tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54777027003692294892024-03-21T00:37:30.705-07:00IsmertAlertIzzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-51765972021969663332012-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:002012-02-20T20:19:58.174-08:00love, love, loveHey you all, we've been busy and going full speed! <br />
In late January, we went to Orlando, FL with Young Life for the occasion of the all-staff once-every-four years celebration! We took Van and had a great week of bonding, re-learning how to parent a new-born and believe it or not, we got some much needed rest! We loved being in Florida, so warm, great friends and a lot of fun. But we couldn't wait to get back to Colorado! Even though Colorado's not warm in January...but we wanted to get back to Campbell and finally get our family of four all together. It was so great to finally have our little foursome together under one roof and to figure out our lives together! We love it! It's crazy, and hard, and fun and we are learning so much and getting stressed out and seeing God's mercy and goodness...it feels like life! And speaking of life, we are reminded every day how special every life is. Life is such a precious gift! And Van is embracing life. He is healthy, growing, and developing on track. Campbell is a great big sister! She loves her baby brother and we love him and her! We had a fun Valentine's day. Izzy and CJ went to a daddy/daughter dance at Trail West and had a special time. Izzy & Lisa got a sitter and enjoyed dinner and a movie. We are so blessed! Thank you so much for all your prayers, encouragements and friendships! Love, love, love!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-76656472589317412692012-01-22T20:00:00.000-08:002012-01-22T20:00:59.870-08:00wow...Jan 22ndhey all four of you or fourteen or forty!? Anyways, we are closing in on wrapping up our first week back in BV. It has been a great week. We are starting to get into a routine at home with Van and Campbell Jane. Lisa's mom is here and she has been a tremendous help. Lisa and I are remembering all the newborn realities and even picking up some of the good old practices that bring back fun memories of when CJ was born. Of course, when you're sleep deprived...if you can remember anything, then that is fun.<br />
We had Van's first Dr's appt on Wed. He had a really healthy check-up and the Dr was so great and encouraging. Van weighed 7 lb 10oz. That is a 1lb 8oz gain from his lowest weight a little after he was born.<br />
This was also a big weekend for Wilderness Ranch as we selected our 2012 guide class. So, on top of all the other moving parts in our life....we had to pause for about 36 hours and focus on the process that selects the new guides at WR. Wow. God is so good. Thank you Jesus!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-11240000030118185202012-01-16T20:44:00.000-08:002012-01-16T20:44:48.212-08:00home at last, home at last, thank God almighty, we are home at last!(loosely borrowed from MLK Jr on MLK Jr Day). <br />
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Yes, the Ismert family is home. Back in BV. Back in the mountains. All four of us. Praise God. We drove from Ft Worth to BV all in one day...one long, long day. We pulled in at 9:04pm...making Izzy the winner of the 'when will we get there' time guessing game. I guess 8:57, Lisa guessed 9:06 and Lisa's mom (Mudge...who road tripped with us!) guessed 9:15. The closest without going over is the winner!<br />
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Anyways...thanks for the prayers, support, flowers and groceries! We love you all!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-50663284156992706832012-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:002012-01-12T10:11:29.622-08:00every day is a day closerGreetings! I know it's been a little while since the last update. I'd love to say that we are on our way home to Colorado. But we aren't. We are still in Ft Worth and still waiting for the state of Texas to approve our paperwork, allowing us to head back to the mountains. However, we are so blessed to be staying with family and our time in Ft Worth has been very full. We are bonding with Van and our little family is starting to feel more and more exactly the way it should. We are so thankful for each you and how God is using you in our lives. We are convinced now more than ever that this journey and all the miracles we've seen are representative of the larger network of loved ones who are praying and doing so much to help. We are humbled and forever grateful. <br />
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When we look at Van, it is really looking at a miracle. One glance powerfully reminds us of God's goodness, mercy and grace. I'm talking big picture stuff. Not just goodness to me and Lisa and CJ, but grace and mercy to every human being created and walking on this earth. Everyone, past, present and future. Life is a gift. Of course, we see this when we look at Campbell Jane and know other parents see this and really everyone can...it just seems to be easier to see in children. I just wish we saw this reality in everyone of any age we see and encounter. This type of lens is what I am grateful for today.Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-84625284326805213162012-01-06T08:13:00.000-08:002012-01-06T08:13:57.035-08:00Van in Cow townGood morning...the blur that is our life right now is so fun...and fast...and full of surprises! We made it back to Ft Worth late Wednesday night. We spent yesterday just trying to set up a 'home base' for us at Lisa's mom & dad's house. We have been here two nights so far and will be here until we get the green light from the state of Texas that we can head home to Colorado. Thanks for your prayers! Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-7606646024323424602012-01-04T09:21:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:21:46.472-08:00she signed!Great news! Van's birthmom made it to the adoption agency this am and signed the necessary paperwork that moves the adoption process forward! Praise God! This is huge and we are celebrating! We anticipate being able to leave Amarillo for Ft Worth this afternoon. We want to say a giant THANK YOU to all the people in Amarillo who have helped us. Especially the Mason family. Donny and Lisa have been tremendous in opening up their home and we've been very comfortable here and felt like family. Also a great thank you to Joel Mason and Julia Halliburton for just being there to talk with and pray together and add some Wilderness Ranch community to this special time.Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-63607120442037302222012-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:002012-01-03T13:28:59.637-08:00His name is...Van Woodson Ismert<br />
Van means 'God is gracious'<br />
Woodson means 'son of the creator'<br />
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We both love the name and can't wait for you all to meet Van. Thanks for being patient with us as we really prayed and discussed for many hours what to name our son. <br />
Regarding the adoption PROCESS...we are still in Amarillo and waiting for the birth mom to arrive at the adoption agency to sign the legal papers waiving her parental rights. That is a huge step and I wish I could say it had already happened...but as of right now...the birth mom hasn't arrived at the agency. Once she signs those papers the adoption process can make tremendous strides forward and we will be able to head on down to Ft Worth and await with family for the court order allowing us to go home to Colorado. Best guess at this point is a 2 week time frame for that to happen.<br />
love you all and PLEASE keep praying! There are many more miracles ahead of us in this story...thank you for your encouragment and support!!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-29803101175722343282012-01-02T21:40:00.001-08:002012-01-02T21:40:49.705-08:00HIS NAMEWill arrive tomorrow!<br />
Love to all of you.Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-282544411774859612012-01-02T08:22:00.000-08:002012-01-02T08:22:36.816-08:00a new dayWe are at the hospital this morning and the adoption process is definitely moving forward. We have connected with a local adoption agency "Special Delivery" and they are helping us with the details as our little son is being discharged today and we will be able to take him with us!! We'll keep you posted as much as we can, but we are thrilled with having this precious little one with us!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-14554245782271932022012-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:002012-01-01T21:15:02.474-08:00New Year Celebration...We Got a BABY BOY!I can't say enough about the joyous Christmas celebrations Lisa, CJ and I enjoyed this year. We opened up presents on Dec 19 in Buena Vista, Dec 25th in Fort Worth and Dec 27th in Houston. We were blessed to be with the best people in the world...our family!! We want to say a hearfelt thank you for all the special time together and the thoughtful gifts we received.<br />
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A great part of Christmas this year was the new babies! Rachel Nichols (Geof's wife) gave birth on Dec 29 to a baby boy. My sister, Bethany, will give birth to a baby boy any day now and some good friends Mike and Crystal had a baby girl on Dec 29th! We got to see two new born babies on Dec 30th in Fort Worth. This special trip to see the babies put us one day behind on our return back to BV. So, on Dec 31st we left from Fort Worth for the drive to BV. We weren't making great time and pulled into Amarillo for lunch at almost 2pm. <br />
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And we left Amarillo after lunch, but not for long. We returned about 9:30pm because we received a call from our adoption agency that a birth mom they had told us about in Oct had called them to report she was going into labor in... Amarillo! When the adoption agency suggested we turn around and go back to Texas, we did just that! Lisa was acting in some sense as a representative of the adoption agency since we could get here faster than anyone from the agency (in Tulsa) could. So, last night just before visiting hours ended, Lisa briefly met with the birth mom who had just delivered a little baby boy at 4:18 that afternoon. We spent the night in a hotel and went back to the hospital this am (New Year's Day) and Lisa was presenting the prospective adoptive families (including us) to the birth mom. CJ and I were waiting in the waiting room. About 11am Lisa called me and said that the birth mom had chosen us! CJ and I joined Lisa in with the birthmom and the 1 day old little boy. And we became parents for the second time! <br />
