2016 has drawn to a close and what a full, eventful, and memorable year it has been! Many changes were experienced and some long awaited milestones were made by our children. Brian and I can certainly look back on on 2016 with thoughts of how quickly time moves by and how much can happen in one year!
Henry began the year having just gotten braces a few months prior and was progressing well into his year of high school. By mid-year he had completed 9th grade with great success, including an exemplary first year of German online through Bringham Young University which was a new territory that turned out positive. By the end of 2016, Henry already had braces in his past and possessed a permit allowing him to learn the exciting and daunting task of driving. Henry continues to learn how to balance and work hard at his academics. He is pacing himself in preparation to end his first semester of German 2 along with his other courses such of Biology, Algebra 2, and World History. New for his second semester, Henry will be taking a course locally to learn about Renewable Energy and help enrich his desire to know more about the environment. So far much of Henry’s high school success has been to his own credit and natural desire to learn, something I am very thankful for as his mother, teacher, and now more a guide as he learns his own way and the ropes of independence. Henry’s mind has always shown to be his greatest strength and challenge, to fill it with his insatiable desire for wisdom and knowledge.
Abigail began 2016 busy with many activities along with her school work. For the first part of the year, she remained a dedicated swimmer on the swim team and anticipated opportunities for mushing her dogs through what turned out to be a warmer nearly to warm a winter. Committed to her music, she continued piano and voice lessons which added to her academic load that she disciplined herself to balance. Over the summer, Abigail enjoyed learning new strengths and talents as she began gymnastic lessons for the first time and quickly progressed into it learning some new and long awaited skills. For she and I both it was a fun experience, where we got to discuss a new familiarity talking about Abigail’s new gymnastics involvement and my teen days as a simple gymnast and cheerleader; we certainly both enjoyed a new connection of creating memories. Abigail’s birthday in November brought forth a second teenager in our home as she enjoyed two milestones: turning 13 and receiving her own cell phone, at last. As she works on completing her final year before high school, Abigail chose to drop her time as a swimmer and add drums to her musical learning. A choice that seems to be a wise one as her enjoyment has increased for music and mushing while overall stress has decreased from her previous hectic schedule, leaving a nice balance that is refreshing to see among a lot of busyness. Abigail continues to amaze me with an intense sensitivity and where small decisions show to be difficult, big decisions that matter and make a difference are able to be made with clarity and a strong determination of conviction.
Vaughn begins and ends all with passion. Always. 2016 was the year that brought Vaughn into the double digits. Now in the 5th grade, he is the oldest of what I teach when I gather the youngest three together for their school each weekday morning. Slowly learning the ineffectiveness of complaining, and hopefully tiring of the sentences writing that comes along with it, Vaughn is always a surprise to experience where he has most recently grown in his learning. Vaughn has replaced his rhythm lessons from last year with piano lessons and has actually shown some progress within a few lessons, while hopefully gaining skills to learn discipline at the same time. Vaughn is a serious lover of Lego, reliving our 2016 trip to Legoland through much conversation and already trying to make plans to return. He loves to put together sets, and can do so rather intently and quickly with great focus and control, leaving me sometimes to wish we had endless money to pour into buying him countless Lego sets to cultivate his concentration and creativity! Vaughn definitely has a passion for animals, especially the family cat, Pepper, and his bird, a green cheek conure, Olive. Vaughn has shown himself to truly have a caring and giving heart, and it is comforting to see his tender spirit trying to push its way forward alongside Vaughn’s attempt to be forever busy and in control.
Jameson, began 2016 as a brand new reader and saw the year close as a second grader who can pick up most any book and find his way through it. Jameson’s challenge lies in the skill of handwriting, but is most definitely made up for with his natural love and unique skills with math that seem to continually amaze me. Sometimes it is a riddle watching his mind work to solve a problem, and it is quite a process to see how his mind works. Like Vaughn, Jameson loves to build with Legos and shows his own creativity and care making his creations. The beginning of 2017 will introduce Jameson to learning piano, his first venture into the world of music. Jameson is still very much a man of order, liking things in their place. He is also full of such sweetness and love we can sometimes wonder if bedtime will occur beyond the hugs, kisses, high fives, thumbs up, I love you’s, and more- which have to done in sequence and counting for Brian and I separately each with Jameson. He is an amazing boy full of such love and tenderness. While Jameson doesn’t necessarily sleep walk, he sleep cuddles, where his loving nature even reveals itself while he is sleeping even if it is in the form of a body slam as he climbs into bed with Brian and I in the early morning hours. Jameson is a helper at heart, and when he allows himself to see a need he eagerly steps in to take care of it, especially if it involves his younger sister.
