4 Wakegijigs Chillin' In Iqaluit

Grace is now 5 years old!!

2011-12-04T22:41:00.012-05:00

....and what a party!
Hat-making, pin the tusk on the narwhal, a pinata, helium balloons.... lots of fun!
AND... Grace embraced the idea of not receiving presents from her friends - instead they each brought $5 or $10 and she has put the money towards one gift for herself (a muscial jewellery box) and some gifts for the angel tree at the Northmart
A special thank you goes to Joevy for helping with the flags and other preparation (including Connor's card for Grace!), to Alma for creating the beautiful hat craft station, and to Christina and Monique for facilitating the cupcake decorating extravaganza!
I'm not sure why the photos are clustered like this, but you can click on any to see a larger version :)
Also, I have just created two posts today, so if you click on "older post" on the bottom, you will see some other news :)

And, we also went to Grace's first parent-teacher interview! Madame Mihaela is very pleased with Grace's progress in learning French, and tells us that Grace is kind to her classmates :) This isn't a surprise to us. We're so proud of both her and Connor.

News since June?

2011-12-04T22:27:00.003-05:00

Well.... we haven't been taking many photos, but here are some highlights from the last few months....

Alma put on a huge and beautiful feast for John's an my birthday, complete with wonton soup, spring rolls, and a beautiful cake... and wonderful company!

Grace has a beautiful new parka made by our friend Ooleepika in Pang!

Grace is also now enrolled in Sparks! (girl guides for 4-5 year olds)

Connor has started skating lessons, and is a really determined little athlete!

And of course, we can't forget halloween, and our little pumpkin and witch - Grace is the witch with the green face.... she had so many parties, that by the time trick-or-treating came around, it was almost anti-climactic - with her hat left at school and her dress all tattered... :)

August... camping and first day of school for Grace!

2011-08-31T22:50:00.008-04:00

Well, August came and went in a hurry! Highlights included pitching our tents near a friend's cabin on a bay across the river, and doing some hiking. We were really impressed with Grace's endurance on a long hike! Connor had a slightly easier task... sleeping on mom's back.

We then enjoyed the fort kit that Uncle Gregor and family gave us, for a little indoor camping.

And of course, the biggest change of all is that this past Monday, Grace started school!

One final honourable mention for cute moments is Connor's way of talking is really sweet right now. He was enjoying some muffin batter the other day and I started to put things away, and he told me he wanted "one wast wick......... pweeease"

May, June, July 2011

2011-08-08T23:18:00.004-04:00

Shortly after our last blogg entry, we all went to Wiky - John's dad passed away early in May.

Since returning from Ontario, there have been a few significant events, including Grace's graduation from french pre-school, and the news that she has been accepted to the French school for the fall.

Funny Story

I recently found 2 wish bones that I'd set aside to dry.
We explained to the kids how it works, pull on your side with your pinky until it breaks, and if you get the big piece in the middle, your wish will come true. The big piece flew off the one that Grace and I pulled. When Grace was sad, John suggested that both our wishes might come true...
Then it was Connor's turn, and he got the big part of the bone! We asked him what he wished for and he pointed at the big bone and said "this"!

Here's a little video that tells a tale!

Bucka and Nana were here for 2 weeks at the beginning of July - there was a big arts festival called Alianait. It was fantastic! It was also Bucka's birthday when he was here.

During the festival, we found a cockatiel outside. The short story is that we found the owners who also had a couple of siblings we could have if we wanted. We now have 2 cockatiels named Alianait and Sparkles.

2011-05-01T17:45:00.008-04:00

Just organized our photos alittle and realized some events in our life haven`t made it to the blogg.....

Connor`s birthday party was on February 13 - we didn`t take a whole lot of photos, but 5 or 6 of his little friends and their parents came over - there were snacks and lots of fun - we capitalized on the Valentine`s decorations and had a heart theme!

Next - a sampling of some of our activities around the house - Connor has brought a rough-and-tumble element to our home. And there`s another photo of the kids with their little friend next door having dinner and a movie...
And this is the peak time of year for playing outside! Skidooing and sledding - long days of daylight, warmer weather - it`s fantastic!

Here are some shots of some of the action around Easter time...

With Connor`s current 5:30am wake-up time, it wasn`t too hard to drag myself out of bed to catch the royal wedding. Grace and I had a little slumber party the night before, got up and dressed up, made some hot chocolate and other treats.... but not all of us were able to stay focused and/or awake...... as you can see from the photos and very short video below....

1st Hair Cut, Special Trip, New Additions

2011-02-08T22:03:00.009-05:00

Well, in major news, Connor has turned two (party planned this weekend) and had his first hair cut. He was very handsome before AND after his cut :)

A couple of weeks ago, Grace joined me on some work travel to Ottawa and had a great time with her Bucka and Nana and then she and I caught a train to Quebec City for the Carnaval d'hiver. We had a great time, as these photos will tell you. From carriage rides, to ferris wheel rides, parades, visits to the aquarium - it was a really nice time...

