Why This Christmas Letter Is Late

1.The guinea pigs ate it. 2.We used it for fire-starting tinder. 3.The weather was so cold the ink fro e. !.The storm was so "ad the Internet went down. #.The mail plane couldn$t get through for a week. %.We lost it when the &T' went through the ice. (.Warren was too "usy chopping logs) sawing logs *sleeping+) and parsing logs *computer log files+.

2,12 "egan with us still wondering when we could get "ack to ha-ing our own place and routines. We needed more income and a -ehicle "efore we could look for a place of our own. Warren had part-time work) "ut getting hired full-time wasn$t happening. Though word of mouth) 'erity got two houses to clean weekly which the girls helped with to earn their own money. .ne client had to mo-e and they had only one /o" left) "ut the 0olts are so sweet to work for. 'erity was offered after-school child care work which she en/oyed) "ut suppers and e-enings "egan to feel rushed.

1uring this time) we were considering "uying a car from Warren$s "rother and waiting until it could "e shipped on the "arge. 0owe-er) 1an decided not to sell and we found a white Isu u Trooper in our price range in 1illingham. It was a stick shift which 'erity had ne-er learned) so last summer and fall dri-ing was definitely not fun. 2ow) her dri-ing is much "etter) e3cept for the Trooper wanting to die in four wheel dri-e.

&"out the same time as we found the Trooper) we learned that friends wanted someone to stay in their place in &leknagik) which is 2# miles north of 1illingham. Located on the north side of Lake &leknagik *near where Wood 4i-er e3its the lake+) you ha-e cross the ri-er or lake to get there) since the planned "ridge is not yet "uilt.

We took our long anticipated trip to see family in late 5ay. 'erity$s sister 5egan had twin girls that were o-er a year old and Warren$s "rother 1an had a "oy in 6e"ruary so we were all e3cited to get to see them. We also got to -isit nearly all Warren$s cousins o-er 5emorial 1ay weekend) including 7lle) the one cousin 'erity had ne-er seen. It was so good to see them all. 'erity got to add a few "irds to her "irder$s life list also. Then we spent a couple weeks with 'erity$s family playing with all the nieces and nephews. While there) we learned of a /o" offer for Warren "ack in 1illingham. 0e had applied for a custodial /o" at Choggiung) a small nati-e corporation) "ut was offered a /o" as computer 8ystems &dministrator instead.

Then it was time for the 4e-i-e meetings in &nchorage) which were a spiritual treat. Warren and 'erity took a 9uick trip to 8elawik and got to -isit people for two days. It was short) "ut -ery sweet to get to see our friends there *at least those who weren$t out at their camps+.

We returned in late :une to send 8ara and &""y off to summer camp and to prepare to mo-e to &leknagik. Warren inter-iewed for the /o" he had "een offered at Choggiung and was "lessed with full-time employment. Things were shaping up for us to mo-e into our own place.

We had "een in &leknagik "efore) "ut it wasn$t until Warren and 'erity took the first four-wheeler ride up to see the house where we would "e staying that it felt like "eing "ack at home in a -illage again.

&leknagik is 9uite different from 8elawik. 0ere the nati-e language is different *though) at least most of the words we knew "est are the same+) the dump is regulated) there is no local store) and the community cele"rations are different. ;erry picking is also different< this year is the first time we ha-e gotten most of our "erries in our own yard. 8elawik is more remote) "ut you don$t ha-e to spend an hour one way to get to work) so there is less daily ad-enture.

0ow to get to 1illingham< let me count the ways= 1.;ike to the landing wearing life /ackets) cross with "oat and gas motor. 2.We were offered a 8>' for ?#,, to get us to the landing. It was nice not ha-e to "ike in life /ackets in the rain) especially on 8a""ath morning. 8>' "reaks down after a"out a month. 3.>se a four-wheeler to get the landing) "oat across as usual. !..cto"er= 8cratch that) "oat motor got ice in it. 8tay at Warren$s parents 8a""ath and "orrow "oat with plans to "uy) order ine3pensi-e electric trolling motor to get across 1@! mile of water) and use oars while waiting for the motor to arri-e and for "ackup later.

We will ne-er forget crossing the peaceful water with the stars or the moon shining pushed along "y a silent motor.

This plan lasts until nearly Thanksgi-ing when free e-up occurs. There is only a narrow

channel of water to "oat through which is only -isi"le after daylight which is long after Warren and 8ara need to "e in 1illingham. The ice is too weak to cross any other way. 8o we all packed up fast and headed to Warren$s parents$ house for the week) hoping the channel would either "e open so we could "oat across again) or the ice would "e solid enough to cross safely when we returned.

