Catching Y'all Up!

When we last left you guys, the salmon were jumping, gold was shining (and so was the sun), and summer fun was still in full swing! Needless to say, a lot has changed since then. It would take way too long to catch yall up on everything. Most everyone follows us on Facebook too, so some are in the know… for those that aren’t:

In October, the snow was just starting to fall and the roads were icy, but we snuck away to Alabama to surprise our families for my Mom’s 50^th Birthday party! It was a great surprise and thanks to all involved to help us pull that off. We spent about 2 weeks in Alabama, then back to wintery Nome. Boy, the climate sure changed while we were gone. Nome was at this time dusted with snow and white surrounded us.

We experienced our first blizzard, which was more fascinating than scary… nothing like Tornado weather us Alabamians were used to. After that blizzard, it seemed to never stop… snow and ice were regulars here.

The Bering Sea eventually froze over, but before that it became sludge… comparable to frozen lemonade from DQ (which sounds great about now). We got in some last minute 15-degree weather sea glass searching where we had to chisel out the pieces, but it was worth it because I found a cobalt blue piece! Woo hoo!

Chicken Wing Party

Our friends, Todd, Libby, and CC, own an awesome house with an even more awesome shop where we all seem to gravitate towards. We have a heater out there and a radio…what more do you need? Wesley, being the chicken wing loving fool he is, fried us up some chicken wings and they were great! We all love hanging out in the shop. Of course, CC (or Mama as we call her), prefers the kitchen where I think she would be perfectly fine sleeping on a dishrag, waking up, and cooking for the rest of her life! She is an awesome cook and knows how to cook everything! Since this is the case, we have walkie-talkies and of course handles to go with them. A few of them are Chicken Nugget, Queen Bee, Blue Rhino, Rainbow Lizard, etc… I’ll let yall figure out whom they belong to.

Baby Crow

Shoveling Snow!

Anyway, for Christmas, Wesley and I could barely contain ourselves because we had a great Christmas surprise planned! We revealed to our families that we were expecting a little baby Crow to appear in July! Our families were excited, to say the least, and so were we because we could finally talk about it!

On our way to a Prenatal Appointment

Happy New Year!

This has been an exciting year, which brings me to New Year’s Eve! It was 30 below Zero this night and when you breathed in, you just had to cough because of the bitterness of the cold! We had a great party where we only made fried foods! Fried twinkies, fried oreos, fried pickles, and fried pies were just some of the foods that made an appearance. We had great fellowship that night, as well as an Absinthe ceremony, which I did not get to partake in due to the baby, but it was still great! The Nome fireworks were scheduled at midnight, so despite the bone chilling temperature, we made it out there and I got Hollyn’s car stuck in a snowdrift. After several attempts, tons of people pushing, and a tow strap we made it out!

6 King Crabs!

All of us know what January 9^th was, and it just so happened this was the day Ethan, my little brother, arrived from Alabama, so we threw a dual party! One for the Championship Game (Roll Tide) and one for Ethan! Wesley made chicken wings again, and we all had a great time watching the Tide Roll!

Wesley Digging up the Crab Pot

Wesley has been living the life of a crab fisherman lately…more on that later!

Right now, Ethan and I are in Anchorage. We leave to come back to Nome on Sunday after 2 weeks of being here for my training to be an OB nurse. I have so many great opportunities with this job and it’s incredible! We are still loving Alaska, but missing home greatly.

Till Next Time,

Maddie and Wesley

PS. If anyone has any tips on Morning Sickness…please help!

Ethan and I in Anchorage

Long Overdue

Hey Guys! I'm SO sorry it has taken me so long to blog. We have been very busy... I know you have heard this before, but it's TRUE! haha Warning: This blog is super long. Here goes...

Todd, Hollyn, Wesley, and I decided to attend the last week at the Cripple River Gold Camp, and we did a little fishing at the Cripple River before we headed to the camp. At this point in time, the silver salmon were running like crazy so the guys were excited to catch some! As I'm sure most fishermen know, it's harder to catch fish when there are a lot of people around. The men from the camp were fishing there too, so we only caught one that day and we ended up eating it!
Hollyn and I gave up all too quickly and decided to focus on building a fire! I'm really into this "bonfire on the beach" deal. We also brought marshmallows to roast!

