Welcome Kenton!

Many of you may already have heard the news about Kenton's arrival, but just in case, here are the details...

Birthday: June 17, 2009

Weight: 7 lbs 14 oz

Length: 21 inches

Name: Kenton Russell Scribner

12 days later we are still celebrating this little miracle! We are home in Glennallen now after staying around Palmer for several days to check and recheck his somewhat elevated bilirubin levels. He needed a UV light or bili-blanket for a few days to help get his levels down. His color looks great now, and he is eating well!

A fun part of his birth story is that my water broke while we were shopping at Lowe's. Our cart was full and we were in the shelving aisle when all of a sudden... Russ checked out quickly and we were checked into the hospital probably just 20 minutes later. That was 5:30 pm on Tuesday, June 16. It was exciting knowing that Kenton would come within 24 hours. We were blessed with a fairly quick delivery, though I realize now that no labor is a "fun" experience. Praise God that we're all well and healthy.

Happy Reunion

We've had some happy and memorable reunions this April. The first picture shows our dinner on Easter day with Sue (Russ' sister, sitting next to me) her daughter Sydney, and Steffan (Russ' brother) and his wife Claire. It's wonderful to have family nearby!

The next two pictures show Koko just after he arrived in Alaska last Thursday. He travelled well by cargo, though he looked quite dazed when I picked him up at the airport. After a walk in a nearby park, he seemed more himself. He has adjusted to the colder weather and new surroundings quite well! In fact, when we drove up to our house, he whined and got excited just like he used to at his old home in Bolivar. You can see from the picture of him on the couch he's already figured out the best place to guard the house. He is quickly learning about the other dogs in the neighborhood, most being much larger than him. We've been taking daily walks after school now that the weather has warmed up to almost 50 degrees at times.

School is going well for both Russ and I. We are eager, of course, for the duties of the year to come to a close, because that means our little boy will be coming soon!

March happenings...

It's hard to believe that two months have passed since I last wrote on this blog! That says a lot about how busy (how I dislike that word) we've been here.

Baby boy Scribner makes his presence known daily with a variety of kicks, rolls and punches. Sometimes I think I feel all four limbs going at once! I wonder if this means we're in for an active child?

I just started the 7th month and the third trimester. There's so much to prepare for in becoming a parent, but both Russ and I are trusting in God as our ultimate instruction book once the fella is here.

Russ has taken advantage of some warmer days and longer hours of daylight getting a head start on next winter's stockpile of firewood. You should see our backyard!

We had the opportunity to attend a Family Life Weekend to Remember (marriage conference) during our spring break last week. It was great to get away for a few days. We manage to pack in a lot during our trips into town. This time it was a dental appointment for Sherri, eye appointment for Russ, shopping trip and marriage conference. We were happy to get out of town before the ash from the eruption started to fall.

Here are some current pictures: Sherri at 26 weeks, Sherri and Russ at the marriage conference, a picture of our car and pantry loaded with groceries (2 month supply).

We hope you are all well, and thank you for your friendship!

It's a Boy!!

We had our 18 week ultrasound yesterday and discovered that blue is the word for the day! We were so thrilled to see our little boy kicking around and touching his toes on the screen. Daddy got to pick out his first outfit...surprised at the choice in camo? We figured that our little guy is getting ready for sheep hunting someday with all those leg kicks going on.

I'm feeling him move every day now, several times a day. What an incredible feeling to know he's growing and moving while I go about my day.

Cold Days

Those of you from the "Lower 48" might wonder what a thermometer looks like at 50 below. Well, here's a picture of it one morning after we got a call that school had been cancelled for the day. They cancel up here if the temperature reaches 50 below by 6 am. We celebrated, even though we'd had just returned from Christmas break for one day back at school with kids. The next day was also 50 below, so we missed two school days for what they call "cold days" here.

So what do you do when it's 50 below? I got on the phone and had a great talk with my parents for starters. I also worked on curtains and chair pads for our dining room and kitchen. I did get outdoors to go to the store and get mail, but only after bundling up pretty good. You can survive in that kind of cold, you just have to prepare for it.

Nephews

Here are some pictures of my two adorable nephews. Thomas was born December 21st in Auckland, New Zealand and is doing well, hoping to come home from the hospital soon. Collin Ray (Mansfield, MO) turned 4 December 21st of this year. He still enjoys weekend visits with my parents from time to time. Notice that both Thomas and Collin Ray share the same birthday!

Today is the last day of our Christmas vacation, although we have a weekend before we return to school. Russ and I went back to our rooms today to get our heads on straight for the new school semester. As usual, after a break, we feel excited about starting fresh with our students. I feel more comfortable with the curriculum now and look forward to personalizing it a bit more.

I just made chocolate chip cookies after taking a break from sewing for awhile. I made new curtains for our dining room and kitchen. (I've had the material for months, but just now got motivated to get to work!)

We both wish all of you a very blessed and Happy New Year!

A Wonderful Year

Well, it's been over two months since I've updated...how time flies. As you can tell, working full time has slowed me down a bit on this end of things.

Looking back over this year and celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple causes us to rejoice and give thanks! It was just last Christmas vacation that I made my way up to Alaska to meet Russ, and since then, we've both seen so many changes... marriage, moving, a wonderful cross-country trip from MO to AK, both of us teaching in Glennallen, and now expecting our first child! I am currently about 14 weeks and am feeling much, much better with energy returning daily. We hope to discover "boy" or "girl" sometime next month.

Among other great news is that I am now an aunt for the second time! My brother and sister in law, living in Auckland, New Zealand delivered their little boy, Thomas Isaiah on December 21st. He was born quite early at 33 weeks, but is doing very well and hopefully will get to come home soon.

A cow moose and her calf walked through our backyard this morning looking for something to nibble on as they passed. I had looked forward to seeing wildlife once I moved here and this was the first time I have seen a moose somewhere besides a roadside or hanging on a friend's wall.

Yes, it's cold here. Right now it has plummeted to 30 below! Overall, I hear this is a rather mild winter compared to past winters. For that, I am grateful. I find outdoor walks quite invigorating though, when temps rise to at least 5 below. Russ took this picture of me enjoying the deep snow. I couldn't resist!

I hope and pray that all of you are well and that your had a great Christmas and a great New Year!