A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher

Hey Y'all,

I thought it would be a good idea to blog about my experiences this far as a substitute teacher. In the beginning I was super nervous, yet excited to be a sub. I lined the idea of not having any take home work. If we are honest, teachers probably work about 60 plus hours a week. I also liked the idea of trying new grades. The truth of the matter is that while it is nice that I don't have any take home work, I still miss having my own class, my own classroom, and my own "ways" of teaching. I am glad however that I have been able to experience different classes. Here is a list if all the positions I have taken so far this year. Are you ready?
1. Kindergarten
2. First grade
3. Third Grade
4. Elementary Special Ed.
5. Middle School Science
6. MS social Studies
7. MS English
8. MS Vocal
9. MS Physical Education
10. MS Math
11. High School Agriculture
12. HS Band/Orchestra
13. HS Spanish
14. HS Dance
15. HS Art
16. HS Math

Some of those titles I have subbed in more than once. Some experiences have been great and some not so great. It has stretched me as an educator and I'm thankful for that. Some teachers leave AWESOME sub plans that keep the kids busy and hard at work. Other teachers will leave extremely lazy plans that maps out an hour block to complete a 25 minute reading lesson leaving me to fill the rest of that time. When I taught Kindergarten in Alaska I mapped out the day to the minute for my sub. I left extra filler activities if the kids finished early. Part of the reason why I was so strict with having a routine was for that one day when I had a sub, the kids would already know what to do and they would know what was expected of them. Those are the plans that every sub delights in and I can say that now being on the other side of things.

So, while it is still a dream of mine to be a stay at home momma, I will continue to apply for full time positions and take on any sub position I can until that is possible. No matter what job title we have, we are called to work as if we are working for God and with a cheerful heart.

Merry Christmas!!

Falalalala la la la la

Hey Everyone,

Happy December!! I can't believe that December is already here. Where is the snow? When we loved in Alaska, snow had been on the ground for a month. For now I will patiently wait. I absolutely LOVE Christmas time. Everyone just seems more jolly, we get to spend more time with our friends and family, and celebrate the TRUE meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. So, in this Christmas season of buying gifts, putting up lights, baking cookies, don't forget to remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. I think God blesses us with the above mentioned festivities, but God is most glorified when we acknowledge Him and what He did for us.

There are two other blogs that I want to mention today that I check daily. They are both conducted by Godly women and I just want everyone to know about them and go visit.

Here they are: http://shullfamily.blogspot.com/2013/12/on-1st-day-of-christmas-i-explained-lot.html?m=1

And: www.feminagirl

Life Lately

Whoa! Has it really been over a month since posting? It might be hard to recap what all has happened, but I will sure try. I will do this by the month maybe.

September: September was a GREAT month. Ben and I have finally started getting used to our "new" life. Ben has loved teaching Agriculture at Buffalo High School. It is such a relief to see my husband happy when he comes home from work. I started my subbing career in September and really can't complain. My hardest day was subbing in a third grade classroom. I know I know, I'm an elementary major, but man these kids made me earn every penny that day. During this month I also realized that I'm not afraid of high schoolers, and to be honest, I like them and prefer subbing in the High school. Maybe I missed my calling? Nah, during September I got to sub for a Kindergarten teacher and boy was I happy. Teaching Kindergarten is a bit like magic ad I'm so happy that I was able to pull out my Kindergarten tricks once again. Also in September, we have gotten to see Fall foliage. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. There have been several times that I have pulled over to snap some pictures.  We have gotten so see our family almost every weekend in September,  which has been amazing! We also joined a small group bible study that meets on Wednesday nights. Ben and I have learned so much  already and I will explain that later.

October: October had been much like September. More fall colors, more family time, more working and subbing. To be honest, there isn't much to report on October. Ben is leaving for Kentucky with 8 of his FFA students  to attend  the National FFA convention. That also means that I get to sub for Ben three days. Yahoo!! Oh, let me give a quick update on Moose. Moose somehow got into some rat poison.  He was bleeding from his gums, so we took him in and they found that his blood wasn't clotting like it should, which would end in bleeding to death (the purpose of rat poison.) anyway, the vet gave us some Vitamin k and steroids and Moose has responded well and is no longer bleeding.