In our couple of hours' stopover in Ottawa before flying home to Iqaluit, we stopped in at PetSmart for Connor's birthday present...

Bambi, Bonhomme and Josette thankfully survived the flight home carefully enclosed in the cargo hold, and have settled in nicely....

4 Years With Grace!

2010-12-22T23:59:00.011-05:00

Unbelievably, Grace turned four on the 1st of December!
Nana and Bucka were here to mark the occasion, and we started with a family party....

And on the weekend, we had a big cowgirl shin-dig for our favourite cowgirl! The kids started by decorating their own horses, and playing a "feed the horses" game (potatoes on a spoon)....

Then we fed the cowboys and girls... and launched into some horsey games!

A special thank you to Dina and alma for helping to make this a success!

Some other fun stuff - Grace has a new bed ... .with a slide...

While Bucka and Nana were here, a friend came over to show us how she likes to prepare seal meat and we enjoyed a little feast together too :)

Connor's Trip to Meet Great Grandma Sneddon in Scotland

2010-12-22T23:30:00.005-05:00

A major highlight of November was when I took Connor to Scotland for 5 days to meet his Great Grandma Edith Sneddon, who is 97 years old. He has been quite the traveller lately, also travelling with his dad to Wiky in October.

Connor was a wonderful little travel companion - none of my concerns about long flights or lay-overs with a boy who's not yet two years old were warranted - we had a great time together and he is great company. As you can see below, the place where Grandma lives has lots of space for running around, hide and seek, and not pictured here, beautiful grounds.... I was so proud of my little son and it was such a wonderful experience... Grandma and Connor got along great, and games of peek-a-boo and fun little shared jokes abounded.... It was wonderful to spend time again with the remarkable woman I'm proud to call my Grandmother.

Memories of... Summer 2010

2010-12-22T22:46:00.014-05:00

Well, we had a nice long summer break this year and packed in lots of activity, including visits in Ottawa and at a cottage near Ottawa, which included great visits with the Sneddons, with good friends, and a 70th birthday (won't mention whose)....
You can click on any of these photos to make them bigger.

We also spent a few weeks on Manitoulin Island, where, of course we had so much fun and were so busy visiting, we hardly took any pictures - special highlights were staying in a teepee and then a small cabin at Gordon's Park, lots of play time with ALL the Wakegijig cousins, lots of time on the water and hanging at Waabejecho-chaap....

And, in other news, here are a few photos of some other things that have happened since the summer, including a princess party where there was a REAL princess... ask us about it sometime... check out the whirling princesses below! ... And then there was my "surprise" birthday party (Grace told me it would be a nice surprise if her friend nathan and his family came over for supper on my birthday and suggested I arrange it, which I did. It was a really nice surprise). We did a posting already about hallowe'en.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:30:00.008-04:00

Yes, a happy Halloween it has been - I'd better post some pics here before a full year goes by with no blogg activity...

Grace LOVES her cowgirl costume... has been sleeping with that horse, and wants a cowgirl birthday party now! Yeehaw!

Wobbly First Steps....

2010-04-12T21:34:00.003-04:00

Just trying a new way of loading videos... if you would prefer to see it on a larger screen, here's the youtube link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIR9I5_Ql6I

Easter and other excitement

2010-04-05T15:49:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm back at work full time, and we are starting to feel settled in our new house and our new rhythms. John and I are both really enjoying our work, and the kids are just a delight. Connor has been taking his first steps this weekend. We'll try to catch that on video soon, but let's get the Easter pics up before too long here...

As you can see, there was no shortage of bunnies over Easter. Grace is fascinated by the details of the Easter story. We had an egg decorating get-together and some friends in for dinner - but forgot to take photos! - lots of fun was had by all!

Here are a few photos of some outings we've had in the last couple of months. The weather is getting ever nicer - hopefully we will have some more shots of skidoo outings in the coming few weeks.

And finally, it's video time - this time featuring Connor doing his favourite routine of walking in circles leaning on a swivel chair, and also some typical Connor book-reading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fvoEom5Qa4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_UJ6fd4mvk

Coming soon... soulful interpretive dance by Grace Rock'n'wee-chick

Christmas and Connor's First Birthday!

2010-01-31T16:36:00.009-05:00

Grace and I unfortunately had the flu in the days leading up to Christmas, so it was a fairly low key celebration this year, but we did have a lovely time anyway. We are so very blessed.

It was a bit of a surprise when we received a call Christmas
Eve, and we were asked to be Mary, Jesus and Joseph at the family service... it was very special, and Grace was a little angel.

............................................................................................................ On other fronts, Connor is really growing up now - loves to pull himself up on things and open all the drawers and cupboards and get things out. And he loves peekaboo. Here's a link to a little Connor footage and a couple of photos. The you tube video is less than 2 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMLsYfPH8ko

Grace continues to be her curious, enthusiastic and bright little self - has started skating lately and really rises to the challenge! We've been having lots of fun with puppet shows lately too!

