Life in rural Alaska

I have had a lot of questions about our location in Alaska, and thought that would be a good place to start my Rural Alaska Living series, which will run for the next week  As you read the series, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments, and I will do my best to answer them.

Location:

  On the map below you will see a red star, that is (roughly) where Marshall is.  We are in Southwest Alaska, just north of Bethel, a major hub in our area.  As you can see, we are along the Yukon River, about 100 miles east of the Bering Sea.  You can also see (quite clearly) on this map that we are literally closer to Russia than the lower 48!

We are about 400 miles (give or take) from Anchorage.  Anchorage, along with Fairbanks, is on the road system.  We are too far from the road system to use it, which means the only roads we have are in town.  There are no roads from our village to other villages.  It would be too expensive for upkeep & the distance is too far for it to make sense.

Marshall from the air
{courtesy of Peter Werts}

 That said, there is a lot of travel between villages.  In the winter, there are snow machine trails marked, some along the river and some through the tundra, and in summer, travel by boat is common.  The village upriver from us is Russian Mission and the village downriver from us is Pilot Station.  They are both part of our school district as well.

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Moose from the air
{Courtesy of Peter Werts}

Swimming:

There is no pool in town.  Some kids know how to swim and swim in the river during summer, but it can be dangerous.  I would love if there was a pool here.  It would be so much fun!

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More moose from the air
{Courtesy of Peter Werts}

No Roads:

Every thing MUST be flown in since we aren't on the road system.  Some things can be brought in by barge during the summer months before the river freezes over, but that, as you can imagine, is quite expensive!

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Visitors:

We have had visitors in the past.  Josh's parents came to visit twice and some of my family has talked about visiting.  The only trick is that there's no hotel in Marshall, so we have to have everything the visitors need for their visit. 

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The Yukon
{Courtesy of Peter Werts}

Flight Costs:

I also had a lot of questions about the cost of flights for our family.  It is roughly $700 to charter (for our whole family) from Marshall to Bethel on ERA.  ($1400 both ways)

If we fly Bethel to Anchorage and Anchorage to Portland on Alaska Air, it's about $900 per ticket.  So for our whole family to fly out, not using miles or buddy passes, it would cost us about $5,900.00 round trip (combining the ERA and Alaska flight costs).

At Christmas it's even more than that, which is why we don't travel home for the holidays.  When we buy our tickets home for summer, we use buddy passes for the twins ($100 each) and miles for Wyatt.  This year we spent $3,700 roundtrip.  

Aside from the financial stress of arranging air travel, we also face dealing with the weather.  We are truly at its mercy, which can be very worrisome.  Too much wind, snow, rain or ice can be a problem, and it's often left to last minute decisions.  Our friends have had their entire family (two parents + four kids) fly out, only to pass over the runway in Marshall and go back to Bethel because it wasn't ideal weather for landing.

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Water:

I have talked before about water supply.  This is our water system here. We use the Brita filter (in the sink) to filter the water and then fill our fridge water storage (on the counter).  You can drink the water straight from the faucet, but it tastes better (less minerals) if you filter it.

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{The Russian Orthodox church}

Language:

The village is nearly 100% native.  The Eskimo here are Yupik.  That's the name of the people and the name of their language.  A lot of the students are identified as ESL (English as a Second Language) students, with Yupik being their first language.  I absolutely love the accents of those from the village.  I could listen to them talk forever.  I sometimes think mine is getting stronger, but it's hard to tell.  I guess I have to ask my family when I get home this summer and see if they think I sound different. 

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Internet & phone:

GCI is our only choice of phone company. We spend nearly $300 a month on two cell phones and (very) limited internet.  Occasionally at the end of a billing cycle we have enough internet left to Skype for a half hour with family, but usually not.  The internet is out a lot. And we often drop calls. We call it "getting GCI'd".

