Jerry, Katie, Quinn & Beckett

What a little bit of paint will do...

2012-02-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

My little sister, Heather, was here for a week. We had so much fun drinking a lot of latte's and doing a lot of fun projects. I told Heather while she was here that one of the greatest parts about having a sister that is adopted is that well...we don't have the same DNA. In my case I am the one benefiting from her DNA as she has all the creative genes and well...I'll just admit it...I have none. She just amazes me with her artsy and creative mind. She can make beautiful out of drab and she can put a smile on my face so very easily. To say the least, we had a great time and we did a lot of fun projects. I'm still working on a few of them so I won't post more pics till they are done.This project was an idea I got while at a second hand store a few months ago. I bought this chair for $8 as the boys love sitting up high on our table. It has been sitting in our back room until Heather came and when I showed it to her she knew just what to do. So, we bought a can of spray paint and pulled out some brushes and other paint that we had and this was the result $13 later:).

When Quinn saw the chair once it was done he said, "Wow, Mom, it turned beautiful!"

Sledding + Roasting Hot Dogs = FUN!

2012-01-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

This past Monday we were invited by a few families to go sledding! We drove about an hour away through amazing scenery and came to a great sled hill, a big open fire and lots of yummy food. It was simply an amazing afternoon with friends. I (Katie) think it has been my favorite day in Oregon so far. The boys loved the snow and being able to keep warm by the fire. I loved being outside in the middle of nowhere but having homemade cheese, cider, sausages cooked over the fire and Jodi's amazing cupcakes. It was a great day! Sadly the snow is melting but hopefully we will get more and get out to visit the same hill again.

Preschool Dreams...

2012-01-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Today was Quinn's first day of Preschool. Here are a few pics right before we left for school.

Cool Man

Shark Attack!

Goofy Man

The school called me about 1hr 15mins after I dropped him off and said that he had been quite upset but calmed down rather quickly. He was just so tired in class he kept almost falling over. They suggested that I come pick him up.And this is what I found in the office...

Needless to say, tomorrow he will be starting morning preschool :)!

Feliz Navidad...

2011-12-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we went to California for a day to meet up with the family and take pictures and then headed down to Baja for a good Christmas Week. Here is a little glimpse of our great holiday!

Laguna Beach for family pictures

Papa, Grabby and the grand kids

our little B boy

Mom and sisters!

Beckett tackling Scottie


The kids w/ their awesome felt stockings from Heather

The view from our room

Busy at work

Taking a break from a busy day...

making gift bags for the women's shelter

eating the best tacos in the whole world

at a pottery house painting a plate

pottery painting

I think the kids could play in the sand forever...

One of our favorite spot's "the cuzzi pool"

Not a bad view for our bouncy house

Homemade Graham Crackers, PLEASE!

2011-12-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find a recipe that you just HAVE TO SHARE. Seems like we are finding a lot of those lately. I am enjoying living in Oregon and being inspired my new friends to cook/bake healthy. I'm learning about new products, like Sucanat (raw sugar) and how much better it is to use than white sugar. I have to admit, I love the taste of it and I love using good products. I haven't quite converted to raw milk yet but hey, maybe that day will come:).

Yesterday when I told my sister that I had just baked my own Graham Crackers, was about to try out a homemade batch of cream of mushroom soup and was currently reading diaries from women on the Oregon Trail she laughed at me and told me I was digressing in society (why on earth would I go backwards when I can now go out and buy my own can of cream of mushroom soup?) Don't worry...I won't be throwing out my washing machine anytime soon:)

My answer...bake these Graham Crackers and you will never buy a box again:). I have to admit I can't wait for camping this summer to turn these babies into smores:). I hope to have homemade chocolate and marshmallows by then.

This recipe is from my friend, Jackie Whitesell.
3/4 Cup Whole-wheat pastry flour (I bought in bulk at the local health food store)
1 3/4 Cup whole wheat flour
3/4 Cup Sucanat or sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Cup butter, cut into pieces
2 T honey
2 T molasses
1/4 Cup cold water
1tsp vanilla
Preheat oven 350. Combine flours, sucanat/sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add butter, put in with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add honey, molasses, water and vanilla. Mix until dough comes togeter into a ball. Divide into two balls. Roll out each on a cookie sheet to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into squares and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10-15mins util lightly browned on edges, watch closely as it can easily burn. Let crackers cool on pan. Break apart and store in airtight container.

It is seriously as easy as it gets. If I ever feel intimidated by a recipe I just remember what my father in law always says, "if you can read, you can cook." Very true. I've come a long way since he first told me that. (If you want a good laugh at my expense. When Jerry and I were first married he asked me if I wanted a fried egg for breakfast. My response: What? You can make that at home, I thought you could only get those in a restaurant.)

Have I ever mentioned that my husband is also quite the baker. This past weekend he made a Goat Cheese and Basil Brioche, it was amazing!

Yesterday we got a package in the mail from my dad. No matter what dad sends, it's always exciting. You never really know what it's going to be. Well...to say it mildly, Quinn was ECSTATIC about his new NASA suit.

Oh yay..."3-2-1 blast off" is his new favorite saying.

Thanksgiving Camping!

2011-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went camping in a yurt at Wallowa Lake State Park near Joseph, Oregon. It was beautiful, warm (40+ degrees) and really really fun! The boys loved all the time outside in the snow and sand. We also had coffee three times at Arrowhead Chocolates which was a highlight for us! Joseph is a cute little mountain town and they had a Christmas light parade where we got to ride in a horse drawn carriage covered in lights. We LOVED the "camping" experience with electricity, heat and beds:). Quinn LOVED sleeping on the top bunk!

A BIG highlight of the past week has been potty training Quinn. We started the day after his 3rd birthday and it only really took about 3 days! He even did great the whole time camping! It's SO SO SO nice to not buy him diapers and change him!!! He is super excited about starting preschool on January 3rd! Three years old seems to be a much nicer stage than two:)

There is no place like home...

2011-11-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

My (Katie) family is simply...hysterical. I feel like I'm always smiling and laughing when we are all together. We had loads of fun last night getting dressed up all together and going (actually, running) door to door to fill up our buckets with candy. Quinn thought it was just about the coolest idea anyone had ever had. He kept up with the big kids and loved saying, "trick or treaty" at the door. Our theme this year was The Wizard of Oz. Together we did quite a good job at covering the characters. Below is a family picture and at the bottom a list of who everyone was.

Kelly: Wicked Witch, Michael: Lollypop Gang, Heather: Emerald City, Steph: Glenda the Good Witch, Brenna: the Flying Monkey, Papa Josh: The Wizard, Grammy: Auntie Em, David & Sean: Lollypop Gang, Scottie: Tin Man, Shauna: Dorothy, Quinn: Lion, Beckett: Scarecrow & Katie: Emerald City Girl

It was a great Halloween!

Pumpkins, Hay and A Beautiful Day

2011-10-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went with the MOPS group to The Old Rose Mercantile. It was a little farm with lots of pumpkins, a hay maze and a few animals. It was a beautiful day and the boys enjoyed it immensely. Quinn's highlight was jumping off a big stack of hay into some loose hay below. He did it at least a few dozen times. When I was tucking him in bed last night he asked if we could go back to the hay.

I absolutely LOVE autumn. I love getting a coffee, putting on my down vest and going for a walk. I also love Halloween. Yes, I know, kind of a weird holiday to love. But as my mom always said...who wouldn't love dressing up and getting free candy:). So...in less than two weeks the boys and I are flying to California so that we can spend Halloween with my family. And just you wait for the post that will come on November 1st. The McDowell family is pulling out all props this year for an awesome family coordinated Halloween. It's going to be...AWESOME:).

Autumn Weather

2011-10-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

The season has emphatically changed to Autumn (or Fall for our American friends). We are enjoying the cooler weather, especially for Katie who came back from Dallas a few days ago. Yesterday we went on an afternoon walk to throw some rocks in a local river. We had a successful trip by any standard.

A few weeks ago I (Jerry), led a trip for EOU students up to Anthony Lakes. We went for a hike and some students took part in rock climbing. I have been extremely busy at work, but have been enjoying my job immensely!

Undaunted

2011-10-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

This past week I (Katie) went to Dallas with my whole extended family (except Jerry who had to work and Quinn/Beckett who stayed with their Canadian grandparents). We celebrated my dad's 50 years in ministry and a life that has had an enormous impact on literally millions of people all over the world. It was an amazing weekend and I was reminded what an amazing family I am a part of. I love my family so much and I love being with them. We laughed, we cried, we just all enjoyed each others company.

On Friday night we celebrated with around 300 other people the life and ministry that my dad has had. I will never stop being amazed at the life my father has lived and the things he has done. He is such a living example of how Jesus Christ does miracles and uses people who are faithful to him. It was a beautiful and inspiring evening.

On Saturday we went to the movie premiere for "Undaunted: the early years of Josh McDowell." I haven't cried that hard in who knows how long. I sat there amazed. Amazed at the film, amazed at the life my father had lived through, amazed at the man he has become. The film is a story of forgiveness as my father deals with the effects of having an alcoholic father and being sexually abused for years. It's a story of searching as it shows how my father hated Christians and set out to disprove them. He traveled through Europe, studying old manuscripts trying to disprove the resurrection. It only led him to realize, "it is true." It's a story of hope in Christ and how he had nothing to give but what he felt was loss, hurt, brokenness. It is a story of change and how through Christ he has lived a life undaunted by his past and passionate about sharing life and truth with others.

The only thing I could really say after the film was, "Dad, thank you making my childhood different. Thank you for teaching me truth and life in Christ. Thank you."

CLICK HERE to see a short clip on the making of Undaunted.

Football Season!!!