We had a low key celebration for Connor's first birthday this afternoon - our guests were unfortunately not able to make it due to a blizzard, but it was a nice event :) We also had some friends in for breakfast this morning to mark Connor's special day, but he actually napped through most of it.

Grace's 3rd Birthday!

2009-12-04T02:26:00.000-05:00

Well last Sunday was a blast! Grace had a birthday party... 7 little friends and some of their parents came over - we made party hats, had a parade, did the hokey pokey, played games, won prizes, ate snacks and cake... and the best part of all.... Nana and Bucka were here to join in on the fun! Here are a few pictures to tell the tale... (click on them to see them bigger!)

A few more photos from Nana and Bucka's visit....

Hallowe'en, crawling, and crafts...

2009-11-18T02:26:00.008-05:00

Well, it isn't easy dressing light as a fairy when there's snow on the ground, but Gracie managed to keep a lightness of being about her at Hallowe'en.... I'm not sure Connor saw the humour in his skunk costume, but everyone enjoyed comparing loot at Nathan's house after Trick or Treating!

Meet the two newest members of our household....

And now, drumroll please... a sequence of (SHORT) videos from Nov 6, 11 and 12 during which time Connor really got the whole crawling thing down.... starting with some attempts and finishing with locomotion (please feel no obligation here - but they're all under a minute, if you're curious). Sorry - can't seem to get it to embed this time... click on these links...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96i89pHGENY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s0i6NqMsVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKXirjrkkLM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP1_MJwTrcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WrcsJCxttk

Our new house, and what goes on inside

2009-10-09T10:27:00.005-04:00

Well, we returned to Pang from our summer holidays, and in 10 days we were moved back out and into our new home in Iqaluit. Needless to say it's been busy, so we haven't even posted anything about our fantastic summer. Here are some recent shots - we're so proud of our beautiful kids - and they sure do have fun together. Check out Connor's new teeth, and that cowlick isn't going away!

In the photo below, our house is close to the bottom right - it's a red house with a green roof - we love it - and it's close to some of our friends, to playgrounds and schools, and it has a great view!

Some June Pics

2009-06-21T19:22:00.010-04:00

Here are some photos from this weekend...

Grace and Connor and I have been spending lots of time with Amy and Henry these days. Here are some pics from the day Amy invited me and Grace to help decorate some cupcakes... and a cute shot of Grace and Hank.

Here are a few other shots from the last few weeks. Grace has been having a GREAT time playing with the kids up and down our street. Her little tent has been a real hit. One of the little girls insisted that everyone take their shoes off when they go inside... until a dog came and started snatching shoes...

And finally, here is a little video of Grace and her friend Maggie. Maggie is REALLY cute and lives two doors down. She's always trying the handles on our car, and if the door is open she climbs in and honks the horn. Maggie understands lots of English, but doesn't know how to say very many words. Grace seems to know what she means anyway as you can see here... just click on the triangle in the middle of the image below. You might have to wait for it to load before you can watch it.

May 09 Visit to Ottawa

2009-05-30T21:10:00.011-04:00

Well, Connor, Grace, Jennifer and Alma went on a trip to Ottawa where we packed in lots of good visiting with Grandma Wakegijig (who made the trip down from Wiky to see us - thanks!), cousin Gabby, Bucka and Nana (Sneddon), Uncle Gregor and Auntie Amanda (and soon-to-be-cousin-Will), a few Ottawa area friends and Jenn Maxwell who visited us from Victoria. Here, in no particular order, are some photos from our trip.

Go ahead and click on these to see larger versions :)

April 4th Skidoo Outing

2009-04-16T21:47:00.010-04:00

We went on a very memorable outing with our friends Amy and Ryan and their new baby Henry (Hank) - and with Sarah McMahon, who is new to Pang and took these fantastic photos. Enjoy. I am sure that the others did all kinds of interesting things outside the tent, but as luck would have it with the timing of baby needs, Amy and I spent most of the outing inside, changing diapers, feeding babies etc, but it was a really fun adventure. Kudos to Sarah for providing that third crucial pair of helping hands! Yes, those are polar bear prints that we saw while we were out!

Connor's Memoirs @ 2 months old

2009-03-23T19:51:00.013-04:00

Now that Connor is almost 2 months old (gulp!) we thought it was time for a retrospective on his life....

This is Connor and his pal Henry at a baby shower that our friend Mary held for the two of them on the weekend, and a photo taken today of Connor in his favourite swing and another in his bunting bag that we use to put him in and our of Jennifer's amautiq (traditional parka).

This is Grace baking up a storm for that baby shower, and just generally looking gorgeous. She is a terrific big sister, and just a delight to be around.

This is our nanny, Alma, holding Connor. She really makes our life much simpler, and she and Grace are best pals!

Here are some slightly older pics... notice the spiral cowlick on Connor's forehead!

And here are some faves from the day Connor was born (and day after)

Hallowe'en and a 2nd birthday!

2008-12-03T19:57:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by!

