The Chronicles of Jen and Scott

April/May 2011 highlights

2011-05-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

We decided to throw a big party for Breezy's first birthday now that we're back in Minnesota and her birthday falls in a potentially warm month. Since our house is pretty small we couldn't invite everyone we wanted to invite but we still had 52 people over counting 3 newborns! Kara gave me a birthday cake making book, and I made a chocolate cake with cool whip frosting dyed blue for waves with goldfish and teddy graham characters on it. We all turned blue and Breezy loved it! Both grandmas were there.

Present opening was pretty chaotic, but Breezy and Bell both received wonderful gifts.

I had a huge egg hunt (thankfully the weather cooperated!)

In preparaton for the party and for our own well being, we built a playground and deck in our yard. Here is a photo of the nearly finished deck.(We did finish in time for the party.)

We screwed the decking boards on from down below. Carpentry has become one of my favorite hobbies. Between weight watchers and party planning, I lost 20#!

The playground is done, now on to the deck!

The girls love the playground already.

Avery and Oliver are baptised at St Francisof Assissi, just like Elaina, and Breezy and probably Jon and Jeff.

We have put our cabin on the market in spite of the tanking economy since it is now an impractical investment since we now own a house. We decided to spend time there while we still have it.

Easter at Jon and Christa's house.

April 21st, Uncle Dick helped to set me up with an opportunity to harvest this 24# tom! I'm pretty hooked on turkey hunting!

I dyed eggs, dressed the girls, and went through broken eggs, sweat, and tears to get this one pretty good photo in honor of Easter 2011!

The girls and I accompanied Scott to Shepherdstown West Virginia for his law enforcement refresher. We stayed on campus at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). Afterward we visited friends in both Washington DC and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Thankfully the gov't shutdown was averted, so our vacation was not cut short. Breezy learned to unzip the cooler and help herself to strawberries in the backseat of the car.

Ritter Park in Huntington West Virginia, had truly amazing architecture in its playground.

Hiking in a small state park in Virginia.

The girls did really well on our first family road trip.

Another coffee shop in Charlottesville Virginia.

Bob and Kati's backyard in Virginia.

Shenandoah National Park. Isabel wants to be on the rock too apparently :)

Shenandoah National Park.

The girls playing with Connor and Brady Sloop on our visit to Virginia.

Washington Monument, near dark.

We hit the cherry blossom blooms right on schedule.

Chilling on the mall of our nation's capital.

The Washington DC zoo, by the giant pandas.

While Scott was training, the girls and I logged in many hours at playgrounds and coffee shops.

Downtown Shepherdstown, enjoying coffee and scones.

The girls at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). It has a very nice campus with very high quality cafeteria food at its commons, and very nice staff.

Evening hike by NCTC.

Our room for the week in West Virginia.

March 2011

2011-03-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

March brought a great deal more snow making this season the 4th snowiest in MN with over 84 inches of snow total. Flooding is imminent. We are so excited for spring having moved back from Alaska. We are very eager for spring migration and enduring shorter winters. Naturally we would come back on such a snowy one! We still love snow though:) Jon and Christa finally had their twins this month, March 22nd! We're so happy to have more cousins for Breezy, Bell, and Elaina!.

Breezy with uncle Jonny's bear.

Avery Reine Sobiech 4# 8oz.

Oliver Michael Sobiech 4# 10oz.

Isabel tries her hand at golf in our yard. Who's afraid of a little snow?

Bell and Audrey making snow folk in our backyard.

The girls and I took a walk at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and made a little snow guy.

Isabel looks a lot like Uncle Jonny here.

So pretty!

Little dishwasher "helper". :)

Breezy under the table.

Breeze squeeze.

Adorable baby Breezy fresh out of the bath.

January-Feb 2011

2011-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Another trip to Como Zoo (the zoo that Scott and I grew up going to).

Breezy modeling a hand knit sweater.

My cousin Scott, his wife Amber, and Scotty and I headed up to Elephant Lake (a place that my cousin's family and mine went to often as children), sans kids for a bit of skiing and fun.

I brought Isabel to Winterfest at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (where Scotty works).

Bell went into a quinzy hut like the ones Scott and I used to camp in at the Boundary Waters on Martin Luther King weekend.

Isabel checking out the pelts at winterfest.

Grandpa and Isabel with fresh caught walleyes.

Isabel has mixed emotions about spending time outdoors in the winter.

In January we spent some time in southern MN while Scott was in field training. We stayed in hotels and checked out the local sites.

The girls in the hotel in dueling frog pajamas.

Hand carved carousel at Lark Toys in Kellog MN.

National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN.

Isabel pumped about eagles! :)

Many Christmas celebrations!

2011-01-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

Living back in Minnesota means celebrating holidays with family many times over. Grandma Karen flew back for a visit so the girls got to see her for a few days.

We actually celebrated Christmas Day at our house with Jon, Christa, Jeff, Elaina, Grandma Priscilla and Great Grandma Irene.

Bell loves to open presents! She helped many people open their gifts this year.

Breezy all dolled up.

My pretty girls in Christmas dresses.

Isabel on her horse from santa on Christmas morning. She was excited to find that santa had eaten the cookies and the reindeer ate the carrots.

Christmas Eve at Grandpa Wayne's.

The girls and I before we went to the Sobiech Christmas at Kris's. The next day we went to Grandpa Steve's for another Christmas party.

The girls and I stayed in a hotel in Winona for several days while Scott was doing field training down there. They were worn out after a day of playing.

We went to Rochester to celebrate Becca's birthday with her and to meet baby Levi.

Isabel playing with Miles on his bunk bed at Becca's.

Breezy 8 months old, playing with a balloon.

The girls with their cousin Malachi.

Happy Holidays 2010

2010-12-23T11:25:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas card photo in our backyard.

The girls with step cousin Cole.

With step cousin Jacob.

Taking a cocoa break in our front yard.

Sledding in our side yard.

Breezy and uncle Jonny napping.

Chasing Scotty from hotel to hotel during yet another field training leads to indoor sister play.

2010-12-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

I turned around and found Isabel wearing her grandma's glasses while also using her pen and puzzle book.

Isabel literally fell asleep on her floor shortly after getting up in the morning.

Both girls love Isabel's new doll house! Breezy is getting so big and sitting up well (but mom is right there don't worry).

The girls are dressed up and ready for cousin Elaina's baptism.

Isabel in the emergency room for what turned out to be a self healed case of "nurse maid's elbow". Now whenever she has any little cut or ache she asks to go see "my doctor".

Isabel and uncle Jonny with his 7 pointer.

Uncle Jeffy with Brianna and Elaina. Hard to tell who is older now.

Breezy wearing Isabel's old hat with fur ruff from Martin Weiner our Alaska friend.

Close-up of Breezy's eyelashes.

Bell helping grandma make the often requested "m&m cookies".

Isabel looking fancy in her new winter coat.

All dressed up for Auntie Cheta's birthday gathering.

Halloween, Hunting, and Isabel turns 2!

