Authome Adventures

Miley the Artist

2011-05-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Auth! Miley loves the easel.

Miley is 2

2011-05-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful celebration for Miley's 2nd birthday. Her friends Mason and Betty Jo (along with their parents and Stephanie too) joined us for a morning at the zoo. The kiddos enjoyed wagon rides, a visit from the blue macaw, coloring, and cupcakes. For those unfamiliar, the Pana'ewa Zoo is really amazing. From the second video you might think there are only feral chickens showcased...but that video was taken in the parking lot. Watch it and you'll get a glimpse at Miley's 2 year old attitude. How does she say "no" with such sass?

Miley loves the zoo and she loves her birthday as well. Although I don't think she's a fan of birthday candle smoke.

Miley is talking a lot more. I love the way she says "I'll get it."................"giddit" and "Right there".........."ride dare". I don't like the way she says, "Can I have that."......"Mine!" She likes to be involved with everything. She pushes the wet laundry into the dryer and closes the door. She'll help make dinner by standing on her stool and washing vegetables. She also likes to press the buttons on our appliances for smoothing making or coffee grinding. She loves to play in vehicles and has learned to insert the key into the ignition of the Nalu van. She pretend plays one game in which she'll fluff out a blanket and lay down saying, "asleep" and after a sixth of a second she yells "awake" and is up and at it again. This is one game that I would like to encourage to last longer. Miley loves Rhett. She'll give him toys and often wakes from naps questioning, "baby?" as in "Where's my bro mom it's time to play".

Here's a bit of face time for Rhett. What a flirt! More to come soon because he's taken is first bites of food, is starting to sit on his own, and is 6 months old.

Easter Fun

2011-05-02T18:51:00.001-07:00

On Easter Saturday we hosted the

4th Annual Easter Beer (and Egg) hunt.

The beer hunt is a fun tradition Mike and Sarah introduced to us. It has changed a lot since the inaugural hunt. With the addition of many kids in our circle of friends, we've added egg hunting along with the beer hunting.
It is Authome fun for the whole family.

Miley had a blast. She is such a party girl! She was confused as to why there were eggs all over the yard, but her concern quickly dissipated when she learned we were picking them up. Miley, Betty Jo, and Este had a wonderful time together. They shared eggs, went swimming, ate pizza, danced, and partied all afternoon and evening. Perhaps it was the chocolate malt eggs that the older kids shared that made the girls rock out so long.

The beer hunt was fun. My favorite part was the after hunt boat race (drinking game), and the lovely mix of beers that Timber found while hunting. The best one: Koko Brown brewed by Kona brewing Co. YUM!

Fortunately the kids are great egg finders (I have only found one egg and it was plastic.) and the adults are lousy beer finders (Timber and I have each found beers in the back yard since the hunt.)

Thank you to all the participants, to our field marshals Sarah and Unky and the special guest appearance by Mike.

We hope you had a lovely Easter. Happy spring!

2011-04-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

Here's where we're at... Rhett just made 4 months. He weighed in at 14 pounds and 21 inches, which is exactly where Miley was when she was 4 months. He rolls easily from side to side and has made it to his tummy twice. In the past couple weeks he has started cooing more. The other night he cracked up laughing at Timber. He must have my sense of humor...anything Timber does is funny. Miley has her dad's sense of humor. She loves it when people trip and fall. She is getting close to 2 years old. (Whew, how did that happen?) She loves coloring and stickers. She is potty trained save a few accidents when mommy and daddy forget to take her to the restroom. The tough part about it is that she doesn't have the skills to take her own pants down. She is becomming more of an individual with precise wants. In the morning she always wants her milk in the cup with a straw. She likes to pick her own clothes, which often means she has two shirts and no britches. Or that she has a pink flowered shirt with a crazy fish print pair of shorts. I hope the freedom of wardrobe she experiences allows her future fashion creativity or else I'll be hearing a lot of, "I can't believe you dressed me in that."

Happy Birthday Timber

2011-03-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Rhett!

2010-12-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome Baby

2010-12-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

Rhett James Auth

Born November 28th at 5:08pm
6lbs 13oz

This is one tough little boy! Despite a long labor (story to come soon), and some complications, he arrived healthy with an Apgar score of 8 out of 10. In the three days after birth he has gained back all but three ounces of his birth weight (it takes most babies two weeks). So, you can guess that he is a good eater. He has big feet and long delicate fingers. He didn't get Timber's uni-brow or the strong brow that Miley got, but he does have a healthy head of dark hair. He is a chill kiddo, only upset when he's wet, hungry, or cold. We shower him with golden love and are so happy he has finally joined us!

Chicken Massacre

2010-11-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

When Timber got in the van this morning to go to work, there were two big dogs in the back yard. I exclaimed concern for the chickens and he went tearing down the yard with the horn blazing. The dogs took off, but they had been there for quite awhile having a feathered festival. All six of the chickens are dead. Timber said the scene is so bloody that I won't even go down there to take a look.
We've always thought of the hens as a production line for eggs and manure with an edible end. But their all to quick death really got me down. I felt lost this morning without the purpose of taking Miley in the wagon for our stroll to feed the chickens. Humph.
Timber is trying to sort the situation out with the owner of the dogs. Apparently the dogs aren't ever let out of their yard...but their gate was accidentally left open last night. We feel at ease that we don't need to worry about crazed, chicken eating, feral dogs freely roaming our block seeing as how Miley and mean dogs don't mix. But dam, my heart feels squashed.
Anyone know who we can buy chickens from?

Gift Ideas

2010-11-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

For all you mainland shoppers who want to get holiday gifts in the mail soon here are some measurements, ideas, and wishes that may help you shop.

Miley will be 18 months old this Dec. She fits perfect in 18m clothing...but if you want an item to last longer, buy 24m size or bigger. We love dark colored items! Miley is tough on clothing and I can't seem to get stains out of anything (and I feel like I should have stock in Oxy Clean). We like solid colored, elastic shorts because they are easy to match with fun shirts and they are easy to put on. We've only found a few pairs of shoes that work for her. The crocks are the choice shoe for the moment and she's in a 4-5.
Rhett-James will be just newborn this Christmas. We have most everything we need for him.

Here's some fun stuff we could use.

Wooden stepping stool so Miley can get on the potty and/or wash her hands.
Kid size chair or chair-table set
Swing for the almond tree outside
Easel and/or art supplies
Books! (we love books)
Thermometer (the newer roll across the forehead kind)

Family gifts...

We'd love to have a 4 person tent to take the fam camping. An all mesh body with a sturdy rain fly would be best for our Hawaii weather.
We could use a new car...although shipping costs from the mainland are quite high.
We love visitors especially folks who want to babysit and give us a date night.
Our Craftsman drill's batteries no longer hold a charge. (new batteries or new drill?)
We don't have some basic tools...pliers, witre cutters...and we definitely don't have the organization (drawers, peg board....) to keep tracke of em.
Timber loves fudge, t-shirts, and never seems to have a properly working headlamp.
I'll be newly sans belly and will be working my way back to regular fitting yoga clothing.
I'll be nursing so nursing tank tops would be awesome!

Clowning Around

2010-10-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Caramel apples.

Good friends.

Red noses.

Live music.

Dancing.

Skirts that twirl.

Chocolate.

Authome.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Harvest

2010-10-27T23:03:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we drove up to Waiamea for the HPA Pumpkin Patch festival. It is a complete harvest fest with everything from face painting to pony rides. We met the Lewis family (Mark, Jaime, Betty) and the Wissman family (Brian, Carrie, Mason) and all enjoyed a day tooling around the up-country. It felt like fall in the cooler weather, with all those pumpkins around.

Timber and I laughed our bums off when he put a toy rat by Miley on a hay bail. She furrowed her brow and pointed at it before gently touching it with a very concerned demeanor. When she discovered it was fake, she grabbed as if saying, "This is an ugly toy."

She played ball toss and soccer kick games...but did NOT go into the maze. She looked at the dark tunnel and ran in tears. And daddy thought she would enjoy the haunted house!?!???

Hope you are enjoying this fall. Happy Harvest.

Toddling Around

2010-10-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Nothing new here.

We're just enjoying a dry fall and heading to the beach often.

Miley is such a water girl!

She just has a ball if there is water involved! Here are some photos of our latest outings.

Miley's miles

2010-09-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

So Miley is a year and 4 months old.
Here is what she is up to...
Words she says
---Mom----Daddy---Hi--- --Bye-bye---- Go-go-go------ Ohhh
---Cat---- -Cow -----Moo---Woof--------Fish------------Chicken
---Cheese -Please---Baby---Bubble------Betty (her best friend)
---Book ---Guava---Honu---Pool--------Baba (for drink)
Words she signs
---more---eat---up---bye-bye---potty---rain---wind---sleep---fish (she also points)
She loves
-playing "bucking bronco" with dad

-the chickens

-bead necklaces

-to eat. (guava, berries, cheese, salmon, and chicken top the list)

-her blanket. it is a must have for naps and bed time

-twirling and dancing

-Betty Jo. She is an 11 month old friend.

-the book How do I Love You?... and will always turn to the page with the bear.

-looking from side to side in her car seat so much that she gets rats nests in her hair.

-dogs and cats

-to play on mommy and daddy's bed. She'll flop down in the pillows. She takes everything off our night-stands. She'll do downward dog and then roll over summer-salt style.

-swimming! She enjoys pool and ocean time and is getting really good at kicking and moving her arms.

Cluck Cluck

2010-09-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

We just bought 6 hens and thier coop/run set up. We love these gals! These ladies are about a year old and are laying eggs like magic. We get an average of five eggs a day.
We came into this chicken raising in the easiest way possible. Our friend Julia just started grad school on Ohau (different island). She had two flocks of hens at her place here on the Big I. Her house sitters didn't need that many eggs, so she decided to sell a flock and their abode to us. It is a portable coup and run: aka chicken tractor. Sounds glam right...well it is mostly just functional. The coup is made a 3'x3'x'4' hut with a set of wheels on one side so we can tilt it and roll it around. It has two nesting boxes and space for the gals to roost at night. The run is 10'x3' pvc and wood structure covered in chicken wire. It is open on the bottom so the gals can peck and scratch. They love to rip up the grass, so we move the thing daily.
We make about 4 trips out to see the gals each day. Partly because Miley LOVES the birds. (Partly because Timber and I love 'em too.) Miley calls them CHEGEE and stubbornly points outside for us to got for a visit.
I'm reading up on chicken care, so hopefully the ladies have a long and productive life here with us.

Summer 2010

2010-08-17T01:02:00.000-07:00

This summer was Authome. We had a great time here in Hawaii and then an amazing trip to the mainland.

Here are some highlights.