For Claudia, all the world is a stage. She most likely sang her way into and out of 2016. And it will be the same for 2017 and every year after. Over the summer, Claudia enjoyed classes at gymnastics like her older sister and had a great time interacting with other children her age. Having turned four in August, Claudia has just started her road of education as a preschooler and loves to join her two older brothers for a little bit of shared learning time. Then she is off to role play! Claudia can be entertained by herself in many ways- making food in her little kitchen, playing with babies or dolls, building with Lego, dressing up, or sitting at the keyboard singing her own song. Claudia has always been able to, keep herself occupied and happy with her own imagination and dramatization. Even so, she can just as deeply desire, want, and beg for someone to play alongside of her and join in her games. Her favorite days are most certainly when a sibling joins in to play dolls, house, Lego, or dress up with her. Whether her current situation brings her joy or frustration, she may easily break out into a song about it and if she is near the keyboard or drums she will add that to her performance. One thing not lacking in Claudia is most definitely passion, which reveals itself in seemingly every move she makes from a picture being taken or an angry moment of not getting her way or at night when she lists with flair the things she has been thankful for that day. Claudia has a strong nurturing, sensitive, and loving spirit that seems to just want to wrap everything near it up and release it back with unending happiness and laughter.
Brian and I each had our own milestones for 2016; I turned 40 in the first half of 2016 and he turned 50 towards the end. His 50 brought the surprise of an AARP card which still has him in indecision about. The first part of 2016 celebrated us being a couple for 19 years, married for 18. Brian still manages KIYU thankful to have a full time employee added to help assist with his work load while I continued to help out part-time at the radio station during the first half and the last half of 2016. 2016 was super busy for KIYU as he traveled to put two new villages on the air and begin preparations for a third to be added in 2017. Brian ended his seat as a city council member in the fall of 2016, which he decided to leave behind him as he began a new venture to become a board member for Alaska Public Broadcasting. While teaching my children remains my primary responsibility, I ran and subsequently became a member for our local school board, the Galena City School District. Certainly a year of new opportunities and learning for all of us, with the most life changing being our first year to run our new business venture, the Nenana RV Park & Campground.
The first part of 2016 contained overflowing anticipation as we looked forward to late Spring when we would open the campground for the first time. With a warmer winter than usual, Brian and I were blessed to be able to go together on May 10 and get the water turned on at the campground and open it up for the season. I would be at campground for two weeks with Jameson and Claudia while Brian stayed with the older three in Galena to finish out school and music commitments they had. Jameson and Claudia proved to be huge helpers painting picnic tables, which totaled over a dozen in various pastel colors by the time everyone arrived at the campground on May 23.
By everyone, I also include my wonderful father-in-law, Henry, who flew up from Louisiana to help since Brian would have to spend his time between work in Galena at KIYU and visits to us at the campground. A more able and beneficial helper for the campground could not have been provided in anyone else. Brian’s daddy proved excellent as he repaired and built great additions, including a mini deck for an elderly couple that stayed at the campground. Of course my father-in-law’s greatest gift wasn’t even the wall tent cabin he built out of driftwood, it was his glowing presence at the campground that just endeared visitors to him and drew his own grandchildren to crave his presence, especially Claudia, who found her newest playmate. I myself soaked up the opportunity to get to know him better and came to appreciate his wisdom and patience as I watched my children with their grandfather. His witty humor and tall tales brought laughter each day, and for the first six weeks of our summer I was immensely blessed by my father-in-law’s presence as I obtained peace and confidence while growing in my new abilities to manage the campground. Most especially I appreciated his presence as I grew in by my knowledge, understanding, and ability with dispensing propane!