2010-11-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

Fall 2010 is defenitely living up to my expectations! Trick or treating with my kids for the first time, Isabel turning 2 and celebrating with friends and family, and a most memorable hunting season!
After not seeing a deer at either the morning or evening sits opening day, I opted for a more active hunt on Sunday. A sat in our front stand in the early morning, busting through ice and deep water at 0800 to try 2 other stands in the back. I was in the 3rd stand for maybe 25 minutes when I heard deer walking. I scoured the woods and spotted a deer, which I suspected was a doe but was ready to shoot regardless since I had tags for both. I ended up shooting her and the buck following her which turned out to be a 192# deer. A very exciting few minutes of hunting. My cousin Scott shot this 181# buck with very wide antlers the same day.

Isabel enjoys a second birthday celebration complete with another cake at Grandma Priscilla's. Isabel's 2nd Birthday celebration at auntie Christa's.

Presents!!!

Emmy lou (Snow white) celebrating Isabel's birthday.

Zoo keeper, monkey, and banana.

Halloween night Trick or Treating.

Ready to go trick or treating at Cub and Coborn's.

Trick or treating at downtown Elk River businesses.

Brianna's Baptism & more Fall fun

2010-10-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Brianna was baptized at St Francis of Assissi Church where both Scott and I went when we were young. She wore Scott's gown made by his Grandma just like Isabel. Scott's sister Kristin and Jen's brother Jeff are the Godparents. Father Jerome Kaiser performed the Baptism.

We had a nice party afterward at Scott's dad's house.

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, where Scott works now.

I carried Bell and pushed Breezy.

Bell playing in Uncle Jonny's leaf pile.

Another trip to Como Zoo after the crowds have gone back to school.

Orangutans are my favorites!

Autumn Fun

2010-10-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

MN has enjoyed an incredibly beautiful October this year. We decided to take full advantage of the weather by participating in a few "fall activities". We visited Aamodt's Apple Orchard one of our favorite childhood haunts. Isabel getting friendly with some autumn mums.

We also went to Country Sun Farms to check out the farm critters. This goat was quite taken with Breezy.

Isabel loved feeding the cow the best.

Since "Babe" is Isabel's new favorite movie she was pleasantly surprised to see sheep at the farm.

Isabel is growing up too fast some days!

Isabel had a few friends over to celebrate moving back to MN.

2010-10-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

As summer winds down, we decided to head north to our Wisconsin cabin and stopped in Duluth along the way. Isabel is very happy to live in a green warmer place now.

Breezy continues to be a very happy baby, spending many hours on her tummy unlike her sister who always cried when we put her on her tummy, and impatiently waited for us to turn her back over. Someone may prove to be an early crawler.

Isabel is definitely getting more exploratory lately, taking bigger and bigger chances, resulting in many bumps and bruises.

Living close to grandmas has its benefits. Both girls have increased their wardrobes dramatically, have doubled the number of hugs they recieive, and Isabel is learning the meaning of plural. Last time grandma and great grandma left she said "Bye Grandmas!"

Breezy takes her turn in the Chariot.

Sisters lounging on our living room floor. We all love our new rug.

Breezy is able to stand on her own already at 4 1/2 months!

End of summer

2010-09-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

In Alaska, fireweed blooming to the top signified the end of summer. In Minnesota, it's definitely the MN State Fair. This year we brought both babies and a back surgery recovering Scott. Bell and I cleaned up at the midway. Breezy slept through much of the experience.

Breezy at 4 months old.

Isabel pushing her cousin Elijah around the deck.

4 mos and 22 mos. The girls love to make each other laugh now.

Breezy and Daddy lounging on our couch.

Sisters:)

More summer fun

2010-08-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

View from our sliding glass door. A double rainbow.

Isabel learning to "be gentle" with critters. This was taken at the A Maze n' Barnyard near Eden Valley Minnesota.

Little miss independent Isabel insists on walking rather than riding in the stroller, in Afton with Auntie Christa.Isabel finds water whenever she can. She has been in many pools and puddles this summer.

Proud papas, Scotty and Jeff with Brianna and Elaina.

Daddy daughter snuggle time.

The girls love their uncle Jeffy!

Breezy is getting so big!

Jenny finally gets her house!

2010-08-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

I'm loving summer in Minnesota! I forgot how cool Menards is. We scored this little kid's patio set for only $22! I'm still in shock from coming off of Alaska prices. However we do miss our friends in Alaska very much and after taking the girls for their vaccinations and going to church this week, I really miss my little Catholic Church in Alaska and our Public Health Nurses. Our nurse in Alaska, always checked out the kids herself to test their milestones by asking them to pick up a ball, or stack the blocks etc, rather than simply waiting for the parents to fill out paperwork, simply taking a very biased parent's word for it. All those Sunday masses in Alaska, at a Catholic Church and my ultra liberal moral code, produced not one day of feeling alienated or angry about something Father Jack said. I always left feeling a sense of community and felt like I wanted to go again each week because I got something out of it, not because of guilt. As usual, the very first time I go here they bash in vitro fertilization and stem cell research instilling nothing but a feeling that not all are welcome. On the up side, it was not the church in the town I live in, so I hope that one is better.

The girls completely sacked out after another busy day of playing with cousins.

Amber and Christa enjoying the summer day.

Bell and her "cousin" Addy take a short break from the swimming pool to have a snack.

My cousin Jolene and her family come to MN for a visit. We had fun getting our kids together again.

We closed on our house in late July, and got right to work painting nearly every room. Scott's mom and Dave helped us immensely with painting, power washing, plant pruning, cupboard washing, carpet shampooing, and perhaps most importantly, entertaining the kids!

The kids try out their new picnic table during a break from painting.

With the paint nearly dry, Jenny can't wait to replace the light covers for that finished look.

Isabel is in full imitation mode at 22 months. It was all we could do to keep that brush out of the paint. Poor kid just wants to help.

Is that Karen slacking? Of course not, she is doing the dreaded lower trim work trying to preserve the molding.

Jeffy becomes a Dad!

2010-07-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Jeff and BethAnn welcome their daughter Elaina into the world on July 23rd 2010!

Mom becomes grandma for the 3rd time.

Bell learning to swim, loving summer.

Brianna looking cute in her summer garb.

Being a sister can be tough but it has its happy moments for Isabel too.

Ahhh smooch!

Aunt Mary introduces Isabel to "blanket rides".

Summer fun in MN

2010-07-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

We stopped off at Mille Lacs Lake en route to Elephant Lake for the 4th of July weekend. Elephant is way up north in Minnesota, close to Canada.

Scotty with his two girls by Mille Lacs.

Elephant Lake on Uncle Jonny's boat.

Isabel's first lake swim. Cousin Scott helps out.

Fearless little lake lover.

Jen's first "keeper" walleye of the year.

Scotty has a bit of luck in the evening.

Beautiful sunset on Elephant. The two times before this Brianna and Isabel experienced heavy rain on the boat! This was a welcome change.

Brianna, growing up already.

Brianna and mommy snuggling.

Point Lake at Grandma Karen's. The lake is low, which works out well for newly swimming toddlers!

The sunfish nip at Isabel's toes.

Scotty and Brianna on the dock at Point Lake in Wisconsin.

Bell feeding the sunfish.

Mommy chilling with her girls.

Auntie BethAnn and Uncle Jeffy getting a little parenting practice before their girl enters the world. Very soon!

Brianna getting comfy on Auntie BethAnn.

Oops out of sequence!

2010-07-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

This blog entry should actually come before the last one! These are photos of our last couple weeks in Alaska. Grandma Karen came to help with the girls for a couple weeks, and Uncle Jeffy came to fly back with Jen and the kids while Grandpa Steve flew in to help Scotty drive to Minnesota.
Grandma had a lot of fun with the girls and they had fun too.