Bible study: Ben and I have been learning about fear in or bible study lately and what a blessing this study has been. It seems like the older I get, the more fearful I become. I had started fearing about family members dying, Ben dying, safety when driving. Basically I would think of things that could happen and almost convince myself that they were going to happen and I would be afraid. Through this study though I have learned that in God there is no darkness. We are NOT supposed to be anxious. So every time  Ben and I have a fear, we write it down and find scripture to  use against this fear. For example. The other day I accepted a sub job for elementary special Ed and I was anxious an fearful of what could happen. My scripture back up was: Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." In the end, God is in control and we need to let Him and stop trying to do things on our own. We need to have faith that is truth trusted. Faith is the certainty that what God says is true. "Trust in The Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

So, I guess what I'm getting at is if you are like me and get anxious and fearful of the unknown and ultimately things you can't control anyway, turn to God. Thank Him that we don't have to worry and that He has a plan for our lives and in that plan we need to accept the things we cannot change. We need to let God lead in EVERY part of our lives, even the parts where we say, "I got this." God is in control and He is our protector.

I will try and blog more often. Thanks for reading and I pray that we can all let go and let God be in control of our lives.

Home Sweet Home and FFA....huh?

Hey Everyone,

Well, I think Ben and I are starting to get into a routine here at home, which feels great! Our house is starting to feel more like home every day. We have already created so many fun memories here and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Last week I got to have lunch with one of my best friends from high school. Can I just say that God is always faithful and always brings the right people at the right time into your life? Erin McBurney formerly known as Erin Dugan was just what I needed. She is one of those people where I can go awhile without talking and when we get back together we can pick up right where we left off. Lets be honest, I'm absolutely horrible at keeping in touch with people. So, to be able to have friends that understand that part of me is a huge blessing, so THANK YOU. Anyway, Erin got married to her husband the year after Ben and I and I can't say enough good things about him. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that Erin and I are kind of in the same season of life right now. Married, without kids, and recently relocated. I'm so happy that Ben and I will get to see more of them.

Last weekend my family came up to see the new house and stay for the weekend. It was SO much fun. I didn't realize how much I missed those little weekends with family. On Friday night we went out to eat in Buffalo and then came back to Maple Lake. My sister and her husband Jason, my brother and his wife Nikki, and Ben and I went down town to check out the "Irish" pub while my mom stayed back and watched the kids. Anyway, we walked there because that is how small this town is and we come across this huge big screen playing The Dark Night I think. There were people with lawn chairs out on the street. It was just really cool. Then we get to Madigans Pub and there was a lie ban playing outside. I was starting to fall more in love with my little town. When we got inside the only Irish part about this pub was the green walls. Haha, oh well. The beer was still ice cold and fun was had by my siblings. The next day the girls of course went shopping and the boys stayed back for an old car show in Maple Lake. The weekend went by fast, but once again, god showered His blessings on us and my heart was so happy.

I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but Ben is now the agriculture teacher at Buffalo High School and he will be co-advising FFA. Something I still can't get over. Ben will be the first to admit that he really doesn't know anything about Ag or FFA. however, he has AMAZING support already from the community and his administrators. We had dinner last night with the FFA alumni and they were so nice and so helpful. Ben will be extremely busy, but from the sounds of it, this is Bens dream job. He is going to be an awesome teacher!

It's also been fun hearing from my friends in Mountain Village. I hear from Nuka every day and I keep in contact with others as well, which is pretty good for me since I'm not the best at staying in touch. I've heard from my old aide quite a bit as well. Anyway, I have orientation in mid-September to be a substitute teacher. For now I will enjoy waking up slow watching the Today Show, morning workouts, and cleaning and laundry in the afternoons. Anyway, thanks for reading. I know life in Minnesota isn't quite as unique as our life was in Alaska, but this blog is therapy for me. I enjoy writing and will continue writing even knowing that there might not be a single soul reading. :)

Maple Lake

Hey All,

I'm writing once again from my iPhone, so I apologize if there are odd spellings. So, I realize that my last post seemed a little debby downer ish, but that was not my intention. I really am happy here in Maple Lake. Do I still think that Alaska is the greatest and coolest state ever? Oh yeah it still is in my books. However, God brought Ben and I back to Minnesota for a reason and we are excited about that. So, with that said, here are some of the reasons why we love it here.