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Because the baby was born in Texas instead of Oklahoma we quickly realized that there would be a whole other set of hurdles to jump through. The fact that today is Sunday and a holiday added in another set. Needless to say that after a day of lots of phone calls, with agency's, attorney's, and adoption specialists, we have now hired on another adoption agency. 2 adoption agency's is just not enough for the Ismerts. We now have 3. This evening a local Amarillo agency got involved and is helping us get this little boy. So far, it has been a battle because Sarah (his birthmother) is choosing us but legally we have no rights to him without an agency. Today, by the favor of God, we befriended a nurse who is a believer and she began helping us with bonding time. We got to hold him lots and pray over him. <br />
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His story is one of miracles. It is a miracle that he is alive. We are praying for a healthy little guy and at the same time wanting God's Best and trusting that God makes no mistake in CREATION. That is what He does...He Creates, Restores, and Redeems lives that come from broken places.<br />
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We are still trying to pray about the details and what all we should share but we do want to ask for prayer for Sarah. She is broken and is in desperate need of restoration. <br />
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We are so amazed and overwhelmed. In every way we are thankful that we are in this process and get to hold a precious little boy and start a second journey into parent hood. But again, please remember that this is a PROCESS. Please pray and be patient with us as we don't have all the answers or know all the details. Being residents of Colorado, having an adoption agency in Oklahoma and having a baby in Texas is rather complicated. We are trusting God to take us every step of the way...but there is still an element of risk in all this. But, some of the best advice I ever got regarding adoption is "adoption is not for the faint of heart"!<br />
We are trusting Jesus and praising Him and so thankful for His hand in all this. The baby is precious with dark soft black hair, and looks as healthy as can be. Talk about a New Year's Celebration!!<br />
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No name yet but he weighed 6 lbs and 8 ounces when born.Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-27317830051942957162012-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:34:52.927-08:00CJ loves horses!We were so happy to include a trip to Tulsa on our way to Texas for Christmas. Campbell Jane was born in Tulsa and we had a evening planned with the birth mom and birth grandmom to have dinner together and get reacquainted. They had not seen Campbell in two years. We had a great night at "Grandma Jan's" horse property south of Tulsa. CJ just loves horses and was so excited to look at all the horses and see the stables. CJ's birthmom, Cory, was so nice and easy to be around. She is just wonderful and it was great to see her baby pictures and marvel at how much CJ looks like her. Just re-connecting with them has helped our communication with them so much and we hope that Cory can make it out to Wilderness Ranch sometime this summer!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-84298825438182332372012-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:30:03.365-08:00more follow upAlso, regarding Cambell's heart check up in November and that went well. She was so cute and brave as the nurse rigged her up with all the little connectors for the EKG test on her little heart. The test did reveal a minor heart murmer but we were relieved to her from yet another physician that we can take a wait and see approach and typcially these conditions heal over time in little kids. Thanks for your prayers for CJ and us as we trust and wait for this healing!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-19239456299306897842012-01-01T14:27:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:27:10.856-08:00gone since Novemberhowdy friends...thanks for your patience with this attempt at blogging. I wanted to jump on my New Years Resolution to blog a lot more. So, it's Jan 1 and blog #1 for the year. And boy, it's gonna be good. My last blog post was all about my sister and her husband and their impending adoption. Well, great news! The little baby boy was born on 11/3 and he is healthy and the adoption has been going great. We got to meet little Eli Cameron on Dec 26th when my family got together for Christmas. He is so special and wonderful and we love him! Catherine and Eric are wonderful parents who have alot of transition in their lives....they are in the process of moving back to Houston as well as being first time parents. Please keep them in your prayers!!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-39823169736078329412011-11-02T22:00:00.000-07:002011-11-02T22:00:10.489-07:00grande!Just wanted to check in with all the followers of this blog! That means you! Tomorrow (11/3) is big. BIG. My sister Catherine and hubby Eric are very close to the birth of the child they are adopting...tomorrow should be the big day...please pray for them and all the details of health, hospitals, timing and God's mercy. <br />
Speaking of adoption...no new news for me and Lisa. We are still waiting for a match with a birthmom. Thanks for your prayers and support and encouragement! Tomorrow is also a great day to pray for Campbell Jane as she goes in for a heart test called an echo to further determine the extent of her little heart murmur. Please pray for her! And us!<br />