Sometimes watching the girls can be tiring work!

Doesn't Bell look like Uncle Jonny here?

Isabel enjoyed one last visit to the playground with her first friend Jake who she misses already.

Uncle Jeffy comes to help. The movers accidentally packed up Jeff's fleece with his camera in the pocket. Jeff in typical laid back upbeat Jeffy fashion didn't complain a bit, saying "oh well, I have another camera." He'll get it back in a month or so we hope!

The little great horned owl baby that we were waiting for since March. We kept an eye on the parents' nesting and Bell had a lot of fun with it.

Another photo taken at Auntie Christa's house. Don't they look gorgeous?

Back in Minnesota!

2010-07-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

The girls adjust to the transient life as we move and then search for a house. They are adapting well........

.......most of the time!

After a long flight for mom and the girls, and a longer drive for dad, the family is back home in Minnesota. The girls are enjoying getting re-acquainted with family and friends. Cuddling with grandma.

Brianna with her cousin Mikkena.

The girls hanging out at uncle Jeffy's new house, celebrating the upcoming arrival of their baby cousin.

Uncle Jonny and Auntie Christa are always fabulous hosts. We spent our first week at their house.

Bell showing off her Mardi Gras bling to uncle Jeffy.

Fun with 2 daughters

2010-06-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

We have been taking several hikes and family outings, designed to appreciate the beautiful scenery that we will soon be leaving. We will miss Alaska and all of our friends but we are excited to move home by family too.

Isabel has become a new fan of the playground.On our hike on the Triple Lakes Trail, Isabel learned the art of throwing rocks into the water.

View from the Triple Lakes Trail.

McKinley Station Trail.

Rock Creek Trail.

Family of four self portrait.

Daddy and Brianna show off their similar hair dos.

Isabel looking as cute as can be. No doubt watching her favorite movie, Elmo sings kids favorite songs.

Our hikes have slowed considerably when we allow Isabel to walk. She could care less when we walk way ahead, she'll even lie down on the ground! This bridge took over an hour to walk across with Miss Isabel setting the pace.

Big sister has become a little helper, throwing away diapers, putting Brie's nuk back in, and pushing her in the stroller.

A family walk by the mighty Nenana River.

Week 2 with baby Brianna

2010-05-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Brianna's first time going to church. The girls are dressed in their Sunday best.

Brianna is hungry and finds Isabel's finger, which first surprised, and then amused Isabel.

Isabel tries her hat on daddy.

Having 2 little kids can be exhausting!

The girls all enjoying a little couch time.

A moose kneeling down to get some good grass.

Brianna fesh from her first real bath.

We had our first cook-out of the year with the Smiths.

Jaime's mom Joanne always makes sure Isabel is well fed.

Brianna enjoyed her very first cook-out, even though she doesn't get to sample the food yet.

2010-05-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Bell and Brie comparison at approximately the same age. Bell left and Brie right. It's hard to believe Bell used to be a dark haired, tan skinned little girl, to look at her now.

Family of Four + dog

2010-05-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Isabel now has another playmate in the house; Cleo seems to be adjusting well and Isabel hasn't totally forgotten her.

Isabel loves giving her little sister hugs and kisses; as well as poking her in the face.

We have noticed however that Isabel seems a little more whiny and quick to tears.

It is getting more difficult to take photos of Isabel as she wants the camera ever time we take it out.

Brianna Arrives

2010-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Brianna Irene made a dramatic appearance at 3:56 pm on Thursday May 6th. She weighed 7 # 11 oz., a mere 1 oz. smaller than her sister Isabel. She was 19 1/4" in length. Isabel is warming up to her new baby sister well.

Grandma Priscilla flew in to meet Brianna on Friday. Grandma has been a great help while we get used to the new family dynamics.

Brianna looks a lot like her mother (Brianna is the one on the left).

We're still here, just haven't been taking pictures!

2010-05-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

In case our followers have given up on us......we're still here, but haven't had the camera out much lately. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Brianna due any day now. We're also busy planning the big move to Minnesota!

Our now weekly Dr visits have us in Fairbanks often, and Creamer's Field has become a mandatory stop. It's a great place to look for migratory birds and summer residents. We found a nest of baby Redpolls near this spot.

Isabel stands in front of flocks of Canada Geese. There are also mallards, pintails, wigeons, Sandhill Cranes, Swans, and Greater White-Fronted Geese. Isabel loves to look at them in her field guide and then see them in person. She points at the picture and then points at the field. It's adorable.

Isabel tries on her X-tra Tuffs. They are still too big. Bummer because she's loving the mud puddles.

Daddy/daughter evening story hour.

3 more weeks until Isabel is a big sister!

2010-04-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Our family is getting pretty anxious for the arrival of little Brianna. Just 3 more weeks, or maybe less since the little girl decided to do a flip and she is now heads up. In spite of eating every sweet I can outrun, I managed to somehow lose weight 2 weeks in a row. My nausea and heartburn are keeping my eating in check.

I'm not a fan of pregnant photos of myself, but I suppose I would regret it if I didn't have any so....

Here's another one.

Isabel can't get enough of her Easter hat, and neither can we!

Little fashion plate.

Jaime and baby Jadon come for a visit. Isabel loves him and can't wait to be a helpful big sister. When we visit Jaime, Isabel hands Jaime diapers and burp cloths for Jadon, and she even hands her his pacifier rather than stealing it for herself.

Happy Easter !

2010-04-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

It's Easter Sunday and Isabel can't wait to show off her new ensemble.

We dyed Easter eggs and Isabel was very good at cracking them.

All ready for church.

In front of our church, checking out the Easter lilies.

Easter egg hunt after church. Isabel gathered up 10 eggs!

In case we forget later, Jen is 35 weeks pregnant here.

We had a little family drive to mile 30 on the Park Road and then took a walk from there. Isabel gathered many rocks, which we all took turns throwing back onto the road.

Pretty mountains in the Teklanika area on the same walk.

Spring is nearly here

2010-03-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

Jenny is down to her final 6 weeks of pregnancy this week and getting very anxious to meet our other daughter. Scott is busy with job interviews, trying to move closer to the midwest again. As should be the case, Isabel is not concerning herself with either of these issues. Her task was to find the perfect Easter hat, which she has accomplished.

She has also been busy with new variations of peekaboo. Where is Isabel? Has anyone seen her?

Boo! Here I am!

She has been playing with her share of kids lately, and getting hugs from lots of boys, but Jake will always be her first little boyfriend.

Isabel is pointing out the owl nest across from our house. Both parents were busy hooting right then and Isabel was hooting back.

2010 World Ice Art

2010-03-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

This past week has had its shares of ups and downs. Isabel was battling what turned out to be an ear infection but it took us awhile to decide whether it was a headache, her erupting teeth, a result of bumping her head (since she bumped it right above her right ear), or an ear issue. She was crying much more than she typically does and holding her head above her ear. We finally cracked the code and made yet another long trek to Fairbanks. A few days before we had been in Fairbanks for Jen's pre-natal appt. and checked out the 2010 world Ice Art Sculptures.

Unfortunately we went during the day so we did not have the benefit of the light shows. It was also snowing on the sculptures making them more difficult to see detail. Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Note the delicate treble hook.