Grace was a little cow for Halloween - she can sure moo!

.... and her birthday party was a big hit - good times had by all.... some photos to tell the tale...

Spring/Summer 2008

2008-09-13T06:03:00.009-04:00

Well, our biggest news is that we're having another baby! Yup - February 7 is the due date, and we'll know on Monday if it's a boy or a girl! We're just thrilled, and we're also excited that our friends Amy and Ryan here in Pang are having a baby too (with the same due date!)

We've decided to deliver in Iqaluit again.

On the other hand, our friends Eryn and Andrew (or Nina's parents, as far as Grace is concerned) are leaving Pang, and will leave a big gap in our world here - that does seem to be part of Northern living though - people come and go from eachothers' lives. It seems that much harder when you're far from "home."

Well, Grace sure enjoyed seeing all of her cousins and grandparents and Aunties and Uncles and other buddies this summer (and so did we!)

We arrived back to Pang with a bit of a thud (no day care spot anymore), so we've been scrambling to find ways to work and be with Grace ever since. A solution is on the horizon, so that's good. In the meantime, let's reminisce about the days of summer.....

June / July Before Departing from Pang:

It was still fairly chilly until well into June, when you can see Grace having a little nap with a fleece hat on in my amautiq,and wearing a warm hat on the ATV with mummy. In July, it really warmed up and reached 20+ degrees by the time we left, but there were still ice bergs on that cold saltwater in the fiord. There are a couple of photos from Nina's birthday party. Doesn't Grace look sharp in her plaid pants? Nina and her family are moving away and we'll really miss them! There is also a shot from the day care - Grace LOVED it there, and you can see why! Way more exciting than hanging out with mom and dad.

August

In the last days of July, we took Grace to the Toronto Zoo, and headed up to Manitoulin on the Ferry. Those were two very exciting events, kicking off 3 weeks of holidaying on Manitoulin, where there were birthday parties, little crayfish and other wildlife to explore with dad, boat rides with Xavier's family, and generally lots of merry-making!

Back in Pangnirtung!

Well, we have arrived to incredible colours on the tundra! Well, and some new puppies on our street.

May Update

2008-05-13T10:53:00.003-04:00

Well, puddle season is upon us - here are a couple of shots from our porch:

Here are some recent pics of Grace, and some recent events!

Time is flying

2008-02-12T22:04:00.008-05:00

Well, I am realizing we haven't even posted about Christmas. We had a very beautiful Christmas here in Pangnirtung. There were LOTS of community events, and the whole community really celebrated together - through the community radio, games events, feasts, church services - a big skidoo parade.... it was very memorable (even though it seems like a long time ago!)

In the meantime, our babysitter has quit, so John and I are now working crazy hours to take care of Grace ourselves - though we are about to start a new arrangement with a new care-giver that looks like it's going to work out great! We probably have at least 6 months to wait for a day care spot. That is probably our biggest challenge living here, is finding child care!

Anyway, here is the usual photo update. I'm sure you'd like to see some stunning scenery, but for now, all you get is stunning Grace! She is just so amazing. Though she isn't walking on her own, she pushes around a little walker she has like a pro - and she tried to launch herself at me and take a step or two just the other night. She communicates with us SO much - most notably using the word "no", but she's working on a few others - and she knows LOTS of signs - we have been teaching her sign language - it's all the rage these days, and she has really picked it up and tells us all kinds of things (when she's hungry, when she needs to go to the potty, when she sees a bird or a cat, when she wants "more", that she wants to play...)

Gone are the days when she would lie there while you change her diaper!

This is Grace doing the sign for "banana" because there is a banana song on the stereo.

We don't catch her in Diva poses very often, but we couldn't let this one go.

This is Grace at her colouring station - she doesn't stay put long though!

One Year Old!!!

2007-12-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well, Grace has had her 1st birthday party!

A nice time was had by all - we had 5 of her little friends and their parents over - we played some games, had a nice supper - it was lots of fun for everyone!

I think the rest of the photos tell their own story. Sorry to include a "messy eating" picture. I used to think people staged those photos, and smeared food in their babies' hair... but Grace can do that just fine on her own!

Click on any of these to make them bigger.

Happy Hallowe'en

2007-10-31T21:16:00.000-04:00

Here is our little puppy:

It's looking alot like winter around here. Here are Eryn, Madeleine and I out for a walk last weekend, with our babies...

Lots has been going on since the last entry. Here's the abridged version, followed by some pics. Click on any photo to see it bigger.
Grace and I went to Scotland (Grace met Edith, my Grandmother, and saw some local wildlife. We were hosted by a wonderful lady, Sheena Ross, who made it all possible)

John went moose hunting (they got 2 moose!) and Grace and I stayed on in Ottawa

We came back to Pang, and our ship came in (literally) - our sea lift of dry goods, some furniture... all kinds of stuff... is here - and still being unpacked. Here is a photo from a brunch we had recently (when Madeleine and Jayko were visiting), and a photo of the ship with all of our stuff on it!

