Happy Holidays
from Alaska!
We
are quickly approaching the one year anniversary of life as a family in
Marshall. 2012 began with our family of five traveling on four planes over the
course of twenty four hours covering 2000 miles to arrive “home” to a place I
had never been.
January and February held lots of unpacking,
adjusting, parenting and prayer. But
slowly we began to adjust to the slower pace of life here, embracing the
natural beauty and the opportunity to be unplugged
from the world, and plugged in as
parents.
Before we knew it, it was time to fly back to
Vancouver. Over the summer we had a big
birthday bash to celebrate the twins’ fourth birthday and the baby’s first
birthday. We also did lots of camping,
beach trips and bike rides. We squeezed
every ounce of sunshine out of those three short months and in early August
headed back for Josh’s second year of teaching.
Back in Marshall for the 2012-2013 school year, Josh
has had many amazing opportunities. He
has been able to travel to other villages for training (including Hooper Bay
where he got to see the Bering Sea!) and holds the title Lead Teacher, which in
the Lower Yukon School District (LYSD) means when the principal is absent, Josh
gets to cover for him. This counts as a
year of principal experience in LYSD.
Josh is also running the tutoring program three days a week after
school. All of this is in addition to
the seventeen students he has in his 4/5 split.
Coming back in August was bittersweet. We were excited
to get back to our routines and meet new staff, but we were equally sad to be
leaving our loved ones in Washington.
Upon our arrival home, we experienced more rugged Alaskan living than
I’d have thought possible! Josh caught his first moose, an 800 pound bull (I
was so proud!) which he then butchered and shared with elders & other
members of the village; our neighbor let us watch him butcher a seal his son
sent, and let us try some of it (good& tender, if a bit oily); Josh
filleted his first fish; we attended a celebratory potluck and Eskimo dance in
honor of the new school year; it snowed in September (!!!); and the boys and I
attended our first school carnival where they spent their tickets trying to
earn a blow up hammer & sword. (Boys!?!)
After a year in Marshall, it is finally feeling like home. I know a lot
of the families here, and we have a great staff this year. The sense of community in such a rural
setting is priceless. I love when we all
get together (like for birthdays and Thanksgiving) and am so grateful for our
“Marshall Family” as Logan calls them. I
feel so blessed to be celebrating nearly two years of being a stay-at-home
mom. I love being here with our boys,
embracing my role as a homemaker and working on my kitchen skills for the good
of the family.
This will be our first Christmas away from
home. We are excited to make it special
for the boys. We are just happy after
spending so much of 2011 apart, to have been together as a family for all of
2012.
I will close with my favorite quote of the year:
“Tell me, what
is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
-Mary Oliver
Merry & Happy!
The Cunningham Family
{Josh, Shelly, Logan, Jack & Wyatt}
2 comments:
Logan saying "Marshall family" warms my heart! I love picture of Josh with his moose. He's so happy and I really can't believe how big the moose is.
Such great pictures. The one of Josh kissing Wyatt is one of my faves.
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