1. Mike and Sarah's Wedding: July 3rd. Timber was the officiant. I was a bridesmaid. The ceremony and reception were at Unky's farm. I loved the song Nakil played and sang as Sarah walked down the isle...tears. I loved the parasols we gals held. Drinking during the ceremony was a kick (well it would have been if I could've drank). I enjoyed the potluck style dinner. I loved the firecrackers and the power outage (only in Hawaii). Congrats Mike and Sarah many blessings for a life of love together.

2. Colorado Tour with the Ball-Comers. Emily picked us up at Denver International and we drove up into the Rockys near Salida. The drive was so beautiful. Whew, I missed mountains and pine trees. We stayed in a rustic cabin at Bunny Lane with Aaron, Emily and Kyana. Miley and Ky had a blast together. (Almost as much fun as Aaron and Timber had.) We hung with the Ball-Comers for J and T's wedding, at the Peak's house, on the river, and all the way to Mike and Lainie's house. So many good times. We love this family and are stoked to have finally met Ky.

3. Jason and Theresa's wedding. J and T got married in a field by a creek with the chalk cliffs in the background. It was beautiful! Timber was a groomsman so we got to enjoy the rehearsal dinner and more time with the wedding party. I really liked hanging with J's mom Jennifer.

The night of the wedding we upgraded our lodging from the rabbit cabin to the hot spring resort. There were two heated swimming pools that Miley and I lived in for a few hours the day after the wedding (Timber watched World Cup).

Here's shout out to Stormy and Louisa I am so glad they made celeb appearances for the wedding. It was great to meet Louisa! They flew down from Alaska got Louisa's car and were road tripping it back up to Ak to be at work the next week.

4. The Peaks! We spent a couple days with Jeff, Katy, and Huxley at their place in Palisade. We were out of the cold Colorado mountain air and into the HOT, dry, desert. Good thing Jeff kept us busy with events so we couldn't think about our brains frying inside our cabezas.

We shot BB's, wrestled goats, road the swing bike, took wagon rides, fed chickens, ran through sprinklers, admired the dory, ate peaches, adored Huxley...

The Peak's farm house is so cute and their barn was full of toys for our river trip. We borrowed their raft and river board and a plethra of river gear. Thanks friends.

We are grateful they let us use their place as a staging area for the river trip. Everyone showed up at their door to get ready for the riv. (Aaron, Emily and Kyana arrived with us.) Mac and Steph drove in from Jackson Wyoming. Nicole and Greg Bun came up from Moab. Dave Gelber (what the heck was our Hilo friend doing in Western Colorado?) arrived in from Denver. It was quite the party at the Peaks. We feasted on Elk burgers (Mac's huntin' skills) and fresh greens from Katy's garden the night before put in.

5. River Trip! Kip and Katy (newly weds) drove in from the Aspen area and met us at the boat ramp in the morning. After running shuttle and rigging boats, we shoved off for two days on Ruby-Horsethief and a day run of Westwater. This section ofthe Colorado River flows across the border to Colorado and into Southern Utah.

Miley did great on her first riv float. She didn't like the pfd, but tolerated it. She loved tooling around in the eddy at our campsite, Blackrocks. I loved the red sandstone cliffs, the muddy water, and the relaxing flow of life on the river...food for the soul

6. Mike and Nana's Ranch in Norwood CO. We met up with all the West girls and Ry and Mike in the Telluride area. (Aaron and Ky were having such a good time with us that they decided to hang out for this weekend as well. It was great to stretch out every possible moment with them.) Mike and Nana bought their place there..um...about a year and a half ago. It is a quirky house on amazing property up in the clouds. (Just walking around made this sea level gal huff and puff). We enjoyed Mike's birthday and were treated to the Norwood Rodeo. Yee-Haw. Miley pointed to the calves at one point and said "cat".

7. Grandma and Grandpa Auth's. We flew back to LA for some parent pampering. I was in desperate need; I caught a cold that hit hard just as our plane landed. I spent three days napping. I got out of bed just to eat a bit of food, and then back I went. Some guest I am:( to make it worse, I gave the cold to Dick and he was sick for a week after we left.

Miley had a great time with the grands. Dick dug out a stroller from the garage. Timber asked if it was from when Dick was a baby...but it was really just from Timber's tot days. I looked at the rusty thing and thought, "no way is my daughter getting in that thing." Miley promptly climbed up in it and wanted to GO, GO, GO. Turned out being a great stroller! We cruised around the block looking at the flowers. Miley always wanted to stop at the park down the street. FUN! Timber and I enjoyed a date night just the two of us. Yipee for grands baby sitting!

(Dick I need some photos for this post. I don't have any)

8. Milford with the Wests After LA, Timber flew back to the Big I to start the school year. Miley and I headed up to Nor Cal. All of my sisters were at mom's sanctuary. I haven't been there in the summer since Timber and I got married. It was gorgeous. Mom has developed even more of the yard. There is a grape trellis, fire pit, blooming flowers everywhere, and plenty of boulders for Miley's climbing enjoyment. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying summer.

The garden was amazing. Cedar and Mom picked beans every third day. We ate a lot of fresh beans and managed to pickle and can 4 batches of dilly beans. YUM.

Miley loved the dogs and cats at grandma's place. The dog loved her food droppings. I loved that the dog did the "sweep up". I loved being with my sisters and my mom. I really wish we all lived closer to eachother.

So that was our Authome summer. Many thanks to everyone who made our travels so wonderful. We are blessed with and abundance of friends and family.

Pregnant!

2010-08-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

We're expecting another kiddo.

We found out last Thursday,

it's a boy.

New baby will join us at the beginning of December. Good thing my mom and Quill are coming to help out Dec 9th. When they leave, Dick and Nancy arrive. Jen and Jared will be here at some point for the holidays. It will be a family filled season as it should be. Yippee.

We're open to help with this little guy's name. Although Joachim doesn't make the cut. Sorry Mom.

Miley and Mason Birthday PARTY

2010-06-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Miley's buddy Mason is just a coupe weeks older that her. So we parent folks decided to celebrate their first birthdays together in one huge party. Carri and Brian (Mason's parents) were a great team. I really don't think we could have pulled it together without them. They did a run to Costco for food. That might not sound like much, but Costco is on the other side of the island. They also came over the day before the party and helped us with yard work, cleaning, decorating, and food prep.

We took a short break to watch our friend Eli climb the coconut tree in the back. He went up so fast, I almost missed the action. He chopped down about 40 coconuts: bombs we were afraid would take out some of our guests. One of those puppies would surely kill ya if they landed on your noggin. We enjoyed the refreshing coconut water from a few nuts before heading back to work. The guests at the party enjoyed choke coconuts. Timber learned a sweet way to chop them open and insert straws for your sipping pleasure. Our friend Sonny, didn't use the machete; he stiled the process with a sharp stick. He could hack into em in a few minutes. The coconuts were a hit!

I stayed up late the night before the party making the cakes. I made Mason and Miley their own little cakes. They were actually sugar free, oil free muffins. I shaped each cake into a personal sized number one. Then I frosted them with yogurt. They were perfect little cakes for the first timers.

Then I made a huge cake for guests. DISASTER! I started with two boxes of cake mix. They didn't even fill the bottom of the pan. Timber and Brian valiantly went to the store to get more. I used four more boxes...and then had too much. The 12x18 inch pan was too big for the batter to bake evenly. The outsides were done but the middle was still a marshland. When it was finally done in the center, there was quite a crust on the outside of the cake. Yuck.

Now, imagine flipping a 12x18 inch cake out of the pan onto cooling racks. Bad image? You're right. Timber helped but the darn thing held tight to the pan and then finally camp out in three large pieces and hundreds of dry crust droppings. At this point (probably 10:00pm) I was still optimistic that a bit of frosting and magic could salvage the thing.

At 1:00am I was less optimistic and almost called Carri and Brian to pick up a cake at KTA in the morning. Somehow, a first birthday fairy dusted me with some magic and we managed to pull the cake together. (Lots and lots of butter cream frosting.) The magic even allowed me to find space in the fridge for the beast cake. I think it turned out fine. Our guests ate it up so quickly neither Timber or I got a piece.

On Saturday morning, we were up early. Brian and Carri hit the store for the keg, ice, and other last minute items. Timber and I were moving tables, putting on table cloths.... When we joined forces, things came together wonderfully. The inflatable pools were set up, balloons were filled, bowls of fruit were prepared, the cakes were decorated... The party came together. When the first guests arrived, we were finishing up, but ready to enjoy the company. The guys had the BBQ ready, there was plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, there was a heap of rice, nachos, and lasagna. YUM!

After a bit of lunch, Miley and I went in the pool. This inflatable pool is the best. It is a whale with a tale for shade, and a spout that sprinkles water when hooked to a hose. She loved it! We splashed and played with other kiddos who joined us. Then daddy turned on the spout and interest was ignited again. There were kids jumping through the sprinkler into the pool. One time, Eli, plowed right into Miley. She came up smiling. She just loves the water. She didn't want to get out, but we had to take her out and warm her up. Her jaw was chattering.

After more playing and enjoying the company, it was time for cake. Mason, however, had a bit of a cold and was taking a nap. He slept forever. So we went ahead and gave Miley her cake. It worked perfectly that there was a small rain shower, so everyone came into the carport. We all sang a powerful "Happy Birthday". Miley loved being the center of attention! She thought the flame from the candle was amazing. She was a bit confused about the cake at first. Then with some help from daddy, she dug in. After a few seconds she decided to forgo her hands. She leaned over mowed the thing. Timber picked the cake up, so we could get a photo and Miley wined with attitude, "Daddy that's MY cake!"

Mason wasn't so sure about his cake. He didn't like all the attention (after waking from a nap and having a bit of a cold, you wouldn't blame him). He had a couple bites, but I don't think he liked the muffin/cake.

We had a wonderful afternoon with friends. A few folks stayed late in the evening to help finish the keg. We are so grateful to Carri and Brian for the team party. We are blessed to have wonderful friends and a cool community for Miley to grow up in.

Miley's first birthday was AUTHOME!

Here's to many more.

(although I don't think we'll have such a big celebration

until she's at least 16.)

Earth Day

2010-06-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo for Earth Day. (Sheesh that was April.) The white tiger, Namaste, was relaxing right by the fence, just 4 feet away from where we were standing. It was a bit unnerving being that close to something with six inch paws. However, we do think Miley could have handled any tricky tiger business.

Miley's shirt, "Ask me about my compost pile." She is so environmentally friendly! Happy Earth Day to you. Remember, every day is earth day (so I'm not late).

Clear Day on the Mountain

2010-05-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

This was on of the rare clear days up on the mountian. I called up Carrie, Brian, and Dave and rallied everyone for a hike. It was great to get up where it is cooler. The views of Mauna Kea were stunning and the company was amazing.

