Christmas at G-pa West's House

How many Ballings fit in a Photo Booth?

We went to a wedding reception for my cousin Levi tonight. They had a photo booth at the sign in table. How fun! Of course, we had to all get in at once. Even Lily made a funny face:

Our New House

Well, almost anyways. We are under contract and scheduled to close January 13th. It's 4 bed/2 bath. There are minor fixes to make, but we got a good deal and are excited about it!

The usual week

Things are so much fun here. We had the first Big Snowstorm which led to all sorts of fun. Janna had a wonderful birthday thanks to everyone! Christmas is coming and decorating is always new and exciting. Lily is always finding new amusements for herself.

WFDO Training

Here are some pictures Tyler took at his WFDO Training in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was a long 3 months, but Tyler did well and even received "Distinguished Graduate" for his class.

Cousins and Turkey

We went to the Steven's House for Thanksgiving this year. It was so much fun to do much of nothing and just spend time together. Here are some highlights:

A fun day, or two...

We've been trying to keep Lily busy with all sort of fun things to do.

We went to Provo to visit Aunt Diane. We stopped at Rick and Cindee's for a grand reunion of: Aubree, Taylor, Sam, Mandee, Nate, Paul, Dan, Rick, Cindee, Janna, Lily, Diane, Jessica, Jenna. Lily loves to play with Paul and Nate. Lily played in the fort at Diane's house all morning long and even took her nap in it.


We went out to play in the fresh SNOW (it's still new to Lily). Lily was very excited when I told her we were going to make a snowman (she love to sing "once there was a snowman"). The biggest ball I could form was a fist size. When she saw the final product she joyfully declared: "baby no man!"


We stopped at the "Daddy Park" on Hill AFB (all the airplanes and people running laps in PT uniforms must have reminded Lily of being with Dad.)

Bye Bye Tyson

Tyson left to the MTC this Wednesday. He will be serving for 2 years in the St. Louis, Missouri mission. We are sure going to miss him!!!

Fun in the Sun of Florida

Daddy!!!

We've been having SO MUCH FUN visiting Tyler. We're getting a little cabin fever from the hotel room, but we've found some entertaining things to do.

We ate at THE SHED. Yum! Best potato salad ever.


We weathered a TROPICAL STORM (the outskirts of Ida) and got locked out of our room when we ventured out to take pictures.


We found a PARK in front of the houses Tyler and Janna built the last time they were here 3 years ago.
And we went for a walk/jog on the new BAY BRIDGE.


Most of all we've just enjoyed being TOGETHER!

5 Month Belly Bump

Fall Festivities

For Halloween Lily was a Cowgirl and I was an Indian.

We got all dressed up Friday night for the Balling Family Reunion party. Lily was so cute. I didn't get any pictures of us because I was too busy being in charge of the party, but I did get pictures of her with my sisters on Halloween night.

All Lily could talk about all night long was CANDY!

Lily, did you go Trick-or-treating with Heidi?
nod yes. then "Can-y?"
Oh, did you get candy?
nod yes. then "Can-y. dEat mo Can-y! (eat more candy)"
Ok. I'll take your bucket upstairs for you.
shake no. "Mai Can-y. (my candy)"
Oh, your candy. Ok. You take your bucket upstairs.
"Mai Can-y."

And of course we had to go outside to play in the LEAVES.

We've never seen this many on the ground at once. Lily also likes "pu-kins" and eating apples all by herself.

First Snow

This morning we were awakened by something exciting and new...

SNOW!!!

Lily had never seen snow. We bundled up in coats and went outside to investigate. It took some warming up to (literally) but Lily finally decided that she likes "nno! (snow)"

Goodmorning Lily

Lily woke up before me today and was playing contently in the room. I was finally awakened by her crying. When I looked to see why, I couldn't help but laugh. Good thing it's laundry day today so there weren't many clothes to mess up!

FHE

Tyson got to help Lily while Dad read scriptures to everyone. The rest of us made a Pinata for the upcoming Balling Family Reunion. And of course, there were cookies afterward.

Swing!!!

Lily loves the swings. Nancy and I took her to the park for a much needed escape from the house. Weee!

Family Temple Time

We have a tradition of doing temple work as a family. We found ourselves with a free day so we took Heidi to the SLC temple for the first time. Dad then showed us how he had worked on the re-structuring of the tabernacle, which of course, meant we had to get a picture next to the plaque.