9 months old!

2007-09-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

Just a quick Gracie update with a few photos (click on them to make them bigger).

Some recent new skills:

pointing her finger at all items of interest

flicking light switches

jumping in her jolly jumper

chewing on the rim of her plastic bath tub...

LOVES cheerios... and most other food (not sure where she gets that)

will be crawling any day now... (uh oh!)

Naming Ceremony and First Pow Wow Weekend!

2007-08-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

We had a great trip to Ontario. It started with a fun visit with Grace's Great Aunts Margaret and Pat (unfortunately no pics!). We also spent some time with Uncle Gregor, and got to visit some of our good friends.

On the August long weekend, we went to Manitoulin Island (with the Sneddons too!)

Grandpa Wakegijig held a beautiful naming ceremony for Grace and John, who were sponsored by Gigi and Maagniit. Grace and John's Indian names are:

Waab'neh wun (Morning Mist) and Neegaan qu'um (Leading Thunder)

Afterwards, Gramma Wakegijig hosted a beautiful afternoon / BBQ under the maples in her yard. A big thank you to her and Gigi and Jonathan - and everyone who made it a beautiful day!

Here are some more pics from our time on Manitoulin, including photos of Grace and her two Grandmothers and her Great grandmother, some relaxing at Gigi's cabin (Grace is asleep in a hammock at the left of the photo with the cabin), and a few other pics. Click on any photos to make them bigger.

More About Pangnirtung...

2007-07-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON ANY PHOTOS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!

As promised, a posting featuring Pangnirtung. We had a visit from our friend Emily from Iqaluit, and she and John climbed the mountain near our house and took these first two pics. The first really shows all of Pang - looking up the fiord to Cumberland Sound. The second is a view looking the other way down the fiord and into Auyuittuq National Park.

This next photo shows from afar, the builings where we live. The Govt of Nunavut building is also in the cluster, so we don't have far to walk to work. To find this part of town in the photo above, it's at the bottom of the photo, across the river from the main part of town. There is also a photo here of some people heading out fishing, including two women carrying babies in traditional Amautiqs. John has been fishing lately, and having better luck than he had in Iqaluit! We're starting to fill the freezer, and Grace will have her first taste of char this week!

....

This next photo may not LOOK like a parade,but that was the Canada day parade. And also some competitions of decorated 4-wheelers in front of the Northern Store.

Maybe I should have entered the parade with our new plant. Emily brought it for us, and it got lots of comments as we walked across town!

The next picture shows a community feast - there is all kinds of traditional food on plastic sheets that people have gathered around - there is lots of raw meat (seal, caribou, fish, beluga and narwhal), and ther eare some tables with caribou stew, fried bannock etc. There was lots of excitement recently when a big pod of beluga was nearby. I heard that 30 boats were out there to hunt them down. The community hunted its full quota of 30 beluga in one evening. Our neighbour gave us some which John made into a stew, and we're bringing some home for our brother-in-law Jonathan. She also gave us some duck eggs which were really delicious!

This last picture just shows us getting out and enjoying the summery weather that has finally found us! John has a full hour off for lunch every day, and works just at the end of the street, so we can walk over to the river and enjoy a picnic when the weather is nice :)

7 Months Old...

2007-06-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

Grace will be seven months old tomorrow, and we haven't blogged for 2 months!

Well, May was very busy! Here are some photos from our expedition to Ontario - we have counted now, and Grace has been on 15 flights! We saw my family and John's, and had a great trip - John missed us while we were gone (and we missed him!) - he was busy travelling with work too! You can click on these to make them bigger:

Since we've been back, Grace has hit a few new milestones. She now has 2 teeth, rolls over any time you put her on her stomach, and as of yesterday, pulls herself up to standing when you hold her hands... She continues to love reading (turns the pages by herself now), and her dad plays all kinds of inventive games with her. Tomorrow she will be 7 months old. We'll try to get some photos of the Pangnirtung Canada Day festivities and show you some more of where we live... here are some photos from June.

5 months old!

2007-04-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE'VE MOVED AND OUR NEW CONTACT INFO IS:
PO Box 236
Pangnirtung, NU X0A 0R0
Phone: (867)473-4411
We have put it across the top of the page right under the title. We'll leave it there for a month or two. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOKS!

Well time is flying... we can't believe our little girl is 5 months old! We're having lots of fun! Click on any photos to see a larger version!

April has flown by, and we've moved to beautiful Pangnirtung! It is kind of bittersweet - hard to leave behind friends and a warm community in Iqaluit, but "Pang" is staggeringly beautiful, and we've received a really warm welcome here. John is also really excited about his job.

In this photo, you can see John and a guest we had from a grade 1&2 class on Manitoulin. His name is "Flat Stanley" and this photo gives you a good idea of the size of Pang and its beautiful mountain setting! There are about 1300 people living here - so it's about the size of Little Current on Manitoulin.