Timber couldn't make the hike because he was at a math workshop. He joined us back in Hilo for pizza and beer.

Happy Easter 2010

2010-05-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed Easter with a slew of friends over at Unky Dave's and Aunti Bhama's place. The adults participated in the 2nd annual Easter Beer Hunt. The kiddos only got to hunt for eggs. We had a great time in the sun and grass. Miley loved playing with Mason and riding on daddy's shoulders. Here are some photos from the day.

Miley Update

2010-05-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

Our internet has been out for a few weeks...okay and I've been a bit lasy with the posts. So here are photos from the past few months.

These are from a trip out to Shipman Beach. We went with Nick and Laura sometime in April. The beach is great for Miley. The fine sand and shallow, calm water is perfect for our little crawler. She thinks the sand tastes great.

Grand Auth Visit

2010-03-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

Dick and Nancy came for a visit from Marck 9 to the 21st. Sue and John Bothwell joined them for the first part of the visit. We has a great time!

Timber and I were on Spring Break so we got to relax with the visitors quite a bit. They rented a house, Hale Kai Nalu, down the road. It was a beautiful place on the cliffs by the ocean. We would sit on the back poarch and feel the salty mist from the waves and watch whales. The house had a pool (which miley loved) and a hot tub (which I loved). It was very nice to head over for dinner, drinks, chatting, and soaking. Yipee for family!

Dick and Nancy hosted a birthday party for Timber just before they left. Many of our good buds showed up for a pot luck grill by the pool. It was overcast and cool...so the hot tub was the place to be. Miley loved hanging with her friends of all ages.

This one Goes out to Kenny

2010-03-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to Kona for a mini vacation. Our buddy Kenny, a member of the elite Halau O Kekuhi, did his first public hula performance. The Sheraton Keauhou hosted a birthday celebration for Lani Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III. The hula was beautiful! I was so impressed with Kenny's grace especially during one chant/dance done completely in a low squat. Whew my thighs were burning with sympathy. I am a bit partial, but Kenny was one of the best performers of the group. He had a way of making the art look peaceful when others couldn't mask the fatigue. Thanks Kenny for working so hard at keeping an ancient tradition alive! (If you missed this performance, Kenny will be performing with the Halau at the Merrie Monarch Festival on April 7th.)

After Kenny's performance we hung in Mark, Jamie's room overlooking the rest of the celebration. The balcony provided a marvelous view of the festivities with the ocean in the distance. It was great to catch up with good friends. We enjoyed conversation, beer, pizza, babies, laughing, all with lovely Hawaiian music in the background.

We shared Mark, Jamie, and Betty's room and met up with KnK in the morning, poolside.

The resort has the most impressive water park. There is a slide, lazy river, tunnel, waterfall, water spouts, sand beach, volleyball net...it is awesome. We had a great time! Miley loved crawling around the water spouts. She would live in the water if we'd let her. We loved this vacation. I'm glad Kenny had the performance. It brought us all together.

Chipp'n

2010-03-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I made a post... a lot has happened. I swear I've been trying to get info up for you all to read, but our internet has been a buggah. We have a Verizon Access Card. It sucks don't get one. It seems like every time I try to get online, the "device is not inserted". Um, yes it is. I'll get on with this post (while the darn thing is working).

We had a couple trees break in a wind storm last fall. John Eldon came over and fell what was left standing and bucked it into movable pieces. We are so grateful for his man skills. He's a great friend.

Then we let the wood sit for ages...

In January or February, we moved the logs and limbs out from the overgrowth. Timber mowed the tangled uluhe and increased out backyard about a third. It had the chance to grow... but there hasn't been much rain so the area is still just dirt.

I finished making nice stacks for Eddie, the wood chip man, to come over. He drove a HUGE truck and one scary powerful machine into the back yard. Mark came over to help Timber and Eddie chuck the wood into the chipper. They chipped all the piles in about 2 hours. It was quite a physical task. I am glad Mark came over to help. I am really glad the guys were safe.

The trees made an entire dump truck full of wood chips. We are going to use that pile of chips to mulch around our fruit trees.

Done, and done. Well, it will take us awhile to distribute the chips. At the rate the project has progresses, we might have it done by the fall.

Remembering Dad

2010-03-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

On this day last year, my dad removed an oxygen mask that enabled his pneumonia ridden lungs to bring oxygen into his body. His body, weakened from stomach cancer, held on to life for about an hour before he transcended. While he labored his last breaths, I walked the beach praying for him....praying for my family...crying. It is so difficult to say good-bye. All I can do is keep on trucking along, carrying his love and memories with me. I can support my family in their grief. I can rest knowing his spirit is enjoying a ride on a John Deer tractor through a freshly mowed green lawn. Perhaps my own lawn here in Hawaii.

Tsunami

2010-02-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Chilean 8.8 shaker sent a wave toward our island. Luckily it was just a small 1-2 foot tsunami. It did make some major changes in our day. We were awaken at 2:00am with the news. Ya see, Timber's school is an evacuation shelter so the school is one of the first groups to get the news. Once that news hit the "coconut wireless" it spread like swine flu. We were getting solid calls for the rest of the day. I am grateful we have so many people who care for us...but at 2:00am?! We were at a hotel in Kona. So once we got up and moving, we started heading back to our side of the island. All across the island we saw Civil Defense and emergency employees gearing up for the event. We are really impressed with the preparedness. We watched the event from Carrie and Brian's house in Kaumana City. There was definitely changes in the bay...but nothing huge and disastrous. Thank goodness.
It was an exciting day! We loved hanging with Carrie, Brian, and Mason. The babies played and played. We had a wonderful tsunami soup. We all napped. And we all were cozy in our homes for the evening.

The Good and the Bad

2010-02-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the Hilo Hat Draw Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. It was a weekend of good..no great things, and well one plain old shitty thing.

So first, the good...

We had a wonderful weekend hanging with our friends. Dine was here from out-of-town. Our Ohau buddies were out and about. Our Hilo friends and babies came out to play hard and enjoy the sun. If you want to check out photos, there might be some up at www.hiloultimate.blogspot.com.

Timber and I both played in the tournament. We were on the same team. We did this thinking it would be easier to have both of us at the same field to care for Miley. But we didn't even have to think about Miley while we played. Ya see, Sara took care of Miley the entire time. She took Miley away from our playing field so baby couldn't see us. That was clutch because I get distracted easily when I hear Miley cry. So I was able to focus on my game. Sara did such a good job, I forgot I was a mom.

Our team played awesome together. We played 7 games and went undefeated as tournament champions. Whoo-Hoo. Neither Timber or I have ever been tourney champs. She we feel pretty high.

But one unfortunate event brought us back to earth quickly. My wedding ring broke while we were playing. I've lost the three middle stones. Almost everyone who played in the tourney helped us comb the fields looking for the missing stones. No luck.

I am trying to get my hands on a metal detector (so they even detect gold?). I have shaken out and washed everything we used this weekend hoping it will be hiding in a pocket...no luck. Isn't that just shitty!

With Love

2010-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Miley and I are basking in our love here at home. We're going to make some Valentine's cards and maybe some bread. It is an overcast and rainy day (finally) so it is perfect for tea. Perhaps some friends will want to come over and play.

Timber is on Ohau for Kamina Klassik (an ultimate frisbee tournament). His team, HeLoLo, is a great bunch of guys who grow facial hair for a few months leading up to the tourney. Then they all shave moustaches. They look totally sleazy. It's terrible and fun! We miss him... not the stach...and are send heaps of kisses his way.

Miley hopes you all have a great day full of love. She recommends eating hearts and contemplating the meaning of true love (hearts stuck to your face might help you with that meditation.)

MLK day at the Beach

2010-01-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

We're having a bit of a drought here in Hawaii. Which means great weather! Usually winter brings days and days of gloomy, gray, weather. This year has been beautiful. We took a day last weekend to enjoy the sun with our friends Carrie, Brian, and their son Mason. We hiked out to Shipman (Kea'au) Beach. Babies were loaded in backpacks and off we tromped through the forest.

At the beach we enjoyed the cool, shallow water, honu, and the kiddos.

We're grateful our friends could join us. Thanks to Jen for the baby backpack. Thanks to Katie, Phil and Gus for the baby float. Thanks to mama nature for such a lovely place. Authome!

Memories of Dad

2010-01-20T21:06:00.000-08:00

My dad was born on January 21st 1941. He would have been 69 this year. Here are just a few of the wonderful sayings or "Jim'isms" that linger in my head from the years and years of him repeating them.

"I was feeling good, but I'll get over it."

"Rounding you kids up is like trying to catch a fart in a windstorm."

"Shit fire and save matches."

"Want in one hand, shit in the other; see which one fills up faster."

When he didn't know the answer to a question..."Don't start me to lying."

While driving..."hey Jean, open the trunk, this guy(tailgater) wants in."

I miss dad. He was such a character with his coffee, quesadillas, PBS television, and the same ol' saying. If he were here he would advise me against getting chickens (I wouldn't listen and would probably regret it). He would hate being dragged to Hawaii with mom to visit Miley. He would love Miley to pieces but act like he didn't.
We're hoping she doesn't get dad's ears, toes, or fingernails, but that his wit, memory, and love are copious traits.

Happy New Year

2010-01-14T23:35:00.000-08:00

Two Thousand Zen

We had a little fire and a lot of bacon greese to bring in the New Year.

I guess that really isn't zen...but we're shooting for zen throughout the rest of the year.

Happy Christmas

2009-12-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

We're in Milford for the holiday. We've spend a peaceful, snowy, flavorful, warm, Christmas with the West family. There was snow on the ground when we arrived. There hasn't been another storm, but we still got to go sledding. The run was a fast and bumpy ice-capade. FUN! Miley didn't like to be in the snow on her own (crawling). She did enjoy sledding in mommy and daddy's arms. Weeeee!

We've spent most of our time cozy inside by the fire listening to Christmas music and laughing with the family. When we get together, giggles abound. Miley cracks up at cousin Ry. Shanti (dog) also makes Miley laugh.

Miley got a heap of goodies for Christmas. One favorite is the pink peep suit. This warm fuzzy thing is perfect for wintery frolicking. It also turns her into a fashionable peep (ya know the Easter marshmallow candy).