If you give a teen a camera...

What happens if you give some teenagers an underwater camera?

We sure had fun (as usual) swimming as a family.

Final Days of Hawaii

We miss you Hawaii!!!

Today I was showing Lily these pictures as I was preparing them for the blog. I would ask:

"Who's that?"

after a very slight pause she would correctly reply:
"Na-na-na (Savanah)" or "Bi-by (Brinley)" or "Baa-by (Abby)" or "Ka (Kai)"

each accompanied by huge smiles and delight. That girl has a memory like a steel trap. It breaks my heart to know we won't be coming back. We sure miss you all. Thanks for all of these fun memories!!!

click on the image to view MOVIEs
Sept 26 - Water Park


Sept 25/26 - Hotel Room


Sept 24 - Surf Group


Sept 21 - North Shore


Sept 20 - Gina B-Day Party


Sept 20 - Aloha Oe


Sept 19 - Sean B-day Party


Sept 19 - Thunderbirds Air Show


Sept 18 - Squadron Farewell Dinner


Sept 7 - Scott Pool Labor Day


Sept 6 - Rock Band

Family Photo Shoot

Hawaii 5-year Reunion 2015

During our way fun Girl's Night Dinner, we decided we needed to have a 5-year Reunion. So here's the Official Invite: leave a comment with your contact email for 2015 and I will make sure you get the info on where and when. Can't wait to see you all again!

Lily and her baby

Lily loves to play with her baby. She also likes to wear hats and try to put clothes on herself. This day she combined the 2 and put the hat on the baby. Oh what fun!

Kauai with the Sharps

We had so much fun playing on Kauai. It is our new favorite island of Hawaii. Big enough for variety, small enough to drive around in one day.

Also pictured is some of the fun stuff we did on our home island Oahu before we flew over to Kauai.

Lily of the Day - July and Aug

click on image to view MOVIEs

Months Fly By

We've been so busy over the last month. I finally got these pictures online, but it's probably as far as I'll get. Enjoy!


Aug 8 - Camping at Peacock Flats

Aug 4 - Sailing at Sunset

Aug 3 - PCC

July 27 - Tantalus Loop Hike

July 7 - Mauna Wili Falls Hike

July 4 - Fireworks

Lily of the Day - June 2009

Ready to GO!!!

Tyler and I are soooo excited for our kayak trip along the Napali Coast next week. We took a practice run on Pearl Harbor just for fun (and gave Lily a practice run with the babysitters). The water was super salty and merky, but the scenery was great!

Dad's Day

We went all out this year with presents and a special dinner of shrimp, asparagus, and chocolate strawberry banana cream pie. Then sadly Tyler had to go to work. Thank you Tyler for all the work you do.

We love our Daddy!!!

Lily of the Day - Month 12

Lily is one year old going on 2. She thinks she is so smart with all her words and tricks. She wants to do everything the way that they are supposed to be done. She is a good swimmer, loves airplanes and walks outside, best friends with her "baby", and so much fun. Cute little girl.

A typical conversation with Lily:
Lily - "s dat?" while pointing
Mom - "What, this? This is a wallet"
L - "hmm?"
M - "Watch. You put cards in it and point to the pictures."
L - Puts cards in and out and smiles proudly.
M - "good job!"
L - "Ga-pa" as she points to the pictures.
M - "yep. That's grandpa. Good job Lily"
L - Laughs and laughs.

A Special Day

Happy First Birthday Lily!!!

Surf Day

Every Thursday is surf day. I took my camera and captured some of the fun that we always have. I love surfing!!!

More Practicing

So I made another cake. The lettering wasn't so great, but the bees where cute!

Memorial Day Touring

We went with our friends and toured some military history (Thanks Jenni). It was a great reminder of the sacrifices that have been made for the wonderful freedoms we enjoy!

Saving a Marriage...

Way Before it Goes Sour.

It surprises me how often I hear of people getting divorces and how sad it seems to be that they feel like they just don't have anything in common anymore. I am so glad that Tyler and I have decided to stay as far away from that as possible. This is why we have Date Night. No Lily, just us. It always ends up nicer than we expect. For our last date night we went to the Magic of Polynesia show. Here is a picture at the surf museum we looked at while we waited.