Ice Dancing.

Shark and Seal.

It's tough to see but the bear is holding a beaver which he is using as a chainsaw to get the man's fish. I thought this one was very clever.

The horse is rearing up because of the venomous snake on the lower right.

Note the scorpion's large stinger in the spider's belly.

This was a beautiful one with delicate ocean creatures.

Moses with the 10 Commandments. Soldier with his bow drawn.

Jenny adding a few more pregnancy pounds. At least it keeps me warm!

Another adorable sleeping baby Isabel photo!

Outdoor fun in March

2010-03-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Isabel decided it was more fun to push the chariot than to ride in it.

Another view of the Park Road near our house.

Independent Isabel takes to the open road.

Mommy and Isabel right after we got home from skiing.

All that fresh air makes a girl sleepy.

Isabel showing off her new sweater made by Jen's friend and co-worker Mary.

Isabel has a twice daily ritual of tearing virtually all of the books off of the lower shelves and paging through them, sometimes bringing them to us to read to her. The bird field guides continue to be her favorites.

Hanging around the house.

2010-03-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

Apparently Isabel disikes unpacking. We went to Anchorage for the week for Scott's annual L.E. refresher. We didn't take any photos, but Isabel and mommy had a lot of fun at the zoo, shopping, and checking out more restaurants.

Isabel has developed a habit of waking up in the morning and making it known she wants to cuddle with whomever is still in bed.

For those who do not believe Isabel has a darker side, here is photographic evidence. Here she is demonstrating that she wants to hold the camera rather than being photographed by it. From here on out we have to be quick with the camera before she comes running at us demanding the camera.

Isabel showing off her new easter bunny.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Isabel and mommy get dressed up for Valentine's dinner.

Isabel gets her own purse and she already knows what to put in it.

Isabel riding the oversized horse that mommy won for her in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Vacation

2010-01-29T01:15:00.000-08:00

We decided to get away for a Vegas vacation before Jenny enters her 3rd trimester. We were hoping to warm up and catch the sights. The temperature barely broke 50 degrees, but since we left -30, it was an improvement. We toured most of the casinos on the strip and we went to every free show we could find. We took turns doing a bit of gambling while the other person entertained our daughter. Amazingly we suffered rather minor losses over the 6 nights there.

Family shot at Ceasar's Palace.

Isabel learned to fall in love with water fountains on the trip, and with throwing small change into them. Since every casino has elaborate fountains, she was in 7th heaven.

Since 2010 is the year of the tiger on the Chinese calendar, a few of the casinos had large tiger displays like this one.

At MGM Isabel got to see two lionesses and two lion cubs. At MGM Jenny lost money in every machine she played on.

Isabel and daddy suiting up for our trip to Death Valley.

Isabel had a banana every day and ironically she learned to make monkey sounds whenever we say monkey.

Hiking in Death Valley.

The lowest point in the United States.

Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon turned out to be an incredibly beautiful hiking area, pleasantly close to Vegas.

January in Alaska = indoor activities

2010-01-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

Isabel decided to take up playing an instrument to broaden her horizons. My makeshift mandolin proved to be just the right size for her. She sings too and sticks her tongue out like Gene Simmons from KISS.

Bell has become an enthusiastic little bookworm and Sibley's bird field guides are her favorites. She spends many minutes every day paging through looking at birds.

No I'm not breaking any child labor laws, the broom has become one of her favorite toys. I need to get her a kid one, because this one is metal and rather heavy for her.

Isabel on the loose outdoors

2010-01-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

Isabel her first time walking outside! She was super excited to have free reign.

One of Scott's Christmas gifts to Jen was this 1008 piece Isabel puzzle, which proved quite difficult but fun.

Shameless Christmas cute baby photo spread

2009-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we all got dressed up for midnight mass. Since we don't do that very often up here in Alaska, we took copious pictures.

Of course Isabel is still enjoying her new found independence as an ambulatory being, so we had to literally chase her with the camera.

This photo looks like we commissioned someone to take her photo or paint her portrait.

Doesn't she look like we lifted her right out of a Renoir painting here, somber expression and all?

Christmas photo spread

2009-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas day morning the three of us opened our presents together as a family. Isabel loved her gifts and finally got the hang of opening them. Of course she wanted to stop and play with each item as she opened it so the whole process took a very long time.

Grandma Priscilla sent this book which has a bluebird building a nest and adding real fibers, increasing the nest size with every page. The last page is a pop up with baby birds and Isabel makes this funny face in reaction every time.

Christmas evening, we went to Matt and Jaime's house for dinner. They gave Isabel another present and by now she is a gutty veteran at the art of opening presents.

Family trip to Seward

2009-12-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

As always seems to be the case when we travel to Seward, the sun busted through the clouds and we had beautiful weather. This time blizzards raged behind us, but we kept ahead of them.

Here we are in front of the Sealife Center which is free for Alaskans on Wednesdays in winter. We practically had the place to ourselves. Isabel got to touch sea creatures, like anenomes, and to see sea lions, octopuses, and many fish. Her favorite part was stepping outside to view sea birds up close. They splashed her and made funny calls and made her laugh. I think she'll be birding with mommy in her future.

I guess I'm a sucker for pretty mountain scenery.

Isabel in a new outfit from Grandma Karen. She looks like such a little lady.

Christmas activities

2009-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Isabel opened a gift from Aunt Kristin a bit early and felt she needed to try the clothes on immediately.

Jenny made the cookies her mom always made around Christmas and Isabel helped with the sprinkles, but proved to be a bit over zealous with the shaker.

Isabel squatting in intense contemplation....should I grab a present, tear off an ornament, or turn and play with my nativity set? She does each of these things several times a day.

While visiting family in MN Isabel fell in love with uncle Jonny's taxidermied deer, so Jon and Christa sent this whitetail backpack and Isabel loves it and hugs it all throughout the day.

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Isabel has been enjoying her new table and chairs from Grandma Priscilla, to draw on her fish chalk board. She is moving around quite good now! One of her favorite pastimes is removing everything from the cupboards.

We still try to get outside as much as we can in the cold temps.

She likes to test her new walking skills to get to the tree and pull off the ornaments before mom and dad realize what she is up to!

More MN trip pics from Fall 2009

2009-11-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

In all the years I have deer hunted, we traditionally go to Grandpa Aloysius's house first. This year was no exception. I wanted Isabel to see her Great Grandpa again. He couldn't get over how big Isabel is or rather how heavy. He also thinks Isabel inherited his hairline. Grandpa always makes us laugh. Isabel with her Grandpa and Great Grandpa.

Isabel modeling the new hat Grandma bought her. She was checking herself out in the mirror.

Scotty with the nice buck he shot on MN opening deer hunting morning on our land near Staples MN.

The 3 guys who were lucky enough to see deer opening morning. Shane, Jeffy, and Scotty.

Isabel turns 1

2009-11-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

Isabel turned 1 on Nov. 4th. She enjoyed birthday celebrations with both the Pariseau and the Sobiech-Pyka sides. Great Grandma made an angel food cake, mommy spread cool whip and strawberries on it, and Grandma supplied the balloons and candles.

Naturally the bright red berries immediately caught Isabel's eyes and she started plucking them off, as soon as the cake was within her reach.

While mommy was busy picking up a berry off of the floor, Isabel decided to decorate her hair.

