Nome and a birthday

I am way behind from my trip to Nome.  I posted all the pictures on Facebook, so if we are friends there, you probably saw them.  If not, then here are a few.

I got to go to Nome as part of my Stake Relief Society calling.  We did a Visiting Teaching Conference and combined it with a day of projects with the sisters up there.  Sunday we went to church and we were able to visit with individual sisters in their homes in the afternoon.  I taught a lesson on Saturday as part of our conference and encouraged the women to know that they are indeed, a part of Heavenly Father's plan, and being in Nome, or wherever else we live, is the place He has in mind for us to learn, grow and lift one another up.  It went really well.

With many of the sisters we hung out with in Nome.  This is the Chapel.

Nome was different from Bethel.  Nome has roads that lead out of town 70-90 miles in three different directions.  Bethel had the roads in town and nothing but the river to get you out of town.

Nome has its utilities (sewer and water) underground.  This is due in large part to the artisan wells under Nome that the city can pump for water.  Bethel had to get water from the treatment plant which got its water from the river and everyone had tanks at their house that were filled once a week.  Nome had "city water."

Nome was right on the Bering sea, about 120 miles from Russia.  Nome was a strategic point for the U.S. during the Cold War.  Judging from the size of the "communications satellites," (read: spy equipment) that was left, I'd say it still is.

Giant gold pan anyone?

Bering Sea!

The giant Stonehenge looking communication satellites on a hill above Nome

Both had houses that looked nothing like what the Lower 48 has.  Many looked like sheds.

A fairly typical house, except this one is built on top of a Con Ex container (they are the freight boxes that come in on the barges full of supplies).

Nome was a "wet" town, meaning they sold alcohol and had bars everywhere.  Bethel was "damp," meaning they could drink it but not sell it in town.  One citizen of Nome commented that with all the bars at least it kept the drunks off the street.  She's got a point.  However, we did have a man approach us offering to sell us his food stamps.  Our guide, Marcy, informed him that she was a State Trooper's wife and he better know that selling food stamps is illegal.  He was trying to get cash to head back into the bar.

Nome has tourism that started when it was a gold rush town in 1898.  There were reports (and they were true) of gold nuggets scattered on the beaches here.  Since the fishing isn't that great in the immediate Nome area, the Native Alaskans never settled there.  However, when 3 Swedish boys went to check out the stories of gold nuggets scattered on the tundra and the beaches, and they found the nuggets they were talking about, Nome took off as a boom town.  Mining is still an important part of Nome's economy.

Along with gold, Nome is the hub of many of the Native villages and the Native Corporations who provide these services.  There is a hospital, the troopers, and the school offices all in Nome that service the 15-20 villages.  Bethel was also like this, but Bethel served 60-100 villages and these Native Corporations were the  main source of Bethel's economy.

Nome is also the home to the finish of the Iditarod.  Every year about 2000 people flock to this town of 4000 for the finish of the "Last Great Race."  The Iditarod commemorates the first journey in the early 20th century when dogsleds were used to ship vaccines to the town to save them from what I believe was influenza.  In fact one of the dogs from that original race is stuffed in the museum!

Me and a mummified Fritz, hero of the Iditarod!

When the Bering Sea freezes every winter, you can take you snow mobile out on the ice, drill a 4 by 4 foot square out of the ice, and drop you crab pots in for King Crab.

When the Sea melts in the spring, Harbor seals come up on the ice flow.  Walruses and Polar Bears are not often seen during this time as well, but its possible to see them every now and then.  The subsistence living that Alaska residents are allowed lets you hunt seals for both the meat, blubber and fur.  There were beautiful furs in all the shops in Nome.  Beaver, seal, fox mink, and wolf furs were there to buy as well as ones made into mittens, slippers, boots and hats.  Let me just tell you how warm a pair of beaver fur mittens are.  Oh and the spotted seal skin boots are beautiful.

The people in Nome are just as amazing as the people in Bethel.  We loved loved loved everyone we met. Some of the nicest, strongest people on the planet live in Nome.  Our hosts gave us warm beds, good food, great conversation and a chance to grow and share our testimonies of the gospel with each other.

When I got back I had about 5 days to get ready for Olivia's birthday.  She is finally 5!  She has waited for this day for a long time, insisting that "5 year olds can do anything."  This included things such as go to college (not Kindergarten but, college) get rid of sippy cups, get dressed alone, go outside without a coat, and shoot a bear or a bird.

OK maybe Mom wanted this for her birthday too, but now Olivia was so excited to get a doll that looks just like her twin cousins!

Sarah made the cutest owl for Olivia.  You can get these from Sarah directly on her blog http://pilloosandsuch.blogspot.com/

We had 8 friends over for a Cinderella party.  The girls came in thier grubby work clothes and I gave them a rag and had them work for me, the "wicked step-mother."  One little girl looked at me like, "This is the lamest party I have ever been too," the whole 10 minutes I had them cleaning.  Two other little girls were climbing on my baby grand piano and when I shooed them off they said, "But it's dusty up there!"

Dusting in their grubby clothes!

While they were dusting I turned into the Fairy Godmother and helped them get changed into the dress up clothes they brought with them.  Then we decorated paper crowns with jewels and stickers.  Had a game of freeze dance, opened presents, decorated our own cupcakes, and made beaded necklaces.  After all of that they went to change back while we left each girl a goody bag in her shoe.

Ethan was the hugest help! He even stayed home from gymnastics to hang out at his sisters party.  While Carter ran to his room and JaDee escaped to college football, Ethan was seriously my extra hands that I needed to make the party go well. He even wanted to dress up in his church clothes to be the usher and take the presents as guests arrived.  He was a true Prince Charming!

Here are the girls after the Fairy Godmother came.

Oh there were some greatly decorated cupcakes to me had!

It really was grand fun.  Olivia told me she had the best birthday ever.

This is Olivia with Grandma's present that came a day late.  Inside was the Breyer horses from the Nature documentary "Cloud" and the wild mustangs in the Rockies.  Those exact horses live about 20 miles from Grandma's house and our cousins there have seen them in person!  Olivia loves that she has the horses just like her cousins that live near Grandma!  She is thrilled!

After everyone left she asked her dad to dance with her like it was a real ball. So sweet!

I think she told me that last year too!