2011-09-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's football season here in America! We enjoyed a day watching EOU win a game. Well, mostly watching the boys play on the track but could hear all the excitement just behind us.

Oregon or bust!

2011-09-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

We're no longer in B.C., but our Oregon trail was a little more complicated than we anticipated. We packed up our UHaul van on August 25th and headed down to La Grande, Oregon where Jerry has started work as the Outdoor Program Coordinator at Eastern Oregon University. We (Jerry, Katie and the boys) took Dad and Mom Isaak's van down and they drove the UHaul. Our drive, other than being almost 10 hours long (about 7 hours of driving), was uneventful. Dad and Mom Isaak experienced a broken radiator with the UHaul and had to stay a night in a hotel about 5 hours outside of La Grande. It was a little manic on our end as well as we were expecting them to arrive that evening. Eventually everything was sorted out and we managed to unpack our household at our new home in La Grande.

Packing the Uhaul in Abbotsford.

Arrived in La Grande. Playing 'trains' with Nana in the front yard.

Beckett tests out the lean on the stroller while Nana helps unpack.

We cooled off at a local State Park by swimming in the Minam River.

Today, Saturday, we went up to Anthony Lakes (also the local ski area) for a hike and to check out the area.

Family bouldering sessions.

Quinn is very insistent upon doing things his way. Mostly we're allowed to spot but not to help!

Katie and Quinn at Anthony Lake.

On the trail. AKA 'mountain climbing' according to Quinn.

Beckett was hungry for corn at dinner and couldn't wait his turn.

Back in BC

2011-08-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

We are all back together in British Columbia now. Jerry's flight went a little smoother that ours and we were so happy to see him. On Thursday we move to La Grande, OR. We are pretty excited for the move and to get settled into our new home. Although we have done it many times before, it seems strange to be about to move to a place that I have never been and know absolutely no one. It will be an adventure...

Here are a few pics from our past week and a half in Abbotsford. We have loved our time with friends and family as we adjust to living back in North America.

Emotional Week...to say the least

2011-08-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's Katie here and I'm writing from Canada. Yes, I survived the trip across the ocean on my own with the boys. It wasn't the smoothest of experiences but I'll touch more on that later. For now, here is a picture from the flight.

This has been quite a week for me, filled with many emotions that weren't quite expected. It all started just a week ago when a friend called me while I was out on a lovely walk in down town Edinburgh. At this point Jerry had been on his expedition in the Arctic for two weeks and I hadn't talked to him since July 22nd when he left. She told me that she had just read a news flash that there had been a polar bear attack a few hours ago on Jerry's expedition which had left one dead and 4 seriously injured. As I'm sure you can imagine...my heart/mind/body began to panic. WHAT??? A polar bear attack. Ok, seriously, does that not sound terrifying. THANKFULLY I was with a friend that could see/hear my panic and she so sweetly watched the boys as I kind of blanked out. As I was not near internet my friend who had called kindly did some research for me, found the hotline for family and called to check if Jerry was on the list of injured. Although it was probably only 10mins max before she called me back to say that Jerry was not on the list of injured it felt like a lifetime. Of course I was relived that he was ok but already deep in my heart I was grieving for those effected and for the whole situation. So...this is how my week started.

On Tuesday I said good-bye to Edinburgh and to so many sweet friends that I have made this past year. It was a most brilliant day and the perfect last morning in a city that I have fallen in love with. On Tuesday afternoon we headed to the sheep farm for one last night in Scotland and flew to Canada on Wednesday morning. The morning went so well: got to the airport on time, got all my bags checked in with no extra charge for being over the weight limit, grabbed one last European coffee and chocolate croissant and literally walked right on the plane, at take off the boys both fell asleep and I relaxed. An hour later both boys were still sleeping and I mistakenly thought, "wow, this has all been so easy." Not long after that the pilot came on saying, "we have a warning light on for our backup system and are heading back to Glasgow." Yep...2.5 hours after being in the air we landed back at the same airport we had left from and 5hours after being on the plane we took off for a second time. We were on the plane for a total of 14hours. It still went relatively well considering I had a one year old and two year old on my own. Quinn only started doing somersaults down the aisle (yes, literally) after 12 hours. The disaster only started once we landed in Vancouver and I walked off the plane to realize I had two children, 4 carry ons and NO STROLLER till after I would walk about a mile in the airport and go through long lines and pass through immigration. Quinn was so exhausted that he pretty much didn't want to walk and just lied down on the ground wanting to sleep. To say the least I had quite a few tears flowing down and was overly exhausted. After what seemed like forever we made it and when Quinn saw Nana he yelled, "We made it to Canada, Nana." Yes, we had made it!!!

We have been back for a few days now. Jerry is in Edinburgh as the rest of his expedition was cancelled and everyone came home early. It was too expensive to change his flight so he won't be arriving here till Wednesday. I'm having a great time here in Abbotsford but miss Jerry a lot. Wednesday still feels like a lifetime away. I am realizing more and more how much I loved Edinburgh and what an amazing year we had. I already miss so much of the city and all of the sweet friends I made. Quinn is asking for all his little buddies and I don't think quite understands that we won't be going back. For the past week I have felt on the verge of tears when I think of leaving Edinburgh. It has definitely been the hardest move we have ever done.

So...to say the least it has been a week of emotions for me.

Last Days in Scotland...

2011-08-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

August 10th is coming so fast. We have been busy playing with "Grabby" and spending as much time out in the city as we can. My mom leaves tomorrow and I say good-bye to Scotland on Wednesday morning.

Here are a few pics from our past two days.

Yesterday was National Play Day and we went to Grassmarket for an outdoor play area. Quinn LOVED it and for over an hour was ALL SERIOUS with his water play.

Quinn and Beckett LOVE to play hide and seek. Quinn always wants to hide and Beckett always wants to seek, so they are a good pair. Quinn's favorite spot is as a "bump" under the blanket in the middle of the room. I love hearing their giggles as they play.

Exhausted from such a fun and busy day!

This last one is from today, Quinn loves cars and puddles. Put them together and it doesn't get much better...

Royal Wedding, Carousel Ride & Beach Time!!!

2011-07-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

Still great weather here in Edinburgh! We are having great fun with my mom as we soak up the sun and beautiful sights around our home.

Yesterday Zara Phillips (the Queen's granddaughter) was married just a short walk from our place. A big crowd had gathered to see the royal family go by. Our friend, Julie, let us watch from the window of her flat. It's a beautiful flat in a perfect location. The kids played with toys as we watched the parade of cars go by.

Today we went to the sea and played in the sand, ate amazing chocolate cake and laughed a lot. The boys just LOVE having their "Grabby" here and it's been a blessing to me as well. It's amazing how only a mom can encourage you to the depths that you need when you yourself have become a parent and feel desperate for some advice/encouragement.

One of my highlights of the day was watching Beckett eat dinner. I have never seen such a hungry boy. He ate: at least 6oz of salmon, 1/2 a basket of blueberries, 5 long green beans, 10 grapes, piece of whole wheat bread and 1/2 a yogurt. I couldn't put the salmon in his mouth fast enough, he was eating it like candy.

Here are a few pics from the last few days!

Last Days in Scotland

2011-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Jerry has left for the Arctic (and apparently saw fox and beluga whales yesterday!) and the boys and I (Katie) are enjoying having my mom in town for the next 10 days. It's hard to believe that we won't see Jerry again till we have moved back to North America. The boys and I leave for Canada on August 10th (yes, I am flying back by myself with both of them...call me crazy) and Jerry will join us there from the Arctic on August 17th. On August 25th we will be moving to La Grande, Oregon where Jerry will be starting work at Eastern Oregon University. We are super excited about what is to come but also quite sad about leaving Edinburgh.

So...we are enjoying amazing weather and lots of fun in this city we have called home for the past year. I have been quite sick for the past 5 weeks and am finally just feeling better after finally figuring out what was wrong and getting medicine (hence no blog posts and being terrible at communicating with anyone). I'm making up for lost time and trying to do as much as I can. I LOVE this city and I LOVE the life we have been living here. It's going to be very sad to say good-bye. Scotland has been good to us. We have made so many sweet friends and I will definitely be leaving part of my heart here.

Over the next 10 days we are going to be doing as much as possible and having a lot of "lasts."

Today we visited the Castle where we have an annual pass and have visited frequently. I love that my kids know their way around a castle, have their favorite little statues and love to look down at the old architecture and count the double decker busses.

Arctic bound...

2011-07-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

I (Jerry) leave for the Arctic tomorrow morning. I will be serving as Chief Mountain Leader on a BSES youth development Expedition. If you would like to follow along during the 3-week expedition, you can read updates on the expedition blog at http://blog.bses.org.uk/arcticadventure2011/.

Sadie Maree

2011-07-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Our close friends in Canada were recently told that their one-year old daughter, Sadie Maree, was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder that can cause severe intellectual and developmental delays.
It has been devastating news for their family (they also have twin boys Quinn's age). Brian, her father, has described it as like the death of their dreams for her, a loss not of what is present but what the future might have been. I (Jerry) have grieved for them and felt impotent as a friend, as a result of being overseas and virtually out of touch during this time. One small thing that I can do is to encourage people who read this blog to go to this website
or click on the banner link on the right, and vote for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) to receive funding. Brian has linked to this website in his blog, www.sadiemarie.com, as well as to the website, www.cureangelman.org.

Though it has been a death of some of the dreams they have had for Sadie, it is not a death of hope. Please go to the weblink and vote for their charity to receive funding.