Isabel enjoyed her gifts once they were open but she doesn't understand that presents need to be opened. She seems to think the pretty box is the present.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, Isabel donned her turtle apparel and we visited some relatives rather than trick-or -treating with Isabel's 2 teeth.

We ran into Jen's cousin Scott and his family.

Lou, Addie, Amber, and Josie with Isabel. Eddie snuck out of this picture.

Another fall visit to MN

2009-11-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

From Oct 19-Nov 12 Scott, Jen and Isabel made the long voyage to the midwest to visit family, bowhunt Wisconsin, and gunhunt Minnesota.

Here Isabel accompanies uncle Jonny to our MN land to put up a new ladder stand for her pregnant mommy.

Uncle Jon gives Isabel a lesson in botany on a beautiful fall day.

We went to Rochester to visit Becca and Miles. Miles gives Isabel a little music lesson.

Uncle Jeffy and Aunt BethAnn keep Bell entertained.

Finally new blog entries!

2009-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have had a few complaints about my lapse in updates. Here are about 5 new ones. Click on older posts at the bottom to see the others. This is Isabel's first pony ride at the A Maze N' Barnyard in central Minnesota.

We also went on a mini train ride at the barnyard. Grandma Priscilla enjoying the sites. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of Aunt Mary since it was her camera!

It's hard to say whether Isabel enjoyed the ride or the company more.

MN visit in August

2009-10-04T12:05:00.001-07:00

In August Isabel and Jenny traveled to Minnesota for Grandpa Joe's funeral and to celebrate his life with family and friends. Isabel got to see a lot of people she doesn't see often enough, including Jolene and Emmy. One of the many times Jenny is caught with her mouth open trying to get Isabel to smile. It makes no sense since she can't see me!

One day Isabel, Jenny, Emilie, Mary, and Grandma Priscilla went to the A Maze N' Barnyard. Isabel and Em enjoyed a pony ride.

They got to see puppies....

and kitties......

and many more animals.

Happy 11 months Birthday Isabel!

2009-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken right on her birthday in our backyard. Don't worry grandmas, we weren't out in the cold long!

Mom and Dad enjoying one of their first days off together in a very long time. We hiked on the Rock Creek Trail.

Isabel showing one of Alaska's giant cabbages! I already peeled away a bunch of leaves too. We all ate a bunch of it and will be eating it for some time to come.

Drawing lessons from Jake

2009-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Most of the lesson involved teaching Bell that chalk is neither for eating nor dumping all over the floor. Further lessons are required on this front.

Isabel prepares for Halloween with her spider outfit from Grandma Priscilla.

Nothing's more fun than playtime with Daddy.

Autumn Visitors

2009-10-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Grandma Karen, Aunts Kristin and Kim, and baby Malachi came to visit in August and fun was had by all. This is the only picture I could get to open for now, so more to come later.....

Isabel models her dress from Great Grandma Irene.

Here she shows off her beautiful knit booties from Jen's co-worker Cruiser's wife.

September brought more visitors. Scott's dad, uncles and friends came to hunt moose and catch halibut. They saw cows every day but no bulls. Uncle Larry poses in front of the colorful scenery.

Scott's dad glasses for charismatic megefauna.

Power pole raising.

2009-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

In mid August Scott and I took on the task of erecting our power pole on our Alaska property. First we had to dig 5 feet down into some very rocky, silty earth. since we had no machinery, we then had to construct a block and tackle out of the little bit of lumber we had on hand. When we actually started pulling it up, we were easily strong enough to do it but one side or another of our tripod would start lifting off the ground, so Scott would have to run and tie each side off while I held on until we finally used every bit of rope we had!

After the pole went in we had only to make it plumb, backfill, and compact.

The kerplunk of the pole going in was truly a wonderful sound after various moments of doubting whether we could do it, and kicking ourselves for not buying beer and enlisting the help of friends. Friends did help later with hanging the box and other tasks. They didn't even get beer! Thanks Tomi, Chris, and Rick.

The atv was only used to tie it off to. Here you can also see the shallow foundation we started working on.

More blueberry picking photos

2009-08-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Don't worry grandmas, mom was holding me up.

As long as you place Isabel next to a heavily loaded blueberry bush, she will pick and eat. If the bush is not up to par, Isabel reaches for the bucket!

Isabel learns to pick blueberries

2009-08-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

Early August brought a bumper crop of blueberries behind our house this year due to an abundance of sunny days. I thought the berries' tartness would be found unpalatable by little Bell. I was sorely mistaken! The fireweed has bloomed and is turning fall colors.

The second time dad had to go with to see her picking with his own eyes. He was pretty impressed.

Visitors

2009-08-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Mark and Kim came for a visit. They took a bus tour, seeing most of Denali's finest critters in action. We had a great time with them.

A couple other recent visitors didn't travel quite as far as Mark and Kim.

More canoe trip photos

2009-08-08T14:39:00.001-07:00

This seemed like a great idea at the time. I took a picture of Scott but his glasses showed his eyes and not the reflection very well.

Breakfast at Lynx Lake cabin. Isabel shared our oatmeal. Click on this one to see how cute Isabel is close up.

Campfire by James Lake. The excitement was all too much for little Bell.

Oh my goodness, she barely looks like a baby in this one!

Yahoo I got to take off that nasty old life jacket!

Isabel's first canoe trip

2009-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

We started our weekend in Anchorage due to some training Scott attended for work. Isabel enjoyed all the pillows in the hotel room.

After the training in Anchorage we headed up the road to lodging, closer to our canoe route. The hotel had a nice porch with a lake view. Isabel had a good time looking at the ducks in the lake and running around on the lawn.We had exceptionally beautiful weather for the entire weekend. We saw both Common and Arctic Loons and 3 different moose. Overall, Isabel wasn't a big fan of riding in the canoe; the life jacket wasn't very comfortable for her. Isabel enjoyed the portages more than the canoe; she got to take off the life jacket and ride on Jenny's back. We were able to get our gear across the portages with a total of 3 trips; one person would take Isabel in the pack and the day pack (as in picture), the other person would take the canoe then return for the big pack with most of our camping gear.

We stayed in Public Use Cabins along the route. They were nice to use when camping with a 9 month old. This one was on James Lake and it had a fabulous view! We saw a smaller bull moose swimming in the lake here. By the end of the trip Isabel was getting a little more comfortable in the canoe and her life jacket. She took a little nap in the canoe.

Working on our Alaska land

2009-07-20T12:31:00.001-07:00

In spite of our opposite work schedules, we are making some progress on the land. This was the one day we had off together since mid May, and it happened to be on our 11th anniversary of being together. We went to our land to enjoy the sun.

Our driveway is in, and our shallow foundation is dug, and here we spread out our fabric and are spreading crushed rock for the foundation base.

While we work, Isabel often spends time in her pack and play. A girl has to be resourceful when it comes to protecting herself from Alaska's many large critters.

Front yard adventures.

2009-07-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Isabel loves exploring the outdoors, even on the grass. We're enjoying an unusual summer with many sunny and warm days.

Bell is getting stronger every day and taking steps, but she still needs a little support.

Cleo is very relaxed about having baby Bell around and enjoys being petted and tugged on by her.

Just cute indoor photos of Bell from July 2009

2009-07-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Isabel getting ready for bed (July 19). As you can see she is rarely sleepy at bedtime.

