paradise

Well the gardening, tulip/biking, baby shower planning and all other plans were put on the Later List and Tim and I jumped into our hiking plan - what a great choice! Rainier was so sunny, clear and beautiful that we were glad we popped our snowshoes in the car at the last minute just 'in case' there was snow....we knew the top (Paradise) would have snow, but we thought trails below closer to the entrance might be dry (more stable for Tim's fragile back). We were wrong about that so decided to head straight for the top.


It was a soft winter wonderland, and we were able to pioneer trails of our own on untouched 15 feet of snow as long as we wanted! His back lasted just long enough to enjoy scenes like these.

This is looking out from Rainier toward the Cascade peaks surrounding. In the distance we could see Mt St Helens and Mt Adams. Happy hiking!! The only thing is we came home with strange face burns from the sun reflecting off the snow - mine is only on my neck below the chin, in the shape of a "V" since my cheek bones shaded parts of my neck. It's weird but was totally worth it.

After hiking, we enjoyed a great dinner with good Tacoma friends and "Miss Saigon" (tragic) at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Sunday we were able to hear about our friend Noah's organization in Beijing, Compassion for Migrant Children, at a local church who was hosting CMC's Director. We were completely blessed and awed by their work and the testimony shared by the staff - and we got excited to go visit and help serve children there for the week we're going in June!

Finally, the weekend topped off with an exciting 14-13 softball win and excellent vegetarian moles with beer and chocolate fondue. This is the life. Now it's on to serious Boston planning this week!

GB's Fake Comeback

GB is attempting a fake comeback on Joanie but WILL NOT SURVIVE! Keep praying for the new set of 5 plasma hospital treatments to get rid of the bad antibodies once and for all! And for lifted spirits in the process, and a quick recovery still. Here are some glimpses of the past week's fun in the midst of it all:

Cooking for Joanie and family a spiraly
Goat Cheese Past with Asparagus from a great recipe site, 24 Boxes.

"Beer me a beer" Pub night with our Sunday night group - a much needed party after our 22-1 softball loss (don't worry, we'll get better). Included Amaretto Bread Pudding!!

Glimpses of this weekend:

The sunset from our porch last night

Gardening - I worked long and hard on this plot. Isn't the natural landscaping attractive?

A possible trek for Saturday to the Tulip Fields in Mt Vernon, if they are in bloom and Tim's back is ready for an excursion. These red beauties finally bloomed in our front yard today.

Misc: Lots of biking, baby shower planning, Boston preparing, and hike researching. We'll see what the weekend will hold. Now I'm off to hang with Joanster!

Isaacson Injuries

Turns out Joanie beat GBS for the most part (meaning the hospital stay); however, she still has a long road ahead of her and would appreciate prayers for continued miraculous recovery! Basically her nerves in her legs are damaged from the syndrome and now that it's mostly gone, she needs to retrain those nerves to receive messages from the brain to pick up her legs and walk! She can get around with her walker, but we learned this week that it could be 6 more months before she can walk on her own. NOT FUN. We are still believing for way faster than that! Like, maybe 11 days again? Just not 6 months! This girl has a wedding to plan and aisle to walk down!

Another Isaacson fell subject to body malfunction this week when Tim threw his back out at work lifting a box. I told him he's not supposed to throw his body parts anywhere...anyway he's in pain having pulled a muscle of some sort most likely. The doctor will determine on Monday, but we'd also like a healed back given we were planning a rigorous training schedule for a race we're running May 10! (Compared to losing the use of one's legs entirely, though, we can't complain.) An extra dose of patience for every Isaacson involved would be great, Lord!

Thanks to Kelly for throwing a friend a bridal shower and giving me the leftover ranunculus arrangement....so beautiful! My house is happy. Good idea also as I will be planning a couple of baby showers in the next month for friends.

I'm also digging out my musical abilities, which have been hiding for awhile, with the challenge of accompanying two outstanding opera singers with several pieces for a REACH benefit concert. Today was my first look at the pieces. YIKES. Hence why I'm now back on the computer blogging about it instead of practicing. I have to get my confidence level back up. I can do it! I want to do it! I should do it! I hope I make it!

I also joined a Spring softball team with Abbie and some old college friends. I say I am a softball player, but am I really unless I actually am playing softball? Last week we almost got skunked and I could barely move by body the next day from not playing in so long and then going 'all out' with little preparation. This week I'll have to take it a bit easier or just plain get used to it. I'm not at the 'go to the batting cages' point yet. I think it will be fun though, and a good way to spend a spring/summer before moving:(

One last note, I don't know what season it is out here. Paul has been visiting and he had 80 degrees last weekend and snow today. What have we done to the environment and climate, we human pollutants??? Here are some nice flowering trees that grace the sidewalks of our neighborhood.

Joanie Beats GBS!!!!!

Whew! Life is good these days! Here are some 'happy snaps' from the past week -

By far the happiest and biggest news by God's hand and a large miracle, JOANIE BEAT GBS! I broke her out of the hospital last Thursday, way earlier than was projected (some argue it was actually 11 full days)! She already had a great attitude through it all, but being home made it better. So did what happened next....
JOANIE GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!! Finally! Canadian Josh popped the long-expected question with feather-filled balloons and games and a homemade song. Tears and 'big hugs' were involved. (ring photo coming soon).

At the family celebration, we got to see Tim's brother Mike and his wife Hillary again and coming daughter. Family is growing!! Isabella has about 6 more weeks to go...