Television:

For TV we have a Dish satellite that Josh & Joe hung on the railing outside in -30 degree weather.  Our Dish service is usually pretty good, but during severe weather, especially wind, we can occasionally lose service.

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{Old teacher housing}

Teacher Housing:

Someone asked about our housing now, mentioning that it seems quite nice.  Indeed it is, especially compared to the old teacher housing they had downtown.  They had mice, broken windows and would occasionally run out of oil for heat.  Brr!

{New teacher housing}

The new housing is uptown.  There's really nothing around us save the "workers' camp" where seasonal construction workers from the lower 48 come and stay for the summer months.  The school district takes rent directly out of Josh's monthly check to pay for it based on housing type and whether or not you have a roommate.  We are the first tenants to have lived in our house, and I have been very happy with it.  It's the most beautiful house I've ever lived in, that's for sure!

{Marshall School}

The materials to build our housing (and the new school) had to either be flown in or barged in.  Same with the furniture.  Our houses came fully furnished with brand new, lovely pieces.  Almost all the villages in Lower Yukon School District now have new housing and schools after years of building, village after village. We are very lucky as this is not the case in all villages of rural Alaska.  We also have indoor plumbing, and water that is safe to drink.

The housing is built on steel trestles that are placed on two foot by two foot wooden planks that can be adjusted up and down as the ground moves.  It's an experimental project that, quite frankly, isn't going well.  You can look under the house and see that the ground has settled and many of the two by two planks are floating in the air.  The housing has lots of cracks, our doors often stick, and in the kitchen marbles roll rapidly from one end to the other due to shifting.

The reason for this ground shift (and subsequent house shift) is the permafrost on the tundra.  The ground is basically pumped full of water which freezes and melts, causing a lot of ground movement.  Traditionally pylon's are drilled down to bedrock to support structures built on tundra.  That's how the school was built and most houses in Marshall as well.

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{Mommy headed to Anchorage}

Who's Here With Us:

Teachers in Marshall are mainly from the lower 48, but each year we've been here there has been at least one native teacher.  Currently we have two native teachers.  Our school has ten teachers, a counselor, a principal and an assistant principal.  There are roughly 130 students k-12.

There are other kids in the housing.  Three families in total.  Our family; our neighbors who both teach and have six children, four of whom live here with them (ranging from 1st grade to grown); and another family who has four littles, age six and under.

One other family currently does a mix of homeschooling and Marshall school, the other only has one in school thus far.  

The other teachers are all single.  No spouses and no children.

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Clothing:

As you have probably guessed, there is no clothing store in Marshall.  No Macy's or even Goodwill.  I try to pass the clothes I'm not saving for some (potential) future baby to people I know in the village with kids younger than mine.  The rest goes to the dump, where it's burned with all the other trash.  People here make kuspuks, which are a traditional top, like a long shirt with a pocket & hood.  Some are quite beautiful.  There is some clothing at the store, & school (Marshall Mustang gear), but the selection is limited.  Most people shop while in Anchorage.  I order things online for my boys, usually from Osh Kosh or Old Navy.  For myself I order from Old Navy almost exclusively.  Returns are easy and I can almost always get free shipping.

For outer gear, we stick with Lands End, Columbia and North Face.  North Face is the best quality and I find that it's worth spending the money on something that will last significantly longer than a cheaper counterpart.

And for winter footwear, we do Sorel.

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{August 2013}

Restaurants:

There are no restaurants in Marshall, and very little entertainment.  There is a Bingo Hall, although I've never been, and there are three churches.  (Russian Orthodox, Catholic & Evangelical)  Most activities revolve around the school.  Like the Halloween carnival, basketball and volleyball games, and even the men's and women's adult league basketball.  (Basketball is HUGE in Marshall!)

The big city luxury I probably mourn the most personally is the movie theater.  What I wouldn't give for a theater in town!  Or even a Redbox.  Instead we use our precious internet to download movies purchased from iTunes.  We try, nearly every Friday, to watch a movie (new or old) for date night in the living room with all the lights off and Josh's delicious homemade pizza for dinner.  It's close, but nothing is the same as a dark theater with buttery popcorn and a box of Junior Mints!