We love you!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-74109205410916140502011-10-10T09:27:00.000-07:002011-10-10T09:27:15.014-07:00Don't call it a comeback! Well, really, you can call it whatever you want to!We are back! It's wierd/ridiculous that we took about 7 months off from blogging...so if anyone out there gets this message, I'm sorry. But, please don't despair, I am back in the saddle and promise to update this blog every hour on the hour for the rest of my life!! Okay, not really, but I am going to dedicate more time and energy into this blog as Lisa and I still believe it is a great way to keep people up to date on our adoption process and our life in general.<br />
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So, what's up with our adoption you might be asking? Well, it is the fall and we've been praying for a fall baby, so that lifts our spirits. The adoption agency in Tulsa has put a hold on accepting new prospective adoptive families for the time being which means our book will not be buried under a bunch of new books from other families. We have two books in circulation with the agency and both of these facts mean our book should be viewed more and more. So, please be praying:<br />
1) for the right birth mom to see our book<br />
2) for the health of the birth mom and baby who we eventually get matched with<br />
3) patience, faith and encouragement for me and Lisa<br />
4) the financial side of the adoption as we are still trying to raise funds<br />
5) Campbell Jane as a big sister<br />
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We did get a call from the adoption agency last week about a possible birth mom who contacted them. The birth mom isn't at the agency yet...but they did ask us about showing her our book. We said yes...so hopefully the birthmom follows through on her plans to work with the agency and our prayers are that if this is the birthmom God wants to pick us, then she will like our book! That's a big prayer, so thank you for joining with us!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-72051164103128655692011-02-17T19:45:00.000-08:002011-02-17T19:45:14.204-08:00This one is for Benji !Things have been rather busy in the Ismert world the last 4 weeks. We've selected guides for Wilderness Ranch, we've coordinated a wedding, we've been to Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California and back. We've stepped in the Pacific Ocean and breezed through the Bellagio. I even shoveled a little snow. <br />
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But, rather than have you try to put the pieces together of all our comings and goings, let's just talk about the pieces of our adoption that are coming together in so many exciting ways! First of all, we have moved through the pre-placement phase of the adoption process and we've sent off our 'lifebook' to the adoption agency in Tulsa. So, as I type this, a birth-mom could be looking at our book and considering us as the family to adopt her child.<br />
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And speaking of pieces, we've had so much fun selling puzzle pieces. That's right, we 'borrowed' the idea to sell pieces to a 500 piece puzzle for $5 each (which should raise $2500). We've had tremendous response and have sold in the neighborhood of 400 pieces already! We might have to get a 600 piece puzzle! The idea is to write on the back of each puzzle piece the name of the person who 'bought it' and then when baby #2 is old enough, we'll put the puzzle together and talk about their adoption and see the names of all the people who supported us. It will be a great way to talk about adoption and to be reminded of how God used so many people to partner with us in this journey.<br />
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Speaking of partners in this adoption, we are so thankful for you all! We have been and continue to be overwhelmed by the prayers, encouragement and support of all of you. We are definitely not alone in this effort and that is probably the biggest blessing of them all. We love you all!<br />
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p.s. If you want to buy a puzzle piece(s) then just mail a check for how many you want to us at PO Box 1274 Buena Vista, CO 81211.<br />
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Thank you! We have raised by the power and mercy of God about $9000 and hope to raise another $4000. Talk to you soon, I really do plan/want/need to update this blog more often, so don't give up on checking it!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-51504117811991530832011-01-17T08:12:00.000-08:002011-01-17T08:12:13.169-08:00January...for rrrealWell, I almost feel like some re-introductions are in order. Yep, it's been awhile. I remember the last post, it was Christmas morning. We had a wonderful Christmas...full of family and friends and many blessings. Thank you to the all the Ismerts and all the Nichols for the love and festive times!<br />
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A few days after Christmas I left for Ecuador! It was a Wilderness Ranch trip with the purpose of exploring a partnership with Summit Adventure regarding a "Missions & Mountaineering" course they've organized for the past 7 or so years. It was a great course that definitely jumpstarted my imagination about the possibilities for YL and Summit to work together in ministry in Ecuador. The highlights of the trip were working at the church/school/community center known as Remanse d'Amor, a Christian ministry in a very poor neighborhood that is really showing incredible fruit. And we were fortunate enough to summit a mountain called Cayambe (18,996 ft). <br />