Sadie Maree

Information about the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics
The Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) is an all volunteer organization dedicated to finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder that causes severe intellectual and developmental delays. Individuals with Angelman Syndrome cannot speak. Many cannot walk. Almost all of them have debilitating seizures and all require life-long 24/7 care. Individuals with Angelman Syndrome tend to have a happy demeanor and are known for their fantastic smiles. Research has established that Angelman Syndrome is caused by the loss of function of a single gene. Scientists have already succeeded in reversing the effects of Angelman Syndrome in a mouse. This suggests that a cure for Angelman Syndrome is not only possible, but imminent. Curing Angelman Syndrome would open a gateway for curing other neurological disorders including autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Three Peaks Challenge Success

2011-07-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

On June 25/26th I (Jerry) and seven other Ambassadorial Scholars along with two Rotarians (drivers) completed the Three Peaks Challenge (a mountain-endurance challenge in Great Britain, with a history of over 40 years, in which participants attempt to climb the highest peaks of each of the island's three countries). We started at Ben Nevis in Scotland, then drove down to Scafell Pike in England and finished on Snowden, in Wales. We took about 28 hours total time.

The purpose of the challenge was to raise funds and awareness for the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox. Our team of scholars raised over $6,000 USD (3,780 GBP), enough to fund over 6 complete Shelter Boxes.

It was a great time on the three mountains, experiencing virtually the full range of UK weather (below freezing wind on Ben Nevis, wet wet on Scafell, and glorious sunshine on Snowden). I enjoyed getting to know the other scholars and hearing about their time in the UK and their plans for the future.

I've uploaded several pictures here to show you what it was like, in case you're wondering, the large green box that we took turns carrying (the whole way) is an empty Shelter Box. We received lots of puzzled stares and comments like "You must be truly mad!" and we were able to tell many people about the great work that ShelterBox and Rotary do around the world. Thanks so much to the many family and friends that supported me and our team. Your support is much appreciated. In a small way I feel that I've been able to give something back to the many Rotarians in Scotland and in District 5050 (Washington and B.C.) that have played such a large role in my scholarship year.

A Royal Day

2011-06-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today was Armed Forces Day here in Scotland. There was a huge festival just 10mins walk from our flat. It was incredible and Quinn LOVED it. He got to "ride" on a police motorcycle (aka Yo-Yo), play mini golf, jump in a bouncy castle and see the Prime Minister, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla. We finished the day off with an amazing mint gelato.

My Boys....

2011-06-08T02:45:00.001-07:00

My seriously adorable boys. I love them so much. More pics to come soon...

Our Scottish Cousin Comes to Visit!

2011-06-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

While Jerry is in Morocco we get to have my little sister, Heather, and her baby girl, Brenna, here for a visit. We are having SO MUCH FUN!!! There aren't many things in life better than having good quality sister time.

Heather and Brenna's last name is MaCleod, yep...it doesn't get more Scottish then that! We are on the hunt for a MacLeod kilt for Brenna to wear home.

Our days are filled with adventure and activity and by the end of the day we are all exhausted. The cousins can't get enough of each other and are playing really well together.

Here are a few pics from our first few days.

Heather and Brenna at Edinburgh Castle

Leaving our flat on a beautiful day for a walk in the park

Every time we leave the house Quinn brings two cars to drive on all the different surfaces along the way.

Quinn got a little too close to the pond and fell in. It was quite the surprise but now he walk's around saying, "Quinn made a big splash at the pond, haha."

Brenna in front of Arthur's Seat

40 Years!!!

2011-05-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

This week my (Katie) parents are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary! 40 years...that seems like a long time. I am often in awe at the fact that I get to be their daughter and I have been able to witness their love for each other my whole life.

They inspire me.
They encourage me.
They amaze me.

One thing (among many) that I have always appreciated about my parents is how they love each other and their children by word and by action. I can pretty much guarantee that every day of my life (that I have seen or spoke with them) they have told me they love me. They also constantly tell us how much they love each other. I can't imagine going through life any other way. We may be a little bit of a "cheesy" family but I also love to hold their hands. Yes, I'm a "grown" woman of 30 years but I love to hold hands with my mom and dad:). I've done it all my life:)

Right now they are in Croatia celebrating their anniversary! They are seriously having the time of their lives! (see pic above in Split, Croatia)

Something that I LOVE about my dad is that he is sentimental and he LOVES to make family t-shirts. Yep, we have dozens of them all complete with monogrammed names. Often after family vacations we have to check an extra bag on the way home from all our new family gear. Here is a picture of the 4 of us wearing our "40 years of love" family t-shirts that dad had made for their anniversary.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! Here's to another 40 great years!!!!

My Mountain Man

2011-05-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Today Jerry left for Morocco. He will be trekking in the High Atlas Mountains for two weeks. It's an expedition with his Masters program that they have been planning for months. We already miss him VERY much but am excited for him to be on this adventure.

It seems like a lot of people lately have been asking me if I get nervous when Jerry goes on expeditions or even just day trips in the mountains. I have to honestly say, "NO." The bottom line is that I trust him completely. I trust his skills but even more I trust his decision making. Jerry can think calmly and rationally in difficult situations (at least that makes one of us!) He isn't afraid to back out of, turn around, or "give up" if he feels that the situation is risky. I love knowing that he would never be pressured into doing something he didn't want to because he was afraid to say he didn't want to do it. You might think that someone who loves rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, back country skiing, etc, etc is a risk taker but I have learned that isn't correct. When proper skill, knowledge and good decision making is combined I don't believe there is much risk at all.

I'm not naive to think that nothing bad could ever happen. But I honestly think he would be more likely to die from a car accident then in the mountains.

When we were newly married Jerry did try to tell me that it was more dangerous to be an accountant than a mountain guide. He was serious. The only thing I can figure is that if HE was an accountant he would most likely die from being inside and in front of a computer all day.

I took this pic of Jerry this morning before he left for the airport. Tomorrow his adventure starts and he will begin his trek into the High Atlas Mountains!!!

My littlest guy is starting to conquer his own mountains and is almost walking.

I think he enjoyed chewing on the cup as much as eating the yogurt.

To London and Back

2011-05-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

This past week I (Katie) went to London with Beckett. We took the train (4.5hrs) and met up with my parents (who were on a 24hr layover on their way to Croatia to celebrate their 40th anniversary) for a day and then spent the rest of the week with my friend , Adina, from high school. We had a WONDERFUL time!!! Loved seeing my parents and loved spending time with Adina and her beautiful family!

Spending time with my parents was such a fun treat! Beckett loved being with his Grabby and Papa Josh!

Beckett and I spent a day walking around London. It's such an incredible city!

Beckett and Luna had a lot of fun together!

Although it has been over 10 years since we have really spent time together you would have never known that a day had passed since we had last seen each other. I loved spending time with Adina and have always considered her one of my most dear and precious friends!

Baby Nico is just 7 weeks old. It was so fun to hold a newborn again. It made Beckett seem so big.

Luna is a little sweetheart. I LOVED spending time with her and was very tempted to ask if I could take her home with me.

It was a great week! There is something very special about spending time with a friend from your past and catching up on life. Adina is a beautiful women, inside and out, and has a heart of gold. She is an amazing mother and a truly wonderful person! I feel blessed to have her as a friend!

On the hunt for good food...

2011-05-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been on the hunt for healthy food that is easy to make, freezable and of course...delicious.

These pancakes have become one of our favorites from the website Mennonite
Girls Can Cook. Jerry often makes a big batch for breakfast and then we freeze a whole bunch of them to pull out later for a snack or meal when we are in a hurry. Quinn devours them (which says a lot because he is quite a picky eater).Beckett really enjoyed them this morning as well (he is only really starting to eat solids).

Here is the recipe with our modifications in brackets:

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup flour (3/4 wheat-1/4 White)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (I always use sea salt)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (this is the best part, sometimes we add a little more)
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter (always real butter when cooking)
2 ripe bananas, chopped (we substitute one of the bananas for 1/2 cup of frozen fruit)

1.Preheat griddle between low and medium heat
2.In large bowl, combine dry ingredients
3.In another beat eggs, add yogurt, milk and butter. Stir in finely chopped bananas
4.Stir wet ingredients into dry, stirring until blended
5.Drop by extra large spoonfuls onto pre-heated griddle. You don't want to cook these too quick, because they are quite thick. Turn over once you see tiny bubbles forming on top. If they are too dark, turn down the temperature.
This recipe makes 16 pancakes. Left-overs can be frozen and reheated in the toaster or microwave.

(For the kids I always spread with real butter and maple syrup-so much better for you than margarine & regular syrup).
You can click on the link to the right to go to the MGCC website. Check it out-it's amazing, I'm discovering great recipes from them all the time! In fact...I'm not sure what we would eat without them.

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-25T02:27:00.000-07:00

A walk/ride on Easter. We had beautiful weather!

Kite flying in Holyrood Park on Friday

Beckett enjoying Hot Cross Buns (an old UK Easter tradition)

Quinn fast asleep after lots of fun!

Life in Edinburgh!

2011-04-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hi! It's Katie here (people sometimes get confused who is posting as we take turns.)
We are having AMAZING weather here in Edinburgh! It's like spring has come upon us and with it a whole new set of adventures. We have gotten into a great routine as well and life has been very enjoyable lately!!!

Our usual schedule:
6:30-7:30 Boys wake up (they seem to rotate: yesterday Q was up at 6:30 and B at 7:30, today Q up at 7:30 and B up at 6:30. It seems almost only once every two weeks do they actually both get up at 7:30 and we get a little extra sleep-I think they talk the night before and decide who is getting up and who is sleeping in the next day)

Breakfast and play time (pictures below)

9:00 Jerry leaves for school

9:30-11:30 Nap time!!! (yes, they both take morning naps, usually 2hrs!)