Aunt Cindy and Crazy Uncle Kyle

After a few days Lily quit screaming every time uncle Kyle looked at her and just smiled or laughed instead. We had fun exploring the island and just doing nothing. I love vacations at home.

Check out what Kyle and Cindy had to say and see on their blog at:
http://kcballing.blogspot.com/2009/05/aloha.html

Lily of the Day - Month 11

I'm so excited for Lily's first birthday in a month that I almost forgot about all of the fun stuff she has done this month. Lily is walking exclusively now. She likes to climb on stuff, but only if she knows it won't hurt her (like the beds, couch, and cuddle bag). She communicates very well with her half words and signs. She is very patient and only cries until she knows you understand the problem. Lily likes music and dancing. She will jump and wiggle when she dances. Peak-A-Boo and her baby doll are her favorite games. She likes to swim and go to the beach. She will last longer in the water than I do even when she is shivering. She is asking me now to please watch baby movies on the computer so I guess that's it.
click on image to view MOVIEs



Tricks

More or Done
apr13

Standing Solo
apr16

First Steps
apr18

Walking Non-Stop
may14

More New Words ...

Diaper
apr16

Bottle
apr17

Banana
apr27

Peak-a-boo
may1

Savanah (her friend)
may3

Clock
may5

Friend Events

Hey friends. I thought it would be nice to have a calendar to track when everyone is gone to UT (I couldn't keep track of it in my head) so I added it on the side bar. If you have a Google calendar, just invite me to join yours (twsnowman@yahoo.com) otherwise, just email me your dates and I'll put them on. Let me know if you want this widget.

Koko Head Krazies

http://seebeanersworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/just-one-giant-step-at-time.html
This is the site for my friend's entry of the event. It about sums it up for me.

Snowboarding in Hawaii

Yes that's right. Tyler had his first flying lesson with his friend Cliff. They flew to the Big Island, did some snowboarding, and flew back. The snow was unusually streaked with crystals. Good times, good times.

Click on image to view MOVIEs

Piece of Cake?

I've wanted to get better at cake decorating for some time. SO I've started making them whenever I have an excuse. I've discovered that really the hardest part is the mess it makes and the time it takes to clean up that mess. Good thing it is fun and worth it. Here are the cakes I made for our friends' farewell party.

Surf Group

I have the opportunity of heading up the Relief Society (and friends) Surf Group in our ward every week. I LOVE IT!!! I love the ladies I get to chat with and for all the memories we've made. It is always sad to give a final aloha to one that is leaving. If it weren't for the Surf Group and their willingness to teach me and swap kids, I would never know the joys of surfing. Thanks everyone for helping me feed my need for surfing!

There is a bike path along Pearl Harbor that we rode for 1.5 miles. The shining sun and sparkling water were nice when we came to the clearings. Yea for family outings.

Send us Pictures!

Lily has discovered the computer. It is for watching movies, especially ones of herself. She will sit and watch for 15mins at a time. It's great!

She also likes to look at pictures. She has here own photo album and she will point to people, say "s dat?", wait for you to say their name, and turn the page.

So send us a picture and/or video clip of yourself. She will learn to recognize and love you. You could even ask her about her favorite words: Who's that? (point to person), Baby, nose, hi, bye-bye, etc. I'm sure she will be delighted!
Click on image to view movies

Sharp Eggs

Tyler doesn't eat hard boiled eggs in any form. That meant only a small selection was needed for Lily and I. It seemed stupid to mix up egg dye for so few, so I used a less conventional coloring method:

Sharpies!

It was fast, easy, and no mess. Until Lily insists on coloring them herself, I think I have found a new Easter tradition.

Lily of the Day - Month 10

Signs I Know

Eat, Bottle (these are old hat)

Hi, Bye-Bye

Can I have a kiss?

Give me 5

Baby (my favorite!)

Come here

Diaper

Pointing

Potty (still working on it)

More apr11

First Words

"s dat" = What's That?

"ba beh" = Baby

"da da" or "da dee" = Daddy (sometimes I get it)

"ma mam mam" = Mom (ie I need something or help)

Pearl City Loop

There is a loop through the jungle that we conquered on Wednesday. We always love our hikes together. It is good to get out of the house and explore.