I also really miss Target, Barnes & Noble, the library, and Costco.

We all miss eating out.  The kids miss McDonald's; I miss Red Lobster.  But what I miss more than any particular food is the convenience of someone else making it! I miss grabbing a pizza for the kids when I don't feel like cooking.  I miss drive throughs when I'm in a hurry.  I miss desserts picked up after the kids are in bed from Dairy Queen or Baskin Robbins. 

But if I had to pick, what I miss most is orange chicken from Panda Express.  My friend Kari asked how much I would pay for a delivery of orange chicken to my front door in Marshall, and I won't lie-- I would probably pay $50 if someone could make it happen!  In January, I paid $20 for a burger, fries & a coke at Brothers restaurant in Bethel while I was waiting for my flight to Anchorage, and it was worth.every.penny.

As a family we also miss variety.  We miss having oranges and watermelon and real pineapple.  We miss corn on the cob, salad and tomatoes.  We miss steak, porkchops and burgers.  We miss donuts, buns and store bought bread.  

But I will say that going without is what makes it so special when we're home.

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Occupations:

In addition to the co op, we have a gas station. It doubles as a store, selling some things along with gas.  There's also a gas tank down by the river.  The main occupations in town come from the store, the gas station, the school and seasonal construction.

The town was founded on gold in the 1800's, and was originally called Fortuna Ledge.  Year before last Josh took his students on a field trip to the old Marshall gold mine.  It was really cool.

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Banking:

We do our banking with a national bank because we wanted a bank that had a presence in both Washington and Alaska.  We send checks to Anchorage to be deposited in our account, and are able to use debit and credit cards at the co-op.  You can use your cards to get cash back as needed as well.  The co-op here has a "bank" in the back.  I am not sure what all they are capable of, but I know you can cash checks there.  I only use/need cash at Saturday Social for the Student Store, which doesn't take credit cards.

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Alaska plans:

We do have plans to stay in Alaska long term.  That said, our plans may change as best suits the needs of our family.  But the long term plan is at least five years here in Marshall, then move on to a larger city, one on the road system with a grocery store and a YMCA.  Perhaps a place like Wasilla, where we could settle down and buy a house.  Teachers can retire after only twenty years in Alaska, so that's Josh's primary goal.  Work twenty years so he can retire and then pursue some other kind of career that strikes his fancy.

Some teachers do desire to stay in the village forever, and I can see the appeal.  The pay is good, the pace of life is slower, and the scenery is beautiful.  Not to mention, we love the students.  But for us, with our own kids to worry about, I would like to have them in a place with a little more in terms of things to do, like swimming, baseball and other activities like boy scouts.

The turnover is high in the rural villages because village life is not for everyone.  When contracts come out, it can be stressful for first year teachers, holding their breath, hoping to get offered a second year contract.  After four years in LYSD you are tenured, so next year is an exciting one for Josh.

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Summer Plans: 
For summer our plans involve mostly hanging out with friends & family in Vancouver (Washington), with a few camping and beach trips sprinkled in.  I will admit that being back in "town" is completely overwhelming.  I feel like coming back to everything (radio, billboards, crowds, traffic...) must be similar to how an autistic person feels all the time.  It's like the stimulation of it all gets in my head and I can't shut it off.  It's exhausting. After a few weeks, I get back in the swing of things, thankfully, but in the beginning, it's truly a sensory overload.

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I am so grateful we get to lead this double life-- where we spend part of our time here, in the Yukon, with only 400 neighbors, moose & the sky, and part of our time there, in the lower 48, in a real city with restaurants & grocery stores & all kinds of new daily experiences.