After my father-in-law returned to Louisiana, we were blessed by a family friend from South Carolina who chose to spend time with us for a while while a short VISA hiatus from her mission trip in Honduras. We had met Ashley our first winter in Galena after we moved to Alaska and had been blessed to provide her a home for three months while she stayed with us. Ashley was from Clemson, SC, just a hour away from my own roots in Rabun County, Georgia. Her presence at the campground was refreshing, especially for Abigail who remained closest to her of all our children.
After Ashley left we prepared to be on our own for a while, just meeting the wonderful campers who came our way from every corner of the world, but most commonly a European country or by July, Canada and the United States as well. Soon we met a couple who planned to stay at the campground for an uncertain amount of time while the husband worked nearby with some bridge work. I had no idea the impact that would be made on our family by this couple. Most noticeably the impact the lady, Wendy, would make on Claudia. I have never met a lady so patience and willing to fully give her time endlessly to a young child. Claudia quickly attached to Wendy, and not surprisingly so as Wendy just jumped on board Claudia’s imagination train and let it take her wherever Claudia wanted to go. I found myself mesmerized watching Claudia play and orchestrate Wendy’s interaction. When I would have free time myself and neither Abigail or I was needed to run the office, we would all- Wendy, Claudia, Abigail, and myself- even get to play fun games of pretend or tag. Those were great memories, cherished to be made as an adult with responsibilities! Throughout her weeks-turned-to-months time at the campground, I got to know Wendy very well myself and wondered why I couldn’t have been blessed to know her sooner and have her right where I live, wherever it may be! Wendy’s humor, conversation, and help was just what I needed in the midst of a time of not needing to be burdened or burden Brian with his obligation to have a “real” job aside from the campground. We were able to keep the campground open until Jameson’s birthday, September 29, and enjoy a great season and said good-bye to Wendy and her husband the same day we winterized, boarded up, and closed down for the season. Yes, there were tears, but there was also hope. 2017 holds the hope and promise of a return from Wendy and her husband, as well as Brian’s daddy. For that we will remain hopeful.
After closing the campground down at the end of September, our family made plans to return home to Galena for the annual Yukon Jamboree celebration the first weekend of October. A time dancing with a potluck before hand, it was a great way to reacquaint ourselves with ‘home’ after being gone for four months. Now it was time to get in full school gear mode. The annual KIYU membership drive was just around the corner and as usual turned out to be a busy week, but a reassuring week for the radio station as supporters confirmed their commitment to the radio station with similar support from the previous year. October closed out with a surprisingly warm Halloween with no snow on the ground! That was a treat that felt like a trick. But by the next weekend there was a snow covered Galena, winter may be later but it was coming!
We spent Thanksgiving as usual for us since landing in Galena, at the elders center. A time we have come to look forward to as we donate a turkey, make a side dish, and get the first round of enjoying Holiday Cider, which has become a tradition for the children in itself just waiting for the Holiday Cider to be made and enjoyed. We also welcomed some kids from GILA, the local boarding school, to spend the afternoon and evening with us which turned out to be quite a refreshing and enjoyable time leading to new friendships.
The first weekend of December brought the annual KIYU membership concert, and to celebrate the 30 years of KIYU since going on the air in 1986 the 80’s PacMen Band from Los Angeles was brought up to perform. And perform they did, easily taking us back to the 80’s to enjoy some great hits and memories. After the concert, time seemed to just move right along into Christmas, with the bazaar, craft fair, Louden Christmas Party, and annual play for the children at church on Christmas Eve. Christmas weekend was a wonderfully relaxing weekend at home as a family, a gift in itself after three busy whirlwind months back in Galena!
The KIYU 4th Annual Fireworks rounded out our year; with enough warmth provided to stand outside and enjoy a sky full of surprises, flair, and noise. A show representing much of how 2016 had been and how I anticipated 2017 would be. We may never know what is in store, but we can be sure there will be wonder and surprises ahead. And with our family, there is also a guarantee of flair and noise, too. Lots of noise.
Here’s to hoping your new year will bring you childlike wonder, unwavering hope, new wisdom, continual joy and be blessed exceedingly and abundantly beyond your hopes or imaginations. May your homes be full of love and laughter. Happy 2017!
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