Tyler wanted even more of a workout and went running along a branch of the trail. Lily and I chilled and had some quality picture time.

Pictures in 5,4,3 ...

I'm counting down the days 'till I have a camera again.

We decided to go with the same water-proof/hike-proof/diaper bag-proof camera that we just ruined (we know how to avoid ruining the new one now) with an upgrade to a newer model in hopes that it will take better indoor pictures than the last model. We really loved the last camera so we figure we will enjoy this one too. Who knows, we may even love it more!

It's in the mail and on it's way. Until then, I've been fortunate to catch some good stuff with a loaner camera (thanks Leah!!!) but I won't be able to download it 'till we get our new camera. One more week....

Bike Riders

We biked the North Shore!

Off to a rocky start

Tyler broke the valve on his tire and headed to the FoodLand to find a fix. Lily and I rode down to Sunset beach on our own.





Lily loves bike rides
Awe how cute!






Together At Last
Tyler joined in and Lily fell asleep. We biked from one end (Shark's Cove) to the other (Sunset Beach). It went so much faster that I expected! It was a pleasant, shady, fun way to view this popular place.

Waikiki

We don't like to go to Waikiki often because of the crowds, but every Friday night they have FIREWORKS. We went early to swim and the Hale Koa then enjoyed some food and company of our friends for the show.

Standing on her own!

Happy Family

Mmm, more Pat Tai please!

Waterlogged

What brand/model of camera is good for indoor and out? How about diaper bag/beach/hike proof? Any suggestions?

Until then, you'll just have to keep waiting for new pictures. Sorry.

Whale Watchin' Mamas

Look how happy we are. This was a fun outing.

We hiked to the light house with our friends and all the jogging strollers (4 Mamas, 5 Babies, and 1 Dad). There were tons of whales out that day!
Don't just take my word for it. Here's what Andrea saw and says:
Andrea's Pics

Waterfalls and Waterbeds

Lily and I went camping with the ward (Tyler was hard at work forecasting. No-thanks for the storm warning honey). It poured rain all night and we ended up floating high and dry on our air-mattress as a stream flowed under and through our tent. As we packed up in the soaking swamp I forgot to take any pictures. It will just remain one of those memories that you had to be there for.
I did stop to get a great shot of the waterfalls on the way home. I've only seen this sight 3 times in the almost 3 years we have lived here. Awesome!

Lily of the Day - Month 9

This month started with a trip to the Big Island. Lily's favorite thing was the warm water pool. She couldn't stop smiling and laughing!

Lily learned how to give kisses, wave "hi hi hi" and "bye-bye", and she learned the big one ... Crawling! She has discovered many new places that need baby-proofing. She is happy to be able to get where she wants and to pull herself up to another level of discovery.

The month ended with a visit from many Aunts and Uncles, and Lily's new favorite cousin Max. They had so much fun playing with each other. Lily really loved the attention and all the fun activities and adventures we had. She was quite bored when everyone left her with just mom and everyday life again. She was constantly giving giving kisses and performing tricks for everyone. To quote uncle Craig "She's stinkin' cute!"

Visitors!!!

We had so much fun with Tyler's family. Even though the weather wasn't perfect, we got to do EVERYTHING and more. Lily loved the attention, Tyler loved talking, Janna loved planning and organizing. It was a great vacation for us all. We miss you!

Sweetheart Suprise!

Lily starting CRAWLING today. She was even hamming it up for the camera. Wait for it, you'll see. Happy Valentine's Day!

click to view

It Happened on Friday the 13th...

We played How to Host a Murder with some friends. For a disco dilemma, don't we look groovy?LEFT TO RIGHT: Angela & Mark Harris, JR Fillmore (Valerie is taking the picture), Jared & Gina Theler, Janna&Lily & Tyler West.

Lily of the Day - Month 8

Trick List

clap clap clap

hands and knees

climb up everything

swing!!

walk with help

oh forget it. There are too many. We'll just leave it at

She's just darn CUTE!

Oahu and the Big Island

Well, by more I simply meant comments will be added. Well, now they are done so this post is done. We sure had fun on all the adventures!
The Big Island

Oahu

Group Lesson

I had all my students at once for a group piano lesson. You would never guess how much fun it can be to work so hard!What you don't see is the remainder of the hour when the games and activities resembled chaos. It sure was fun. Everyone left smarter and pleased with the prizes they earned.