Authome Christmas

2009-12-20T19:21:00.001-08:00

We are in California with Dick and Nancy Auth for an early Christmas. Thank goodness for Gandmas, Grandpas, and Aunties to spoil a little girl (and her parents).
Miley got a plethora of great gifts. She got some adorable holiday jammies and warm clothing. Her favorite toy is a toy phone that speaks the numbers when she touches the buttons. Needless to say it isn't Timber's favorite toy. He does, however, love the baby backpack Jen got us. We can pack Miley up in this thing and head out on the trail. My favorite gift is a book of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Nancy, Dick, and Jen recorded themselves reading the book so that when Miley opens a page, they read to her. It is so sweet.
We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas meal together. Today we just got to hang out and visit with wonderful friends. We wish we could stay longer, but we are headed up to Milford for a white Christmas with the Wests. We are happy we'll get to stay with Dick and Nancy for a couple more days before we head back to the islands.

Thanksgiving Camping

2009-12-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

No Turk N Surf this year. That was the three year tradition of camping at Pine Trees on the Kona side. We would make a great Thanksgiving meal on the beach and spend the weekend snorkeling and enjoying the sun. Unfortunately the camping scene at that beach changed (development), our plans changed as well.
We spent the evening at the Lewis' house. Jaime's mom and Mark made a great spread. I loved playing with baby Betty.

Then on Friday, we drove over to Kona side and went camping with Dave, Bahama, Eban, Angelica, and Sean. We planed on hiking into a beautiful grove of palm trees that Unky Dave has camped at in the past. Luckily there was a 4-wheel road to the area and Eban went for it. So we got to enjoy a short hike with just water and baby.

We found a secluded site amongst the Keawe trees. Michael and Maraya joined us that evening for star gazing.
The reef in front of our site stretched out into the sea. We could walk a short distance to the sandy bay and snorkeling. Most of all, we simply relaxed and enjoyed being outside in dry, warm weather. (It had been rather rainy over on the Hilo side.)
Miley loved the tent...and rocks. Timber and I appreciated our friends hanging out with her while we snorkeled and played together.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving...we hope you did as well.

Celebrate!

2009-11-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday

Grandma Nancy

We love you!

1/2 Birthday Party

2009-11-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Miley got a package from Granny West for her 1/2 birthday. She had a ball opening it. She loved the packaging material (bubble wrap). Everything tasted good in her opinion. Timber and I are stoked for the wide brimmed hat, the bathing suit, and the new books. (We've read all the other books numerous times. They are getting a bit old.)

Miley is 6 Months Old!

2009-11-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Miley is now 6 months old. She is right on target with her growth and development. She weighs 17 pounds and is 27 inches long. She is army crawling all over (see video). She is tri-pod sitting...but doesn't stay on her tush long before she is off to find something to chew on. That's right, she's teething. She chews on everything. We got her a teething toy for this birthday. She loves it!

We got an eater!

2009-11-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

We started feeding Miley on October 24th. Her first food was Waipio poi. Our buddy Louie lives down in the valley and grows taro. He pounded the poi for us and brought it up for us to give to Miley. She loved it! She must have been ready to eat. A week later she had some sweet coconut water from a neighbors coconut tree. Now she is grinding oatmeal. We'll be sticking with the bland stuff for awhile, but soon she'll get some of Unky and Bahama's apple bananas. Yipee for island grown food.

Baby Lew is on the Way!!!!

2009-11-03T23:15:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Mark and Jaime Lewis are due to have their baby November 5th. We had a gathering for them and baby at the beach a couple weekends ago.

They decided not to find out baby's gender. Throughout Jaime's pregnancy, we all have had a good time trying to guess if baby is a boy or a girl.

For the shower, I made two cakes. One was blue inside, the other, pink. They were decorated the same so there was not way to tell which was the boy cake and which was the girl cake. We asked Mark to pick a cake to cut and eat. Then we asked Jaime to do the same (she didn't know which cake Mark picked). They both picked the blue cake. Is baby a boy???

Here is a photo of the parents to be choosing which cake to cut.

We all had a great time BBQing, enjoying each other's company, and the beautiful ocean. Miley loved hanging with her aunties and uncles. She is very excited for her buddy to be born.

We hope Jaime and Mark have a smooth labor. We know they will be great parents!

Maui Vacation

2009-10-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

Timber, Miley, and I went to Maui October 19-23rd. I think it is the only real vacation team Auth has ever indulged in. Ya see, we usually go on adventures (authome ones). We rarely vacation. This trip was a wonderful exception.

The trip was based around an Aerosmith concert. We bought tickets to a show two years ago. The band canceled. They were sued. They settled with a new concert and repayment of loss funds. Translation, we did the trip for free. AUTHOME.

Unky Dave joined us on for the first half of the trip. We stayed at the beautiful Wailea Resort. An early check-in allowed for some pool lounging and spa time. The resort has it's own male and female spas. Timber and Dave hung with Miley at the pool and I had the entire women's spa to myself. I loved the open air construction that allowed me to gaze at the ocean, and sneak peaks at the poolside loungers. I saunaed, spritzed, and lavishly relaxed for a couple hours. When Miley needed to nurse, Timber brought her up, and she got to hang at the spa with me. I laid some towels out on the floor and used the shower heads to wash and massage her. She is a great spa buddy.

Feeling mellow and beautiful, we joined the management for cocktails before heading to Charlie and Yako's place. They watched Miley while we headed out to the concert. I'm sure she will be pissed at us someday for not taking her along.

The weather was great for the open air venue. We were way back in the bleachers until we hatched a plan to get through security to floor seating. Timber and I breezed through using Dave as a diversion. We thought all hope for him joining us was gone. But we hatched plan 2. I got some folks' ticket stubs, went back out, and then came back with Dave. Then it was all three of us rocking out in the 17th row.

They still got it!! Steven Tyler wore tight jeans with sparkling purple serpents gliding up his ass. He sang and danced his heart out, spinning and dancing with that microphone stand like he was 25. Joe Perry did some great guitar solos. After one adrenalin pump of a song, he ripped the strings out of his guitar. They projected his Guitar Hero Avitar on screen and he did a show down that was impressive. We managed to make it to the 4th row by the time of the encore. AUTHOME.

The next morning, we had a chill breakfast and then beached it up at Big Beach. There was some sizable shore break, so Miley didn't get to swim. Instead she played in the sand.

We drove up to Ka'anapali as a pilgrimage to the Maui Brewing Company. They make my favorite beer of the moment: Coconut Porter and Timber's favorite: Bikini Blonde. After a few brews, we had to drop Dave off at the airport. We had an amazing time with him. He is so giving, and he is a wonderful Uncle to Miley. We love ya Unky.

Timber and I headed "upcountry" to Makawao, where Charlie, Yako, and Austin live. They graciously let us stay with them for the next two nights. The even gave us the master bedroom! I just love their little home with killer views of the volcano and the ocean. We enjoyed chill mornings with great coffee and good conversation. Austin loved Miley (he wanted to share all of his toys), Miley loved the dogs.

Yako and Austin took us on a great tour to Hana and then around the rest of Haleakala. It was a long drive on beautiful, windy, bumpy roads through magical rainforests, above breathtaking sea views. A bit of an adventure. We stopped at Wai 'anapanapa Beah Park and the Seven Sacred Pools. Both beautiful spots.

The last day of our trip we headed up into the mountains for a bit of hiking.

Just up the road from their house is a beautiful forest sanctuary. It's a place Yako and Austin like to walk, and where Charlie likes to shred on his mountain bike. We checked out some of the jumps he does...crazy. No wonder when him and Timber were sharing "I almost died" stories, neither one was at a loss for material.
Here's a photo of Timber and Miley on the flight home. Miley did great. She is such a chill baby. We love her heaps and heaps.

Ya don't think they look alike do you?

Buddha Baby

2009-10-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent photo of Miley. She is all over the place these days. I put her down on a blanket and in no time she's rolled off the explore. She really likes maneuvering herself over to the coffee table to chew on the legs. Here she is checking out Guanyin.

She is developing more and more into a character. She knows what she wants and will let cha know when she isn't getting it.

Oh, and at times I see shimmers of red in her hair. (fingers crossed)

Hakalau

2009-10-19T01:49:00.001-07:00

Miley and I joined Mike, Sarah, and Nick for an upcountry adventure on Saturday. We packed up Mike's Pathfinder and headed up Mauna Kea to Hakalau Forest Reserve for their annual open house.

Hakalau Forest Reserve was established in 1985 to protect and manage endangered Hawaiian forest birds and their rain forest habitat. They open their gates once a year for the public to hike around and gawk at native plants and birds.

I've been to the open house 2 previous times. I just love getting up to 6,000 feet. It feels like autumn up there. Oh, the birds are great too.

This year, the weather was clear at the top of Saddle Road, but started to rain as we contoured around the mountain, back toward the eastern side of the island. It was rainy and chilly for our entire time hiking. I had Miley bundled up in clothing we didn't think she would ever wear in Hawaii. I carried her in the Ergo (front baby carrier) for the beautiful hike down to the forest and bird gazing area. Unfortunately, it was raining steadily and I was a bit preoccupied with keeping Miley warm and dry so I didn't see too much bird life. (The others report that it was one of the best years for bird gazing.) An apapane bird did give us a show as we were hiking back up to the barn. In the barn we had a dry, albeit chilly place to nurse.

After the rest of the birders got back to the barn, the clouds blew off and we enjoyed some sun. We decided to extend our outing by continuing on to "the orchard". We heard about the bounty of apples just up the road. So, we loaded up and drove, and drove, and drove. It was a super bumpy drive. Nick and I took turns holding Miley's head which was bobbing around as she slept. I think she likes 4-wheeling.

The orchard was a short, beautiful walk through Koa forest. I was so happy that Sarah volunteered to carry Miley. My shoulders were pretty tired from our morning hikes. The path was magical with sun peaking through large Koa trees draped in moss. The orchard had a few sad apple trees and a few pear trees with choke fruit. We picked and picked and picked pears in the warm afternoon sun.

Then it was back into the Pathfinder for the bumpy ride back to Saddle Road.

Much love to Mike for driving and the whole gang for helping keep Miley happy and healthy (and making it easier on me). You are such a great group of friends.

You're Authome!

Shriners Hospital

2009-10-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Miley and I ventured to Honolulu for a doctors appointment at Shriners Hospital. Because she was breech, she had a great chance of having hip dysplasia. Our pediatrician here in Hilo had and ultrasound taken. The results said there was a 3 degree misalignment. So we were refereed to the children's orthopedic masters, the Shriners.

I am completely amazed by this organization. They booked and purchased my plane ticket to Honolulu. A shuttle picked us up and the airport and transported us to the new hospital. It is beautiful! It is decorated with sea mosaics and choke full of kid friendly books and toys.

Our doctor specialises in hip dysplasia of infants. She conducted and ultrasound and from the black and white blurs, determined Miely's hips were just fine. (We kinda knew...but wanted to make sure).

In her inspection of Miley, she saw that our cutie favors her right side. Miley has torticollis. (When she said this my level of anxiety went into overdrive. What the heck is that?!)

