Derek and Ania

Dominican Republic

Well folks.......

In our first real vacation since the little guy landed.....

This country, on an island shared with Haiti, is a tropical paradise!  Full of French, Spanish and Caribean history......she has endless places to visit.

We took Chris up on his offer to stay in his Condo in the Dominican Republic.  A beautiful place he has.....if anyone is interested for a great rate and a fantastic vacation, Chris would be happy to help you out!  When he isnt staying here, he rents the place out to help cover his expenses.....

His condo sports 4 bathrooms, 3 massive bedrooms, 4 deck areas within the penthouse floorplan with ocean views. 200ft from the beach the condo is located withing walking distance to many restaurants and watering holes.

  yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaa

Hi to all,,,,got to get back to my rum.

dc

The First 3 Months

We can barely remember our lives before parenthood.

We are now pro diaper changers, burpers, soothers, baby talkers, and day time nappers.  The world that used to be so foreign has now enveloped us in all its glory and wonder ... we are parents, and thankful for every moment this little boy has brought into our lives. 

Each day seems to fly by, and with each new developmental milestone comes the sadness of times' passage and the excitement of future achievements. 

Daxzen has now found his toes, learned to laugh, played a drum, flown in a plane and sailed a boat. He's a busy and happy little boy, full of conversation and cuddles for everyone.  He still hates mobiles :)

VIDEO**   Click here to view         Click on link to the left to see video

da boss

Well, its already been two weeks, and this little guy is making himself right at home. We have been very lucky as he is really well settled, doesnt cry much, and sleeps great at night.  He already shows signs of enjoying music, stories read aloud and being outside in the fresh air.  He doesnt like mobiles, sleeping in his crib during the day, nor being clothed at all.  Loves new people and also likes being on the move......

stay tuned for more brief updates!

We say hello to all!
The new Cormack family.
Derek and Ania

Welcome Baby Boy!

Born June 19, 2008 at 8:05pm
weight 10' 7" (4725g), length 22" (56cm )

CLICK TO VIEW  PICTURES HERE!

Hawaii Sun, aka "the last QUIET trip"

As our pregnancy advances and the winter blues are at their peak, we pack swimsuits and summer clothes smelling of mothballs, and head to the islands for some Vitamin D "the way nature intended it".   Everyone needs a sunny break at this miserable time of year, when the relentless Canadian winter finally takes it's psychological toll.  We are also aware that this is likely our last "quiet" trip before a lifetime of baby demands and  temper tantrums fills our time. 

Ania manages to use the trip and register for 2 conferences, the first on Kauai where she meets up with medical school friends Ellen (also pregnant!) and Chris, then heads off to the the Big Island of lava flows and VOG .... volcanic fog .... Derek meets us here, and together we (us and mimi-us) head to the beautiful island of Maui for a glorious week filled with much needed sunshine, ocean fun and fresh fruit.

Our main objective upon reaching Maui was a bit more complex - we dressed in big hats and sunglasses, adopted a non-conspicuous walk, and hunted the beaches and hotels of Kaanapali with the goal of surprising Genevieve on her birthday.   Mission accomplished with flare!  It was hard to figure out who was more happy --- Gen for the birthday gift, or the gift (aka US) for getting to spend time with friends in paradise.

We had a fabulous time, though these trips never seem long enough, and saw enough sunsets to last us till summer :)

Stay tuned for the big day ---

JUNE 7th. 

Any guesses? Boy or girl?

Ania's Birthday in Piers Island, Gulf Islands

It was time for another Rock Tour - that magical time of the year when Ania gets a trip on her birthday ... to a place where she has not yet collected a rock to mark the occasion.

This year, we flew out to Victoria then ferried across the short ocean stretch toward the "cottage" where George and Gloria hosted the festivities on Piers Island.  Vancouverites Derek and Gen, with Bella and Doug, joined us for the weekend.  And what a wonderful 4 days of pleasure awaited us, as we ate and ate and drank and drank - cheese and wine of course - then ate and drank some more.

Piers Island is a little oasis of an island, with only some 100 beach front properties surrounding a centre wooded common area of trails and parks.  No TV, no phones, no internet.  The deer and birds have completely taken over, and the rains have washed away any undesirable traces of civilization.

Being so close to the ocean made us itch to drift upon it, so we charted a 28" Camano powerboat named "Otter", nicknamed by us "The Pig" for it's apparent lack of hydrodynamics.  We zipped around to some of our favourite marinas with Jaeger in tow.  The Penders were a must - with their gorgeous Beaumont Marine Park walk and beach combing.

A fabulous holiday!  Thank you to everyone for another memorable birthday, and to G and G for opening their doors to this tired crowd :)

CUBA - Si!

Coming soon - the full adventures of DB + Gen, and ACDC!
Photos posted, descriptions pending.

Download 09-macy_gray_-_time_of_your_life_192_lame_cbr.mp3

Mayan Riviera - Ania and Grace hit the beach

The snow got to us . . .  we were long overdue for a mother-daughter trip.  It was the call of the Maya that made our choice easy, as we headed to the Mayan Riviera for a week of sun and surf.  Though I have to admit . .  we almost missed the plane while chatting over beers in the Calgary lounge.  

The trip was a stunner from the beginning, as an upgrade on the plane landed us in cushy 1st class, and another upgrade at the resort landed us in the 5 star breath-taking Catalonia Royal Tulum.  A spectacular resort on a palm-studded beach, fantastic food and worthwhile nightly entertainment.  We LOVED every moment of our 7 day adventure.

We did manage to live some "real" Mexico, and braved a local bus (collectivo) on an independent tour of the Mayan site of Tulum.  We also rented a car, and with the help of a new-found friend Bob Wells, we drove to Chichen Itza to see the grand expense of this religious city.  The heat did not deter the crowds of tourists or the mass of venders with their creative selling techniques.  With cries of "everything for a dollar", we quickly came away with many prized collections of carvings.

The trip passed quickly - and there are many things I discovered that I did not know before.
1) My drinking ability is genetic.
2) Mom and I both LOVE to play in the waves, and as one thrilled giggle ended with a toss in the waves another filled in the gap. We are of the mermaid clan.
3) Mom and I are both (slightly) more brave by going topless - - - if only while lying down to tan.
4) We need to do this EVERY YEAR - a necessity for sanity and friendship.