1. In our little town of 2,000 ish people there are people who leave fresh veggies in a tote that says fresh veggies.
2. Everyone has gardens whether produce or flower. In fact, I was walking moose and one garden that we walked by was so pretty that it caused me to talk out loud saying "wow that is pretty." Then, the old lady who lived there came up from watering.  She looked at me and I proceeded to tell her how pretty her garden was. Awkward!
3. They have flea markets.
4. They have movies on the lawn and random festivals. This weekend it is the gear head festival. Anyone can bring cars, bikes, I think anything with "gears." There will also be live music. Very Gilmore Girlesque.
5. Our house. Ben and I love our new house. We have finished painting and it looks fantastic. We still can't believe it is ours. Once I figure out how to add pictures I will post them.
6. Getting to reconnect with friends pre Alaska. I have been blessed with solid friends. The kind that you can go a year without talking and then meet up and talk as if no time had passed at all.
7. No brainer: being close to our families.

Anyway, we are excited to be here in Minnesota and be able to reconnect with our old friends and our families. Life is good.

On Being Content

Hey Everyone,
So, a lot has happened since my latest post. We are getting settled into our new beautiful home. Ben has take on the job title of Agriculture teacher. He will be doing a lot with FFA. He is extremely excited about this teaching job, but at the same time knows it will be a lot of work. As far as I know, I will hopefully be subbing every possible day I can. Let me tell you, buying a house is not cheap. Who would have thought? :) With that, it brings me to the title of this blog post.

I can't begin to tell you how much God has poured his blessings on Ben and I this summer. He has blessed is with a beautiful home, things to put in our home, family trips, friends who have visited us from Alaska, etc. however, something that Ben and I, more so me than Ben is being content. There are so many moments in my daily life where my heart just aches for Alaska. It aches for the people, the sounds, the isolation, the for wheelers, the walking everywhere, my students, and the life Ben and I created there. I can't lie, it really sucks at times. However, as I have been able to reflect on the places God has taken me, I can't help but smile and see that God is good and His plan always has and always will be better than my own. I have realized that in most situations where I start feeling really comfortable in life, God moves me (us) When I left high school and left for college I cried my eyes out. I didn't know who my friends would be, I didn't know if I was ever going to be happy (at he time) I even almost transferred schools to be closer to what I knew. However, God had a different plan for me and I came out of college with amazing friends, an amazing church family, and a new husband. Then after graduating, getting married, and moving to Alaska I also cried about every night for a month with not knowing what life was going to be like. Well, if you have been reading and keeping up with this blog, you know how hard it was to leave Alaska. So, that leaves me here in this beautiful new home, waiting for Ben to get home trying to be appreciative of everything God has blessed us with in Maple Lake. But, the truth of the matter is that I'm scared of not making friends, not knowing what church will be like, just the unknown really. I know that God will provide those things for Ben and I and I know that I will probably read this post in a year and just laugh at my insecurities or maybe even lack of faith. Either way, Ben and I are so thankful for the support we have received from our family and friends helping make this transition easier for us. We love you and are forever grateful!

Ps. I wrote this post from my iPhone, so I apologize if there are words that look funny from autocorrect.

Ben and Anne Harvey

Summertime is BUSY

Hello Everyone,

I have so much to write and I'm not exactly sure if I can get it all in one post or if it will even make sense, but I will give it my best shot. I will try to start from the very beginning when I left Mountain Village. I say I because Ben didn't come down states at the same time I did. Anyway, there were about 10 of us teachers leaving that day including one of my best friends, Nuka and her 16 month old daughter. Here is a picture of us all leaving. Oh yeah, Moose was along with me as well. He does very well in the plane.

Ok, so there we go. It is hard to make out any faces, but just know that was all of us that left that day. It took two planes to take us all. One Caravan and one 207. Lucky for me, I was on the Caravan that goes much faster than the 207. 

Anyway, we got to Anchorage and of course ate out like it was nobody's business. We spend three days there and I could not wait for a home cooked meal. We got back and stayed the night in Norwood Young America with Ben's parents and then Nuka and the babes and I took off to Fargo to see my sister. I never would have thought that my first home cooked meal would be meatloaf from my sister who is a vegetarian. That is love right there. I got to see my nephew, Liam and let me tell you....he is the most handsome feller I know. Here is his picture below. 