#.The 8unday after Thanksgi-ing) we returned from 1illingham to try another way of crossing the lake. .n foot) o-er the ice) pulling our "oat *with the plan of /umping into it if the ice should "reak under us+. We nearly got to test the plan) "ut thankfully didn$t ha-e to) once we found some thicker ice to cross. %.5onday) 8ara and Warren had to cross "y themsel-es for school and work) which they did "oth ways "y Warren pulling 8ara across in the "oat) on the ice) 8ara holding a light to watch for weak ice) and Warren hoping he could /ump in should the ice "reak. .n "oth 8unday and 5onday) other people crossed the ice "y &T') so we "egan to think we were "eing o-erly cautious. (.Tuesday is our usual family town day) with the girls attending piano lessons) and working at our cleaning /o". That Tuesday howe-er) the girls had not had time to practice their piano enough) and we had a school meeting scheduled for Thursday) so 'erity called to cancel their lessons and reschedule the cleaning. .nly 8ara and Warren went to town) which turned out to "e pro-idential. Warren made a last-minute decision to dri-e the &T' across the ice) since they had a late start. 7-en though he went farther up the lake from the ri-er mouth than he had "efore) he did not know that the ice there had weakened o-ernight) and "efore they knew it) 8ara and Warren plunged through the ice into the free ing water. Thankfully) they had their life /ackets) and once Warren con-inced 8ara to stop clinging to him and clim" out on the ice) they were a"le to crawl to the

shore. 6riendly neigh"ors threw them a rope to ensure their safety) and pro-ided a warm home to reco-er in. Later that morning) they returned to using the "oat and the *narrowing+ water channel to cross. A.Crossing the ri-er "y "oat was now our only option. 7-en though the &T' had "een rescued) it would free e up e-ery time it cooled down. Though Warren changed the oil twice) there is apparently still water in the dri-e system somewhere. ;ut) crossing "y "oat continued to get more perilous too) as we had to deal with ri-er ice too weak to stand on) "ut too thick for our "oat to get through. Warren resorted to using ru""er "oots with ice cleats) with one foot out of the "oat pushing the "oat o-er the cracking ice. ;esides the danger of falling out of the "oat *or at least getting a foot wet+) there was the risk of getting stuck on the ice and getting cold. &lso) getting into the water was 9uite a struggle) and getting out was risky as the ice could still "reak off at the edge) or the current could carry the "oat away "efore we could disem"ark. B.&fter a prolonged cold spell) we learned the ice was purportedly thick enough to dri-e across) if you went around Cthe long wayD *far from the weak ice near the ri-er e3it from the lake+. We finally got up the courage to try it) there and "ack again. It was 9uite an e3perience to dri-e all the way home in comfort. ;ut) it didn$t last. 8now finally came) and the drifting and "li ard conditions made it likely we would get stuck *or lost+ on the lake. We again decided to stay with Warren$s parents in 1illingham) as it was getting too hard to tra-el without a snowmo"ile) and we hadn$t "een a"le to "uy one yet. 1,.Warren tried one last trip home to pick up some things we really needed. 8now-co-ered ice had too much friction for him to mo-e the "oat) "ut not enough traction for his feet. 0e made it

across one last time) lea-ing the "oat on the ice *since he couldn$t drag it across the snow-co-ered ice to shore+. We really needed a snowmo"ile.

11.Ero-identially) we were a"le to "uy a snowmo"ile) and things ha-e now "ecome much easier. 0owe-er) there is still the challenge of not ha-ing a -ery large sled) so we ha-e to pack light when taking our whole family across.

.kay) so much for transportation woes... 2ow) let me e3plain the part a"out Cchopping logs) sawing logs) and parsing logsD. We are thankful to ha-e a wood sto-e) which is helping to cut down our heating "ill. 0owe-er) due to all the transportation challenges) Warren has not had the much time to cut all the needed firewood. This has led to the last few days "eing a race "etween the fire *finishing off our dwindling wood pile+ and Warren *cutting wood in the dark after work) then falling into "ed e3hausted+. &t least Warren is getting his e3ercise...when he$s not Cparsing logsD or Csawing logsD.

0ome school has "een a lot of fun this year. &""y) 5iriam) and 'erity are en/oying the science focus. We ha-e /ust finished studying flying creatures *including insects+) at least until spring. 8o we caught and e3amined a lot of "ugs and e-en got to keep some caterpillars and crickets. 2ow we are using the dark night to study astronomy. It has "een so fun learning a"out the wonderful things Fod has madeG &""y$s sewing skills are impro-ing and she has e-en made a little pink "ird without a pattern. &""y) 8ara) and 5iriam ha-e gathered scraps from around the yard to make their own playhouse and tire swing with only a tiny "it of help from Warren. 'erity and &""y used the time "ack in 1illingham to finally let Frandma 1owns teach them how to knit.

Hes) li-ing here in &leknagik is an ad-enture. ;ut we think it is worth it) to ha-e the peace and 9uiet of a country home complete with the awe of li-ing near a mountain-rimmed lake. &mong the new "irds we ha-e seen are a woodpecker) a "rant) grouse) 9uail) and some kind of "lack capped gulls. .n some of our dri-es to and from 1illingham) we ha-e seen a family of fo3es) porcupines) moose) and e-en an in/ured owl. Warren rescued the owl from the road and it was sent to a C"ird hospitalD in &nchorage to reco-er from its "roken wing.

0ere are some pictures of the fo3 family) and the rescued owl *on the road) and in a "o3+=

With all the sadness in the world around us) we are in awe of FodIs goodness to us and thankful for e-ery day and all the "lessings that Fod gi-es us. We pray that your Christmas was "lessed and that Fod will "e close to you throughout the 2ew Hear.