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And now we are back in BV! Wow. Back in the office and so much is going on! Lisa has gone 99 mph on the adoption paperwork and the 1st round of documents, tests, reports etc should be completed any day now. God has been going warp speed on providing us encouragement in many ways, just kind words, special moments with Campbell, and also in terms of finances. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us and thanks be to God for his power and mercy on us.<br />
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We've got so much to be thankful for...I don't want to overwhelm just a single blog post...so I intend to get back on here tomorrow with more. But this a great start! Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-88611901078199187502010-12-25T06:36:00.000-08:002010-12-25T06:36:39.345-08:00NoelMERRY CHRISTMAS!! It's Christmas morning! We love all of you and are so thankful for our family and friends! This is just a humble blog, but it's gonna be my platform to share a reminder regarding the birth of Jesus. Jesus is our Savior. I don't think we consider that enough. Say it to your self a couple times "I have a Savior". Then ask yourself.."Do I know him?" The real gift this day and everyday is the hope of a Savior. Without him, we have no hope. We love you and hope you will take a minute to share this truth with others today and everyday!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-87905214336739692202010-12-07T18:28:00.000-08:002010-12-07T18:28:42.398-08:00S is for 'SPARKLE'and for SHOPPING for Christmas! <br />
Please hit the 'Sparkle' logo link on our page (to the right) and check out our friend Clare and her site on "ETSY" for <u>encouragement totes</u>...aka...<u>hope totes</u>. These are hand made by our friend in Buena Vista and they are awesome. It's a great Christmas gift. Since they are hand made, please place your order no later than Dec 12th so she has time to make them. After the 12th you'll be too late for Christmas, but sales after Christmas will still help our adoption. She's partnered with us so 10% of each sale's proceeds that comes via our blog will send $$ to our adoption. She and her family are also matching the funds that come through the sales of her totes. <br />
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We are so blessed by the incredble support we've received from near and far! Soooooo.......while your browsing...don't forget to check out the <u>'CritterMeds' </u>link over there too. That is another friend of ours in the pet supply business. If your getting gifts for your furry family members, look at what they have. Also...coffee makes a warm gift...there's still time to order coffee via 'Just love coffee'. Again, please use the links via our blog. That's the only way we can get the credit. Thanks to everyone making coffee orders...Just Love Coffee has poured in almost $400 so far!<br />
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Please keep praying for us as we are pushing through the preplacement adoption process. That means paperwork, conversations and even more prayer. God is faithful!!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-2950315421694647272010-12-07T14:18:00.001-08:002010-12-07T14:18:47.612-08:00It's Pearl Harbor DayRead this.<br />
<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/12/07/2010-12-07_december_7_1941_pearl_harbor_attack_remembered_by_nyc_vets_who_lived_it.html">http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/12/07/2010-12-07_december_7_1941_pearl_harbor_attack_remembered_by_nyc_vets_who_lived_it.html</a>Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-85021546776805621742010-12-03T06:50:00.000-08:002010-12-03T06:50:44.673-08:00Thanksgiving, weddings and Decembbuurrr!Good morning to all! I can hardly believe how much has happened the past couple weeks. It seems so short for all that's unfolded for us. Lisa and CJ and I had a great post-Lisa b-day stretch right into Thanksgiving. That included saying good-bye to the Steckman's who sadly are moving back to Virginia, but we've been so blessed by their friendship and time in BV. We will miss them. <br />
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Thanksgiving was awesome! We went to warm(er) Denver and enjoyed great food and company with Mike & Crystal Delehoz and their daughter Mia Grace. Mike and Crystal are former Ranch guides and good friends with roots in Ft Worth, but recently moved to Denver. Mike volunteered for dawn patrol the day after Thanksgiving driving me to the airport at 4:30am. I caught a flight to Grand Rapids, MI to officiate the wedding of John Balmat and Christina Jagatic. It was my first wedding to officiate and it was awesome. <br />
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Honestly, I can think of no more honoring of a time than to be asked to officiate the wedding of a good friend. John and Christina, if you read this, please know how HONORED I felt to have this role in your wedding and THANK YOU for asking me to serve in that way. John & Christina had a beautiful wedding.<br />
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I also got some great time with the Michigan WR crew, which honestly I don't see enough of their happy and fun faces! <br />
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Returning to BV was good, always great to hug and kiss Lisa and Campbell Jane. The temps are dropping so winter is grabbing hold of us. No big snow dumps yet, but it's coming. Bought a new snow shovel...just need my shoulder to feel better...thankfully I don't need surgery. Just physical therapy for an enflamed tendon in my rotator cuff. <br />