Yesterday we went out "on the land" with some of our new neighbours. We went by ski-doo - Grace and I rode behind all bundled up in a sled. We brought some party hats and took some photos to honour my Aunt Margaret's 85th birthday!!

Otherwise, we're really still in the middle of moving - still unpacking boxes, assembling furniture - it takes a little longer when there's a little one to look after, but then, we have no deadlines either and life is good.

April Drools!

2007-04-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

We haven't taken very many photos this past month... but here are a few.

Some highlights this month:

Grace is now grabbing things (and dragging them to her mouth)

We don't need to hold her head up any more

She is REALLY exploring her vocal cords - making new sounds almost every day, and laughs and coos regularly! We think she might be as chatty as her mother...

She can ALMOST sit up un-assisted

We are really enjoying this! She is just SOOO cute, and SOOO neat...

Some parties, some pics, some news

2007-03-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

CLICK ON ANY PICTURES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE BIGGER!

Well, Grace is 3 months old today - she has really started smiling, and she still devours books with her dad!

Grace has attended some really nice events in Iqaluit - 2 of them in her honour! Some friends had a shower for her, and made her a beautiful mobile... and some Iqaluit musicians threw a musical shower for her! We'va also started getting together with a group of other moms/babies in town who meet for tea once a week.

Meanwhile, John has been getting out skidooing. Check out the pics from his Jan 17 expedition.

Now that Grace is bigger, I've been getting outside with her in our amautiq too (Inuit traditional parka with a space in the back for carrying babies!)

As for news... we're moving to Pangnirtung in April! I won't start sending pics of Pang now, since there will be lots of time to do that... but it's a beautiful place in the mountains, and at the entrance to a spectacular national park (Auyuittuq National Park).

We will post our new address and phone number on the blogg, right under the blogg title, so you can check back for it whenever you forget our contact info ;)

7 Weeks Old

2007-01-20T17:43:00.000-05:00

Well, Grace's first Christmas was lots of fun!

Grace has been held and fawned over by many many loving family members and friends, and we've received congratulations from far and wide. We're frankly overhwelmed at the number of people who think it's important that she is here.

This girl will know lots of love!

Here are some recent pics - you can click on them to make them bigger.

Grace has arrived!

2006-12-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

Wow - our hearts are full.
We'll let the pictures do the talking... click on them to see them bigger

Grace Aven Edith Wakegijig was born December 1, 2006 at 3:37pm at the Baffin Regional Hospital, in Iqaluit, NU

She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz

We are all doing just great, and she has stolen our hearts...

Grace is a name we have always loved and John has fond memories of Aunt Grace Peltier

Aven - an arctic flower... related to the rose.
There are two special Roses in John's family to acknowledge!

Edith - after Jennifer's remarkable grandmother (Sneddon)

.

2 or 3 weeks to go!

2006-11-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

But enough about us now.... let's get this baby on the blogg! Tune in in a few weeks!

This is getting a little nutty...

2006-11-08T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well, just when we thought this belly couldn't get much bigger... it keeps growing and growing... Someone asked me on the weekend if I'd swallowed a whole turkey! Sometimes it feels like it!

We can't wait to have this little kicker out here in our arms! We're roughly at 35-36 weeks now.... just a month to go. My mom will be here Nov 28, and baby will likely arrive a week or so later. ... Watch this space for some pics of the baby!!

32-33 Weeks Pregnant....

2006-10-09T22:14:00.000-04:00

So here we are, with 7 or 8 weeks left to go...
That is NOT a beach ball under my shirt... and it's not just my usual look after Thanksgiving dinner... there's a 4 lb person in there!
We've been to our prenatal classes, and are reading all kinds of books...
I'm also caught up in a bit of a whirlwind, trying to get things tied up before I go on maternity leave (for a year!). I'll be taking a month of leave before the baby comes - at this pace, I'll be glad of the rest and the time to gather my thoughts before my more important job gets started... Yikes - I'm going to be somebody's mom. I should reflect on that a little.
John is terrific - we're both enjoying this whole experience. He reads to my belly before bed.

Watch this space for the next developments... We'll probably aim for at least one more posting here before the due date (December 6-11)

Gregor-less in Iqaluit

2006-08-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

Well, after 6 great weeks, Gregor has departed. We enjoyed some great conversation, terrific meals, lots of laughs, and plenty of adventures....

Gregor can tell you about all of his impressions and his experience volunteering at St Jude's parish, but one experience that will stand out for us all is a 3-day hiking trip we took to a place called "Lamb's Point". We hiked out for 5 hours or so on the 1st day and pitched camp (they carried the heaviest packs!), spent the second day just exploring / playing - the weather was gorgeous, and this perfect day just went on forever - fishing, hiking, even sun-bathing and a quick dip in a chilly lake... and on the 3rd day, we hiked the 5 hours back to Iqaluit. We were only rained on twice, briefly, but mostly had sun! John would make a great guide - he had all of our meals pre-measured and planned, and even worked out who should carry what - Gregor and I were spoiled!