So, after our Fargo adventure we cruised back to Norwood to meet up with my hott husband, Benjamin. I always miss him even if we are only apart for a couple of days. I'm so used to having him with me in everything I do and when he isn't there...it just isn't the same. Ok, enough with the mushiness. Next up, it was time to go house hunting. I absolutely loved going house hunting, but it never really hit me that we would actually be buying a house and settling down. I will explain that more later. After about two weeks of house hunting and other fun shenanigans, Nuka's sister Madeline and Madeline's son Caleb made the trek to Minnesota. The only bummer part was a day after they arrived, we had to take TyAnna's daughter to the hospital and she was admitted there for three days. TyAnna was born with two holes in her heart and she takes medicine daily and is always going into Anchorage for checkups and so forth. So, with this heart condition, her heart has to work extra hard just to breathe, and it ended up that TyAnna had viral Pneumonia. It was very scary, especially for Nuka as she was in a new hospital and her daughter was suffering. So, I stayed the night with Nuka and TyAnna for three nights while Madeline and Caleb stayed home and was entertained by my mother in law, Kathy. Let me just tell you. Kathy is one of the most patient and genuinely nicest people I know. She took them pretty much wherever they wanted to go while I was with Nuka. After three days in the hospital and some good antibiotics, TyAnna was back to her crazy and fun self. Here is a picture of TyAnna being sick of the hospital. 

Ok, so we got out of the hospital and the next day hit the ground running. We went to the Mall of America and went on some rides at Camp Snoopy. Yes, I still call it that because that's what it was called when I was younger. We also brought my niece Ava along and got our nails done as well. This was the first time that Nuka, Madeline, and Caleb had ever gone on a roller coaster. It was a blast! The next day, Ben and I went to do some more house hunting. Sure enough, we found THE house. It is in Maple Lake, which is just 8 miles west of Buffalo where Ben will be teaching. It is a beautiful house with vaulted ceilings, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, fenced in back yard, and an unfinished basement. I love it and I can't wait to move in. I believe our closing date is on July 17th. The next few days was going to various malls like Albertville, Eden Praire Center, back to the Mall of America, and Cabelas. In Alaska, people are always ordering things online from Cabela's, so it was pretty cool to go inside of an actual Cabela's store. This was my first time as well. I'm not sure what day it was, but we went to Valleyfair. It was a BLLLAST. Even though it was SO hot and of course I got sunburned. Nuka went on the Wild thing 4 times and Madeline went 2 times. I was so proud of them. Caleb had a blast as well and even went on the High Roller. We also went to the Minnesota Zoo with my sister in law Katee and her 5 kids. It was also VERY hot, but we had fun anyway. They were SO excited to see giraffes. In fact, a lot of the time while they were here they kept saying that things were like a movie. It was true, a lot of what we were doing is things that they never experience and only see in movies. So cool! Their final night in Minnesota we got to experience some AWESOME thunder storms. They never have storms in Alaska and so part of them was scared, but they were also very excited. 

I dropped them off at the airport this morning and it was so sad. Sad for many reasons. I think it was sad because I love that family so much and I'm going to miss them terribly, but also sad because it meant that Alaska was leaving me. I've been holding onto "Alaska" for the last month because they have been here. After Ben and I bought our house I got kind of sad realizing that we are settling down here in Minnesota. I'm coming around to being more excited about it and I know I will be as soon as we get into our house and get settled down. I can't wait to start this next chapter with Ben, but I can't help but be sad about leaving part of my heart in Alaska. Anyway, the rest of the summer is going to be VERY busy. June 26 is Ben and I's anniversary. The following Saturday I'm throwing a shower/bachelorette party for my friend Katie who is getting married in July. Then it will be the fourth of July. On July 5th Ben and I will be going on vacation with my side of the family for a week and a half. The day I get back it will be time for Katie's wedding. I'm her only bridesmaid and I feel so honored to stand next to her on her big day. Then, five days later is our closing date on our house and we will be busy moving in. Thanks for all of your love and support in everything we do. I love hearing back from all of you and how you are all doing. I will try to keep the blog going as long as I can. :) 

One last picture of Nuka, Madeline, and myself on their last night of being in Minnesota. 

From left to right. Nuka, Me, Madeline

Kindergarten Quotes

There are many days when my Kindergartners say the funniest and sweetest things. I'm going to try and recall some of them here.

Mrs. Harvey: "Sorry Kinders, my brain is foggy today."
Student: "Maybe your brain is foggy because it's foggy outside."


Student: "Teacher, you forgot me."
Mrs. Harvey: "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I forgot you....pick your prize."
Different student: "It's ok Mrs. Harvey, it's just because you are so nice that maybe you forgot."

When complaining about a headache I have heard quite a bit.."My brain hurts."

When complaining about a sore throat. "My neck hurts."

Mrs. Harvey: "Where did this cold weather come from?"
Student: "THE NORTH POLE." 

When reading a story about the Tundra Giant, the giants name is Akaguagankak. (Aqua-ga-gung-kuck) The student said: "Teacher, let's read Akaguagankak Gangham Style." Mrs. Harvey: "Oh for the life of me, NO MORE GANGHAM STYLE." I then proceeded to play Gangham style on my computer and watched as my students tried to dance like that silly Asian man.