Torticollis means "turned neck,"and there are several different causes for this, including tightness of the neck muscles on one side, an irregularity in the neck spine, or even a bruise, a scar, or a growth in the neck. We are pretty sure Miley simply has muscle tightness on one side. The physical therapist said her condition was very mild and she could possibly correct it on her own. I did learn some stretches to do with her, and will strive to make her look to her left more often (in the carrier, when we play, while she sleeps).

We have another appointment here in Hilo in December. I am grateful because a one day trip to Ohau is not Authsome. It is tiresome even when Miley is a great traveler.

Bright Day

2009-09-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

On Friday we woke up to a gray, gloomy day. Good thing we picked up a bright treat in the mail. Check out this cutie in a tye-dye from Aunti Nana and Uncle Mike.

Happy Birthday Quill

2009-09-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day celebrating you and your life. All those blessings really tuckered us out. We hope you had a great day as well. We love ya and can't wait to see you again soon.

Cedar's Day

2009-09-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

We've been thinking of you today. Hope you have an amazing Birthday!

Rollin

2009-09-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Miley rolled from her back to her tummy on Monday 9/7. Now any time we put her down on her back, she rolls onto her tummy. She'll hang there for awhile and then ask (cry) for assstance rolling back. Here is a video we took on the 10th.

Miley Movies

2009-08-31T00:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a movie from last Monday morning. She's working real hard to keep her head up.
(The hat proves that it does get chilly here. Although, we've only had her in pants a few times.)

Here our morning with Dr. Seuss. (The movie was taken in August). I am so happy Miley's grandmas were both elementary school teachers. They bought her a lot of books and encouraged us to start reading. She loves it! Thank you for the books!

Lava Adventure

2009-08-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Quill and I woke up at 4:00 this morning and headed out to Kalapana to view the lava. We hiked over the rough, uneven terrain to view the beauty of Pele's work. This wasn't easy for us, Quill with a broken ankle, and me with an injured foot. But we made it out to the ocean entry, enjoyed a wonderful show of splasing waves, billowing clouds, and the occasional splatter of molten hot magma.

We were amazed by a magical sunrise and then enjoyed the stroll back to the car. Authome!!

Much love to Timber for staying home with Miley.

Quill's Visit

2009-08-20T11:18:00.002-07:00

My sis Quill has been here for a couple of weeks. She fell in love with her new niece (of course), and we all got to have a wonderful time. We squeezed in as many authome adventures as we could.

Frequenting beaches was my favorite part. Quill and I would head into Hilo to do errands and make sure each day we went to a beach. One of us would swim/snorkel/surf while the other would hang with Miley. Teamwork!
We wanted to do a bit more walking/hiking, however, each of us had a bum ankle. Our feet did allow us to do yoga. We did quite a few classes upstairs in the studio. I loved sharing my passion with my big sis.
Quill loves to cook, and got to enjoy doing so with all of the island fresh produce. Timber and I love to eat, so this was a perfect match. We really like Quill's guacamole, and were impressed that she helped prep the pork (from the pig Timber caught) even though she is vegan. HA.
Miley liked to dance for her aunty Quill. She enjoyed being pushed in the stroller by Quill. I'm pretty sure Miley likes this "aunty" goodness she has going on. She can't wait to meet Nana and Cedar too.
So, I'm not excited at all about taking Quill over to Kona and sending her back to the mainland. She was such a wonderful help and an all around blessing.

I love ya sis!

Thank you for a wonderful visit!

Pump it UP

2009-08-20T11:18:00.001-07:00

There are many joys to owning your own home. It is NOT, however, a joy to fix your 30 year old plumbing. This is our rusty old pump that gave out leaving us high and dry until we learned/prayed/fidgeted/cursed a new one into its place. We were four days without water (thank you Mike and Sara for letting us use your place), three trips to three different hardware stores (up yours HMP we can do it ourselves), and with the advice of many friends and acquaintances.

To put the new pump in, we had to piece together a PVC pipe puzzle. Ya see, the new pump has inlet and outlet spouts at different places than the old pump. The connections are also different sizes. So the 11:00pm plumbing fiasco was interesting.

Thanks to Quill, Timber and I, the new pump is in and working great. We do have one leak, we just need a large plumbing wrench to tighten a pipe. We are quite proud of ourselves. Victory for the homeowners.
Old Pump

See all the Rust!

New pump and plumbing.

What's for dinner?

2009-08-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the rascal that ate all of our pineapples. (The empty pineapple patch is to his right). Timber borrowed snares and a cross bow... hope piggy tastes good.

Piggy seems to have an affinity for Quill. She managed to get close enough to take this photo. Later, while strolling on our driveway, she encountered it again. It huffed and snorted at her before they both ran off.

Update: Timber did catch the pig in a snare. She was about 150lbs and tasted great!

Fun at Unky's

2009-08-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

Dave and Bahama (from this point forth Davama) threw a great family BBQ on Sunday. Not only were there wonderful people enjoying the Davama Farm, but there was onolicious food, slip-n-slide, badminton, and tractors to play on.

Thanks Davama for hosting yet another authsome shin-dig.

Saturday Stroll

2009-08-04T00:51:00.000-07:00

We went for a hike August 2nd. It was overcast and rainy down here in the Park. So we headed up Saddle Rd. Under "normal" Hawaii weather (is there any normal weather here?) this would mean we were heading into even colder, heavier rain. But this day was pleasant at 4,000ft. We drove just 14 miles out of town and then hiked along a hunter's road toward the Waianaku River.

Our good friend, doctor John Price, joined us and provided wonderful information about the local flora and fauna. Although I can't remember but a fraction of the beautiful green native plants he pointed out, I sure enjoyed his knowledge. We did get to see many Clermontia montis-loa plants.

One of which was flowering. He collected a specimen for a project he is working on in which he's comparing the flower shape to the extinct bird bill shapes to determine which bird pollinated this plant. I think he was simply enjoying hugging a tree.

Oh and for my birding aunts, we heard an Oma'o. It's a native Hawaiian bird that is now only found on the Big Island. Come for a visit; we'll rock your life list and make your friends jealous.

Miley was a trooper. She enjoyed riding on mommy's and daddy's warm tummy. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

These are the photos we took with our new camera. Thank you so much to my family for giving it to us. I love it! You can look forward to many more beautiful photos.

Here is the USDA classification of our Clermontia montis-loa.
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Campanulales
Family Campanulaceae – Bellflower family
Genus Clermontia Gaudich. – clermontia
Species Clermontia montis-loa Rock – Mauna Loa clermontia

Happy Camper

2009-07-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Miley's been backpacking! On Friday we joined Jack, a Frisbee buddy from Oahu, and hiked from Miloli'i to Okoe Bay. It was a short hike, about 3 miles. The distance was perfect for us: I carried Miley in the Moby wrap on my front and a pack of my personal gear on my back. Timber had to huff all of our team gear (tent, food, cooking items, Miley's diapers, etc.). Jack carried a few items for us, most importantly the bouncy.

Dave and Bahama kayaked the section and met us at the beach. They carried the water for us. Oh, and the beer.

When we arrived at the beach, a pod of spinner dolphins were playing in the bay. Timber and I borrowed the kayak and went to play with them. I hopped in and snorkeled with them. There were about 15 dolphins directly below me, so close I saw their white tummys and heard them squeaking to each other. They moved so fast! Timber had me hold onto the boat and he paddled after them. I felt like shark bait in that deep water. So, I hopped back in and we paddled together. The dolphins must have wanted to play more because they swam back towards us. This time Timber went swimming with them and I stayed in the boat watching the action on the surface. One did a "spy hop" 5 feet from the boat. Another jumped out of the water within 20 feet of the boat. It was very exhilarating (and all possible because Dave and Bahama happily hung out with Miley).

Miley was such a trooper, until it was time for bed. We think she was over stimulated and too tired to fall asleep. She would nod off in my arms only to wake when I tried to put her down. This all happened in our tent, so my back was rounded all funny and I was quite OVER IT after an hour. Timber had a walk with her on the beach while I rested. Then we set up the Crazy Creek Chair (camping chair) for me to rest my back while holding her. It worked.

On Saturday I went for a long snorkel swim with Bahama. We saw a large eel, a flounder fish, and lots of coral. There were also a few schools of fish in the bay.
Jack had to hike out that afternoon, but not before him, Timber and Dave got to play a couple games of Scrabble. After he left, Timber and Dave did some fishing. They took the kayak way out for a long paddle. He caught a Ta'ape, or a Blue Striped Snapper. Dave caught two Ta'ape and a Trigger fish. We grilled them all up for dinner. Trigger fish tastes like lobster. YUM!

While the guys were out fishing, us gals (Bahama, Miley and Me) gabbed away on the beach. I love girl time it fills my soul to share knowledge with other women. Bahama and I embroidered squares for Miley's beach quilt while we chatted.

After a lovely dinner Saturday night, our family snook off to sleep on the beach under the stars. Miley went right to bed and was konked out all night. She even slept when it started to rain and we had to pack everything up and head to the tent. What a great baby!

Sunday was another lazy day. Timber went spear fishing while I read my book on the beach. Then we packed up and hiked back to Miloli'i. There was a bit of cloud cover so the hike over the a'a lava was bearable, but still hot. We met Dave and Bahama at the boat ramp (they had already landed and packed up their boat and gear). We caravaned to Volcano Village and enjoyed a celebratory dinner. Here's to Miley's first backpacking trip.

Here's a huge thank you Dave, Bahama, and Jack for helping us. The trip wouldn't have been possible without them! Other clutch items

1. The Bouncy Chair (see photo above) Miley was able to chill wherever we wanted her to. It was necessary on this beach because of the Keave trees that line the shore. They drop sharp thorns and branches that don't mix with soft baby bum.

2. Cloth Diapers We took two covers with five inserts and two pocket diapers. We washed the dirtys in the ocean and then let them dry on a dry line in the sun. She always had a clean diaper. The rain during the second night messed us up a bit...but not much. She had to wear two damp diapers

3. Trees Miley needed the shade or she would have been burned to a crisp. She also LOVES looking up at the leaves contrasting with the sky above.

4. The Moby Wrap this the wrap I used to carry Miley. It is really just a long piece of fabric that I wrapped around my body. It is comfprtable for me, although it is really hot. It would be perfect for fall hiking in the mountains of Colorado.

Backpacking is fun. Backpacking with a 10 week old is AUTHSOME!

Love in a Blanket

2009-07-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you Great Grandma Muller! This is the
cuddly flannel quilt you hand quilted for Miley. We use it for tummy time and now for fan time (see blog post below).