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Lotsa love to you all! Merry Christmas and have the best day in the Lord today!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-60358737730073592662010-11-16T14:49:00.000-08:002010-11-16T14:49:39.113-08:00Birthday for Lisa and that is good!Man, was I moody last week. It could have been because my shoulder has been killing me ever since a rather bumpy landing on a slippery boat dock in Malibu Canada at the managers meeting. I did blame the time change several times...who would have thought an extra hour of sleep would be so tough to handle? I did go Dwight Schrute on our baby stroller...that was really bad. Some guy in Minnesota via Ebay got my 1st edition/1st printing "Band of Brothers" w/Ambrose autograph + signed by 4 Easy company vets to pay for a new stroller. <br />
But, here's what is good! Lisa and I had the best time on Sunday night in Glenwood Springs! We stayed at the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge for Lisa's birthday! We both realized while sitting in the 104 degree hot springs pool, with the evening snow dumping on us, staring at the rising steam that we were having one of the best evenings we've had in a long time! The lodge was great, the massage was relaxing and Lisa felt very celebrated! <br />
Her actual birthday is tomorrow so give her a call! Like John Balmat said, Happy 26th birthday, Lisa!!<br />
And I just want to say, much love to my sweet and wonderful wife!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-77884272967879253292010-11-07T17:16:00.000-08:002010-11-07T17:16:10.253-08:00CARE Grant is great!With all due respect to Cary Grant (accomplished Hollywood star) I'm much more excited to be associated with CARE Grant (Christian Adoption Resources and Encouragement). This group out of Pagosa Springs has blessed us with a $2500 grant towards our upcoming adoption! This rapidly accelerates our adoption journey! Prior to this we had a completed/accepted application for adoption on file, but now we can green light the pre-placement services such as the home study. Please keep praying for us as we really need prayers now. The birth mom may already be pregnant with the little baby we are praying will join our family. We trust so whole heartedly that God already has chosen the specific special little baby for our family. There is still further financial hurdles ahead...but this is a fantastic start!<br />
Please spread the word about the CARE Grant. Here is there contact info:<br />
CARE, Inc.<br />
PO Box 3543<br />
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147<br />
(970)731-9505<br />
God is Good!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-83867372528812795442010-11-06T18:40:00.001-07:002010-11-06T18:40:16.014-07:00Costumes, camping,& Ismert Fun (107 photos), by Lisa Ismert<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI4OTA5NDAyNjM1OSZwdD*xMjg5MDk*MDUzMDAwJnA9NjUxMzIxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmbz1mYmU4ZWU*ZjkyNzU*/NGViOWNkMzA3MzA1NmI1NzdiMSZvZj*w.gif" /><a href='http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/fbshareredirect/p=8161289093985693/l=10854738008/g=45519449/redirectURL=share/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=5248135008/a=45519449_45519449/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=107%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/'><img src='http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/getimagetnurl/AlbumID=5248135008/a=45519449_45519449/'/></a><br>I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.<br/><a href='http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/fbshareredirect/p=8161289093985693/l=10854738008/g=45519449/redirectURL=share/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=5248135008/a=45519449_45519449/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=107%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/'>Click here to view photos</a>Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477702700369229489.post-47608997371988198772010-11-01T21:38:00.000-07:002010-11-01T21:38:23.131-07:00Colby Teethwell, when the Rangers won game 3 of the World Series (with Colby Lewis pitching) I thought I'd find a picture of Colby gritting his teeth in intense pitching focus and illustrate how the Giants got chewed up in the teeth of great pitching...and it would sorta sound like Toby Keith. Well I couldn't find a picture of Colby's Teeth and who wants to see another picture of Toby Keith, and the Rangers lost games 4 and 5 so it is all irrelevant.<br />
Anyhow, it was a lot more fun getting ready for Halloween!! Campell was a lion and she can do a real respectable 'ROAR'! We had a blast doing halloween with everyone!! We had quite the collection of princesses, monkeys, lions, sheriff/police, cowboys and indians, and one guy in a Mexican style wrestling mask. Super cute and fun and lotsa candy.<br />
Which reminds me, we've had fun with Lisa's mom in town...it's a great time to be in BV, good weather, the football team is going to the playoffs and we're still there. Our house is for sale still, and we are still moving forward with adoption stuff. It's a rather slow pace right now, but THANK YOU to all of you for your prayers, your support in so many ways. We feel very encouraged and right where God wants us to be and trust that it all will be in his perfect timing!Izzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732675503352071148noreply@blogger.com0