I may have mentioned this before, but I seriously have the BEST class ever. I'm working on uploading a video of their year onto You Tube so you all can see them. They make me laugh every single day. They make me love my job. They make me a better person. They make me appreciate and find joy in the little things in life. Their smiles remind me that all is ok in our corrupt world. I will miss them dearly and can't wait to come back and visit them and see how they have grown. I hope that in the future as they change and get older, they change for the better and as they get older they understand their role on this earth and love and walk with Jesus.

Buffalo Bison

Hey Everyone,

   Ben and I are pretty busy with closing things up here in Mountain Village. This next week is going to be pretty crazy. We have 8th grade promotion, graduation, prom, staff farewell pot luck, rummage sale, and packing up our house. This weekend we did take everything down from our walls and packed up a few totes to mail back home. We  have sold quite a bit as well and made some deliveries. I have even already packed one suit case to come home. I will be coming home with my friend Nuka and her daughter, TyAnna on May 22nd. Ben is staying in Alaska for a week longer because he is going to Nome as a chaperone with some students from a different school.

   Nuka is one of my best friends here in Mountain Village and I'm SO excited for her to come see the Midwest. It will be her first time out of Alaska. I'm also SO excited to see my nephew, Liam or as I call him Duggy. Nuka also has a nephew named Liam and her family calls him Duggy, so I decided I would call my Liam Duggy as well. ha ha.The last time I saw him he was only about three weeks old and while he was cute, he didn't do much other than eat, sleep, and poop. Now he has the most precious brown eyes, a little dimple, and rolls that make you just want to squeeze. I can't wait to spoil him rotten.

                            Nuka and I having an "Alaskan" bonfire. (Winter coats, hats, gloves, etc.)


     Now, onto the title of this blog, "Buffalo Bison." Ben and I are excited to announce that Ben got a job in Buffalo, MN as the 9th grade physical science teacher. What an answered prayer. I remember two years ago when we were visiting my brother who lives in Buffalo saying, maybe when we come back one day we could live here in Buffalo. It's a cute town that has everything, but is not in the city. Also, one of the teachers that Ben will be teaching science with was in one of my bible studies in college. We are SO excited to re-start our life together. The reason why I say re-start is because we will be needing to buy a house, a car, things to put in the house, etc. We will need to find a new church, a new grocery store, etc. All things that we are excited about. I'm excited to go to the grocery store and buy in season fresh fruit and veggies. I'm excited for milk to not cost $7 for half of a gallon. I'm excited for Ben and I's date nights to be able to actually feel like a real date, not that we haven't done the best we could out here to keep our date nights going. I too have put in a few applications for surrounding districts, but haven't heard anything as of now. If I get a job, I would love to work, but I think I would also really enjoy substitute teaching.

      Anyway, please keep us in prayer as we finish up "life" here in Alaska. This summer will probably be spent the same as the last couple of summers with visiting our friends and family in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Our phone numbers will be changing as well because we will no longer use our current provider, which is an Alaskan company. We will keep you posted on what our numbers and new address' will be. Hopefully I will blog one more time before leaving here, but if I don't....well, I will eventually. :)

Hope

One of my colleagues is involved with a program at our school called Natural Helpers. She made this video and I kind of loved it. However, I pray that this theme of "hope" that is mentioned in the video turns into a hope in God. Placing your hope in God is the only way. You can place your hope in people or material things, but they will ALWAYS fail you in some way. God will not fail you.  I thought also about this song that is an oldie for me, but I often thing about when things just seem to not work out the way I want them to. Here are the lyrics:

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name


You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all


Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all


Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Anyway, check out the video below. The people who are interviewed are from Mountain Village. The villages in western Alaska sure do need to find their hope in God.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IW9ZzduR9k