We're all Fans

2009-07-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Timber and Mike installed a ceiling fan in our living room last weekend. Not only does it cool our house off wonderfully, but it is the best baby toy ever. Miley just loves to stare at it. And you know what, it is really interesting how the moving blades cast flickering shadows all over the ceiling. I guess I could zone out for awhile staring at it as well.
Shout out to Mike for helping install.
Shout out to granny for buying it for us. We all love it!

Granny Nanny's Quilt

2009-07-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Miley has some very crafty and talented people who love her. Granny Nanny and Aunti Laura made this beautiful quilt.
I like the fairies on the quilt and will enjoy reading about them in the corresponding book The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker. I suspect it may be an obsession for Miley, one of those books we have to read every night. I haven't even seen the book, however, anything with such beautiful photographs will surely be a favorite.
We took these photos yesterday. Isn't she just a cutie.

From the Garden

2009-07-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

We harvested our first pineapple last Sunday. We hacked it from the plant mid-day and then rushed inside for a yummy treat. The sun warmed juices ran down our chins as we, giddy with delight, devoured the entire thing.

At one point, Timber said, "I wish someone was here to share this." I replied, "I'm glad there isn't....more for me."

We do have more pineapples in the patch. They will be ready in the next few months. Hopefully we are able to share some of that sweetness.

Miley says hi. (well sort of)

2009-07-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Miley has been a chatter lately. Here is a video we took July 5th just before Dick and Nancy had to leave. Miley was wide awake and having a great time with her daddy.

Grandpa and ma Auth

2009-07-08T16:41:00.001-07:00

Dick and Nancy met their first grandchild at the end of June. They stayed with us for two weeks and adored Miley. Jen stayed for the first week and then headed back to work. Together we got some much needed relaxing done. (We needed rest, you know, because we're new parents and all. Nancy just retired and deserves some chill time. Dick needed to rest up because Nancy just retired and will surely have him busy soon. And Jen works hard and needed a tan.)

We rented a condo at Keahou (Kona side). A couple days by the ocean was just what we all needed. We enjoyed cocktails on the porch and breakfast by the pool.

Back at home, grandma got lots of cuddle time with Miley. We love our visits with Dick and Nancy: good chats, eating out, vacuum man, giggles, jokes, dish degreasing, dog whistles, Budweiser.... Miley loves to model for Dick's camera and sleeping on grandma's chest. She likes them so much, she was heartbroken when they left. She cried all afternoon.

Aunty

2009-07-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Aunty Jen (Timber’s sister) and Miley Rain.
Jen was here for a visit with Dick and Nancy at then end of June.
We had a great time.

Est. 2006

2009-07-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

Still Rockin!

Happy Anniversary to us!

7 weeks old

2009-07-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here is more footage of our little gem. She is growing and changing by the week. She is able to hold her head up and is cooing/communicating more. We love it when she flashes us one of her beautiful smiles. Hopefully I'll get lucky with the video camera and catch one for you all to enjoy.

Happy 1st

2009-06-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

June 24 is August’s first birthday. His party was last weekend at Unky and Bhama’s place. It was such a lovely gathering of kiddos young and old. Gus and Jonah kicked off the celebration with some pool time, naked boys splashing around loving life. (funny side note: the pool was a blow up in the shape of a whale...Jonah and the whale)

The bigger kids (Katie, Phil, Timber and friends) enjoyed a game of kickball and of course Koob.

My mom and I made a personalized cake for Gus. Well ,we made a muffin (sugar and oil free) for him. My mom decorated it with a big "1" on top.

Gus didn't quite get the idea of plowing into birthday cake. He kept looking at his parents like, "um, is it okay for me to do this. How about now, can I do this? You aren't going to take this away, are you, it is fun."

So much for the oil and sugar free muffin, he mostly went for the frosting (which was full of sugar).

It was an authome event. I especially enjoyed hanging out with all the parents and seeing various stages of this adventure called parenthood.

Miley Loves Grandma

2009-06-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

My mom is here for a visit. It is WONDERFUL to have her here. She is such a big help. Just having an extra set of arms around, to hold Miley, is great, but she goes above and beyond. Timber and I love that she wakes up at 5:00am to hang out with Miley and let us sleep in. She is so good with Miley! I am amazed at how she can clam her down and put her to sleep.
Mom is also a get-up-and-get-it-done type person (she will only sit still if Miley is in her arms). She has been out in the garden pulling weeds, on the carpet scrubbing up spots, in the kitchen doing dishes, and repainting our rusty appliances. With her help we have been able to pull the shambles of our home and yard back into working order.
We’ve also been able to go out and about to do recreational activities with mom. We’ve been to the tide pools and let Miley play in the ocean. Mom enjoyed the botanical gardens and snorkeling for her first time.
We have truly enjoyed her being here. She is a great grandma and we hope she comes back often.

Katie & Phil Getting Hitched

2009-06-17T17:25:00.001-07:00

After 10 years of dating, Phil and Katie are getting married. They'll probably due the deed next year, but because they are leaving Hawaii next week, we decided to throw bachelor/bachelorette parties. Us gals got all dolled up (brought out those heels and wiped off the mold). We had drinks and pizza and then went out for karaoke where we met up with the bachelor party. Katie got a hot pink veil, a strip dance from a pizza, various penis paraphernalia (see purple dildo below), sexy under garments, and a great husband to be. We wish you two the very best engagement and a wonderful marriage.

This party was my first time out and about without Miley. My mom and Aunti Bobbey were the baby sitters. Miley did great! She took to the bottle just fine. I did all right as well. I missed that little pumpkin terribly, but was able to enjoy myself and have a great time. (I think Sarah playing as a "dick head" might be one reason I had such a good time.)

Miley is a month old!

2009-06-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

I just turned 29 and got a digital video camera as a gift. I am still figuring out how the thing works and if it is authome enough to keep. I don't think we'll keep it if it just takes movies. I can't see myself carting around a video camera, a regular camera, a baby, and a bag full of diapers etc. So the jury is out. In the mean time, here's a video of the family's brightest star.

Cloth Diapering

2009-05-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like clean clothes hanging outside in the sun. If those clothes are cute little baby clothes, the joy and satisfaction is all the more vivid.

We decided to do cloth diapers for many reasons. There are ecological, monetary, and health reasons we take the extra time to cover Miley's bum with cloth. It is rewarding at times...and messy at others. Our main problem: Miley is small. The little elastic bands that should hug her thighs, hang open. Guess what likes to sneak out of those gaping holes. Uh Huh. So we end up doing a lot of wash.

We are hoping Miley will chub up soon. Nothing like a fat baby to snuggle with (and to make cloth diapering easier).

Birth Story

2009-05-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Miley came into this world with a bit of a bang. After 12 hours of hard labor and dilating to 9cm our midwife checked me and found it wasn't Miley's head that was descending into the birthing canal, but her bum. She was breach. The focus of my labor then became to stop pushing and to visualise keeping her inside long enough to get into the operating room. We made it through the stalled hour and a crew of doctors, midwifes, and nurses brought her safely into the world. (They had to untangle her from the umbilical cord which she was wearing as a double wrapped scarf.)

The entire experience was a blessing. Timber and I enjoyed working through labor together. It was empowering, epic, and transformative. It is just another authome experience we lived together. We both think the birth of Miley is our greatest accomplishment as a couple...now a family. We are glowing proud parents and know that our little girl is the most precious being in the universe. We can't wait for her to meet all of you.

Happy Birthday Miley

2009-05-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

Born May 11th

4:06 pm

7 pounds 5 ounces

Beautiful!

Still Pregnant

2009-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Miley has dropped a bit....but no other signs of labor. We'll let you know. Send us your blessings for a magical birth. It should/BETTER happen soon.

Week 39

2009-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just one week until our due date (May 4th). There for awhile we were thinking Miley would be late...but now we are both thinking it may be sooner. We've decided to take our hospital bag with us any time we head out from the house. Timber calls and checks up on me numerous times each day, and if I call him I am sure to tell him in the first sentence that I'm not in labor. That might change soon...
I've been feeling a few more contractions that resemble menstral cramps. This happens mostly in the evening as we start to go to sleep. I start to get excited that I might go into labor and end up staying up way too late all the while thinking, "If I do go into labor, I will really need sleep. Go to sleep!" Goodness nerves and an anxious mind make waiting difficult.
So...if you would like to make a guess about the date and time of Miley's birth, please send us an e-mail. We will announce the person with the closest guess when we announce Miley's birth. My guess....although I think she will be here sooner...is May 6th. I would like her to come on 5/6 because the date slides right into cosmic conspicuousness with my 6/7 birthday and our 7/8 wedding date.

Miley's Room

2009-04-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Miley's room is ready! It wouldn't have been possible without the help of our friends from the mainland Kelly and Dan (who taped the ceiling and floors to prep for painting) and Mac and Stephanie (who did a heap of touch up painting). These beautiful folks along with Timber saved me and Miley from having to smell paint fumes. Then, I got to play with the stenciles I made out of posterboard. I used two different shades of purple (the photos make them look pink). Then we hung the butterflies to swing in the breeze from the window. The room feels so cozy and bright. We're sure Miley will be comfortable in her new home.

Baby Shower

2009-04-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Katie and Sarah hosted a baby shower for us this past weekend.

They decorated our cart port beautifully with flowers and baby items and invited all our close friends. They created fun games that kept everyne engaged. The gathering was amazing! We saw how much support and love we have as we become parents. I really appreciate our neighbors offering to help with everything from breastfeeding to baby sitting. I am grateful we have a tight community in which to start our family.

We received many wonderful gifts to help us. We are going to use cloth diapers and our friends helped purchase the arsenal of inserts and covers that will hold Miley's poo. We enjoyed the cute clothing, books, and stuffed animals. Check out the Mark with the Natty Ice...just what every parent needs (I'll get to have some soon.) The wooden cradle was restored by Brian down the street. The gliding chair was lovingly covered by Sarah.

I'm proud to say that the shower was a 12 hour festival. People simply felt the love and hung well into the evening sharing stories. This community is AUTHOME!

A Baby Shower Mad Lib

2009-04-06T17:02:00.001-07:00

This is the story of Miley's birth as described by one of the guests at our baby shower. It was composed in mad lib style.

Jean E stopped everything she was doing when she felt a sudden painful contraction in her piko (belly button). Of course, the first thing she did was go to the Hawaiian Paradise Park and sit, to keep her mind off the discomfort.

When the contractions become more frequent, Timber suggested that she eat, till she knew for sure she was in labor. She quickly declined. She was sure it was time to go to Seattle and give birth to her pretty baby.

Before leaving she called the yoga teacher and said she would be leaving right after she ran. Within 3 minutes of hanging up the phone, she was to the point where she could not even swim during a contraction. When Timber walked into e office ans saw her on her hands and knees talking, he said "we are going NOW!" and quickly packed up the BMW and got everything ready.