12:00 Lunch and getting ready to go out

1:00-1:30 Out the door for new adventures!!! (usually involves the pond, a park, playground, playgroup, or meeting up with friends) B also has a sleep in the stroller sometime while we are out. We often meet up with Jerry after school and sometimes end up at a coffee shop for a little treat before going home.

4:00 return home and start dinner (usually Q ends up watching a little show on Sesame Street or the BBC iplayer (BBC has the best programs, he is currently obsessed with watching "little human planet" about different kids his age all over the world-it shows how they live)

5:30 dinner, playtime, baths, stories, songs

7:00 bed time

7:01 exhausted parents hang out time:)

The schedule isn't exactly the same everyday, but it's pretty much how the day goes. With nice weather we seem to get out all over the city and walk miles everyday!

I think I have discovered the key to loosing weight w/out trying: Sell your car and walk EVERYWHERE...yes, including the grocery store. Also, push a double stroller everywhere you go. Make sure you live on the second floor, so that you have to carry your stroller and kids up and down the stairs every time you come and go. On Tuesday I tracked that I did about 7.5 miles of walking (pushing a double stroller the whole way). I have to admit that with breastfeeding a very hungry 9month old and walking so much everyday that for the first time in my life I can pretty much eat as many treats as I like and not even have to worry about gaining an ounce:) I LOVE living w/out a car and will be sad the day we have to buy one out of necessity. I guess I'll have to say hello to buying gas and good-bye to yummy treats:).

Here are pics from yesterday and today's morning play time.

Maybe I'll do a photo journal one day and then it will really show what life is like:).

Overwhelming love...

2011-04-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

The feeling I get when I look at these three boys:

Welcome Spring

2011-04-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

The past week has been mild and sunny. We've enjoyed the longer days and greener grass of Spring. Here are a few pictures of the past few days. We went to St. Andrews (spiritual home of golf) yesterday and Quinn promptly fell asleep, proving that golf is the most boring spectator sport ever (though great fun to play).

The Mighty Quinn wakes up and asks for his "bikeikle" (combine bike and bicycle = bike-ickle). He loves to go fast and down hills, surprise.

Quinn, fast asleep at the Old Course in St. Andrews.

Katie checks out the beach.

Q is much more impressed with the castle.

At least Q sat still. Beckett is a softie and smiles easily.

3 out of 4 isn't bad. The back story here is that Quinn, who rarely sits still for photos, just "bonked" his face against a fence while attempting to throw a rock off the castle into the ocean. So Q is a bit woozy and we took the opportunity to take some pictures while he was still-ish.

Having recovered slightly Quinn gives his formal smile, still looks like a grimace, and B-boy braces for impact.

Hightailing it to the Highlands

2011-04-03T03:19:00.000-07:00

While Nana and Quinn were in Edinburgh for 3 days and 2 nights, we (Jerry, Katie and Beckett) rented a car and drove up to Fort William, where we stayed at the wonderfully located Onich Hotel. We went on hikes, stopped at coffee shops, visited Loch Ness, Glen Coe, Loch Tay, and drove through some amazingly scenic terrain. It was mostly relaxing and a great holiday.

Outside the hotel on the sea, Loch Leven.

Beckett on the hotel patio where we enjoyed an atypical balmy Scottish Spring evening.

Searching fruitlessly for the Loch Ness monster at Fort Augustus, Loch Ness.

We enjoyed a short hike in to see Steall Falls below Ben Nevis in Glen Nevis.

The 3 cable bridge was entertaining, or perhaps we don't get out very much!

In the Ben Lawers range above Loch Tay, Perthshire.

The Hermitage, near Dunkeld.

Nana Comes to Scotland!!!

2011-03-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks we have been spending time with Nana (Jerry's mom). She came from Canada to play with us and see our beautiful city, Edinburgh. We LOVED every minute she was here and said good bye to her with tear filled eyes this morning as she headed back to Vancouver. We love you, Nana! Thank you for visiting us and for all the fun!
Here are a few pics of our busy two weeks. I'll do a few more posts in the next few days as there are just too many pictures from the past two weeks to post all at once

ShelterBox Disaster Relief - Three Peaks Challenge Fundraising

2011-03-17T00:18:00.000-07:00

This summer I (Jerry) will be participating in a unique UK based challenge in order to raise funds and awareness for the disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

Event: The Three Peaks Challenge on the 25th of June

Charity: ShelterBox

Fundraisers: As many Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars as possible

The Plan: In order to raise funds and awareness for Shelter Box, we will be climbing the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours.

To make the challenge even tougher we will be carrying original Shelter Boxes. They will represent the ShelterBoxes that have been sent to disaster areas to provide refief for those who lost their homes.

It costs £590 to deliver one valuable box to people who are mostly in need. On our way up and down the three peaks we will try hard to overcome difficult terrain and to finally deliver the boxes across the finish line. We want to demonstrate the immense effort that is made to bring relief to victims of natural hazards.

What is ShelterBox?

ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most.The ShelterBox solution in disaster response is as simple as it is effective.

We deliver the essentials a family needs to survive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Please help us raise funds to allow ShelterBox to meet the needs of families countries around the world. My personal goal is to raise 1180 Pounds to provide funds for two ShelterBoxes. If you would like to donate click on this link (www.justgiving.com/JerryIsaak/)

Never Still

2011-02-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

We live in the city of Edinburgh, yet only a 5 minute walk takes us to Holyrood Park where this picture (below) was taken. On Saturday we had friends over for lunch and we went walking in the park in the afternoon. The day felt like Spring, not February in Scotland. Quinn was in his glory, with two new friends to run around with. The title of the post "Never Still" is in honour of Quinn, and Beckett too though he doesn't feature in the following pictures.

Quinn climbed up above St Margaret's Loch. The view behind him is towards our flat and to the Firth of Forth.

The swans, ducks, magpies and pigeons of St Margaret's Loch are special targets of Quinn's. "Flew away Daddy! That one flew way!" is a frequently heard comment.

The Edinburgh skyline behind Quinn. It was supposed to be a posed photo, in the best of family photo traditions, but Quinn has his own plans and ran away as soon as I set him in the proper position.

"Mountain climbing Daddy!" is Quinn's response when asked what he is doing in this picture. It melts a Daddy's heart!

Running around the wee loch, never still.

Hab a Drink

2011-02-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I had one of my funniest moments as a parent.

It was about 1:50pm and I had company coming at 2pm. I was running around the house trying to get things ready before I sat down to feed Beckett. He was in the living room starting to fuss, which made me run around even more trying to get things done before I fed him.

I finally finished what I was doing and went into the living room to find Quinn saying, "It's OK Beckett. Here you go Beckett, hab a drink!"

Yes, Quinn was trying to breastfeed Beckett. Psychologically strange but understandable, yet physiologically impossible (especially considering Quinn was wearing a "onesie" underneath his t-shirt).

I laughed hysterically. Luckily the camera was on the shelf right next to me.

Busy days.

2011-02-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

Beckett will be crawling any day now and while we are proud of him for reaching this milestone we are also apprehensive at the thought of two active boys "going mobile".

Beckett has also started on solids. He is a pretty good eater and is often quite enthusiastic, with predictable results.

Today was the warmest day of the Winter. We took a family walk along the Union Canal and enjoyed the warmth and sunshine.

Quinn likes to push Beckett in the stroller and frequently says "Don't push Mommmy!"

Brothers on the swings.

Quinn is an extreme socialite. He makes friends with other children wherever we go. He is sometimes too affectionate and will try to hug and kiss other kids. He was very polite with this little girl though. They enjoyed each others company on the spinning net at Harrison Park in Edinburgh.

Jerry has been on work placement this past month. He is at Perth College in the Outdoor Adventure program. This picture was taken on a winter hill-walking course near Ben Lawers above Loch Tay. Not too many views on that day, with classically Scottish winter weather.

Lots of Fun!

2011-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

We are in a stage of life right now that is very sweet. We get to spend a lot of time together and we get to discover new things almost daily. The boys are happy and healthy and bless us with their love everyday.

This week we were blessed to share a little of our lives with our dear friend Christy Tiede! I (Katie) have been friends with Christy since I was Beckett's age. Christy was telling us stories of when we were little (too little for me to remember) about our families going to Alaska together in a motor home. Christy, being a mom of a car loving boy, introduced Quinn to the movie CARS. It's a new love in this house and Quinn affectionately calls the movie, "Queen Movie." Christy also spoiled him with some very cool CARS cars which he plays with during all moments of the day:). We had a great time with Christy and hope that she can come back and visit again (Christy lives in Estonia and found a round trip ticket for about $50).

On Valentine's Day we went to the Botanical Gardens.

Yesterday Quinn had a friend, Toby, come over for the afternoon. Toby is 7 months older than Quinn. He was over for about 3 hours and they played HARD the whole time. There was a lot of running, jumping up and down w/ ballons and playing with cars and trains.

They played so hard that they were both exhausted. This morning I got an email from Toby's mom, Jessica, saying that after they got home they asked Toby to take his jacket and shoes to his room. When he didn't come back right away they went to look for him and found him sound asleep on the floor in the hall, with coat and shoes still on, he never made it to his room.

For Valentine's Day the boys got some bubble bath, which they LOVE.

Brenna Girl

2011-02-08T03:08:00.000-08:00

This is our ADORABLE niece, Brenna. We call her Brenna Girl. Quinn LOVES to talk about Brenna Girl even though he has only met her though skype. She is coming to visit in May and we can hardly wait.

A few days ago Quinn was in the car in his car seat and I looked over and he was rubbing his belly quite hard. I almost asked him if his tummy hurt when out came:

"Tummy, Baby," "Auntie had Brenna Girl."

YES, I smiled. Auntie did have Brenna girl and she is going to be your sweet cousin forever. We love her so much!

