Time for an update, but first this news...

Chase just started walking! Wow! Here is a clip of his latest feat of feet! Our blog is long over-due for an update. We'll try to put together an update soon.

Late May & June Happenings

I guess this is turning into a monthly blog... A lot has happened since our last blog of May 24th. Steve's dad came to visit while Steve's mom was still here, which was great. Char and I got out to the floe edge for a picnic, Steve’s dad and Steve went seal hunting, we went ice fishing on the mainland with some friends (about a 2 hour skidoo ride), we visited with an Inuit elder in town and learned about her interesting life (including her seal oil lamp [kudlik] and various tools she uses), we went out to see a bowhead whale skull (that was harvested a few years back), Chase and I went for a dog sled ride with our friend Maren and her dogs, Igloolik high school has their first ever prom (to which the whole community was invited), the sea ice has started to melt, Steve and I got out for a last hurrah on the melting sea ice, we were/are collecting our fresh water from on top of the sea ice (the water is yummy & our the tap water is yucky right now), and we had a small gathering for Chase who turned 1 years old a week ago from today! Steve made pizza crusts that spelled out C-H-A-S-E & Lily made healthy carrot cake cupcakes. It was a good time.

Fishing derby, elders dinner and around town

Hi, we hope you are all well! It's been a week or so since our last post. We've been on the go. Steve's mom Char is still here - she's enjoying her stay & we're enjoying having her stay with us. We've been cruising around town; we went to the fishing derby on Victoria Day (Char rode the qamotik out there, there was a great turn out, lots of families showed up with their qamotiks with family boxes on them, a woman was wearing a beautiful caribou hide amouti [traditional baby carrying jacket], Joanasie showed up with his 12-dog sled dog team [he & his team got 2nd in the Nunavut Quest a few weeks ago]); a crew of us went to the floe edge (there's a photo of Char & I out there & of our tea/coffee break or "mug up" as the Newfoundlanders like to call it); we've been out to visit our friend Maren's sled dogs; we went to a dinner and game event in honor of the elders in town, which was so fun, what a great time (Hillary donned a traditional caribou hide parka, man are they warm). Steve's dad Big Steve (aka. PapaGio, Bapa Hubba) got here yesterday & we're heading out ice-fishing in a few minutes. More soon!

Floe edge, mom in town, and happenings

Well folks, it’s been awhile since our last post. A few weeks ago Steve, Hillary, and Chase made it out to the floe edge with our friend Jay. It was an amazingly beautiful day! We saw Arctic fox tracks, seal breathing holes in the sea ice, a few seals, and some polar bear tracks along the floe edge of the sea ice. It has been getting warmer since then, today was 8 F, and the ice near the floe edge is getting thinner so people are more cautious about going out there now. Steve’s mom Char came to town just over a week ago – Steve picked her up from the airport on the skidoo and loaded her stuff into the qamotik. Char has been spending quality time with us both in and outdoors. Chase is loving the tambourine grandma Char brought him and Chase has been accompanying papa Steve while he plays the guitar. Chase is skooching, lunging, and rolling around all over the place, but he’s not crawling yet. He is saying “bye-bye” and waving somewhat consistently now though, which is fun. I’ve included a photo of our fair hamlet. Some sled dog puppies were born on our “block” last week, so the local kids are having fun playing with them. Steve’s dad is coming up in a couple weeks, so that should be fun. We’re hoping to go to a ice-fishing derby at a local lake this weekend. Hopefully it won’t be another two months before our next post…