January and February 2013

By ben  |  2013/05/01 12:02 Posted in Eliana, Jonas, Oregon  |  Comments Off on January and February 2013

We’re getting caught up!

By the way, the easiest way to see the latest photos is to go to http://ibenj.shutterfly.com.

The January album has 50 pictures. Be sure to check out Jonas in his Oregon Ducks shirt and Eliana digging in the back yard wearing her awesome purple coat, which was a gift from Cousin Addie.
Eliana Backyard 2 Jan12

The February album has 72 pictures. I love the shots of Eliana ‘helping’ Daddy and Bubba put a new microwave in the kitchen. There’s plenty from our trip to Oregon. I wish we could go there more often. There’s lots of family and friends there, and the time goes by so fast that we don’t usually get a chance to see everyone. There’s plenty of smiles from Jonas throughout the album, and I got a cute shot of Eliana wearing my visor from the Masters golf tournament.
Jonas Feb6 7

More November and December Photos

By ben  |  2013/04/26 14:52 Posted in Christmas, Eliana, Jonas  |  Comments Off on More November and December Photos

That’s right. April is almost over, and I just put up a bunch of pictures from November and December. There were already lots of pics from the arrival of Jonas, but the new November album has more, chronicling all the times I took Eliana to a nearby park while Jenelle was with Jonas at the hospital.

The December album is massive, but I wanted to include the work holiday party, Eliana’s second birthday, Christmas, and several of Jonas that show you how quickly he is growing.

I hope to blog on a much more regular basis in the days and weeks ahead, but I can’t make any promises. When your kids are this little, you can miss something if you blink. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

November 2012 Photo Album (separate from the Jonas newborn album)
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December 2012 Photo Album
Jonas Christmas Eve 2Eliana Silent Night

Eliana turns 2!

By ben  |  2012/12/15 20:35 Posted in Eliana, Family Gatherings  |  Comments Off on Eliana turns 2!

IMG_2135c

Eight days ago, our baby girl became a big girl. Relatives and friends from near and far came to help us celebrate. It has been wonderful to have so much help, love, and support from friends and family. Our sweet little two year-old has had to make some big adjustments now that Jonas is around, but she’s doing very well.

You can read more about Eliana’s progress at her monthly update page.

The following video has just a few of the fun moments from the past couple of weeks. It includes several instances of Eliana opening presents, and three occasions where we lit candles and sang to her. There are so many things in the video that make me smile. One of my favorite moments is at about 4:22, when Eliana spontaneously hugs Uncle Randy.

His Name is Jonas

By ben  |  2012/11/17 19:10 Posted in Jonas  |  Comments Off on His Name is Jonas

Introducing Jonas Walter Isaacson, born on Friday, November 16 at 8:53 a.m., weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces, and measuring 19 inches long.

We’ve got two fun things to share with everyone. First, you should check out this page, which is what we used to announce his arrival on Facebook. Next, head on over to our shutterfly page for the little guy’s first photo album.

Pumpkin Farm Funtimes

By ben  |  2012/11/15 13:07 Posted in Adventures, Eliana, Family Gatherings  |  Comments Off on Pumpkin Farm Funtimes

I nearly forgot to post photos from our trip to the Jerry Smith Pumpkin Farm in late September. There’s several cute ones in here.

Pumpkin Farm Photos

September and October Eliana Photos!

By ben  |  2012/11/11 22:15 Posted in Eliana  |  Comments Off on September and October Eliana Photos!

Here’s the Eliana September 2012 photo album…

And here’s the Eliana October 2012 album.

I’m caught up just in time for another baby to arrive. 🙂

July and August Eliana Photos!

By ben  |  2012/11/03 15:21 Posted in Eliana  |  Comments Off on July and August Eliana Photos!

Will I be caught up by the time the boy arrives? It’s hard to say.
Eliana July 2012 Photos

Eliana August 2012 Photos

Up North at the Cottage – 2012 Edition

By ben  |  2012/08/19 15:44 Posted in Adventures, Kayaking, Running, The Two of Us  |  Comments Off on Up North at the Cottage – 2012 Edition


Photo Album – Cottage June/July 2012

Jenelle and I had a few days to the two of us in late June / early July. We dropped off Eliana at my parents’ house, and we traveled up north to the family cottage. We brought the kayak along, stowed securely on top of the Prius. We didn’t foresee any kayaking opportunities at home in the near future, so we left it in a storage shed at the cottage for others to use.

We arrived on a Thursday. We realized en route that we forgot our paddles, but not to worry — we ended up renting two for the whole weekend for only $15, and they were really nice. Besides plenty of shopping, homemade breakfasts, and tasty meals at nearby restaurants, we spent most of our time kayaking. On Friday and Saturday, we visited Clear Lake, Big Arbor Vitae, and the Bittersweet Lakes Area. The last of these (Bittersweet) was the most exciting. We had to carry the kayak in between lakes to get around using portage routes provided on a map. We got video of this, so I may share that sometime soon.

On Sunday morning, I ran the Freedom 5K in St. Germain, finishing with a personal best time of 20:34. We celebrated at Paul Bunyan’s in Minocqua before heading back home.

It was a short but great time — Eliana was glad to see us when we got back, and we were thrilled to see her.

Eliana Pics: June 2012

By ben  |  2012/08/16 21:26 Posted in Eliana  |  Comments Off on Eliana Pics: June 2012


Summer is definitely here. And I’m slowly but surely catching up on photos. Hang in there!
Eliana June Photos on Shutterfly

Eliana Pics: May 2012

By ben  |  2012/07/20 23:52 Posted in Eliana  |  Comments Off on Eliana Pics: May 2012


Another month of pictures. She’s growing up faster than I can post them!
Eliana May Photos on Shutterfly