The last days before Christmas Break!

Theresa and I were trying to design noses for the reindeer in our Christmas Program.

Traditional Eskimo boots the fourth-graders from another class wore in the program.

Becca, me, and Theresa in our Qaspaqs. Stephanie made me this beautiful green one with a gathered skirt added to it. Qaspaqs are their traditional formal wear and when you wear one you get compliments all day long! :) "Ohh so nice, Miss!" "Oh so beautiful. Who made?" "So Pretty!"

We think we're strong. Jadon's mom was the one who made me my very first qaspaq in time to wear it for the program!

My classroom aftermath after the night of the Christmas Program. However, I wish I would have taken an after picture to compare. It's drastically cleaner now.

10:30 AM- Field trip to the Post Office of Alakanuk! Theresa and I have penpals with the students I used to student teach and know at Walnut Grove Elementary in WA. We thought it would be fun to go learn more about the USPS on our last day before Winter Break.

If you asked the kids what the most impressive part of the field trip was, they would probably tell you it was our wonderful postmaster, Ruth. She amazed them by letting them quiz her on the fact that she has every 311 PO Box memorized. The student would say, "What about mine?" "What about my box?" and she got it right each time. If she didn't recognize them (they were all bundled up in winter gear), she'd ask them to remind her of their parents and then say the PO number. The kids' reactions were priceless; they would fall silent and widen their eyes while smiling.

I've also always been impressed with how Ruth learned my name so quickly, would allow my mail to be put in Theresa's instead of the school's box when I first moved up to Alakanuk, and always has a friendly smile on her face. I can honestly say going to the PO is always a pleasant experience even if we don't have mail for a few days. She has a couple other helpers in the PO, but works there most of the time.

Below, I get to see my PO Box from their point of view.

On Friday before break, Agnes, our classroom elder, gave me a gift. I opened it to reveal a qaspaq-- beautiful blue, with navy and metallic trim and handmade drawstring. I am honored to have such a loving, talented, generous woman in my life!

Below, she also made Josh an amazing hat with blue corduroy and a really pretty fur lining.

On Saturday, I and 5 other people tried to get out of Alakanuk to leave for Christmas. However, no planes were going to be leaving AUK that day due to fog. Our only chance was to snowmachine about 10 miles to Emmonak-- hurry up and wait for our flight to go out of Emmonak. (EMO has more instruments and a better set-up for taking off and landing.)

When we were checking in to the little EMO airport, my name got mixed up on the receipt as "Jana Durkeyle" which must have originated from her looking at the last name next to it on the list "Purkeypile." I was a little concerned she might have mistaken us for one person and combined us and that we wouldn't have enough room on the plane. But, she had just made a simple mistake and did have us both on the list.

However, we received news a little later that they were legally obligated to carry 600 extra pounds of fuel in case weather was bad and they couldn't land in Bethel. That was very bad news since that meant we had to cut some people of the flight. We all knew that this was quite possibly the last plane to get out for a few days if the low front kept moving in.

Clark and Becca altruistically volunteered to stay behind and wait for another plane. Luckily after much praying and many phone calls. They arrived safe and sound about 5 hours later-- still in time for our evening flight. Meanwhile the weather in Bethel, was changing quicker than a runway model. The large plane coming in from Anchorage to pick up the afternoon group had circled twice and headed back to Anchorage due to fog.

We didn't want to think about not being able to fly out that night. The airport in Bethel would shut down at 9PM and the cheapest hotel was 150 dollars. Someone we know had been stuck there a few nights before. He said that the hotel was the worst he had ever seen, and he is even from a Cuba, a third-world country.

Luckily, the temperature dropped even more and so did the fog. I let Clark know after security those 45 steps from the terminal to the Alaska Airlines plane were quite possibly the best steps of my life. He just asked incredulously, "You counted?"

My flight was delayed about 45 minutes out of Anchorage to Seattle. I finally slept on that flight.

And now? I'm home sweet home at my parents.

Posted on a facebook status at about 10AM this morning, " "Honey I'm ho-ho-home!" -quote from our little Santa at the Christmas Program .............. But, really. It has been so crazy to see trees, and daylight, and a wintery fat dog and cat, and a stairway, and a real Christmas tree, and water than can't get any better from the tap, etc. It's great to be in my very own bed ...in Winlock, WA!"