Mommy has stopped waiting for special occasions to put dresses on Isabel. Every day is special and she looks so cute in dresses.

Isabel has discovered the wonderful world of finger foods!

Another pretty dress.

Another adorable bedtime shot. It makes me want to go wake her from her nap right now and squeeze her!

More summer photos

2009-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Isabel enjoys a campfire on Jaime's lap.Jenny's favorite moments of summer 2009 are coming home to Isabel after work.

For Summer Solstice this year, Isabel and Jenny rode with Scott out to Wonder Lake where he was stationed for a few days. Since we have no days off together this summer, we have had to find alternative methods of spending time together. This photo taken at the Wonder Lake Ranger Station is dedicated to Jeff C. who is terribly missed by all. We wouldn't don these ugly hats for just anyone!

Isabel was very happy to spend time with mom and dad together!

We stopped by the East Fork Cabin on the way.

Another Monday Play Date

2009-06-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

We went over to Colin, Karen and Jake's house, and hiked from there.

Jake was eager to show Isabel just how all of his toys worked.

Colin barbecued while Jake did a bit of yard work.

Isabel opens a big package from Grandma Priscilla.

Hiking

2009-06-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Isabel and mom hike the Rock Creek Trail by our house.

On Mondays Isabel and I have started having a hiking/play group with Karen and Jake. On this particular Monday we hiked up toward Montana Creek by the canyon just outside the park so we could bring the dogs.

Jake likes to get out and walk on his own when he can, and Isabel seems to wish she could too. Our dogs are getting older so they are staying nice and close for a change. Sisu and Cleo will be 10 on Halloween! Lucy and Cora are 11 and 13.

A view from the trail.

Just before Isabel fell asleep.

More Yard Critters

2009-06-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

These moose photos were taken the same day as the last ones I posted, but this was after they came even closer! The cow brushed by our living room window.

I opened the back door to find the calf right there!

A pair of Great Horned Owls nested in the vicinity of our home, in late February. We heard them for months. In mid June the 3 owlets fledged.

When we got home one night this one was perched right outside my truck door. I got out on the other side to avoid disturbing it. One of the parents was uttering several low and deliberate whos.

Isabel is on the move

2009-06-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

Isabel has finally decided that staying in one place is unacceptable. Last night (June 28), Scott and I turned to find that she had rolled 6 foot from where we had placed her on the living room floor, which scared Scott since he couldn't see her at first.

She is also closer to crawling. At least she doesn't mind tummy time as much, but she finds it a frustrating workout!

It can all be so exhausting!

We still help Isabel get around whenever we get the chance. The 3 of us took a rare opportunity to hike together in the park after work one day.

A scene from the hike.

Land Barons

2009-06-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

We now have land in WI, MN, and AK. As you can see from the above picture it makes Jen happy and Bell a little nervous that we are overextending ourselves, but despite Bell's concerns we are moving ahead with building a very small house on our newly acquired AK land.

Bell enjoys sitting by herself and playing with the vegetation and mosquitoes while mom and dad work on clearing the land for a house and driveway.

We should have a nice view from our two acre lot, with mountains on three sides. We had Jen's co-worker, who does dirt work, start cutting a driveway in for us.

Its not all work for us, we had a nice walk in the park after work, where we taught Bell the finer points of exotic plant eradication.

2009-05-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

A shot from the road. We pulled over to feed Isabel and stretch our legs.

Uncle Jonny and Aunt Christa snuggle Isabel.

Great Grandpa and Isabel really got a kick out of each other.

Isabel with her second cousin Elijah.

Bell with her second cousin Adeline who is actually almost 6 months older!

Mini Road Trip to Ely

2009-05-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Isabel, mom, and Scott and I headed north to our old stomping grounds in Ely. We went for hikes, visited our old college, talking to professors, and we stopped at the National Bear Center.

Grandma Priscilla with Isabel on Mother's Day.

Isabel sees her first live bear. Of course she giggled when she saw it, her usual reaction to animals.

The Bear Center also had bears you could get up close and personal with.

We hiked one of our favorite trails, the Dry Lake loop off of the Basswood Lake Trail on the Echo Trail. Wow does that sound confusing if you are not familiar with Ely.

Como Zoo and Grandpa Steve's

2009-05-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to get to see Becca and Miles again. They met us at Como Zoo where Scott, mom, and I all went as children. Isabel was very aware of her surroundings and she exhibited fantastic "critter eyes" abilities. She was particularly amused by the pacing cougar, and the swimming seal and fish. It was too early in the season for Sparky the Seal shows but we happened to be there at feeding time so the trainer did a few tricks with him anyway.

Isabel had a nice day visiting Grandpa Steve. She had some more lawn time, saw many old photos, and laughed hysterically at the cat and tried to run after him!

One of my favorite photos to date.

More friends and family in MN

2009-05-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Bell with uncle Jonny.

Bell and Aunt Kristin.

Bell with cousins Mikkena and Mikale.

Bell with her new friend Zuri in Afton State Park.

Shannel, Zuri, and I in Afton State Park. My first time seeing Shannel in 13-14 years!

It was an awesome reunion.

More Minnesota shots

2009-05-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jeffy giving Bell a little boat time. She had to stay on land to keep grandmas and grandpas from worrying.

May trip to Minnesota

2009-05-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Scott, Isabel, and I decided to fly to MN for spring this year. We were able to take advantage of walleye fishing, Mother's Day, and spring migration! It was a fantastic trip overall.

We spent a lot of time at Jon and Christa's house and Bell got to enjoy playing in the grass and watching birds.

We headed north into Wisconsin to visit Grandma Karen and to check out our land. I survived my first night away from Isabel.

Grandma Karen got to witness Bell's voraceous little appetite first hand.

Bell's first experience on a swing. If she has mama's motion sickness tendencies, she will not make a habit of this.

Bell enjoyed her mini vacation by the lake. She witnessed an all out brawl between a territorial psychopath Canada goose and a pair of unsuspecting geese. She saw a nesting pair of Common Loons, and heard them sing.

Spring has sprung!

2009-04-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

We are flying out to MN tomorrow for a few weeks so our blog posts will slow down until we get back. Thankfully it's warming up both here and there, so our next shots can be outdoor ones!. During the spring, the park road extends its "open to the driving public" distance to Teklanika Rest Stop at mile 29 as opposed to the Savage River at mile 15. We took advantage the other night and went for a walk with Isabel. We left the camera behind, but it may have helped us pay better attention. While on foot, we ended up spotting a wolf with a snowshoe hare in its mouth and a lynx crossed the road in front of us just before returning to the truck. We also saw a moose cow and calf walking into our yard when we got home. I'm sure the critters are as excited for winter's end as we are.

Isabel loves all dogs and thankfully our dogs love her too.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day and we are leaving our vehicles parked today and enjoying a little family time, working on our house plans, reading about installing a septic system, bringing electricity from the road to our work site etc.

While working on laundry I couldn't help but wonder "how cute would Isabel look in the basket?" Of course she was adorable.

Yesterday the three of us ventured out to do the Rock Creek Trail loop which is a 2 hour hike across the road from our house. The deep snow coupled with our late winter lethargy resulted in a 3 hour hike! Thankfully we brought a bottle for Isabel.Isabel made it known she was pumped for a hike off the road for a change.