Tim and I also walked down the waterfront in gorgeous weekend weather and oohed and awed at the Tacoma we know and will miss when we move.

All while this was happening, my brother Paul came in to town for a week and we had a nice dinner right by Pike Place Market in Seattle.

The next day, we went to popular Little Si near Seattle with his band friends for a gorgeous day hike! It was almost 80 degrees here, in APRIL!! Hallelujah!

This was the amazing sunset in Seattle the first night. We will miss the Northwest!

whirlwind week of adventures

Yes, it's been unusually long for me not to have posted - gasp! Well, I have a hearty update.

First: Tim's sister, Joanie, is recovering quicker than most people from a syndrome called GBS, which causes temporary paralysis in the legs and other extremities. She was hospitalized suddenly last Sunday, and Tim and I have made plenty of visits to laugh, sleep, and play with her. her spirits are high and her boyfriend, who was in town, is amazing!!!! The neurologist says her recovery thus far is remarkable and unusual. Instead of the estimated 30 days of hospitalization (!), I'm hoping for 11:) Keep praying with us for a miracle!

Second: It seems that most of my blogging buddies have either a new (or relatively new) dog or baby to post about. Last weekend I was in the mountains leading worship for an adoptive moms retreat, and I met this big, smelly beauty, Max. He reminds me of Auggie, who lives in Switzerland and who hiked with me when I studied abroad in college. He is also in the same family as my cousin Doug's puppy, Tessa, with whom we got to play a couple weeks ago. CUTE!! Friendly!! He may be my new favorite future dog, but only (I've decided) if he can rightly tromp and thrive in snowy mountains where he was made to live.

In terms of babies, I'm staying busy with little ones! My "Nanny Popp-ins" business is growing. This week I collected my first paycheck, and Owen and Lincoln have shared a few days with a new buddy Oliver (no photo), and will be sharing a short time with Ashleigh and Jackson (also viewed below). I'm open!!

Owen wondering what I'm holding

Lincoln on a mission

Ashleigh giggling

Third: We enjoyed yet another weekend away to Lake Wenatchee with college friends (and their children).

We hiked, played games, talked and on the way home, stopped for my first time in Leavenworth, a strange and popular imitation Bavarian village in central Washington.

Owen and dad

Jackson and mom

Leavenworth

A future trip, if it happens before we leave for Boston, would entail excursions in the canyons and mountains beyond the town. Aber, ich wollte noch einmal eine grosse bretzeln essen!!

Eine Bretzeln (pretzel)

what is going on?

i must report to those afar there has been snow TWICE this week, and we're lucky (in tacoma) to get snow at our house twice a year! granted it's not much, but today is like record-setting in that it has been thickly snowing for almost three hours straight. that's very unusual.

this is what it looks like outside!

i'm headed over the surprisingly snowy snoqualmie pass today to lead worship for an adoptive moms retreat weekend. the retreat is at a mountain lodge. you'd think the roads would be safe at the end of march! at least i hear they have a hot tub:)

those flowers that were blooming are now bloomed and hopefully not FREEZING. spring crazies are here.

tattoo artists in town

so what do you think of our new matching tattoos? watch out, becka's is a cobra. i don't know what she was thinking!

peep wars

thanks to heather and drew laforge, if i remember correctly, peep wars are now an easter tradition amongst our college friends, after worshiping the risen Christ, of course! it's a strategy game, really, and our newbies, the shriver's who have never before played and who normally actually EAT those things, took away the championship last night. peeps begin with a toothpick placement aimed at their opponent, then the microwaving begins!
here are some of the contestants.

peep abbie and reid

peep andy (the guy who really eats them)

peep prep

peep defeat (the yellow peep - team isaacson - obviously incurred a lower flesh wound from the vicious blue)

peep tie - dual death and dual victory!

i also made 2 fabulous-looking (not bad-tasting, either) white chocolate raspberry tortes. my favorite of course was the topping. the filling is king of a custardy-cool whip-gelatin-white chocolate kind of a texture, if you like that. two thumbs up i guess!

hot babes

UW turns out to be good for something! jk. the arboretum near campus is a beautiful section of land dotted with flowering trees and winding paths that make you forget you're in the middle of a bustling metropolis. we turned the opportunity into a photo shoot. here are a couple:

the BIG news

Tim and I have feve(red) announcements to make:

WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!
and, even bigger but not as far,

WE'RE MOVING TO BOSTON!!!
It's official! Our deposit check to Boston University's School of Public Health will be on its way tomorrow, and I'll be pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree beginning this Fall! It's a 2 year program and I'll be concentrating on Social and Behavioral Sciences, with a chance to continue gaining practical skills for HIV/AIDS prevention education in both local and global communities, all while adding some exciting classes on nutrition and food policy! About a million things helped us make this decision, and some of the big ones are:

fun adventure for a couple years
too great to pass up

meets long-term goal for future

great program (with nutrition emphasis)
love the city (check our a previous post on Boston)
personal character and relationship growth
definite options for financial help
rare learning environment for us both
people have promised to visit!!

As for going to China, we have reservations to Beijing to visit our good friend Noah Chang June 20-30. We're going to help with the organization he works for called Compassion for Migrant Children. And we get to camp on the Great Wall! Ni how!

So, looks like our vocabulary will continue to favor lots of "B" words. We of course would love to be telling everyone in person about these exciting character-growing decisions, and we still welcome real conversations - this is just an easy and quick way of giving everyone a heads up. Our life is changing! We look forward to staying in touch and hearing about all of yours in the years to come. Keep checking for progress on both these adventures!