Gustache

Champions for Children

Friday night was our Champions for Children event where the Child Advocacy Program honors members of our Child Protection Teams for the hard work they do. We give away awards and try to raise some awareness. Patrick got some great photos of the evening.

The kids table was a big hit. 

There were some serious dinosaur battles. I have a suspicion that Patrick was somehow involved. 

This sweet little lady worked very hard on a custom wooden box for Patrick.

Local kindergarten students shared their insight with us on what makes them feel safe. The answers ranged from "holding on tight to dad while riding the snow machine" to "my house keeps me safe from moose" to "I feel safe with my pet dog." 

We were so honored to have the Kenaitze Tribe "Heartbeat of Mother Earth" drum group perform for us.

They invited everyone to gather around, forming a circle, for their final blessing for children. This is the Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor joining in.

Kid door prizes were a big hit.

This little one took home this giant dog that was bigger than her.

Cooper Landing

We took a quick, but relaxing trip to the beautiful Cooper Landing this past weekend. Cooper Landing is a couple of hours from Homer, right on the Kenai River, and it is gorgeous. Patrick was first introduced to Alaska in Cooper Landing a number of years ago when he and his dad went on a fishing trip there. We celebrated our two year anniversary, and just took a break from our busy lives in Homer. We had gorgeous weather and even did some fishing 

Stopping at our favorite market in Soldotna to pick up some ingredients for the weekend.

Our cozy riverfront cabin.

A warm and sunny weekend.

The cabin had a great porch with a view of the river and mountains.

I LOVE Patrick's little cases and organizers for his fishing gear.

Some yummy cheese and a tasty beer that our friend sent us from Maine.

My romantic gift to Patrick: A 200 lumen headlamp with a AA battery pack.

Patrick's romantic gift to me: Donkey Kong Country for Wii-so fun!

We continued our road trip/camping tradition of playing tick (a game I learned from my grandmother) and Patrick continued his tradition of losing.

View from the patio of Patrick fishing.

Mexican for dinner!

Mango Mimosas!

Celebrating a truly wonderful 2 years.

Fishing for dollies.

We missed Gussy and returned home to him and LOTS of fresh snow!

Full Circle Farms

Every other Thursday, a little gift is delivered to us. Full Circle is a network of organic farms and they deliver produce to the greater Puget Sound and Alaska. 

We pick it up from our favorite bakery, Two Sisters. Every shipment is different and sort of feels a little like Christmas.

My Job

Gus and I just returned from a quick work trip to Seward. The Child Advocacy Centers that I manage in Homer and Kenai have been up and running for a couple of years now, but Seward is brand new. I have been working with community members for two years developing it and it feels good to finally see tangible progress. Below are photos of the Forensic Interview rooms at each Center.

Homer Forensic Interview Room

Kenai Forensic Interview Room

Seward Forensic Interview Room

This is the logo for the Kenai Peninsula Children's Advocacy Centers. A local high school student designed it in a logo contest we hosted. Isn't it lovely?

As I mentioned before, April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they are 18. Only 10% of child sexual abuse victims ever tell.

  If you would like to join in the fight to end the epidemic of child abuse, contact your local Children's Advocacy Center to see what you can do. You can find a list of them here.

Storytime

Patrick's latest read: Alaska's Wolfman.

April

 April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. These are a few photos from a community event we hosted yesterday. We have been working on a "peace flag" project for the past couple of years. People of all ages have participated by depicting their idea of peace on a flag and then we display them at different events. 

 It was a gorgeous day and it was encouraging to see a community (of people and dogs) demonstrating their commitment to ending child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

 Last week we had our annual fundraiser. It is a dinner and an auction and Patrick was excited because it is the one time all year where men in Homer have a reason to where a suit.