Stairway to Heaven

What a trip! Tyler, my dad, and I got up early and headed up the vertigo stairs. The visibility was great and it was so beautiful to look over the windward side of the island. Then we got to the top ridge and the sprinkling started. 600 sets of 7 stairs each (the railings are numbered) and we made it to the old bunker at the top. It was definatley raining. Never fear, we had good rain gear!

Then the fun began.

We hiked further along the ridge through mud and brush. Slipping and sliding. Clinging to the plants to avoid falling. Dirty, but kind of fun.
We met and followed the Moanalua Ridge trail down along another ridge. This was were it got ruff. 20mph winds threatened to knock us off the narrow path. What a rush! Above the treeline and descending quickly, we scrambled, slipped, and trudged along. It's a good thing we had that rope to hold us together. Would it ever end!

Well it did, but we were drenched and muddy from head to toe. As the rain and wind subsided, we even caught glimpses of waterfalls on the ridge next to us. We reached the trees (yea trees! Windblocking, good gripping, supportive trees!) and the hike continued to desend through the jungle. We know this meets up with the road right?

There it was, the road. Oh. On the other side of this stream. Well we're soaked anyways. Wading is no big deal. As we walked and walked for an hour or so along the road, the rain resumed. Soaked again. The stream was larger than usual due to the rain. We counted 18 crossings that we had to make along the road, with the last 6 having old bridges.

As we staggered into the park (and loaded up on Ibuprofen) beyond thoughts of "Owe" "Cold" and "I can't move" it was a great feeling to realize what we had accomplished. Hiking from one side of the island to the other. That was one thrilling hike and we did it! It's memories like this that make me realize how much I love hiking.

Birthday Cake

Tyler had to work on his birthday, so I surprised him at work with a German Chocolate cake, his favorite.

So Exactly How Old Is He?

28 candles! Blown out so fast, smoke is all we caught.

Happy Birthday Lovey-Poo!
(he he he. I can get away with such cheesiness here)

North Shore

The surf was on the big side and we needed a break (with all the storms Tyler's had a ruff time at work lately). So I rescheduled piano and off to the North Shore we went. The waves were big and choppy because of the winds. It was fun to just sit and relax. Everyone kept giving us looks that seamed to say "Why would you bring your baby on vacation with you?" Little do they know, we are the lucky ones that Live Here!!! It was a nice afternoon. We really like the North Shore.

Lily of the Day - Month 7

Trick List

• eat solid foods
  
• jump in her jumper
  
• scoot and roll into trouble
  
• pinch food and feed self
  
• say "ma ma mam"
  

Bike Ride

Yea new toys! Janna got a bike and Lily got a trailer. We tried it out for the first time on New Year's Day. Tyler had to work for Christmas so we took advantage of all the time off that he had this week. We had so much fun! It won't replace surfing, but this could become a new frequent family activity.

Farewell 2008

Can you believe we did all of this in one year? We can't. We especially loved the times that we shared with all of our family and friends. We thank our Heavenly Father for all of our blessings and for our wonderful life.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

December

• Christmastime!
• Lily of the Day - Month 6

November

• Aunts, Uncle, G-mas, and G-pas
• Camping
• Lily of the Day - Month 5
• Judd Trail
• Baby Bird in her Nest

October

• Hauula Hike for FHE
• Treat or Trick
• Lily of the Day - Month 4
• Grandma Nancy Visit
• Family Pictures Revisited

September

• At the Beach
• Olomana Hike
• I am SUPERMOM! After 2 years of living here, I fin...
• Pool Party
• Lily of the Day - Month 3
• Baby Stroller Relay
• Rock Band
• Family Pictures

August

• Aiea Loop Hike
• Granny Sandi and Aunt Diane
• Lily of the Day - Month 2

July

• Gubler's Visit
• Lily Baby Blessing
• Lily of the Day - Month 1
• Fourth of July

June

• Honolulu Zoo
• Lilia's Birth

May

• Punchbowl for Memorial Day
• Stairway to Heavan Hike May 08
• Piano Recital

April

• Whale Watching
  

March

• Tyler Family Visit - March 2008
• Kyle and Cindy Wedding Trip to UT

February

January

• Ballings Visit and Maui