in a water bath until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 170 degrees.

 

Wipe the rims clean before adding the lids.

 

Cover in the pressure cooker and bring to 11 pounds of pressure.

Cook for 90 minutes.

 

The final product!  The house smells delicious.  

It's best to wait a few weeks before eating. 

It takes a while for the flavors to peek.

Our go to resources for projects such as this.

~AnnMarie

Christmas Memories

Christmas Memories 2010 from AnnMarie Rudstrom on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas

Love,

The Rudstroms

The Christmas Program: A Holiday Tradition

Thursday was the night of our school's Christmas program.  It happened to be the first one in which Harold was a participant.  He and all the students did a wonderful job of singing and entertaining their families.

For most of you, multiple photos and videos would be as enjoyable as pulling teeth.  Grandmas and grandpas, on the other hand, can watch videos to their hearts content here and here*. 

I would, however, recommend watching the video below.  It was put together by a couple of the high school teachers and ended up being an impressive production.  It's a fun glimpse into the life of our school. 

*and if all that wasn't enough for you, there's more on the school's blog as well.

~AnnMarie

Christmas Quilt 2010

Our 6th annual Christmas quilt.

The kids fabric paint a quilt square,

I sew it together,

names are placed in a hat,

and one of these little cuties takes it home.

~AnnMarie

Now You See It, Now You Don't

11:58 a.m.

 

 3:57 p.m.

We are still 15 days short of the winter solstice.

Our days will continue to get shorter by about 5 minutes per day until then.

~AnnMarie

We Traveled South of the Tree Line For This

 This being the first time we have had a real Christmas tree, we were lacking a tree stand.  C.O. got resourceful and made our stand from an old cable spool.  We're unsure if one would call this recycling or upcycling as we are not up on our trendy speak around here.

 Harold is at the perfect age for decorating.  He carefully analyzes each ornament before placing it on the tree.  I realize, sadly, that one day he will not be quite so enthused about such things.  So for now, I will appreciate these moments.

 

Don't you love how children decorate the tree?  

You can't see them all here, but there are six ornaments all hanging on one branch.

Leave it to my mother to find an Eskimo nativity set.  (Love you mom!)

So many ornaments tell a story.  This angel brings back memories of a Russian missionary who flew to Brevig Mission to sell trinkets and raise money.  The poor thing barely spoke a lick of English.  She came around carrying a binder with a written description of why she was raising money.  She was all alone, didn't have a place to stay and was being followed by a pack of curious children.  I don't know who put her up to this but they apparently didn't realize her trip could in no way be profitable.  We took pity on her and bought an ornament.

Bring on the Christmas season!

~AnnMarie

Santa Came Early (I think I'm in love)

I have been longing for a for a camera of quality for ages!  Finally my wish has materialized.  Santa (my husband) picked out this fancy Canon Rebel with interchangeable lenses, HD video, other features I don't understand and so much more!

I really don't have any idea what I'm doing to be honest.  I have dreams of being able to take amazing photos and then to edit them all artsy and cute.  *sigh*  My goal is to just pick it up daily and spend a little quality time together with my Canon.  We'll see what becomes of it.   Hopefully the blog's photo quality will be kicked up a notch.

Here's a couple of my favorite photos so far, amateur I know . . .

Harold's Feet

 

Ernie's Laugh

~AnnMarie

Tough Times Too

Life in Brevig Mission is good, our lives are happy and blessed.  This blog has become a place to share and record those good times and unique experiences.

It would be inaccurate, however, if we gave the impression that life is all lollipops and ponies around here.  The past few years has brought greater sadness and shock than I ever thought I would experience.

We love our lifestyle and know without a doubt that Brevig Mission is where we are meant to be.  We hope to be supportive and a light to all those around us, just as people here support and teach us.   But it's not always easy, we have had a particularly difficult past few weeks.  Multiple tragedies have left many with great loss and unimaginable heartache.  Many prayers are needed for our little town.

October's Loss
November's Loss
December's Loss

~AnnMarie

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

 

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

 

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

by: Annie J. Flint 

Amongst the Trees

 

This Thanksgiving was spent in Elim, Alaska with my brother John.  We were thankful to have made the two flights from Brevig to Nome and Nome to Elim in time for Thanksgiving festivities and some quality time with Johnny.  

Thanksgiving morning, we took some time to hike around town in search of some good sledding hills.  We found a couple good spots and had some pretty exciting rides.  Sledding: the perfect pre-dinner activity.

As in Brevig, Elim hosts a village-wide feast in the school gymnasium.  It reminded me a lot of Brevig feasts minus the reindeer stew, personally one of my favorites.  However, Elim amazingly had huge containers of watermelon, a perfect treat for ending the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I'm not a huge fan of pie as desert, pie is better left for breakfast in my opinion.  Watermelon however, was very light and refreshing.  The feast experience was very nice and we were able to chat with a few folks from around town that we have met over the years. 

Friday, shortly after sunrise (around noon), we went for a snow machine ride through the woods.  As you can see, the major difference between Brevig and Elim is TREES!  How exciting to be in the forest, if only for a little while.  Part of our ride was actually on the official Iditarod trail.  C.O. and I have a dream of one day taking our children on a snowmobile trip from Nome to Anchorage along this very trail.  That's a long way off however as it is probably best if we wait until their teenage years for such a journey.

 The main goal of our outing was to find a Christmas tree for our home this holiday season.  What a treat it will be, to have a real pine tree to decorate (and smell)!  We will be taking our Christmas tree wrapped up in a tarp as luggage tomorrow on the plane.  That will be a first for me.

Harold convinced us that he needed a smaller tree of his own.

 We obliged.

 

There's about 40 rings there.
Though the woods are reminiscent of Minnesota,
the trees here have to work a lot harder at survival.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

~AnnMarie