To get to this river spot where we were at, you have to drive down the beach about 20 miles or so on 4 wheeler. Wesley and I had just bought our brand new Can-Am 4 wheeler the day before and were dying to try it out! I couldn't wait to get that 4 wheeler dirty, but being the good wife that I am, I let Wesley drive! We had to cross the river, which was no problem for our new 4 wheeler and was an awesome change from the crossing our fingers experience we had before with our previous 4 wheeler. Needless to say, we loved it!

We had to be at the Gold Camp around 6 for the spaghetti dinner, so after the guys had their fill of unsuccessful fishing, we packed it up and headed up to the camp. The camp was only about 3 miles or so from our fishing spot, so it wasn't far. The spaghetti dinner was fun and we got to talk with some folks from all over. They told us a little about their adventure at the camp and how much gold they were able to find. After dinner, they had a variety show with an open bar so that was a lot of fun! We hung out at the camp for a little while longer and then headed home, back to Nome!

Hollyn and I at the Spaghetti Dinner!

A sunny day is pretty rare in Nome, so we usually take full advantage! We also have to fit work in there somewhere! Sleep is not a priority... you just go until you can't go anymore!

Our wedding anniversary was August 7, so mom and dad shipped us our wedding cake so we could eat it like tradition. The postal service doesn’t really care if the box says fragile or not because our cake practically exploded! We had a fun time tasting it out though and it was disgusting! Haha We both ate 2 bites just for good measure.

Todd, Hollyn, Libby, Wesley, and I went on another fishing trip. This time we went to the Penny River. We caught tons of fish…well I should say Todd and Wesley caught tons of fish. Haha. They caught a lot of Silver salmon. I caught I think 2 pink salmon, but threw them back. The silver salmon just taste so much better.

Libby and I worked on the fire this time, and Libby got it blazin! She is good at building fires! It was a little rainy this day, but that didn’t damper our moods! Hollyn was busy fishing one minute and being hooked the next!

Wesley had a silver on the line, jerked it back, and caught Hollyn right in the lip! It was hilarious! She had a scar on her lip for a few days, but other than that, she is doing just fine. We brought hotdogs and smore materials that day! Libby made the biggest, messiest smore I have ever seen, but it looked very tasty!! The guys also cooked up a pink salmon that we didn't want to take home.

Hollyn bludgeoning the fish!

To kill the salmon, you have to bludgeon them so they don't flop back into the water! It's kinda hard to do. To get them out of the water, we used a net. The silver salmon put up such a fight that it takes a long while to reel them in. That's why if you use the net, someone can walk out there and try to capture it. It's exciting!

Todd taught Wesley how to filet the fish, and he did it up right! They did catch a couple pinks, but not many.  We had three 4 wheelers and a trailer with us that day. By Golly, we bring the kitchen sink when we go somewhere! Haha

The next day, Todd taught us how to can the salmon. We had so much fun learning how to use the pressure cooker, and I’ll have to admit, it was a little scary!! 

Hollyn took us berry picking out on the tundra. There are blueberries everywhere! It is so wonderful just to sit out there, pick blueberries, eat a few, and hang with your friends. The scenery is so picturesque and vast. It’s hard not to feel God’s presence where we live. You can see for miles, and when you get out of town, away from everything and everyone, it’s just you and the land, and you feel so peaceful. I hope that everyone gets an experience like this.

Mom sent me a cheesecake mix, so I made the cheesecake and whipped up a fresh blueberry topping to take to work. (I say "whipped it up" like it was easy... I was freaking out the whole time... I'm not a good cook like my mom.) Everyone loved it, and I’ll have to admit, I was pretty impressed with myself considering I had NO idea what I was doing. Maybe cooking really is as simple as following directions! Haha

The next trip we took was in Todd’s truck. The gang (Todd, Hollyn, Wesley, and me) headed down towards Council this time to see if we could find some more fish. We stopped at the “Train to Nowhere” to get some pictures. I’m not exactly sure on the history behind it, but there was a train headed to Council, but the company ran out of money before it was completed and just left everything there. There is a whole train just rusting away!