Legacy

Hello All,
  Can you believe it? Two blogs in a month! Wahoo! As Ben and I were walking home from church I mentioned to him that I had to blog about what happened at church. Let me start by stating that there has been a lot of death in our community in the last month. There have been elders that have passed, a 5 month baby, and a young 23 year old who took his own life. There have been a lot of families in mourning lately. However, I need to talk about one of the Elders who passed away last week. Her name is Evelyn Walters and she followed the Lord. I didn't know her well, just saying hello and hugging her whenever I saw her. I do know a lot of her family members, and boy does she have a lot of family. I can't even start to explain the length of her family, but I got sort of an idea at church today. She has family from all over and all of that family came to Mountain Village to say goodbye and have stayed celebrating Evelyn's life and legacy. I told Ben that we better get to church a little early because the family is huge. We walked in and right away I just kind of got tears in my eyes because of all the people. I looked over at one of my very good friends, Hazel and I just had to smile because of all the family that was in the church. I immediately felt like I was apart of their big family and in all honesty, we are a family in the body of Christ. At one point in church, almost all of Evelyn's daughters got up to sing a song. There were 9 daughters standing in the front singing, and that wasn't even all of them because some of them had to leave the day before. This woman has left a legacy of children who follow the Lord. This ONE woman and probably her husband as well, but I never knew him taught their kids about Jesus and the bible. It really got me thinking to what kind of legacy I want for Ben and I's kids, grand kids, great grand kids, etc. I'm thankful that my parents brought me up in the church as did Ben's. Ben and I pray daily about the kids we don't even have yet that they would become believers and walk with the Lord. Anyway, just thought I would share a tidbit on how I was encouraged today. Below is a picture of Evelyn Walters.

Starting Over

I've been wondering how to go about writing this specific blog post. I already have a lump in my throat as I even think about how to go about it. So, I think I will just throw it all out there at once and then explain. Ben and I will not be returning to Mountain Village in August of 2013. We have known for about a month, but have tried to keep it on the down low. For those who prayed along side of us, knowing this decision was difficult, we thank you.

Ben and I came into this school year having every intention of coming back for another. However, as the school year started, we had an unsettling feeling like maybe we weren't cut out for it anymore. Problems seemed to arise more and more in the classroom and it just became stressful. I could go on and on about how and why it is difficult to teach high school and middle school in Mountain Village, but I think I will refrain from doing that. Instead, I'm going to turn this around and talk about why it will be SO hard leaving this place.

I've had many family members and friends ask me, what is it about Alaska that you like so much. I've never really had a great response to that question, but after thinking about leaving, I will try and give better reasoning's. First of all, this is where Ben and I started our life together. If you recall, Ben and I got married on June 26, 2010 and we moved to Alaska on August 4, 2010. We went through several transitions together. Marriage, moving, new teaching jobs, etc. It was kind of all thrown at us at once, but I truly believe that in those transitions, Ben and I grew together and were forced to depend on each other, but most importantly on God. We didn't have our families to go running to when something got hard. We had to make new friends together out here. We had to do things that made us really uncomfortable out here. We slowly adapted to the way of life here and I feel like we are leaving feeling accepted by the community.

The way of life out here is so different and unique. If someone REALLY wanted to, they could live off of the land. The men are hard workers when it comes to catching Moose, Ptarmigan, Lynx, Fish, Seal, Whale, etc. A family could live off of moose meat for the entire winter. The women can make Parka's using different fur. It almost seems like a different time era. I don't know really how to explain it. The people are desperately trying to hold onto their culture. There are eskimo dances, fiddlings, storytelling, etc. This is kind of the way it is all around Alaska. I was able to see more of Alaska when traveling with my mom last summer and I noticed that the people were the same all over Alaska. A lot of people will say that the Midwest is "Midwest Nice" and I think that is very true. I wish I could put a finger on how to label Alaskans. Alaskans are self sufficient, they work hard, but also laid back, they take pride in their land. They are truly proud of where they come from and they should be. It is the most BEAUTIFUL state I have ever seen or been to. The mountains are what everyone sees when they come here for vacation or what they see on TV, but the tundra on the west side of Alaska is truly magical. You can only see the "bush" when flying by plane. I remember when flying into Anchorage for the first time, I had heard a man ask a lady where she was going and she said Anchorage. I remember his reply that if you want to see the real Alaska, you need to go out west. There is beauty in it all. Am I off topic yet? ha ha. Carrying on.

The relationships. Ben and I have built some outstanding relationships with the people here in Mountain Village. We were told when living in the Village, we should try and get involved. I feel like Ben and I took that advice and ran with it. We have had the opportunity to go moose hunting, ice fishing at Mt. Kuzi, eskimo dancing, fiddlings, gatherings, funerals, weddings, bingo, church, holidays with the native people and the list could go on. We will always be "gussak" (white people) but they have been like family to us.