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I hope you enjoy the rest of the Rural Alaska Living Series.
Tomorrow is The Laundry Room, Eating & Groceries in rural Alaska
Wednesday is Hunting & Health in rural Alaska
Thursday is Life with Small Children in rural Alaska
Friday is The BEST and the WORST of life in rural Alaska
& Saturday I conclude with Weather in rural Alaska

As I stated above, please feel free to ask questions as we go along.
I love to know what you want to know and try to get you answers.
Happy reading!

More On Identical Twins

 All my twin research lead me to some interesting statistics and information.  There is so much misunderstanding surrounding twins, and reading about it is fascinating.

How Identical Twins Form:

The blastocyst, formed after the embryo undergoes cell differentiation in the first week after conception, collapses, splitting the cells that contain the body's fundamental genetic material in half.

It is a spontaneous, random event.

Only 3 in 1,000 deliveries worldwide are identical twins.

Their fingerprints can differ due to environmental differences, 

but blood, hair & semen are genetically identical.

In fact, when Logan and Jack have children, they will be genetic half siblings.  And in a DNA test, it would be impossible to tell which of the twins was the child's father.

Only 30% of identical twins are diamniotic/dichorionic twins (with their own sacs & placentas).

And 90% of diamniotic/dichorionic twins are fraternal, which explains why so many women pregnant with di/di twins are told their twins are not identical.

Di/di twins have the lowest mortality risk at 9%, but that is still higher than singletons.

Monozygotic (identical) male twins are the most rare twin type.

Male twins are less likely to survive outside the womb as boys take longer to develop than girls.

Logan & Jack were discordant twins (twins with large size difference) which is more common in identical twins due to overperfusion of one twin and underperfusion of the other.

Overall, I would say that my research into twin types and my personal medical records have done nothing but make me grateful for Logan & Jack making it here safely.

When They're Not

Parenting, I have discovered, is not for the faint of heart.  Some days it takes every ounce of my energy (and then some!) to keep these boys on track to becoming the men I desire them to be.

Last weekend was particularly challenging.  Saturday morning Jack wasn't feeling well, so I sent him upstairs to get the children's tylenol.  Quite suddenly I realized he had been up there a long time and I frantically took the stairs two at a time to figure out what he was doing up there.  I tiptoed down the hall (Josh was asleep in our bedroom at the end of said hall) and found Jack in the bathroom, facing the shower curtain.  He turned around slowly when he heard me.

Everything happened in slow motion as I noticed his cheeks were full as a chipmunk.  

"What are you eating?" I whisper-yelled.

His cheeks flamed red and he muttered through his full mouth, "M&M's..."

I could breathe again.

I was terrified he had tried to give himself a dose of medication, when in fact he had just been sneaking his brother's Potty Treats from the baggy in the linen closet.  He looked so upset.  I sat down on the floor in the bathroom with him and we talked.  I told him that if he wants treats he needs to ask first because it's the right thing to do, and because sneaking is like lying.  It makes our tummies feel bad.

About an hour later I sent him upstairs to get dressed and make his bed, and again discovered he had been gone much longer than necessary.  This time I crept quietly up the stairs, so as to arrive undetected, and spied him from the top step in the bathroom.  He had my tiny glass measuring cup (with the spout) that we've been using to water our plants and was filling it up and pouring it onto the bathroom counter and watching as it cascaded in a waterfall onto the rug below.  I watched as he did this three times, studying intently the overflow hole in the sink.  I think he thought if he poured the water onto the counter that it would somehow siphon into the sink, and come out the overflow hole.

In any event, he was making a huge mess, had not made his bed, and was still not dressed.  Again, when he discovered my presence, his cheeks reddened and he apologized profusely.  I told him that if he wants to play in the water, he need only ask!  And that if I can't trust him to do as he's asked, he won't be allowed upstairs alone.

I was starting to feel quite frustrated!