When we got to the river, there weren’t any fish, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time! Wesley packed some hamburgers, so they built a fire and grilled those up while we studied for our upcoming PALS class. While we were studying, I was just thinking about how lucky all of us are to be able to study here in ALASKA with the nature all around! It was an incredible feeling. Hollyn and I decided to test out the river water and wade in, but I quickly waded out because it was freezing! Hollyn was a trooper though, and stayed just long enough to get a picture!

Wesley attempted to go fishing, but saw a bear paw print and came sprinting back to camp. Haha! We just hung out all around enjoying our time together as friends and our time outdoors. It was such a pretty day.

On the way back, we stopped at the beach and found a sand bar. We waded SO far out in the sea! The water felt so warm! I even fell in and wasn’t cold! Christine and Amy just happened to be driving by so they got out and joined us! That was so much fun.

Hollyn and I stuck in the sand!!!

Me and Amy

Hollyn and I playing pool!

After that, we went to Safety Roadhouse, which is the last stop in the Iditarod trail. We had a few drinks, played some pool, and even hung our dollar up on the ceiling! We will forever be a part of Safety!

For an Auburn fan, Todd is pretty great! :)

While we aren’t out exploring and taking little trips here and there, we are working. I am starting to get into the groove of nursing and I love it. Wesley is starting to get to know his way around the hospital and loves it too! We really love it here! I am enjoying every minute of being here in Nome with Wesley, and I can’t wait to share more with yall. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I write next time! Thank you to everyone who has been sending us coupons, cards, and packages! We love every time we go to the post office and get something from someone back home!

Till Next Time,

Wesley and Maddie

Our Adventure Continues

Hello friends! Wesley and I have been extremely busy lately. We are learning the ways of Alaska which includes to drop everything if it's a pretty day and go fishing, and even when it's not pretty, drop everything and go fishing. Funny, but pretty much true. We have adapted to this lifestyle easily...especially Wesley.

On our very first fishing trip we went with Todd, Amy, and Hollyn to the mouth of the Nome River. This is where the pinks were running and silvers were starting to run. It is so neat to learn about the fish because there are SO many of them that you can see their backs out of the water sometimes, and they jump like crazy! Todd brought his fish grillers so we built a fire out of driftwood, caught some fish, and grilled them up!

This spot is really cool because it connects to the sea, so we were fishing in the river, but we were on the beach! It was awesome! Todd had his truck blaring music and, of course, "Sweet Home Alabama" played, so we felt right at home!  Wesley caught the first fish of the day only after he lost Todd's fish because he wasn't quick enough with the net!

Hollyn, Amy, and I went to collect another friend, Chris, and when we were pulling back up at the river, Wesley came running with a huge fish in one hand and a big blue wrapped thumb on the other! He looked so proud with his fish! It was his 3rd one of the day! His big blue thumb?? He sliced it open while cleaning the fish! He is better now. Anyway, we fished, ate, drank, and jammed out for a long while and then it was time for Todd to take Amy to the airport. She was a traveler and this was her last time fishing. It was a great day.

I should probably mention that Hollyn, Wesley, and I worked the night before and all we had planned to do that day was move Wesley and me into our new apartment and crash, but like I said before...when someone mentions fishing in AK..drop everything, and that's what we did! Todd and Hollyn helped us move into our new apartment before we went fishing though. We love it here! It is such a great apartment. It is so clean and open and reminds me of a condo. We have really started to make it feel like home here.

Lets see, we have received lots of packages in the mail so far. Paula Andrews has sent us 3 already! I was so surprised to get her packages! She bought us a set of 5 pyrex dishes and a set of 5 baking pans! We really needed these things so we were so excited! Also, she sent us a box of food items and a book! Thanks Paula! We received boxes of things we ordered from Columbia and Cabelas which is always fun to open! Wesley's Dad and Sisters sent us a box too! It was full of food!!!! haha Our pantry is looking good now! Rachel also clipped us some coupons and we got those, too! Thanks guys!