Brenna Girl...get ready to be treated like a little princess. You better bring an extra suitcase because I'm having way too much fun finding girl stuff for you:).

Two funny sayings that Quinn uses a lot right now are "Yeah, I know" and "I got you baby." The second one he says when we are changing his diaper and we have no idea why.

Brothers!

2011-01-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

Quinn's favorite things these days is to carry Beckett around the house. He actually holds him and I just keep my hands there in case he gets too heavy. They both laugh and think it's just the best:).

His beloved "yo-yo"

He loved peas! Notice the high chair which Quinn decorated from recent stickers from Auntie Anika (THANKS, Auntie!)

The result of runny noses and chocolate muffins.

Catching up....

2011-01-20T04:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy and fun new year! On Dec 30th Katie & Beckett flew to California to meet Brenna Grace for the first time. She is absolutely precious and it was such a special time to be in California with family and spend time loving on my new little niece.

We laughed at how opposite they are: chunky, pale, bald boy and tiny, tan, long hair girl.

Quinn and Jerry stayed back in Scotland and had some good guy time. Jerry's brother, Carl, and his wife, Tami, came to visit and stayed for almost two weeks. It was wonderful to have them here. The boys especially loved having two more people to play with. (no pics as shutterfly wouldn't let me upload them...don't know why)

When we clean up we sing a "clean-up song" that Quinn loves. He often just starts dancing saying "cleaning time, cleaning time" and let's mom do most of the cleaning. Lately he has been saying "Clean Quinn up" and then crawls into the box letting me put all the toys on him.

Bed time stories with dad

Quinn is quite the builder. We find piles of things all over the house, he likes to leave his mark. We had him pose in front of this little art piece that we found over our bed.

He LOVES to empty out my Tupperware/napkin cabinet and see how high he can get it.

Always smiles from little b

Quinn calls this "boogie train" and makes them sit in a train. If often ends bad with Quinn falling straight back on little b. You can see the anticipated fear in little b's eyes.

Beckett has started eating solids and is fun to feed. He has amazing aim at spitting it out and I'm usually covered in food by the end. But of course, he keeps smiling.

Who's running this show?

2010-12-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

One of the best techniques that we have found for dealing with a sometimes difficult two-year old is distraction. Quinn can be distracted from pestering his brother if we tell him that a police car or ambulance is driving by, or by telling him about something interesting that's happening outside.

It might seem that we are able to outsmart him, but this is increasingly in doubt. Quinn is, we think, incredibly smart and often I think I can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to solve problems or make sense of a situation. Recently I've been thinking that, as the wheels in our heads are turning, he brought a faster car to the race. This morning when Quinn was attempting to push Beckett's high chair around the kitchen, and not listening to my admonishments, I picked him up to discuss good listening skills. Quinn does not like confrontation and this morning turned the tables on me, using pretty developed tactics. As I held him, he was facing behind me, he says 'Look Daddy ... mountain, OH! [as in OH! that is fascinating]. Mountain, Daddy, climbing mountain!' He was looking at a map of Scotland, with not a mountain in sight, even with a very interpretive perspective. He was deliberately attempting to distract me from the current subject, his wrongdoing, by making specific reference to a subject that he knew was of interest to me. After looking behind me (who knows!) and not seeing any fascinating mountains to climb, I suppressed a laugh and we continued our conversation.

Christmas (Part Two)

2010-12-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

We're now back at our flat in Edinburgh. The temperature has risen to the plus side of zero (centigrade) and we went for a family walk today. Through Holyrood Park and up the Royal Mile (with a brief interlude so that the Mighty could throw chunks of ice into the pools in front of the Scottish Parliament, BOOM! he says with delight), we walked through the Princes Street gardens, where the Winter Festival is still in full swing. Quinn is mesmerized by the colorful flashing lights and thumping European dance music. He was sad to leave. He was especially fond of the bungee/trampoline 'ride'.

The brothers Isaak on Christmas morning. They are at least the fourth generation of Isaak brothers (Carl and me, Ron and Rob, John and brothers).

Beckett would sometimes fuss at the breakfast table (at the Farm). We could set him in his chair facing the birdfeeder and he would calm down and focus intensely on all the feeding songbirds. Quinn also liked watching the birds. He would hold the birdfood up to the inside of the window saying 'Come, come little birds'. When they wouldn't come he would attempt to eat the birdfood.

Upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms, Quinn stands watch over the view of the valley (and hid from his parents behind the curtains). From that window you could count hundreds of sheep, although Quinn can only count accurately from 1-11. After 11 Quinn goes to 13 and then back to 11 and then laughs 'A HA A HA HA'. He is a fan of the Count, on Sesame Street.

Family photos. Not too successful recently (or since Quinn could control his movements). At least we are all together!

Christmas Eve in the Scottish Borders

2010-12-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

This Christmas is a first for us, most Christmases are. We realized this morning that we've spent Christmas is many places, but rarely the same place twice. We've been in 6 different locations, 5 different countries, during our 8 years of marriage.

It's early on Christmas morning as we write this, Quinn is still asleep and Beckett is awake, laying in bed with us. We are guests of a wonderful family that has created a home away from home for us. The home, of John and Nan Burnett, is a farm house on a large sheep farm in the Scottish Borders, near the village of Broughton. The house was built when George was president of the USA. Not George Sr. or George Jr., but George Washington, the first president. It has since been redecorated.

It is cold outside; yesterday had a low temperature of about -14 Celsius. There is snow covering the normally green hills and ice on the edges of the burn at the bottom of the glen. We have had clear, still days and nights, causing the development of large hoar frost (surface hoar) on the thin layer of snow. It is warm inside the house, with two wood fires 'switched on.'

Yesterday evening, after the boys were in bed, we enjoyed a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner with John, Nan and their daughter Fiona and her husband Neil. Fiona prepared the meal; Katie said it's one of the best desserts she's ever had (no it wasn't haggis). Fiona and Neil operate The Glenholm Guesthouse on the farm. If you're reading this and would like to visit Scotland, you'd be hard pressed to find a more welcoming place to stay.

It is also our first Christmas with two children. It is...delightful, anarchic, exhausting, hilarious, occasionally exasperating, and always entertaining, and that's just before the first nap!

Bundled up, going for a walk.

Quinn, just in front of the house.

Down the lane.

Find some sheep.

Feathery hoar frost on branches.

Katie and Beckett, keeping each other warm.

Beckett enjoys a book.

Beckett chases Quinn, with Quinn shouting 'Chase you Beckett!' and 'Run away!'

Quinn displays his formal picture taking smile in front of the tree.

Baking buns with Nan.

Polling Time!

2010-12-22T12:44:00.001-08:00

We have added an interactive poll/survey to the blog, because polls are a useful way of tapping into group intelligence, and they are fun. The first question is: What is a zucchini called in Scotland? Katie wishes she knew the answer to this before we arrived in Scotland, because it would have made online grocery shopping a whole lot easier.

No cheating by using the internet to search for answers, go with the first thing that feels right. If we made all our decisions that way, well, we'd be teenagers again : ).

We'll post a new question each week. If you have a question you would like featured, let us know and we will consider it. Actually we will probably post it right away because that would be the first thing that would feel right.

Video of the boys

2010-12-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Beckett loves to cruise the hallway in his walker. Quinn likes to pretend that Beckett is chasing him but on the video below Q was securely situated in the high chair. Quinn has hated bibs his whole life, which is too bad because he also occasionally hates what we feed him and objects by spilling it out. Recently Katie bought two "painting shirts", for toddlers, from Ikea. We told Quinn that they were painting shirts (intended by us for use as bibs) and he has insisted on wearing not one, but two at a time. He actually asks for them. We have two funny boys. "Funny that!" as Quinn would say. Beckett would just grin.

Saturday Afternoon

2010-12-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today Quinn "rode" his bike outside for the first time. The temperature outside is a little below freezing so he didn't ride for very long, but it was fun while it lasted!

Little B is such a happy baby.

Baking cookies with Mommy.

Ready to go in the oven.

Below is a short video, taken this afternoon, of The Mighty cruising streets of Edinburgh on his Early Rider bike.

Inside Time

2010-12-16T04:11:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks we have been sick. Everyone except Jerry, which is good for him since he has school. It has also been VERY cold for this California born girl. We have been spending a lot of time inside trying to get better. It has been a week of high highs and low lows. My Parents were here which was AMAZING and my sister had a baby which was UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING-one of the best high highs you can have. But, we have been plagued with Pink eye and laryngitis- very low lows. Seeing your children with swollen caked shut eyes in the morning is pretty bad. It has made me very thankful for the usual healthy family that I do have and I can't wait to get life back to "normal" with healthy self & kids.

Beckett is now sitting up which is very fun! Quinn is practically talking in sentences and it's amazing to be able to communicate with him so well. They are both such fun boys and I love being their mom.

Here are a few pics from the week:

Beckett & Papa Josh

This is ice, on the INSIDE of our window

He wasn't too excited about the short trip we did take outside, he fell asleep w/ a sour face

Brenna Grace

2010-12-14T03:19:00.000-08:00

My little sister, Heather, had a baby girl on Friday night! Her name is Brenna Grace Macleod, she weighted 8lbs 1oz and is 21 inches long. She has a FULL head of beautiful black hair and looks just like Heather did when she was a baby.

Heather's water broke 9 days early and my parents were here in Scotland visiting us. I know it was hard for them being so far away from her when Brenna came but they are already on their way back and will be with her soon.

I'm SO proud of my little sis. When skyping with her after Brenna was born I watched her in amazement. She looked so calm and confident holding little Brenna. As many of you know Heather is the dramatic McDowell. She is the one that makes us all laugh, keeps the surprises coming, always has drama and has a spastic fun loving personality. She is the typical "baby" of the family. Watching her as a mom, holding little Brenna I saw a new and very real calmness to her. It's hard for me to even explain. She just looked like she had known Brenna her whole life and nothing else in the world mattered except this little baby girl.