Two hours later, after lunch, he frantically came out of the downstairs bathroom, and told me I needed to see this.  I walked into the bathroom and saw bright orange something all over everything.  The wall, the table, the floor, my books, his very arm and Wyatt's potty chair.  It took a moment to register.  Ahh yes, the beautiful, happy orange of Sunkissed Citrus Scentsy wax... 

I took a deep breath, looked into his blue eyes and asked, "Why?"

He began a rambling story about how he wanted to see what the button on the wall plug in did, and that when he pushed it (resetting the power) it turned off the Scentsy plug in.  Nothing he did would turn it back on. So he decided to try pulling the warmer out of the wall and plugging it back in.  Meanwhile, he forgot that the warmer had been on and had a tiny pool of warm wax in its top.

Again I explained to him that if he wanted to know what that button did, he could have just asked me! I would have told him what it did, let him try it and he wouldn't have been in any trouble.  Now there was a disaster in the bathroom, and he was indeed in trouble.  

Josh was home during this part of the day, and he took Jack upstairs for  "Big Boy" talk which consisted of Josh reminding him he's an older brother, an example, and that he needs to think before he acts.  Jack promised to turn his day around and he was saddened to learn that his m&m sneaking meant no dessert for him during family movie night.  

I hated for him to have a consequence, because it makes me sad for him, but I knew it was the right thing to do.  After he came downstairs, the three boys and I started dying easter eggs for Easter Sunday.  While the boys were waiting for the tablets to dissolve in the vinegar, Jack held up the clear crayon that came with our pack and said, "This broke."  I looked at him, waiting for the truth to leave his lips, and when it didn't, I sent him to his room.  I find that in order not to yell or lose my temper, I often need a little separation, so the boys know that when I send them to their room, it's so I can calm down and they can think about their choices.  They still hate it, but they are less resistant now that they know it's so I can use my nice voice!

When I was ready for him to join us again I told him that I wasn't mad he broke the crayon, I was only upset that he wasn't taking responsibility for his actions.  I told him I don't care if he screws up or makes mistakes.  I just don't want him to become a liar.  That if he lies to me all the time, I won't be able to trust him, and that's just no good.

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The next morning we woke up to three grumpy boys and when we were trying to figure out why they were grumpy, it came to light that Logan had woken Jack up, and then Wyatt, by rubbing their backs until they were awake.

We planned to make him sleep in the playroom alone, as this has been our threat for a long while, but that night we decided to give him another chance, praying that he would seize the opportunity to make better choices.  Thankfully he did, and this week waking his brothers hasn't been a problem.  

And lest little brother be left out of the "mischief ways" of his big brothers, Wyatt, too has been testing my limits lately.  I tend to have good manners when asking the boys to help out.  I'll say to Wyatt, "Will you help mommy clean up?"  He will look at me innocently and say, "No thanks.  I want YOU to clean up."

I'll also often ask, "Will you please go potty?" And he'll reply, "No thanks. I don't need to."

"No, thanks" is his go to answer for everything. And while it sounds adorable (and is very polite) let me tell you, it can be, at times, infuriating!  

"Wyatt, eat your dinner." 

"No thanks."

"Wyatt, come here so I can put on your socks."

"No thanks."

"Wyatt, stop doing that."

"No thanks."

He also likes to tell me, "Ohhh! I hate doing that!" Usually about changing his clothes, cleaning up or transitioning activities. He also shrugs his shoulders and says, "I don't know" like he's an emo teenager, and his eye rolls are off-the-charts.  It's a good thing he's cute and I love him!

On the flip side of all this naughty behavior, we do have our fair share of good behavior.  The big boys are consistently clearing their plates from the table, making their beds everyday, cleaning up the playroom with little to no help from me, and are generally being more kind & helpful to each other, which warms my mommy heart.  

I also love how wiling they are to be my helpers when I ask.  They'll switch the laundry, clean the windows, scrub the toilets and sweep the floor with no protests.

But by far my favorite thing about these kids is how thoughtful they can be when they want to be.  Bringing their brothers their favorite stuffed animal when they are hurt, writing me a note when I am having a hard day, or trading toys when they know their sibling desperately wants what they have.