This was our first opportunity to try out the fleece outerwear uncle Jeffy picked out for Bell.

I'm a sucker for emerging from the bath towel swaddled babies, need I say more?

I have been concerned about Isabel's apparent lack of interest in being read to. It turns out she just wants to do the reading herself!

Jaime comes over to visit Isabel on her lunch breaks whenever she can, and Isabel loves it.

Last week we spent most of the week in the Millenium Hotel in Anchorage. It was pretty nice. I got my fill of Law and Order and restaurant meals.

Happy Belated Easter!

2009-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Isabel opens up her Easter package from Grandma Priscilla.

Easter is a rare opportunity for Alaskan girls to don dresses.

Easter Preparations

2009-04-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

Easter is almost here and spring is in the air. We have traded in the Chariot skis for tires and have put on hiking boots. Winter has been long and we are looking forward to summer; although there is still a lot of snow on the ground. We are getting over 12 hours of sunlight now.

We tried Bell's backpack out for the first time on a small hike with Karen and Jake. Bell insisted that we play it safe, so Scott gave her a short briefing on our route complete with contingency plans in case of an emergency.

All the dogs came along for the hike to provide protection from hungry spring bears.

After the hike we colored Easter eggs with Karen & Jake, and Jessica and Kate. Jake really got into the project, and the project got all over Jake; I don't know what was more colorful Jake's hands or the eggs.

Jake gave Bell several goodbye kisses; he 's a good boy.

World Ice Art 2009

2009-03-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Scott and I decided to head north to Chena Hot Springs to celebrate 7 years of marriage. The resort has a large spring surrounded by rocks outside and two small hot tubs and a swimming pool inside. Children are not permitted outside so we took turns holding Isabel inside while the other person ventured out showered and wet and made the freezing windy walk down to the water, which was approximately 75 feet away. The water itself was quite comfortable but there was snow covering the surrounding rocks and the wind was gusting, causing your hair to immediately freeze. It was difficult to leave the warm water as it was cozy and you knew the wind would be less than pleasant on your soaking wet body, but we each took pity on one another waiting inside which wasn't very warm either. Around 10pm, there was a loud knock on our door followed by knocks on the neighbors' doors. Only then did I remember that I had agreed to be notified if the northern lights were visible. The rooms had no phones, so this was the notification system. I immediately went outside to see. The aurora came out in full force in horizon spanning ribbons of green. It was very cold and windy but I couldn't help but watch for awhile. We don't often see them, partly due to not being outside a lot at night. On our way home, we stopped at the site of the 2009 Ice Art Championships and checked out the ice sculptures in Fairbanks.

It was pretty chilly, so dad bundled up little Bell in her fleece outfit, surrounded by a snowsuit sack, surounded by Scott's wool coat!

It's difficult to see but Scott was particularly impressed by the thin rope the boy is holding made of ice.

This is a caribou being pursued by wolves. It actually got 1st place in the realistic category in the multi ice block competition.

This one is a woman surrounded by horses with a pair of totem poles in the back.

This was one of my favorite single block entries. I am a sucker for the delicate ones.

This was my favorite multi block entry. It received 2nd place in the realistic category.

King Kong received 5th place but also got the Governor's award. This was Scott's favorite. There are skyscrapers below and he is holding onto a plane.

This was titled Subsistence. The last elk has an arrow going into it.

This is a kingfisher with a fish in its beak.

Another of my favorite single blocks. It was called Tranquility.

Stairway to Heaven was impossible to capture on film. There are crosses surrounding the whole thing, Jesus on the cross, two angels standing guard, and each step bore a commandment.

After Scott put Bell in his jacket, she fell asleep pretty fast. This was taken right when we got back to the truck and she just woke up.

-27 degrees on March 19th!

2009-03-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Okay we are gaining our light back, with daylight from 0800am to 8+ pm, but -27 degrees late in March come on, you're killing me! Having just purchased land and finally pinpointed a house design we intend to move on......we will be staying awhile but these winters are making that awhile shorter all the time. This moose cow and calf in our backyard this morning reminded me why we put up with the cold. Cow moose enjoying some winter browse.

Calf standing in front of cow.

Calf down on her knees sniffing the ground.

You can see our dog run. The dogs are usually on it but since it was so cold today they get to enjoy being inside so the moose can enjoy being outside.

I took and then published this photo before I knew they would come all the way into our yard.

Scott and Bell's yoga ball routine.

I just looked at Isabel's early photos and she is not only much bigger but she has lost a lot of hair and it's coming in lighter. Note her adorable little shoes from Denise.

Snow Angels

2009-03-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Jenny showed Isabel how to make her first snow angel after we went on another family ski down the road.Matt came over to meet Isabel for the first time and give her an afternoon snack.

Jake came by later and helped Isabel play with some toys. Isabel seems to have a little crush on Jake, she watches him run across the room and giggles every time he does something. Future play sessions will be chaperoned until Isabel turns 21.All the new babies got together for a potluck dinner to welcome them into the park community.

Isabel turns four (months)

2009-03-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

Isabel is four months old now, unfortunatly we didn't have a large party or anything for the big occasion. We had a quiet day at home and dinner at some new friends' house. We had a fillet of salmon and some spinach wrapped in a pastry crust; yummy!! Bell decided on formula, her choice.

Luke and Emily came by on the weekend to do some skiing in the park and visit. Scott missed them because he was on a three day patrol, but everyone else went for a ski.

Isabel enjoys small periods of time in her new walker toy. She will probably really love it when her feet touch the ground and she can actually move it around.

Cleo and Sisu spend a lot of time outside when weather permits (warmer than -10F). They enjoy watching the squirrels and catching voles. They were keeping close tabs on a red squirrel in this picture.

Scott does some patrols by snowmobile. He went out recently with a local State Trooper who was kind enough to document what happens when you take a heavy snowmachine, add all the extra ranger equipment, and ride it in deep snow in mountainous terrain. He is actually only mildly stuck. It only took about 5 minutes to pack the snow down hill from the machine and get it pointed down hill and unstuck.

The best part of winter

2009-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

As February draws to a close, we gain 7 minutes of light per day and we enjoy comfortable temperatures much of the time. This all makes for a much more enjoyable ski situation. Both Scott and Jen were able to go out with Bell and the dogs on Scott's days off. As usual, Sisu was a little trooper but Cleo is both more lazy and probably has arthritis so she was quite lame by the second day. They really love being out anyway. Isabel continues to sleep most of the time we are out.

Isabel is laughing a lot more lately. Here she is wearing an outfit from Great Grandma Irene. (Our little chunker is in 6 months clothes now).

Since Jen's back has been really bad for the past week, Jaime came over and lifted Bell for a day, which was very helpful.

Jenny, Isabel, Sisu, and Cleo win a 5k they didn't know they entered!

2009-02-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

It was such a beautiful day, that I (Jen) decided to brave skijouring with Isabel in the chariot without Scotty. My first clue came when I came to a sign (which hadn't been there before) which read: "Congratulations you made it. Turn around and go the other way." On our way back we ran into a whole bunch of people on skiis, many of which had dogs with them. They all kept inferring that I was in the lead. It was then that I realized they must have had a 5k race going on as part of the Winterfest activities in the park. I was so concerned about wrecking since all the dogs wanted to tangle with my dogs, it took me awhile to figure it out.

The view in front of me.