Beckett and I are flying to over to California to meet Brenna on December 30th! I'm so excited to spend a whole week with my family and get to know our new addition.

I LOVE YOU BRENNA GRACE!!!!

My two sweet nieces, Shauna & Brenna.

Look at that hair, isn't it amazing!

First stop on the way home from the hospital! Chic-fil-a, of course.

Groovin at McDonalds

2010-12-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Katie and the Mighty Quinn dancing at McDonalds. Quinn loves to go to McDonalds and he loves to dance, so it is a pretty good day for him! You'll see in the video the only thing that he doesn't like is when the music stops, prompting a "more, more!?"

Little b!!!

2010-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our little Beckett (affectionately known as "little b") is so much fun these days. He is such an easy going and playful baby.

He is growing everyday, here are a few of his latest achievements:
-He turned 5 months old on the 26th
-He got his first tooth this week-bottom right
-He got his first immunization shots on Thanksgiving day and took it like a champ.
-He weighs 15lbs 13oz (double his birth weight)
-He gets scratched almost everyday by his brother and quickly forgives since Quinn is his favorite person.
-He is sleeping 12hrs a night with often one feed around 4:30am, but sometimes he just goes all the way through (his older bro has been sleeping 13hrs a night 7pm-8am)

Here are some pics from the last few days

This pic is of our garden, our windows are the 4 to the right of the pipe, with the flower boxes

Well...if you got this far on the blog you may have noticed something a little strange, or maybe not. Two of the photos above are not Beckett but actually Quinn at the same age. They look quite a bit alike, can you guess which ones are NOT Beckett???

Winter approaches...

2010-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

It is cold here in Edinburgh. Winter is approaching with great speed and this means that the boys spend more time indoors. Life gets a little crazy when cabin fever hits a two year old. Here are a few pictures of the action.

Regarding the pictures of Quinn scrubbing the floor and doing the dishes, those activities were entirely self-initiated. He has a "thing" for doing the dishes and anything with water seems to entertain him.

Also, this picture below of Quinn sitting on his chair on his table...it's not a grimace on his face, he's attempting to smile. It's hilarious to watch his perfect, natural, smile deteriorate into a grimace in an attempt to please the camera.

Q loves Packages!!!

2010-11-18T03:45:00.000-08:00

The boys got a few packages in the mail this week for Quinn's birthday. Here they are on the couch opening them. Right before they arrived, Quinn was drawing and I turned away for just a second and well....you can see what happened. There is never a dull moment in this Isaak household.

Quinn Turns TWO!!!

2010-11-14T13:16:00.001-08:00

Today marks two years that Quinn has been making us smile and laugh. We celebrated his birthday a few days ago when his Grammy McDowell was here. He got some pretty sweet gifts for turning two and we have been having fun watching him discover new things. All day long he is busy playing with his new Legos, Bristle Blocks, bath letters and Early Rider Balance Bike. We are still waiting to get his helmet in the mail, so his bike riding has only been inside.

Quinn enjoying his chocolate chip birthday cookie. I think he licked the whole thing like it was an ice cream.

Here are a few facts about the Mighty Quinn:
His favorite person: Beckett
His favorite phrase: Boo Yay (he got it off an old school Sesame Street show)
His favorite daily activity: watching the street sweeper go by and dancing when he hears music
His "happy place": throwing rocks into the water at the pond
His favorite food: 10% fat yogurt (who wouldn't love that)
His least favorite activity: brushing his teeth
His favorite words: all "ing" words (dancing, looking, loving, coming, etc)
His favorite thing to wear: his wellies (aka rubber boots)
His favorite thing to see: Police Yo-yo (aka Police Motorcycle)
His favorite thing in the whole wide world: his "dede"(aka soother)

Quinn's favorite person "little B"

Playing in the bath with his new letters, holding up his favorite one

His new Balance Bike (the COOLEST thing ever) and wearing his new wellies

Fast asleep in the stroller on a walk with his beloved Dede

He looks happy here, but you should see him when he has to really brush them

Hanging out with the Police Yo-Yo's

He is usually happy as long as he can be double fisted with rocks and looking for water

Butterfly farm and more....

2010-10-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

Jerry has been out of town for the past 5 days on a course-so I have been trying to get creative with things to do with just the boys. We have been taking a lot of outings as I find it easier when we are out having fun and there is stuff to see and do. Our flat can feel quite small when we are here for a long time. Yesterday we went to a butterfly farm. It was amazing, I loved it and so did Quinn. It also had an insect, reptile and bee farm connected to it. He was running around going crazy and was SO sad to leave. Hopefully we can go back again soon. (my camera freaked out a little going from cold outside to really warm inside-so the pics are a little blurry).

Here are a few pics of our past few days:

Having fun pretending to take a bath in Beckett's duck.

Getting a little goofy.

A butterfly decided to land on our stroller and hung out with us most of the walk through.

Quinn loved the butterflies but didn't want to get too close.

We say all the different stages of the larva. It was really incredible.

I think Quinn's favorite part of the butterfly farm was the HUGE snakes.

Beckett hanging out in the stroller. He also really loved looking around.

Quinn got his own mail from Auntie Anika today, he was VERY excited!

He spread it all out to look at all of it. The police car stickers were the BIG hit!

Quinn loves to sit at his little table and draw. Since the big couch fiasco (see below) I now count all the markers when putting then away.

The couch fiasco. Luckily they were washable markers...and came right out. phew....

Quinn and Beckett LOVE to dance together, especially in front of the mirror.

Little B ready for an outing.

Funny Boys

2010-10-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

I (Katie) spend most of my time with two very funny little guys. They bring me much joy (and yes, sometimes a lot of stress) and make everyday different and special.

Beckett the Brave is such a sweet and fun baby. He smiles so much. Lately I have had to start ignoring him while I nurse or else he will stop and just look at me and smile. He wont stop smiling and start nursing again until I look away. He is also quite a tough wee one (trying to use some British terms) as he often gets "bonked" by a slightly bigger wee one and just turns the other cheek. This baby brings me so much joy, I LOVE holding him and kissing his cheeks. He has started waking up once at night, so I guess his baby status has been downgraded from "perfect" to "unbelievably amazing." I don't think I could ask for an easier baby.

The Mighty Quinn is at such a fun and busy (well, he has always been busy) age. He is learning new words every day and starting to put them together. We often hear him yelling, "Oh, Oh, Look, Beckett, Look, Police Car-whowhowho." He is often found SPRINTING through our house to get to the window, climb up the chair and look at either the police car or the sweeper truck going by.If he misses it, he throws up his hands and yells "gone" like it's just the end of the world.

He is starting to use the words: hot, cold, this, that, under, over, on, etc. It's amazing how you explain things to him once and then he often starts using it right away. I love watching him discover and learn.

He is OBSESSED with sharks right now (taking after his Uncle Sean). Jerry downloaded a pod cast where the sharks bump into the camera, so he often says "movie, shark, BUMP camera"and then we play him the 2min video and he gets so excited and cheers.

He also loves hippos. Nana taught him that hippos open their mouths really big and lean their heads back (after seeing it at the zoo). Now every time someone opens their mouth he calls them a hippo. Beckett gets called a hippo at least 5x a day.

He also loves the bagpipes. Well, I think he does. Whenever he hears them he starts shaking his head up and down really fast-I'm not sure if he is trying to head bang or maybe it gives him a head ach.

He has also been learning the words "man" and "lady." The problem with living in Scotland is that some men wear kilts and therefore they get called a "lady" by Quinn.

3 weeks!

2010-10-07T06:30:00.001-07:00

Today marks three weeks that I (Katie) and the boys have been living in Scotland. We are doing great and are adjusting to life in a new country. Many things are similar and MANY things are quite different.

Here a few major differences:

THE LANGUAGE: Yes, they speak English here but MANY words are different (what to us almost seems "old school"). I have actually been surprised that the accent hasn't been a big issue for me.

THE FLAT: We live on the "1st" floor, which to us is actually the "2nd" floor. Which means that every time I leave the flat I have to be very prepared. I first run the stroller down and then run back up to grab Beckett & Quinn. Then when we get home, I run the boys up and then run back down to bring up the stroller.
I'm also getting use to having a small water heater, hanging up all my clothes to dry, having to actually "switch" outlets on so that I can use them, and so on and so on.

TRANSPORTATION: We walk everywhere or take the bus. I am surprised how much I really love this. It has also helped with loosing baby weight-I'm not even trying to loose weight and it's just "falling off" from all the walking and stairs. Also from being so busy with two that half the time I forget to even eat until I'm starving.

GROCERY SHOPPING: I can only buy what I can carry. Products are different-which is fun to explore what people here eat. Also, they don't give cookies to kids, which means my shopping time isn't quite as enjoyable for Quinn.

TIME: We have been spoiled to have had A LOT of time together as a family since Quinn was born. With Jerry doing his masters he is in class from 9:30-5:00 and then has A LOT of reading. For the first time we feel like once we get the kids to bed we fall over and are exhausted. We also have to look for babysitters-so our time just together will be a lot less. The good part about this has been that we have realized that TIME for us is a priority in the future. We DON'T want jobs that will keep us apart or make it so we are exhausted everyday. It's just not worth it. I'm SO glad that I have a husband that will always put family first and I know would never become obsessed with work.

Well...that is enough for now. There will be a lot more updates in the future.

Overall, we are having a great time. We live in a wonderful area and have found a great church. We feel like moving to a new country is like getting to live another life-you get to discover how another "world" works. Very fun. Especially when you know it's just for a time, not forever. We do miss home and family VERY MUCH.