The drive to Seattle was exquisite. When Jean E arrived, the yoga teacher examined her. She was 9cm dilated and the baby's eye lash was right there. Th yoga teacher suggested she try spitting through a few contractions. It worked! Her plate broke. One more push and a loud BooYa later, the baby was born.

Baby Miley was so perfect, with an adorable foot and 2 fingers and toes. Everyone noticed immediately that the baby had her father's ear lobes and her mother's leg. She weighed 1901 pounds, 2009 ounces and was 1997 inches long.

Some notes...We are not swimming to Seattle to give birth.

We don't have a BMW...but it's on the baby registry if you want to get us one.

Timber does have cute ear lobes and I hope Miley gets them.

I have two legs and hope that Miley does as well.

I also hope she has a few more fingers and toes.

Cheers to whomever wrote this touching birth story! We loved it! Kudos to Katie for putting this activity together!

Happy Birthday Timber!

2009-03-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

The start of spring means the start of a new circle around the sun for Timber. This will be his 38th (meaning he just turned 37). It's going to be a busy year for him...probably some gray hairs on the way. Good thing he's got a sexy body to carry him through.

Here's a photo from Kapoho, where we went snorkeling with the crew (Dave, Bhama, Dine, Katie, Phil, Gus, Mike, Sarah, Mike Mc, Jamie, Betsy, and Becky) on the big day. Then we went out for dinner and home for cake and ice-cream. It was and Authome birthday! Thank you everyone for joining in the festivities.

Belly Check

2009-03-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos of my growing belly. We're at 35 weeks and feeling great.

We did a tour of Waiamea Women's Center (the place we're going to labor and give birth). It's a hospital, but it does have a home-like feel. The nurse and midwife we spoke with are awesome. There is a little birthing garden that we can walk in while laboring. We feel sound with our decision to drive up there to bring Miley into this world.

Our baby shower is this coming weekend. I think we will be a bit shocked by all the stuff that comes our way...all the stuff that we'll need to be parents. I hope people come with a heap of good advice and tips!

Wright Visit

2009-03-29T22:40:00.001-07:00

Kelly and Dan Wright are finishing up their visit with us here on the Big I. They've been here for about 20 days. They were solo the first part of the trip as Timber and I went to CA. But for the past couple weeks we've been hanging out, enjoying their wonderful company.

Among the Authome experiences which were Wright on....

*Pololu Backpacking *Condo Renting *Lava Viewing

*Dan's Guacamole *Snorkeling *Kelly's Massages

Kelly has more photos on her Facebook page...if you're her "friend" I'm told you can see all the photos. But I don't know a thing about Facebook, so you're on your own with that adventure.

Dad's Funeral

2009-03-15T18:10:00.001-07:00

On Saturday March 14th we had an amazing celebration of my dad's life. Many many people in the community came together to show their respect and love for him.

His body arrived at the cemetery via his fire chief's truck 1721. He was escorted by 22 other fire engines from around Northern California (including Herlong, Doyal, BLM, USFS, Susanville, Janesville, and all of the Milford rigs in which he helped amass while he was chief).

Mike and Timber as well as 4 members of dad's fire crew (Rick, Harry, Fred, Ken) were the Pall Bearers.

After a tear jerker rendition of "Make the World Go Away" performed by Bud, the ceremony was officiateded by my dad's sister, my aunt "Pete". Then, my mom, my sisters and I all shared our loving memories of dad. Stew, the Susanville Fire Chief shared a poem to honor dad. Rick, who will be the next fire Milford Fire Chief (who introduced himself as the assistant chief, still honoring dad) shared a story and concluded the ceremony inviting everyone to the fire hall for a reception.

The members of the Milford Fire Department, Timber, Mike, Ry and a few others left flowers on the coffin. Then we lowered dad into that sandy Milford soil. Many people helped bury dad as my mom watched with teary eyes. His grave site is at the base of the mountains he loved, overlooking Honey Lake and the snow geese that winter here.

I am so proud of my dad. It is evident by the sincere gathering of people how important he was to Milford and his family. I was moved time and time again by the support people showed. Thank you all for helping me, my family, and each other through our loss. Saying goodbye to my dad is so difficult...knowing how many people love him and carry his spirit with them is authome.

In Memory of Dad

2009-03-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

My family and our community celebrate the life of my dad, James Edward West who passed away Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at the age of 68. Dad was Chief of the Milford Volunteer Fire Department for 12 years, where he showed his love for the Milford community by working to promote fire and traffic safety throughout the Honey Lake Valley.
Dad was born in 1941 to George B and Marie West of Irwin Pennsylvania. In 1960 the Wests moved to Milford. Dad followed his family, where he found a community that became the home he loved for his entire adult life. After a brief, three-year stint in Greenland, when he served in the US Army, dad settled in Milford. He met and married my mom, Kathleen Muller, in 1968. The couple settled on their Milford property and started their family.
Dad’s greatest loves were my mom Kathleen, his daughters Lainie, Trudi, Carrie and me, his grandson Ry, and sons-in-law Mike and Timber. We are so proud of his unending devotion to his beloved home. He was a loving and giving person who is missed by his siblings Leo, Marion, Donald, George, Suzie and Joanie.
Dad was a gifted electrician who earned a degree as in Business Management. He worked over 30 years as a Civilian Employee of the Department of Defense at Sierra Army Depot. His work took him all over the world, but his favorite part about it was returning to “his” mountain in Northern California.
In 1996 Dad retired and became a full time volunteer in the Milford community.
He talked often about the hours he spent working on projects with his longtime Milford friends. He loved rewiring, fixing plumbing, helping a neighbor to plant crops, counting “his” fire trucks, or just having coffee with the men he cared about.
Dad's greatest wish for his family is security, love and happiness. For his community, dad wanted closeness, support for one another, and a strong center which he envisioned as the volunteer fire department that he worked to build.

Donations in memory can be made to the Milford Volunteer Fire Department at Milford Fire District, PO Box 265, Milford, CA 96121. However, in the spirit of dad's “give of yourself” life ourfamily asks that you volunteer time in your community.

32 weeks (8 months)

2009-03-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

We had a little photo shoot last night. Here's the belly...and it's getting bigger!

I'm feeling great! I am starting to feel gravity much more. Yoga inversions really help to trick physical laws...at least for a short time.

I find myself gazing at babies and kids I see around town. I love hanging out with Gus (Katie and Phil's baby boy). The hormones are kicking in, making me one starry eyed mommy to be. I even caught myself perusing the baby section of Sears the other day.

Am I prepared...yes and no. I am completely ready to meet Miley and be the best mom for her. I have no idea what things (outside of my unconditional love) I need to do that. I have made a registry with amazon.com for our upcoming baby shower...but I really don't know what to put on it. If you mommies and daddies out there have input, I would love some tips and guidance. Please shoot me an e-mail.

Much love to all of you our supporting community!

We're on YouTube

2009-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Wanna see something authome? Check out the following link. It is a video of Timber and I and a group of friends launching our sea kayaks for a weekend paddle from Waipio Valley to Wamanu. It was a great trip...the launch was exciting!!! The commentator mentions that they weren't set up to film the first launch where a boat did and end-over-end. That was me... you get to see my second attempt which went much smoother.

http://www.youtube.com/handesmith

Love love lOvE

2009-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Lindsay (from the Chico State and Outward Bound Days) recently announced her engagement to Jason. I am so excited for these beautiful people. I hope your future overflows with love. Best Wishes!

Happy Birthday Dad

2009-01-23T16:38:00.001-08:00

This week my dad celebrated his 68th birthday. Isn't he a handsome man! He is very ill right now; he's battling stomach cancer. Unfortunately, he was in the hospital for his birthday...his big gift...a blood transfusion.
I hope this year, his 69 circle around the sun, gives him reprieve from this disease. I hope he gets to meet his granddaughter and I hope he gets to enjoy his beautiful yard and his recently retired wife.
I love you so much dad. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dick!

2009-01-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

We love you Dick. Have a happy healthy year!

Happy

Birthday!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here's to 2009...to more friends visiting, house remodeling, a booming yoga studio, to Miley Rain joining the family, to wellness, and love. We wish you all the best in 2009.

Miley Rain grew a heap in December. I've been able to feel her dancing around in my belly for the past couple weeks. At dinner the other night, my sister was the first person to feel Miley move by placing her hand on my tummy. It is so fun and exciting. Timber and I are going to be parents in 2009. Wow!

Twilight

2008-12-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

Timber and I both teach Jr High School students. I've seen all of my female students go gaga over the book Twilight. I'd seen the previews for the movie (recently released) and wrote the whole thing off as a high school epidemic. Until...

Timber has quite a reader in his class. They connect with each other by sharing books. Often time Timber will roll his eyes while reading saying, "This one is for kids." However, after his student gave him Twilight, he read the book with very few eye rolls.

I got a cold last week and picked up the book while I was confined to the couch. I read it in the two days it took my body to fight off the grimies.

WE ARE HOOKED!

Ya see, there is a series of 4 books. The student had all of them and has graciously passed them on to us. Timber stays just a book ahead of me and has been keeping the secrets well. Here it is just 2 and 1/2 weeks later and I'm waiting for him to finish the last book so I can suck the blood out of it.

Baby Girl

2008-12-18T18:27:00.001-08:00

Here we are with our bun in the oven. This photo was taken the second week of December while Dick Auth was visiting. It was just about that time when people started saying, "Oh, you are starting to show." So here she is...Miley Rain Auth.
We're in the 5th month of pregnancy and doing great. the nausea has passed. Thank goodness! I'm back to doing yoga and taking walks and treating Timber nicely.

BIG News!

2008-10-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Timber and I are very excited to share the news about our pregnancy!!! We're expecting the new arrival to our family at the beginning of May. So far the pregnancy has been quite an adventure in nausea and fatigue for Jean E and extra house work and cooking for Timber. We strive to be present throughout each moment, knowing that we will never be in this exact space again. However, I think we will both be happier once the nausea passes.

Yesterday we had our first prenatal doctor visit. We're just starting our 11th week of pregnancy. We got to hear baby's heart beat. It was so authome; it made us both a bit teary.

Kip and Katie

2008-09-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our good buddies Kip and Katie make quite a trip from Colorado to come play with us here in Hawaii. They did a great job stripping those ski boots and wooly hats for some tropical sun. Here are some photos from their visit.

Check out this photo from the when we went to see the lava. AUTHOME!

Lava is Authome!

2008-08-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

Anyway you think about it, lava is amazing. It is hot, red, powerful, metamorphasizing, liquid rock. Yum!

Pele has been letting it rip for the past month here on the Big I. Timber rallied the troops (Sarah, Mike, Katie, Phil, Gus and me) to head out to see the show. We dragged our bums out of bed on Sunday morning and made it to the lava field at 4:15 am. We got an amazing show! Here are some of our photos. Oh and a little film clip with famous star as the main character.