The thing I have to remember is that it's easy to love them when they're being good.  

But it's most important to love them when they're not.

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Silver Linings

One thing I love about my husband?

He gets me.

Last weekend Logan was wearing two different pajamas (each from a specific set) and when I asked him why he shrugged his little shoulders and said, "Cause I wanted to."  So I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Okay. Go brush your teeth."

Josh stood in the middle of the living room, staring at me, mouth gaping open and then said, "Wow! Good for you!" He pulled me into a tight hug and congratulated me on letting the little things (like coordinated pj sets) go.  I thanked him for knowing how hard it was for me to let him wear blue and navy striped shorts with an orange and grey shark shirt.

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Josh and I have talked a lot the last few weeks about my anxiety, why we think it came about and what, if anything, has come of it.  We managed to find quite a few silver linings.  One is that I have slowed down. I am staying in the moment.  Another positive is that I have lowered my personal expectations. And also, I have learned to lean on Josh.  He has been there for me this year like never before.  Not because he wasn't there in the past, but because I have never needed him before the way I needed him this year.

Because of that, we feel stronger.  

And thanks to getting through everything this year has thrown at me, I feel stronger.

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Plants

For Mother's Day in Josh's class, he had his students plant some peas, marigolds & nasturtium.

When he offered to bring some of the pots home for us to plant, I said yes, yes, yes!

The boys were very excited to scoop dirt into their little white pots and to plant their seeds.

They did a great job, carefully burying their seeds (but not too deep)

and watering their little plants.

Since then, at least once a day, the boys hustle upstairs to check on their plants' progress in my bedroom window.

For a while we had nothing but dirt...

But now, about two weeks in, we all have a bit of green in our pots, and it is very exciting!

I am finding the plant process so rewarding, I am surprised I've never tried it before.

The Happiness Project :: ENERGY :: April

For April my goal area was "Energy".  I have been feeling rundown, tired and anxious for spring, so I thought upping my energy would be a great way to start my happiness project.

My April Goals for Energy:
1) Go to bed at 9:00pm
2) Work out Monday-Friday
3) Organize the house
     -Sort through all closets
     -Pantry
     -Span order for fall
4) Act how I want to feel
5) Drink 2 water bottles/day
6) Write down what I eat

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The month is nearly over, and while I have certainly not been perfect at any one goal, I have gone to bed earlier, worked out more, sorted through & organized a vast majority of our house, and am drinking at least two water bottles full of water each day.  Gretchen (the author of The Happiness Project) is a big believer in exercise.  She hates it, don't get me wrong, but she knows that people who exercise are healthier, think more clearly, sleep better and have a delayed onset of dementia.  She also touted a statistic that knocked my socks off-- One extra hour (just ONE extra hour!) of sleep each night does more for a person's daily happiness than getting a $60,000 raise!  On the opposite end of that, sleep deprivation impairs memory, weakens the immune system, slows metabolism and might foster weight gain.  Because of all the research cited in Gretchen's book, I copied many of her monthly goals because they just make so much darn sense!

She had a very moving quote in her Energy chapter of her book:

"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life,

the whole aim and end of human existence."

-Aristotle

I mean, really, what's the point of all of this if it isn't happiness???

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These last few days of April I would like to begin writing down what I eat, just to take responsibility for what I put into my body; and I'd also like to work a little harder on acting how I want to feel.

Gretchen says that "we often feel because of the way we act" and not the other way around. This was inspiring to me because it puts me in charge of my emotions, which is kind of amazing.

This last one is particularly important keeping in mind what May's goal area is: Parenting.  Often in parenting, the easy thing is to be grouchy.  But if I can find my "happy" voice, turn on music, laugh, be in the moment... it changes the atmosphere of the entire house.  So trying to remember to "act how I want to feel" is going to be a big one in May.