Weekend on the farm

2010-10-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Pictures from our weekend at the Burnett's farm. A great time was had by all.

First Week in Scotland!

2010-09-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

We've moved to Scotland and will post more details later. Here are a few pictures from our first week together in Edinburgh.

On the go....

2010-09-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we haven't been very good at blogging lately. Jerry has been in Scotland for 3 weeks now and I (Katie) have been in Abbotsford with Quinn & Beckett. We leave a week from today and can't wait to be together again. Life just isn't as sweet when you aren't with the one that you love the most.

Here is a picture of our sweet Beckett. He is 2.5months now and is such a "dream baby." He is so very sweet, gives lots of smiles, eats very fast and sleeps though the night.

Here is a picture of Quinn, the big brother. He is such a rascal and keeps me laughing throughout the day.

I love these boys so much.

We miss you, Jerry. See you soon.

At the Beach

2010-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures of a recent day at Larabee State Park.

We've had Uncle Carl's hammock out on the back deck and Quinn has enjoyed swinging around in it.

Overnight on Mount Sir Donald

2010-07-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I (Jerry), met up with my friend Warren, from Calgary, in Glacier National Park (B.C.), to attempt a climb of Mt. Sir Donald.

It was an almost perfect weekend, with great weather and excellent climbing. However, because of traffic delays we started the approach to the mountain at 8 pm on Friday evening and slept at a lower bivy than we would have liked. A bit of route finding confusion in the morning caused more delay and we started climbing at 9:20am on Saturday. The climbing was fairly easy and loads of fun. However, our late start caused us to turn around at 4:20pm, about 150 vertical meters from the summit. We started the descent and were 3/4 of the way down when we ran out of daylight, about 10:30pm. Routefinding and downclimbing on scree and rock covered ledges is not a great time in the dark, especially with severe consequences for errors. So we made a ledge and clipped in for the night. It was a beautiful night. We were somewhat comfortable, given the circumstances, but we didn't get more than 15 minutes of sleep. Warren's exact words were, "This hotel sucks!" But we both agreed that the view was excellent. At about 3:30am we started to get some light and we made our way down the rest of the mountain.

It was a great way to say goodbye, temporarily, to the mountains of B.C. as we head off the Scotland next month.

The following pictures are from our way up. On the way down we were rather busy...

This picture is, the only one, from the internet. It shows Mount Sir Donald from a distance.

Starting the ridge...

Hiking in on the moraine in the morning with Sir Donald casting a huge shadow behind us.

Simulclimbing through most of the ridge we made decent time, we thought...

Warren, about halfway up.

The summit looks tantalizingly close...it wasn't!

Boys of Summer

2010-07-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

The weather has been heating up here in B.C. and we've spent more time outside recently. Quinn has loved playing at water parks and in a kiddie pool in my parents backyard. We occasionally go to Lynden to the Lynden City Park, which has an excellent toddler play area and has a creek running through the park. Quinn loves to throw rocks in the creek and wade in and out and across.

Here Quinn has found a "Big One!" (big rock).

Quinn and Beckett are learning to love each other, a journey that we all take throughout our lives. Learning to give and receive love, one of the aspects of life that is unique to humanity.

There are a few hiccups on the road!

Playing with diggers and sand at Papa and Nana Isaak's house.

Isaak Boys

2010-07-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I, Jerry, did some practice shaving with Quinn yesterday. It was a big hit with him, though he had to learn not to lick the shaving cream. Quinn is a big ham in front of any mirror, so shaving is also fun for making funny faces and noises in front of the mirror.

I would do a couple passes on my face and then flip the razor to use the backside to "shave" Quinn's beard.

He did try to taste the razor and the cream. Live and learn is his motto these days.

Baby Beckett's beard isn't quite ready yet, so he took a pass on shaving.

He is a sweet natured baby and we are enjoying this stage of his life.

My knight in shinning armor!

2010-07-11T21:17:00.001-07:00

10 years ago this week I met the man of my dreams and 8 years ago this week I got to marry him! Yep...it's been 8 years, time just flies when you are having fun. We went on an anniversary date tonight (Thanks Nana & Papa for babysitting) and it made me think of all the great things we have done together in the past 8 years. It's definitely been an adventure:

We have lived in 3 countries and 7 different places, visited 13 countries together and 12 apart, had 2 wonderful children, worked together as ski instructors, Upward Bound coaches and fishing lodge staff, learned to ski tour, scuba dive & rock climb , shared 3 university graduations and many other great adventures.

Of all the great adventures we have had (and look forward to having) we KNOW that the very best is the adventure of loving one another and loving our children. Life isn't always perfect and sometimes we even disappoint each other. But, we have come to really realize that in understanding our imperfections and learning to be honest with one another our marriage will continue to grow deeper and more beautiful.

I look forward to many more years with Jerry (he says at least 71 as he really wants us both to live to over 100).

Here is a picture from that beautiful July day in 2002:

8 years later...our little family!

Baby Beckett

2010-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

The first 2 weeks with Beckett in our family have been great. He is a wonderful baby. He sleeps and eats well and is putting on weight. Quinn is enthralled with his younger brother and literally sprints across the room when he hears him cry or whimper. We are so blessed to have two healthy boys.

2 Little Monkeys

2010-06-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

My (Jerry) sister Anika came over on Tuesday and took a few pictures of Beckett and some family pictures. She has a great eye for pictures and design. Yesterday she sent us a few pictures as a preview.

Here are our two little monkeys. Since being somewhat still is a requirement of family photos Quinn had difficulty fulfilling the requirements. This photo is one of the more successful ones.

Beckett McDowell Isaak - 26.06.10

2010-06-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday evening we welcomed Beckett McDowell Isaak to the world. Here are a few pictures from the past few days.

More Pictures...

2010-06-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Exciting, Exasperating, Exhausting... Quinn

2010-06-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

It is fairly well known that Quinn is a genius. Everyone thinks this is true, his mother, his Nana, his Grammy, me (his dad) and our landlady Mrs. Sidhu. It is basically unanimous. What is less well known is that Quinn is also quite eccentric, which is a special type of genius. Everyday we are privileged to see his genius and eccentricity in action.

Recently he has become increasingly verbal, "reading" books out loud and providing commentary. However, Quinn is not satisfied to read in conventional spaces, he prefers small places that are at least somewhat difficult to establish. We have a few pictures of him in action.

This picture below is how we found Quinn one morning, reclining in the infant bathtub and enjoying the sophistication of "In The Town", the 1975 edition.

Yesterday we found him sitting on his Elmo, or "MoMo", chair that had been lifted into a toy box. He maneuvered himself into the box and onto the chair for a few chapters of "The Three Bears."

In this picture Quinn isn't reading, he's "doing the dishes".

He will often insist on having one or more of his stuffed animals eat with him. In this picture Sasha the Elephant is sharing breakfast with the Mighty.

Quinn is such a wildcard that we have no idea what to expect from his younger brother. We're pretty sure it will be entertaining!

My little look alike!

2010-06-05T22:24:00.001-07:00

Most people say "Quinn looks just like his daddy." I do think Q looks a lot like Jerry but I honestly think that he looks more like me:).

Here is a picture I found today of me when I was around Quinn's age. Now honestly, does he not look like my little boy???

I can't wait to see what Quinn's baby brother looks like (still no name chosen...yikes as it's 2 weeks away). I refuse to be the person that goes to the hospital w/out a name but I'm starting to get nervous.

I'm a Canadian CITIZEN!!!

2010-05-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today I swore my allegiance to the Queen (in both French & English) and became a Canadian Citizen! It was a great ceremony and I couldn't be more proud to be a Canadian. I have come to really love this country and am so thankful that I get to be a part of it. I love being both American & Canadian!

While singing the national anthem at the end of the ceremony I had tears in my eyes. I'm not sure if it was because I was so excited to be a Citizen or so excited that the endless paperwork for this chapter of my life is finally over (although still years to go w/ Jerry's paperwork).

Here are a few pics from the great day!

This isn't the Queen, though I'm sure she wishes she was there. This is the Judge who presided over the ceremony.

I became a citizen with 98 others, from 17 different countries.

Summer Fun

2010-05-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

This week has been warmer than normal and Quinn has loved playing outside in the sun. He really like his backyard pool and enjoys dumping buckets of water on himself.

Daily Adventures with The Mighty

2010-05-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

As you may have seen in a previous post, Quinn has been able to climb out of his crib for over a month now. So we now have him sleeping in a camping style crib with mesh netting around and zipped on top. I call it the cage because he can't get out, yet. One of the funny things he does with the cage is climb in and out of it whenever the top isn't zipped on. In the mornings, or any other time he wants his soother, he will run back to the cage, climb up the side and flip into it headfirst. He then rises victoriously with soothers in mouth and in hand. Here is a video of the action...

Quinn absolutely loves watching videos of himself in action. I find it hilarious so I took a video of him watching the above video. Each time the video ends he says "Again!" He could watch it a hundred times in a row.

Afternoon at the Zoo

2010-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

We took Quinn to the Zoo one afternoon last week. Our plan was to rent a family 4-wheel bike and ride around, but Quinn didn't really like the bike initially, so we walked around a while before he settled on the bike after realizing he had his own steering wheel.

If you ask Quinn to "Give your brother a kiss", this is what he does.

Quinn and the dishes

2010-04-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Recently Quinn has been very keen to wash the dishes. He loves to stand on a chair at the sink and make noise with spoons on cups and pots. He is so persistent that he will take a chair and push it all the way across the kitchen and dining room to the sink, so that he can stand and "do the dishes.