Friends

2008-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

On our East Coast travels, Timber and I got to see some good buddies.

Jen Smith is one of my best friends! We were roomies and teammates in college. She was the maid of honor at my wedding. She has become an honorary sister in my family (she has joined us for Christmas and other important holiday). Even though she lives in DC, I still get to see her cute face at least once a year. She flew up to Maine for the 4th of July and played with us at the lake. She paddled Ry and I around in the canoe. We also had an enjoyable yoga sesh on the dock. I love ya Jen!!!

We also got to hang with Crister at the lake. We met in college and became great friends. She was also one of my roomies in Chico. She is a Maine native and made a short drive over to the lake to hang with us. Crister is a wonderful guitar player and has a beautiful voice. She strummed for Lainie's wedding and sang a few songs around the campfire for us.

Other visitors to the lake; Josh, Katie, and their dog Betty. They drove up for a night at the lake, and then we met up with them at their place in New Hampshire. More to come about our adventures in NH.

Handcock Pond

2008-07-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

Handcock Pond is really a lake. A beautiful lake in Maine where Timber and I got to meet and hang with the Conley family. They showed us how to summer it up Maine style. Here are some highlights...

FIREWORKS
Jeff and Timber paddled out to the dock at sunset on the 4th of July. In the canoe with them were many illegal explosives which they proceeded to blow into the night sky. I love that Jeff's wife Amy asked Timber to do the honors with Jeff (all others wisely declined the pyro position on the 4x4 wood dock) because if both her and Jeff were killed in an accident "Who would care for the children?"

As the guys got into a rhythm and their brilliant display flowed into a bouquet of light, the Pond Fire Marshall showed up. No more boom boom.

SPEED BOAT

Cousin Tim owns a boat and the many recreational accessories that got with it. We enjoyed water skiing. It was the first time either Timber or I had been on water skis since were were about 12. FUN!

Not so fun...the Hot Dog. Timber, Ry, and I all piled onto the inflatable Hot Dog and dared Tim to rip. With a sly grin, he gassed it. We held on for about 3/4 turn around the lake then, as Tim got to mock 5, the Dog started hydroplaning across the water surface. I smiled ear to ear feeling those milliseconds of zero gravity between lifting away from the water and coming back down. Freedom.

But, one of those weightless touchdowns, where the dog is supposed to kiss the water's surface and lift off again, we hit the wake.

FU@K*N$ OUCH!

All three of us were hurled off the Dog. Like sipping stones we skimmed the water (which at mock 5 is more like cement) and then slammed into the cool depths. With the air knocked from our lungs, Timber, Ry, and I resurfaced gasping for breath. We all managed to wave a white flag to captain Tim, who gave us the gentle kiddy ride back to the dock. (note: Timber and Ry along with Mike took another round on the Hot Dog and really enjoyed themselves. They've mastered the Hot Dog technique and can take Tim's mock 5 . I'm not going to try it again.)

Mike and Lainie est. 7/5

2008-07-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

This one goes out to Mike and my sis Lainie. These two amazing people who have a wonderful life ahead of them. They were married earlier this month on the shores of Handcock Pond in Maine.

Ironic fact about the couple:

Mike is the oldest of four brothers.

Lainie is the oldest of four sisters.

.Another irony: All eight of the siblings were present at the ceremony. Now that part really excites me because I know how difficult it is to get our family together. Add another quad of siblings and BHAM, Brady Bunch reunion. But, no joke, the Connely family is amazing. We had such a great time during the week of festivities surrounding the wedding. We did the lobster thing (see posting below), we watched/set off fireworks (Jeff and Timber got sweated by the pond fire Marshall), we swam and water skied, we ate and drank and sang around the camp fire. So it really was a Brady Bunch reunion. I loved every moment of it. I hope each year Lain and Mike spend together is full of this spirit, love and family. Best Wishes!

LOBSTER!

2008-07-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

We've been on a classic American summer vacation. That is... a

classic New England summer vacation. A few long hours cramped on an airplane (okay, two days of flying) found us in Maine. Let me tell you, there are a heap of authome things to do in Maine.

We went lobster catching on the 3rd of July. Here's a photo of my sisters with the bait for the traps. Yummy!

You can tell by the look on Timber's face that the dead fish doesn't smell so pleasant.

We only only caught one lobster that was big enough to keep. Below is one of the lucky little guys that got to live another day to scavenge the bottom of Portland Bay.

On the 4th of July we enjoyed a HUGE lobster bake with the Conley family. I really enjoy lobster! I think the best part is that you get to play with your food while you eat it. Oh, I also like that you get really messy...and everyone else does as well.

Thanks friends for the lobster and the lesson on how to get at that delicious, rich, meat.

Masta

2008-06-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

We are doing the Master Cleanse.

Started Monday.

Day 2...I'm hungry, grumpy, and have no energy. Timber is a trooper. We're both already bored with the lemon drink (consisting of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup) that is the only thing we can consume.

Ten more days to go. Please send us a lot of support!

Welcome Jason

2008-06-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Kona Sunday to pick up Jason Bordi from the airport. We left our house a couple hours early so we could enjoy the beach before we picked him up. Timber introduced me to a new white sand beach, Kua Bay. We played a bit in the surf and then decided we had enough time to swim out to a rock, jump off, and still get to the airport in time.
This would have been a correct allotment of time, but... our plans were foiled. Timber tweeked his neck while climbing up the rock for a second jump. He barely made it back to shore as the muscles crampped nto a steal mound at his shoulder blade. I was on my own little swim love with the ocean and didn't even know something was wrong until we met up on the beach towel.

Jason wasn't the least bit bothered by us being late. How could ya be upset in Hawaii? We took him back to the beach for lunch and beers. That definitely dissipated any trace of frustration. Then we cruised back to the East side.

While giving Jayson the tour of our house, we saw a scorpion on the wall in the little house. Strange!!! There are some interesting occurances..one of my yoga students said it has to do with the position of the planets right now.

Well Jayson, we hope you have a great summer here on the Big I. Please come visit us on your days off. (Jayson is working at a summer health camp for kids).

New Wheels

2008-06-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Recently Timber and I got new bikes. He scored his off Craig's List and I from our friend Dine when she moved off island. We are STOKED about the 8 minute ride from our driveway to the ocean cliffs at the end of the road. Our list of "adventures to take" is filling with various bike rides (Puna Coast Ride, Shipman's Beach Ride, cruise along the Red Road, to the landing, etc.).

We took off on the 8th to tick one of these destinations off the list. Our mission: Green Sands Beach. We arrived at the parking lot at South Point in the mid afternoon. The area is notorious for wind (check out the photo, the trees grow sideways because of the constant force) however, on this afternoon, it was EXTRA windy. The car doors blew shut as we got ready. Gusts blew the bikes down as we put the tires on. I was very apprehensive about the adventure. As I braced myself against the gales, I was sure the adventure would turn out to be an EPIC.

The second hill proved me right.

Timber and I huffed up a rocky hill and stopped at the top for a vehicle to pass. The driver waved us on, but looking at the cliffs and holes in my path, I didn't want to go. I offered the way to Timber, who promptly lifted his foot and went for it. I stared after him in disbelief that he was actually going, in horror that he would eat it, and with excited, admirational support.

Apparently he wasn't planning on taking the route that sent him over the edge of a giant rock. As he started toward his line, a rock, wind gust, and/or a malevolent irony of life, grabbed his front tire and led him over the rock ledge. This route buried his front wheel between the ledge and the next rock. Over the handle bars he went.
In the time between leaving his saddle and touching the ground, he turned into a ninja. When he hit the ground, he rolled over his right shoulder and used the momentum to come back to standing with a smile on his face. I didn't even think of asking him if he was all right...that would have been preposterous. Of course the ninja was okay.

Unfortunately, the bike took a beating. Look closely at the photo and you'll see the warped front tire. It was too warped to ride. So Ninja decided to stash the bike and jog the rest of the way to the beach.

We invented the Auth Relay on the way back to the car. Timber took off running and I on my bike. I peddled out in front of him and then hopped off the bike and started jogging. When he got to the bike, he jumped on. He rode past me and then stashed the bike for me to take... This relay was so fun. We made it back to his stashed gimp bike lickey splickety.

Here's to a new wheel and more Authome bike adventures...oh and to a helmet for Timber just in case he can't channel his inner ninja next time.

06/07/08

2008-06-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

What a day for a birthday!
Timber and I celebrated my 28th birthday last weekend. We went to Captain Cook (on the Kona Side) and hung there for the weekend. Here we are Saturday morning at Two Step. It is one of our favorite places on the island to snorkel. I was hoping to see spinner dolphins..I mean it was my birthday and all. But, the dolphins were playing somewhere else. Instead, we saw eels, a huge Parrot Fish, beautiful reef.... We had a nice long swim. It made us good and ready for breki.
Timber took me to our favorite breakfast joint on island, the Coffee Shack. Delicious baked goods, rich coffee, fresh fruit...YUM! As we ate, Timber shared his guava jelly with 5 Madagascar geckos. It was quite a show watching them fight over the jelly. A gecko would sneak up behind one that had it's head buried in jelly. The one eating jelly would startle and then run up the window. So the new gecko could grub the jelly with it's head burried, until...
You'd think they would learn to share, there was PLENTY jam for all of them.

After breki we went to our hotel to nap and digest. We also chatted on the phone with many friends. Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

Then we were off for a hike. We have been to the Captain Cook Monument via sea kayak, but we wanted to hike there. It was a nice hike down the pali with astounding views of the coastline. We took left the trail and headed through mesquite bushes and trees toward a grove of coconut palms.
Exploring the coastline we found beautiful white sand beaches, ocean blow holes and arches, and coconuts. We got all aggressive with a stick and knocked a couple green beauties down from a tree. Then we got even more ape to get through the husk and into the precious liquid and fruit. I don't think the juice inside those coconuts replenished the sweat we produced whacking them on the rock to get them open...but it sure was good!!! At the monument, we went for another snorkel. It was so refreshing to hop in the ocean after hiking and getting animal with those coconuts. The reef there is so colorful and alive. There were heaps of trigger fish nibbling at mesquite seed pods that floated on the ocean surface.

We beached ourselves and while drying off, finished the last bit of our water. We didn't understand the monumental bummer this was until we started hiking back up the pali. At the top we were so dehydrated and worked!!! Luckily there was a gas station close by for some cold water. This made us bounce back to life!

We finished my birthday at Mi's, and Italian restaurant. I had a delicious lobster dip and salad and then torte with candles and a wish.

So starts my 29th circle around the sun. It's going to be a great on!