Leaving my Kindergartners. This is probably one of the hardest parts about leaving. I'm leaving a job that I absolutely love. I have the best teacher aide, Mollie Long. We have worked so great together and if you have read my previous posts, she has become like a mother away from home. Her family has become our family away from home. When I go into work each day, I go in to work to love these kids. It has been my prayer since the very beginning that I would love them the same way Christ loves them. I've realized that out here, these kids need love more than anything. More than letter recognition, letter sounds, star words, counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's to 100, telling time, story problems, etc. While those things are important yes and will help them as they grow older, nothing can surpass the love that these kids need. A lot of them come from terrible home lives. Seeing their parents drunk and abusing one another. Not being fed every meal like they are supposed to. Not going to sleep until 2:00 A.M. and then coming to school expecting to "learn." I have wept over some of the stories these kids have told me. The first one happened my first year when a quiet student came to me and told me her mom got taken to jail last night. I got tears in my eyes and just gave her the biggest hug. I have this fear that I'm going to leave this place and who will love them? I know I need to trust in God that he will provide people in their lives to love them. It is just difficult. It may sound like these little 5 and 6 year old's are just miserable, but they aren't. It may also sound like they all come from hard home lives and that also isn't true. A lot of them do have loving and caring families.

Just recently we had parent teacher conferences and one parent was sitting across from me joking around saying that she can't wait for her son, nickname Tarzan to be in my class. I have taught two of her children already and she works in the school, so I know her pretty well. Anyway, we were talking and I had told her that we wouldn't be coming back next year and she looked at me like a deer in the headlights. Like, what do you mean you aren't coming back and then she proceeded to get tears in her eyes. I didn't know exactly how to react as I thought I was the only one who had cried over this decision and realization.

So, there you have it. In the next months, Ben and I will be preparing to leave Mountain Village. We will be selling most of our "stuff" and staring all over again. Where you may ask? Who knows. Somewhere in Minnesota. Ben has been applying to science positions all over Minnesota like a mad man. Please be praying for us as we look for a job and relocate. The plan for me is to follow my husband and sub for the first year and hopefully Ben and I will start a family of our own....if that is God's plan. If it was my plan I think we would have started a family our first year. :) It will be SO nice to be close to our families again. We have so many siblings who are also having kids and we want to be apart of that. Please please please pray for Ben and I as we go about all the changes that will be coming our way. We love you and are so thankful for standing by us. I'm thinking I will keep this blog going, although I will have to change the title of it. It is no longer our Alaskan adventure....if you have any ideas for a new blog name, send them my way.

With Love,
Ben and Anne

Trucking Along

Howdy,

Once again, I'm sorry it has taken so long to post on the blog. To be honest, I don't really know what to write about. Ben and I have been enjoying the winter here in Mountain Village. It has been very warm, so unlike last years winter. This is the time of the year that kind of makes me laugh because people down in the lower 48 can't wait for SPRING to be here. Spring in Alaska means one thing....MANAQING (ice fishing) season. We don't get the typical April showers and in May we don't get flowers...we usually still have some snow in May and if we're lucky enough we get to see the ice on the Yukon break up. We also look forward to longer daylight. Right now it stays light out until a little after 10:00 P.M.

Last night I went to Yuraq. This is eskimo dancing. I absolutely love going to watch. It started at 7:00 and ended at 3:30 A.M. Yes, I stayed for the whole thing. It started off with the Mountain Village dancers, followed by Pilot Station, Alakanuk, and ending with Chevak. I couldn't believe I stayed for the whole thing, but I just couldn't get enough. I will try to upload a video either to the blog or my Facebook. I love trying to figure out the meaning behind the dances. Last night I was able to see seal hunts, taking care of babies, and picking berries.

Today in church our pastor talked about contentment. Contentment is not something that we are born with. We have to learn it. I think it is something that we will always be learning and praying about. We go through different seasons in life where we either feel content...or discontent. Right now, Ben and I are in a season of contentment. The future is unknown at this point, and we are ok with that. God is good and will bring us through whatever comes our way. I'm thankful for the contentment we have right now. With that said, I pray that we never feel "safe." I pray that we always strive to bring glory to God in whatever we do. Whatever hardship or trial we go through that we turn to God and not become discontent with what has been thrown at us or taken away from us.