Wesley on a late night at work!



We have been working a lot! I got to watch my first baby being born, so that was incredible! We don't use epidurals at our hospital, so don't come here to have a baby! haha We got to hold the baby all night after the delivery so that was fun! Wesley is starting to really like working in the ER. I thought that's where I would want to work, but I like the inpatient unit just as well. I'm not comfortable enough to do ER, yet. I am still on training right now. Hollyn is my preceptor and she is awesome! We are starting to become great friends! Sometimes we all go eat breakfast after work in the mornings so that is a lot of fun!



"White Alices" on the top of Anvil Mountain from the Cold War



One morning, we were all going to eat breakfast, but decided to drive around a little bit before we went to eat. Hollyn owns a 4-runner so she took us just about everywhere! She drove us to the top of Anvil Mountain and all around town. She showed us the jail and the highschool. We had so much fun. Then we went to go eat, and she had a nail in her tire, so we went to the tire shop. Poor Wesley was "dying" of hunger at this point, so we went to Airport Pizza for breakfast instead. Then, we did tons of errands all around town! We went everywhere! We just had a great time that day driving around and going to all kinds of different stores!



Todd, Hollyn, Wesley, and I went on a ride through Banter Creek and up to Pilgrim Hot Springs with some stops in between. That was SO much fun! We saw 2 moose, a red fox, birds, and 3 grizzly bears. (I fell asleep and didn't see the bears, but everyone else did!) Our ride was 12 hours long! Talk about a good time!

We stopped at Salmon Lake for a bit and the views were breathtaking! We made it to Pilgrim Hot Springs and, of course, got in! When else are you going to be able to jump in a volcanic hotsprings in the middle of the tundra in Alaska! It was so hot!! The mountains were all around us. We could have stayed there for ages! We drove around through the wilderness. It was so invigorating knowing that we were the only vehicle around for who knows how long! The cool thing about this road is that it is only accessible in the summer by vehicle. You have to drive a snow machine to these areas if you want to access them in the winter. We had so much fun being a bunch of Southerners in such a Northern state!! We all felt so free!

  

Hollyn and I hanging out @ Salmon Lake

On the way back, we stopped at a bridge and, of course, did some fishing!!!

We caught a BUCKETFUL of fish... probably about 20 or so! In this particular place there were tons of "dog fish" which, I think, are the same thing as Chum salmon. They have been running longer, so they are older. Once Salmon spawn, they start to die, so these particular fish were old and rotting! haha They were HUGE though. Whenever you caught one, you just have to throw it back because they aren't as good to eat as the Humpys (pinks) we were catching too.

There is this nurse at work, CC, and she is an amazing cook! She loves to try new things, and we are fine with that! She asked us to bring her some fish and by-golly we did!! Actually, when we got home from our trip, it was about 2am and we didn't have her number so we gave all those fish to Mollie. Well, we promised CC some fish, so we went back the next day and got her another bucketful! We brought those fish to CC, and we can't wait to see what she is going to cook up! Wesley attemped to cook 1 fish for dinner the other night. We just don't know how to do it well. haha!



Dredge Number 5



Yesterday, we went on a 4-wheeler ride with Dr. Ledford through the mountains! It was incredible! (a little scary, but awesome) I was so nervous of bears...Wesley and I need a gun! We first went out to this old dredge and went exploring in there a little, then went on Glacier Creek road up through the backside of Anvil ountain. It was an awesome ride, and he convinced us to buy a Can-Am 4-wheeler. We are going Monday to get it! We can't wait! Our 4-wheeler won't even crank now... you live and learn!

Today, well, today we are resting! haha Wesley has to work tonight, so we are hanging out here. Later, I'm going to call Hollyn to see if she wouldn't mind taking us to the grocery store. Walking there isn't so bad, but walking back with tons of groceries proves challenging.

Till Next Time,

Maddie and Wesley