Welcome
Hello to Family and Friends!
Finally I have this site set up. As an introduction, in August 2006 Lori Abrams and I moved to Bethel, Alaska to interpret in the Lower Kuskokwim School District and serve as house parents during the week for two deaf children from a local village. LKSD serves Bethel and 24 surrounding villages. Lori is working at the elementary school and I am working at the high school. After the final school bell our evening job begins, as care takers to siblings, a 7 year old and 14 year old. Let me say that I’d totally forgot how much energy parenting requires!
Life here is settling into a routine. Work and house parenting during the week, then the weekends for catching up on sleep, shopping and house cleaning. We are gradually making our house a home. “Deaf house”. Sometimes it feels like we’re living in a television reality series. What drama will surface this week? Stay tuned…anyway, the time is truly passing quickly. Ben is coming for Thanksgiving to see Bethel for himself, and Lori is heading home to Washington for that weekend. I know this next month will pass quickly leading up to our departure for the Christmas break on December 21st.
The weather has been in the teens with sunny afternoons. With the wind chill added to the freezing temperatures, the cold is down right scary. Sunsets continue to be incredible - tonight it looked like the sky was on fire. Sunrise is around 9:30 am and sunset is about 5:15 pm. It’s been extremely dry and there’s less than 2 inches of snow on the ground, unlike the Anchorage area that has 5-6 inches. After hearing about the tons of snow last year, I keep waiting for the big snow storm. I’m sure its coming, but its late this year.
I had my first weekend out of the bush when I visited Anchorage November 3rd through the 5th. I enjoyed the hospitality of Sue and Frobin Putman of Wasilla. I spent the weekend visiting with them and enjoying their Alaska stories, as well as power shopping to stock up the house. See for yourselves how beautiful it is this time of year in Anchorage and the surrounding area. I’ll do my best to post comments and pictures to this site in a timely manner - meanwhile - love to you all!
Hi Mom, This is so cool you are such a tech guru. This place looks so beautiful I wish me and Ang could come and visit. We both miss you so much. It’s just now hitting me how special it was to me to have you in my life daily. I love you soo much. I am really looking forward to having you home for xmas. Anyways this blog is so cool and your pics, as always, are amazing. Love you lots and talk to you soon. Andy
Hi Vikki,
This is a great site for all of us! Just love it and thanks for setting it up! We’ll check it weekly for any of your new perfect and beautiful photos! Good to here from you too! Can’t wait to see you and Ben’s photos and to hear how your thanksgiving went! We will let you know how ours goes and hopefully remember to take photos of the family and upload them to you! it is early in the morning on Saturday night, so we should get to bed soon! Lately, the weekends have been spent like yours, just catching up on sleep, cleaning, and a little relaxing if time permits! Talk with you soon, and love you and the site! Angela
Hey Vikki: You are amazing, so happy you set up your blog. It is awesome for me to see where you and Lori and Jennifer are and what you are doing. Keep up the wonderful work and photography. Hugs, Val.
Vikki -
Thanks for the window into your world.
Sending you and Lori warm thoughts….. not that that helps too much when facing temperatures in the teens!
Christine
Hi Vikki,
What a wonderful site you have created, I have enjoyed the view into your world. You are an amazing photographer!
I hope you know you are greatly missed…martini’s are just not the same without you! I’m looking forward to seeing you agin. Take care and keep posting.
Hugs,
Chris
Hi Vikki…my mom, Hazel Johnson, has been trying to write to you here and hasn’t had any luck, so I told her I’d try. You don’t know me but my mom has talked to me about you and signing for many years…since you worked together. Anyway, awesome site and pictures and Hazel Johnson says hello!
Your blog have a good sense of humor,i guess so do you.
I agree with you partly, however, in some aspect, I can not share the same opinions with you.