Check out the pics below. Click on them to make them bigger if you like.

With all of the revelry and great meals we've been enjoying over the last 6 weeks, there have been some expanding waist-lines, but I think I'm the champion, as you can see by this last pic... Our pregnancy is at 26 week or so now... about 3 and 1/2 months to go! I'm finding it harder to tie my shoes...

These are really happy times! We'll miss Uncle Greggie, but it's great to know that many more shared adventures lie ahead!

Gregor and John's Great Adventures

2006-08-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

Well, Gregor has now been here 3 weeks! He arrived with a load of beautiful food (including some fresh herbs from dad's garden - we had a big pesto-making day, and are well stocked now!)

Here's a shot of Gregor and John the night Gregor arrived (plus a glimpse of our new apartment)

We've been having a great visit. Gregor and John went on a camping trip for 3 days this week. Here are a few shots of their adventures... they saw wolves and caribou... (you can click on any of these photos for a larger version)

There is some really amazing fishing here in Nunavut. The internet is full of photos of people with huge fish they have caught like this ...

But....

I'm not sure if Iqaluit is over-fished, or if it just takes a while to wiggle your lure with the arctic knack, or maybe you need camouflage like the guy on the left, but so far these are the fish my guys have been able to catch in Iqaluit...

I think I might find this blogg entry a little funnier than they do... I haven't actually caught any myself though, and have spent a few hours casting lines and just got a nibble...

Big Bellies, Uncle Gregor, and John's Big Fish...

2006-07-23T20:39:00.000-04:00

We're 20 weeks into our pregnancy (half way!)

This is how I look these days...

Gregor is here for 6 weeks right now - it's GREAT to be spending time with him!!

And we had our first glimpse of our little baby on Friday. Uncle Gregor was there for the ultrasound too.... here's our little one... It's hard to really make out just how cute he/she is.... picture a little person lying on his/her side, head to the left of the image. The first one shows a pensive moment - finger on lips. The second one has a clearer view of his/her face. (and nope, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl).

Thought you might enjoy this photo too - we went out camping last night... there were some mosquitos hanging around the camera when the timer took the picture - makes them look like they're right beside us, the size of birds.... they aren't really that big, but they're persistent!!!

John asked me to also make sure I post some photos of a really big fish he caught. When he was in Baker Lake for 3 weeks teaching a course last month, the trout were jumping onto his line (4-5 fish in 20 minutes).

He really enjoyed his teaching experience in Baker Lake - had motivated students who even gave him a nice fleece sweater and a card at the end, saying they had learned lots of things they can really use in their work :) He will be teaching full-time at the college in the fall.

Our biggest news...

2006-06-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

Well, our biggest news is that we're pregnant!!! Officially 15 weeks today... we're due December 11. Needless to say we're thrilled! Our baby probably looks something like this about now...

(Gregor said he can see some definite Sneddon traits!)

I've been having a fairly uneventful pregnancy (no nausea/vomiting to speak of). Maybe I'll even post a pic of my side-profile once I look more pregnant (vs just chubby).

We'll be having our baby here, and my mom is planning to come to be here for the big event... then assuming we're all up for it, we're going to head to Ontario for Christmas!

At this moment, John is in another smaller community (Baker lake), getting ready to start teaching a 3-week course tomorrow. He has our camera there and will hopefully attach some photos of his experiences there :)

Gregor will be coming to Iqaluit July 17 for 6 weeks. We're really looking forward to that!!

Back to Iqaluit

2006-06-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

Well, after 5 weeks of vacation (2 in Scotland, 3 in Ontario - see earlier posts below), we have returned to Iqaluit. There was a bit of unfortunate news - the house we are living in will be sold, and we need to find a new place... we will be assigned another governmnet housing unit soon - cross your fingers for us that it is in a nicer part of town than our last one was! Here are some pics from a yard sale our landlady Liz held last weekend. Yard sales are hot passtimes around here!

So long house!

That night (June 10) John and I went camping - it was beautiful! Yes - there is a little snow on the ground - making for some tricky technical spots - plus we had to cross a small river/stream in bare feet since the water was so high! I'm a convert to those hiking poles - they really help with balance - I was a little skeptical at first...

Check out the big caribou skull on the ground in front of us! You can click on the pictures to enlarge them if you want.

Visits in Ontario

2006-06-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

Another fun-filled episode with too few pictures (sorry to the family and friends not featured here!!)

We went and visited Gigi and John and our brand new little nephew Peter in the middle of May (pics below). He's gorgeous, and what a lucky guy to have such terrific parents! John's other sister Lara also just had a baby on Thursday - another boy! We can't wait to see some pics of him!

We had a really nice time visiting both of our families and managed to catch up with a few friends on Manitoulin and in Ottawa. I do have some pics from Michelle Lawler's wedding dress fitting, but I can't show them... the wedding is next week. Let's just say she looked stunning!

Finally, you can see below John's little God-daughter Jorja Peltier.

End of Scotland Trip

2006-06-18T10:37:00.000-04:00

Time for an over-due update!