Anyway, sorry for the writers block, but not a whole lot has been happening. In my next post to you all I will let everyone know what our plans are for next year. Stay tuned folks. Oh yes, I want to wish my mother a very happy birthday. One of the greatest things my mom has taught me is to have compassion. She will remind me often about how Jesus showed compassion. I use this advice and reminder every day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!! :)

Decisions. Cold Temps. Love for Alaska

Once again it has been a long time since I've last blogged. A lot has happened in the last month and it is hard to gather my thoughts. Please bare with me. :) On December 27th, Ben's dad and two brothers came to the great state of Alaska to visit us. Ben and I were SO excited to have them here. We arrived at our "airport" and it was pretty windy. We thought it would be a pretty rough landing for them, but to our surprise, it was pretty smooth. Within about 20 minutes of getting settled, Nathan was ready to go explore. Something that I love about the Harvey boys is that they love the great outdoors. This is something I wasn't as into when I met Ben. And then we got married and moved to a place where it's pretty much expected of you. I'm not going to lie, I've LOVED being outdoors and seeing God's creation everyday. It's simply amazing. The next day, Ben and his two brothers went out on an adventure and I have no clue what they were doing on their adventure. I have learned to not ask and appreciate when Ben comes home safely. Dennis stayed back because there weren't enough snow machines for everyone. So, him and I decided to walk down to the store. He got to see the expensive prices of simple necessities, and some guilty pleasure items. I think in the week that Ben's dad and brothers were here there was more soda, chips, ice cream in our house than there had been since moving up here. I was definitely NOT complaining. However, I knew as soon as they left I would become friends with my elliptical again. I have also never watched so many "man" shows or movies in one week. The next day all of the men got to go out moose hunting with one of our native friends. They left around 2:00, which made me a little nervous because at that time it starts getting dark around 5:00. I knew however that if they caught a moose it would be late once they returned. Long story short, they got to witness our friend Matt catch a moose. Matt also gave us a leg, which was good because our moose supply was running out. In the next few days it continued with more snow machine adventures and some fort building. :) When it was time for the men to leave, it was pretty foggy in Mountain Village and so they all had to snow machine over to St. Mary's to catch the 12:00 flight. They got to experience the TRUE bush experience. Ben went along with his dad and brothers to Anchorage to do some shopping and hang out in the city for a couple of days. Now, while you may be feeling sorry that I didn't go..don't. I enjoyed watching chick flicks, reading, cleaning, and relaxing. Moose and I had a lovely three days.

     Ok, then it was time to go back to school. As some of you know, Ben and I have been wrestling around with whether we should stay in Mountain Village or go back to Minnesota. We value our families so much and we miss them and our "Minnesota" life. However, there is something that we love so much here in Mountain Village. The simplicity, the people, and for me I have a job that I love. Ben has a much harder job with some tough kids to teach. However, more and more things were happening where Ben and I really felt like we should stay here. Now, I don't want to say it is final because we haven't made that decision yet, but I'm asking to please pray with us on where God would lead us. I'm also not saying we are staying in Alaska forever. In Ben and I's perfect world, we would love to stay here for two more years and then move back to Minnesota and start a family. We also know that sometimes plans change and God's direction can be different than our direction. One of Ben's student wrote him a Christmas card/note that was very uplifting and kind have gave him a sense that teaching has not been wasted here. The letter went like this,

                                      Merry Christmas Mr. Harvey!
                      You can just make us so...mad! You are so, "Cobby"
                    but, you are an awesome teacher. Don't ever leave us! :) Even
                  if we say, "We don't like you!" We're just mad at you because you don't
                let us get our way. Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! :)

Now isn't that sweet? If you're wondering what "cobby" means, it is just another way of saying lame or dumb. We also had our elementary Yupik teacher came into my class when Ben and I were talking after school one day and she had said how much they appreciate us being here and that we have been the best "couple" in Mountain Village. Please keep in mind that all of this was happening when we were struggling the most with what to do. It was in that moment that Ben and I thought, maybe we should stay here.

Another hard part about living here for the last year is that our church has been without a Pastor. We have still been able to go to church, but we had just not received solid Godly instruction at church. This started to ware on us more and more. Then, what do you know.....God brought us a new pastor. His name is Don Cross, and at the beginning, there were some things in his past that raised some red flags, but I think Mountain Village Covenant Church is blessed to have this man here. Him and his wife and three kids moved here from Elim, AK, a village up North. I have left church the last three Sundays feeling encouraged and challenged. God is good and SO faithful.

It has been pretty cold here lately and that has caused a lot of water problems. It is -11 today and our water was out from yesterday afternoon until just now. That was pretty good. All week last week our kids got out of school at 1:30 because our water was too low. I shouldn't have to explain this, but think about 230 children at school without flushing toilets. Yuck city!

Anyway, that is about all I have to report up until now. I hope to update you sooner than later, but my track record isn't so hot. I will try though! :) We appreciate all of you!

Ben and Anne