"

Super Mama of the Week

2010-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Katie is the best, Quinn and I think so, and the internet does too! Well, she was featured as Super Mama of the Week on www.littlelunalu.com.
LittleLunaLu is a online kids boutique based in London (England) owned and operated by Katie's friend Adina. Check out this post to read Katie's Super Mama interview!

April 25th Skiing

2010-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

In most places Spring has arrived by April 25th, but Winter still reigns in the North Cascade mountains. Yesterday I (Jerry) went with a couple friends to attempt a ski ascent of Mt.Shuksan. The avalanche hazard was too high for us to make it to the summit, but we had some excellent skiing in 50 cm of fresh snow. It was a great day out and made me thankful to live so close to such an amazing environment.

Tulip Festival

2010-04-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend Katie, Quinn, Papa and Nana Isaak, Uncle Jonathan and Auntie Anika and baby Naomi all went to the annual tulip festival in Agassiz, a short drive from where we live. I, Jerry, was enjoying sunny Spring skiing at Mount Baker with a friend.

Below are a few pics of the fun at the tulip festival and a few in Papa and Nana's garden.

Family Pictures

2010-04-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

This past Christmas my (Katie) whole family took professional photos for a gift to my parents. We also benefited from the great gift:). Unfortunately, it was the day that Quinn got sick, he wasn't feeling his best. We still got some fun shots.

If you visit The John Robert Woods Photography site you can see some of the photos.

Caught on Tape

2010-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Quinn has always been a good climber. This past week he learned how to climb out of his crib. He makes it look surprisingly easy.

Seattle Weekend

2010-04-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Seattle w/ Jerry's parents (Quinn's Nana & Papa). We spent two nights and had a lot of adventures. We went to the Seattle Zoo on Saturday and had a great time. It was a little cold but Quinn got to join a lot of kids in an Easter egg hunt and see a lot of new animals. We also enjoyed some great food, coffee, beach time (if throwing rocks into the water counts as "beach time") and shopping. Here are a few pics from our weekend.

At the Zoo, when Quinn makes the noise of an elephant he puts his arm up like a trunk (Thank you, Grammy, for teaching him this)

On an Easter Egg hunt at the zoo, all bundled up from the cold

At the beach in Mukilteo, WA

And one to make you laugh, when Quinn escaped after his bath and we found him on the chair cheering for the hockey game that was playing on our computer

Quinn's Musical Performance

2010-03-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Quinn recently learned how to play the harmonica and dance at the same time! Here is a video of his first recital!

Almond Butter Delight!

2010-03-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

If any of you know me (Katie), even just a little, you know that I LOVE Trader Joe's. We make a bi-monthly trip to the US just to stock up on our favorite Joe's items. When I first started shopping there with my friend Jenny in Chicago she told me that every time she goes she gets a new product. I quickly adopted the tradition and have been doing it now for years. I have found so many new products that I love. One of the GREAT things about Trader Joe's is that if you don't like something you can bring it back, no questions asked. I love trying things and if I don't like (which is rare) then I do bring them back and try something else.

My new Trader Joe's obsession: Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, Crunchy & Salted
I have been eating it with a sliced apple (I prefer Ambrosia or Pink Lady)

It's DELICIOUS and healthy and cost under $4!

THANK YOU, JOE!!!!

Growing fast...

2010-03-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Quinn is growing up so fast. He is saying new words almost everyday and doing the most hysterical things.

Here is a list of Quinn's top 10 things to do during the day:
10) pick up the phone, put it to his ear, and say "yeah, yeah, yeah"
9) steal mommy's chap stick from her bed side and run like crazy
8) hide in small spaces, mostly the closet and then say "whereareyou"
7) rummage through our recycle bin, trying to put lids on containers
6) open up the pantry doors and take stuff out, we find kitchen items all over the house
5) find dad's head lamp and start blowing on it (when I was little my dad always made the car light go on/off by blowing at it-we have carried this on with Quinn and now he blows when he wants a light to go on/off)
5) grab our camera, bring it to us, and start smiling with his eyes all squinty
4) put on his rain boots and wear them around the house
3) look out the window for birds and then yell to them
2) dance, dance, dance when we put music on (he gets it from his mom)
1) put buckles (from his high chair, dad's helmets, etc) together and then say "Please" for us to take them apart so he can do it again, this can literally go on for what seems like hours

Here are a few pics of the craziness.

The Squinty Smile

Hiding in the closet/dad's sock drawer

Blowing at the headlamp

Wearing boots with his pj's

Squinty Eyes and Olympic Hopes

2010-02-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of Quinn's squinty smile, as requested.

The following pictures are of Quinn in the custom bobsled I built for him. It has his number, #1 of course, his name and his two Olympic teams logo's on the side.

Here he is watching moguls skiing.

Squinty eyed in his Team Canada jersey.

Goggled up for the race.

Winner!

Olympic Torch!

2010-02-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went a block away from Jerry's parents house to watch the Olympic Torch come through. Abbotsford had a huge Olympic evening welcoming the torch and it was really quite fun. Quinn loved all the people, lights, flags and running space. He even got an Olympic pin from Gordon Campbell, B.C.'s Premier (like a state governor, for the American's). We are very excited about hosting the 2010 Olympics, we just wish there was more snow.

Frineds & Faces

2010-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we were blessed to have Kari & Copeland come to visit all the way from Alabama. We had a wonderful 3 days together! Quinn and Copland are quite the buddies and had fun playing together.

Quinn has also been into making new faces. Our favorite is when he smiles with squinty eyes. He continues to entertain us and make us laugh.

Family Pictures

2010-01-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

When we were in California over Christmas we, the children, gave Katie's parents a family photo shoot as a present. There are many wonderful pictures of everyone in the family, we've uploaded a few of our favorites. Unfortunately, Quinn was feeling under the weather that day and wasn't his usual grinning self, as you can see from one of the pictures.

The photographer's name is John Robert Woods. He is based out of Los Angeles and has an excellent blog of his recent work. You can check it out here.

Papa and Nana's Work

2010-01-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Here's Quinn at Papa's workshop, testing the height of one of the cabinets.

I (Jerry) was looking through my dad's website today and was, as usual, impressed by the beautiful craftsmanship and artistry of his work. My parents have started a company named "Retroline Cabinet Company" but my dad describes it as more than just cabinets or kitchens, their passion is for creating living spaces that enhance the home and the experience of people within the space.

Click on the links above to go to their website and look at his work and read their story. I always enjoy meeting or learning about people who are passionately excellent in their work, if you're like me you'll enjoy perusing the website... If this sounds like an advertisement, it's not (though if you need changes in your home you won't find a better product), I'm just proud of my parents and thought people would enjoy seeing their work.

Bluebird Monday

2010-01-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

I (Jerry) went for a ski-tour on Monday near the Mt.Baker ski area. We had great weather and were the only people in the area. It was a fun start to the week. Mt. Shuksan is the snow covered peak in the upper right of the picture below.

The Soother (Pacifier) Experiment

2010-01-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

Quinn has always enjoyed his soother/pacifier. He is particular to the brand that we received while in the hospital after his birth. They are usually on hand to help him fall asleep at nap times or at night. Below is a video of a recent experiment we conducted regarding Quinn and his soothers.

A few months ago we started noticing that the soothers were disappearing. We knew that we lose them while traveling or out on the town, for example, we've lost soothers into both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (actually hurled by Quinn, as protest) and on the streets of various cities. When we noticed the disappearing we knew that they must be somewhere in the house. We looked literally everywhere, we thought. As a result of losing so many soothers we had bought at least 10 in addition to the 3 we already owned. One night when Quinn was awake at 2:00am and crying Katie, holding Quinn and trying to comfort him, said to me that we were out of soothers and that I should go into Quinn's room to search for one. I went into his room not expecting success. We were fairly desperate though, so I turned on the light and looked under and around his crib...it was fruitless as usual. Then I had made the last ditch effort and reached between his crib and the wall...I found one! Victory was at hand, but I was greedy for more and peeked over the bumper of the crib and saw 9 soothers pinned between the crib and the wall. It was incredible, we had always searched beneath the crib and in it, but these were hidden in the no man's land, suspended in Quinn's hiding place.

This video shows what happens when Quinn is unexpectedly shown all his soothers at once...

Addition to the Family

2010-01-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Quinn is going to be a big brother at the end of June! We were surprised and excited to find out that Katie is pregnant, and we're looking forward to this new adventure.

Here are a few pictures of the big brother sporting his new haircut, his first.

He received, among other things, a train for Christmas this year. He enjoys putting the blocks on and, of course, dumping them off.

What a Zoo!

2009-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Quinn's Nana and Papa Isaak gave us Vancouver Zoo memberships for Christmas this year and we've already been twice. Quinn loves all the animals, especially the big cats, but his favorite is...the crows. Yup, he likes perhaps the least exotic animal "in the zoo". At least it is a true wild animal. The past couple of days we have spent much time at the window in his room looking for birds and tapping on the glass to get them to fly by.

Face off between the Mighty Quinn and the King of the Beasts. I think Quinn would like to grab his mane and poke his nose.

The giraffe was gracious enough to appear in our photo.

He was upset with me for not tipping him for the picture.

The Lure of Yoghurt Powder

2009-12-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning while I (Jerry) was attempting to finish washing the dishes, Quinn interrupted me by bringing an almost empty bag of dried Yogurt pieces. He wanted me to open the bag and kept shaking it around, hoping to force the bag open by the sheer velocity of his action. He wouldn't leave me alone so I opened the bag and emptied it onto the tray of his high chair that I had placed on the ground. When I finished the dishes and turned around I quickly got the camera and took photos in between fits of laughter. This is what I saw...

He has such an expressive nature, here are a few of his "faces".

This last picture is his victory smirk, it cracks me up every time.