We had a packed house this last Christmas, with Steve's mom and dad, and Katelyn and Sam (and Samantha) all flying in to celebrate.
It has been an unusually warm Winter up here, but we still found some snow for sledding. Each elementary school has a sledding hill up here, and this is at the one right close to our house. This was the final run of the day - a four person bobsled!
Winter break is nice because it allows us to be outside when the sun is out. Our usual day consists of going to work in the dark and leaving for home in the dark, so it is a nice change to break things up and get some vitamin D. This is at the beach near our house.
Grace started cross country skiing at Tsalteshi trails close to our house. They also have a biathlon program that she has been loving.
Skiing has turned into a family affair (when we aren't skating or playing hockey). Here we are on a weekend enjoying the trail system around Soldotna.
We have a lot of success with student retreats at the beginning of the semester, and this year was no different. It is a good break in the typical routine for the students. It is especially nice for us to be able to worship with students, since a lot of our interaction with them can feel more like business than ministry some days (teaching math and running the library). It is a great chance for us to evangelize and reinforce the Gospel message, and God always produces fruit at these meetings.
This season, Steve got to be the coach of Noah's hockey team, which wraps up at the end of this month (March) with his first travel tournament in Anchorage. He has had a great season, and really enjoys playing the game and being on the team. Here is one of his goals from this month.
We had several major documents due to our accrediting board this last February. This resulted in what seemed like countless hours of collecting data and reporting. Here we are burning the midnight oil on one of the last days before it was due.
Steve folks will be moving up here for good this month. They have sold everything in Arizona and will be trading in their shorts for snow blowers and ice cleats. They bought a house close to use, and last week they received their keys!
Steve has been working very hard at making the final edits of his book: Basics of Classical Syriac. It is due out at the end of May this year! The last round of edits was due this last Monday (03-07-16) and now it is in the hands of the publisher. Back in November, at ETS, they filmed a short promotional video for the book. They have recently published the final copies of them below.
We are looking forward to Spring arriving here on the Kenai. That means warmer weather and more sunlight, which at this point is much needed. Spring break is right around the corner, and the chance to rest and recover a little from the long Winter will be nice.