Well, we didn't take TONNES of photos, but you can see here that:
- we did finish the West Highland Way - what a wonderful trip - highly recommend it for walkers of all levels - beautiful vistas, and not too many inclines to negotiate... just a beautiful way to relax "away from it all" and still stay active!

- we visited our family friends, the Quarms at Annick Lodge (they are old friends of dad's with a beautiful property and a large sheep farm, some cattle... dad often goes there in the spring to help with the busy lambing season)
- we had a really wonderful visit with Grandma Sneddon, who you can see here - she is an amazing lady - an inspiration... and a wonderful hostess!!

Greetings from the Scottish Highlands!

2006-05-09T07:18:00.000-04:00

Grandma Sneddon wasn't able to make it to our wedding last summer, so we came over to Glasgow to visit her, and while we were at it, we've hiked the West Highland Way - 153 km in 6 days! (Well, Jennifer took one day off and got a ride with the luggage).... but what a beautiful experience - we can really recommend www.transcotland.com, who helped us organize this trip!

More photos to come - of Grandma, Glasgow, and a family friend's farm!

John Caribou Hunting

2006-04-02T19:05:00.000-04:00

The hunting party having a pit-stop... Eduardo, Noel, and Chris. The snowmobile in front of them was the one I was driving that day. This was shortly before we came across the caribou.

Our first encounter with the caribou. They were prancing across the snowmobile trail we were following.

This is Neil taking aim at at Caribou. My best guess was that it was about 100+ yards in front of from him. For those of you who are hunting enthusiast, Neil was using a Ruger 30-06 stainless steel synthetic rifle with a shotgun scope. If you look closely at the left margin of this picture, you may be able to make out the other caribou.

In an all too familiar occurence for me, I am "posing" with the real hunters - I did not shoot anything myself (I am holding a .22).

April Showers?

2006-04-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I don't exactly expect any showers this month - but it was a beautiful sunny day today. It was -16 degrees, and John and I went on a long walk out "the Road to Nowhere". We're training up for our trip to Scotland next month. We'll be visiting with my grandmother, and spending a week hiking the West Highland Way. Check out the site of the place we planned our trip with: www.transcotland.com It will give you an idea of what we have in store.

I've just returned from a great trip - I went to a course in Vancouver, and visited family and friends there and in Ottawa - all told, I was gone for 2 weeks. John survived without me :)

John has had a few chances to get out "on the land". Tomorrow he is going caribou hunting with some of his co-workers from the Arctic College. Lucky guy.

Will update again soon! Maybe some photos from our next "training" hike.
- Jennifer

The Atii Fitness Centre

2006-02-28T18:11:00.000-05:00

Here are a few shots of our gym (and my hubby). The Atii Fitness Centre has a web site, for the curious - www.atiifitnesscentre.com and as of last fall, they have an aerobics instructor by the name of Jennifer Wakegijig...

Atii is Inuktitut for "Let's go!"

By the way, you can click on any photos in the blog to see a bigger version!

Recent trip to Arctic Bay and Resolute Bay

2006-02-24T20:08:00.000-05:00

Here in Iqaluit, we never get 24 hours of darkness - even on our shortest days, we still have a few hours of day light. I recently went further north to visit Resolute Bay and Arctic Bay though, where they were just getting sunlight back after months of darkness. Here is Resolute Bay at high noon:

This is the Arctic Bay airport:

And some of the stunning scenery from the sky....

Here are a couple of pics of John and me on a recent walk out in Apex - (the suburbs of Iqaluit). Our days are getting noticeably longer all the time - and the sun gets REALLY bright!

Our New Home

2006-02-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well, our biggest news is probably that over Christmas we moved out of our crowded little 1-bedroom apartment to this great, 3-bedroom house - with sloping ceilings, a bathtub with jets... and a terrific view - we can see out between the houses and across the bay. Our landlady Liz Seale ( a great outdoorsy and creative woman who just retired and is currently in Australia) will be staying with us for a few months over the summer, and by Iqaluit standards, our rent is very reasonable. She also sold us her vehicle (that Ford Explorer in the driveway) very inexpensively. Boy - having a nice place to live again makes this feel more like "real life" compared to the camping out we were doing in our little dingy apartment with a view of a parking lot and the post office...

The house is pictured there on the left, followed by a scene from our New Year's party, and a shot of the sun just coming up across the bay - that's the view from our kitchen window - unfortunately a little dark.

Other news of note - John is working at Nunavut Arctic College for 4 months- teaching in the teacher ed program - he has referred to it as a dream job - motivated students, ample prep time, friendly co-workers... it sounds like they have him pencilled in to the schedule for the fall... and they've offered him a teaching contract for the summer. He's obviously made an impression - and we've got our fingers crossed for an offer of permanent work.

I'm going to make one more entry tonight, about my recent trip to what they call "the high Arctic" around here - a couple of the more northerly communities in Nunavut.

Hope you enjoy these posts.
- jennifer