The view behind. I kept being paranoid that Isabel couldn't breathe in her little cocoon so I kept unhooking, and going to check on her. She was always fine, usually sleeping. When we got home even her cheeks were pretty warm.

There was a set of fresh wolf tracks, which had the dogs sniffing and going a little crazy. Here you see Cleo's paw print right next to the wolf's for comparison. I learned later that a wolf was seen chasing a caribou right through our housing area this morning.
Just pretty scenery on the way back.

Pretty scenery on the way in.

Jake turns 1 !

2009-02-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday Isabel attended her first birthday party. Her friend Jake turned 1 and lots of friends came to celebrate.

Dan made all sorts of critters out of ballons which was a big hit with the kids.

One of the best things about going to a friend's house is that you get to play with their toys!

Kids of all ages were there. Left to right Ailah due in March, Mindy with Andrew born Jan 23rd, Karen with Viola born Dec 21st, and me and Isabel Nov. 4th.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

Isabel on Valentine's Day morning, sporting her festive hearts bib. She enjoyed her first play group day yesterday with several Healy children. Typical Alaskan odds, at least 80% were boys.

We brought our Chariot stroller on its maiden voyage the other day but forgot to bring our camera so we took a few pictures when we got back. It was a gorgeous day, with the sun shining on all of the snowy peaks.

Isabel pretty much went to sleep right away, after a bit of hollering when Scott was strapping her in. We stopped periodically to make sure she was warm and breathing.

Note the phone books piled up so Isabel can touch, (Grandma Karen's idea).

The rest of our MN trip. Wedding and more socializing.

2009-02-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

Christa and Emilie play with Isabel after Mark and Kim's wedding and before the reception. We stopped in for a Bloody while we waited. Unfortunately, our photos of the bride and groom didn't turn out.
Our last day we visited John and Vicky.

As usual, we can rely on Grandpa Wayne to feed us and drive us to the airport. He had his hands full with Cole and Isabel. Actually they were both well behaved.

More parties

2009-02-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Isabel dresses up for the baby shower/Pyka Christmas party, wearing a new dress from Great Grandma Irene. Great Aunt Cindy and Great Uncle Gene threw the party. We played cards, dice and other games and had a blast.

Once again, Isabel is held every minute. Here Josie and Amber hold her.

She met lots of her young relatives at the shower/Pyka Christmas party. Here Scott is holding Isabel, Luke, and Adeline.
Isabel also attended Jake's 30th birthday party at Cheta's. Great Aunt Mary Lou held her at the party.

Isabel decided she didn't get to see Josie enough at the party so we went to her house for a visit.

More MN visiting

2009-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Our trip to MN was action packed with visiting friends and family. There wasn't a day without plans until the end of the trip. We're glad we got to see so many people.
We went to Jeremy and Jessica's. Jess and Jaxon are shown here.

Grandma Priscilla did her share of holding Isabel. She also made it a ritual to read her stories every night and morning. She taught her to enjoy it.

Great Grandma Irene feeding Isabel.

Isabel donned her "I'm a li'l Gopher" shirt to rally the team who was down by ten in Wisconsin. Needless to say they came back and beat Wisconsin in Wisconsin, for the first time in 15 years! This happened after we returned from a fairly successful night of Beach Bar Bingo.

Becca and Miles braved the cold to drive up from Rochester to meet Isabel. He was just learning to walk without holding onto anything.

Isabel being spoiled

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Uncle Jeffy and Aunt BethAnn.

Uncle Jonny and Bell are kindred spirits in their dueling wooly bear pajamas.

What can I say, I got the green light from Jonny to post the footy pajama photos so here's another one!

Auntie Kristin takes her turn at feeding little Bell.

Mikkena exhibited many signs that she will make a great big sister sometime in May.

Lucky Isabel has another shower and another cake from Kim, Tim, Kristin, and the kids.

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Megan, Mikale, Kim, and Mikkena.

Great auntie Jan and cousin Hannah.

Cousin Jodi.

Jodi, Emma, and Hannah.

Isabel's First Trip to Mom & Dad's Homeland

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After Isabel's trip to Texas and accompanying warm weather exposure, she ventured north to the frigid midwest. Here she was greeted and hugged by many friends and family members, bearing gifts and well wishes.

Grandpa Wayne threw her a party and got this delicious cake for her.

Uncle Jeffy finally got to meet her and hold her. He also gave her her first lesson in "fast talking".

Godfather Jonny was excited to feed her again, and to see how much she changed since his visit in November.

Godmother Christa gave her more beautiful clothes, stuffed animals, and Christmas ornaments.

BethAnn finally got to see her and hear about our labor/delivery experience firsthand.

Of course the cards and poker chips came out at the start of the party.

Benny gives Scotty a few fatherhood tips.

Isabel gets to meet Donna, Karen, Brenda, and little Luke.

Grandpa Wayne decided Isabel shouldn't be "starved".

January Beach Trip !!!

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On our last full day in Texas we went to Padre Island for a bit of much needed sun absorption.

Scotty gets his feet wet and Bell's stroller wheels wet. The water was quite cold in the Gulf of Mexico.

Cold or not, Jen couldn't resist letting Isabel feel the ocean.

We visited a sea tortoise rescue center.

More Texas photos

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Isabel wasn't left unattended for a second. Here Great Grandma Sally holds her.

Great Grandma Lucille holds her.

Great Aunt Jo takes a turn.

Card playing is in her blood on both sides.

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We hiked and watched birds at Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge. Isabel was rocked to sleep on the sometimes bumpy terrain.

Isabel is trying to decide what type of shorebird she is hearing.

--------------------At Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, there were viewing blinds which had boards you could flip down and peer out of. Here you see Isabel looking out at a group of Javelinas. This is exactly what she was seeing. Notice one of them is a sow nursing her young.

A beautiful green jay, also seen from the viewing blind and a javelina in the background.

Isabel birding at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and modeling a shirt from Grandma Priscilla and her hat from Grandma Karen.

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We did some more birding at a small nature center in Weslaco and at the Audobon Thicket.

Isabel made her first international voyage at the ripe age of 2 months. She slept through the whole thing.

Some of the many street vendors of Mexico. Although asleep, Isabel managed to stroll away with a few small purchases. Grandma bought her a hat which she will model in a future blog entry, and Great Uncle John bought her a grass skirt and matching top.

Jen and Isabel enjoying Grandma's backyard and standing in front of the grapefruit trees from which Dave picked us breakfast.

Vacation: 1st stop Southern Texas

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On New Year's Day we embarked on a much needed vacation away from the bitter cold of interior Alaska. It was -47 degrees when we left!

In preparation for the second leg of our trip (Minnesota), Jen sewed a wolverine/wolf fur ruff from Martin W. (Jen's co-worker), onto Isabel's winter down sack.

Isabel sheds some layers for the first time in her life and prepares for the warm outdoors of Texas.

Dave and Karen brought us to Estero Llano Grande State Park right away so Jen could find birds and Isabel could experience being outside without 10 layers of clothing.

Adventurous Grandma braves the snake infested grasses of the park, preparing Isabel for her many future years of camping and hiking with mom and dad. Actually we saw no snakes but we did find an aligator.

We noticed the park was offering a guided bird walk the next day so of course Jen wanted to join in so Scott went with her. We saw many new birds including a Tropical Parula, Vermilion Flycatcher, and many others.