Ballor Family Blog

Ballor Elf Honky Tonk Christmas 2009

2009-12-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

Jordan as Johnny/Jingle Bells

2008-12-31T11:46:00.002-05:00

I ran across a CD my dad made for me of various tape recordings made when I was 4 and 9 years old. Here's one of the early ones, from around 1982, in which I take up the role of Johnny Carson and do an impression of Mr. Rogers, with a rendition of Jingle Bells as the finale.

Happy New Year!

Owen at the Fire Station

2008-10-21T20:45:00.004-04:00

We took Owen to the fire station up the street and he was so overwhelmed, he barely managed to speak (that's amazing!).

The Current State of the PhD

2008-10-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

Anyone curious about our family's future plans should consult this helpful chart.

Owen Dances at Detroit Zoo

2008-10-01T10:23:00.005-04:00

Owen had a great day at the Detroit Zoo with Papa Joe, Gramma Gia, Gramma Buzzy and Bob. He was so excited he had to dance!

Pictures to Commemorate the End of the Tigers' Season

2008-10-01T10:13:00.003-04:00

The Tigers won this game against the Twins, as I recall. Owen got frightened by the crowds when I lifted him up to see Matt Joyce run around the bases after a home run. He had been to a number of Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps games, but the crowd at the CoPa was something new for him! His other big concern was whether all the Tigers decorating the park were "nice."

Frederik Meijer Gardens

2008-03-30T21:35:00.002-04:00

Holly, Lili, Owen and I took a trip to the gardens, and though it everything wasn't quite in bloom, we had a lot of fun. Lili got excited seeing all the butterflies and was yelling, "Flies, flies!" Owen thought they were cool, but didn't want them anywhere near him. We also had a close call with the giant horse sculpture. I thought Holly was a goner, but Lili and Owen saved her from its giant, crushing hoof!

Spring Is Almost Here

2008-03-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

My other babies.

2008-03-30T21:21:00.003-04:00

We had a small family gathering for Easter at our house. It was great to see all the kids playing together. It was the first Easter for Lili and Andrew, so it was a special day!

Andrew and Owen

2008-03-30T21:13:00.002-04:00

Owen loves his new little nephew, Andrew. Although he doesn't do much yet, Owen likes to pretend he's calling Uncle Travis on his tiger phone and asks how Andrew is doing. He also likes to point out that Andrew is a baby and poops his pants, but he is a big boy and goes on the potty (FINALLY!!).

Owen

2008-03-30T20:50:00.002-04:00

Owen is growing up so quickly - he's such a little man now. His favorite word, often much to mommy and daddy's displeasure, is why. We try to answer his questions as much as possible, but sometimes it's easier to just dismiss him. So the other day as he was walking into his toy room, I asked him what he was doing. This was his reply: "Nothing. Don't worry about it." I about died laughing! Guess I now know how he feels!

Rollerskating

2008-03-30T20:25:00.002-04:00

Owen went roller skating for the first time. He was such a pro - he took right off onto the rink and didn't even want to hold my hand! The pictures are blurry because of the lighting in there, but you'll get the idea!

Consider Voting

2008-02-07T15:39:00.001-05:00

The presidential candidates aren't the only ones campaigning nowadays.

Check out the Blogger's Choice Awards, and consider voting for the group blog to which Jordan contributes in the categories of "Best Religious Blog," "Best Charity Blog," and "Best Blog Design."

More details and relevant links here.

A&J Facebook

2008-01-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Amy and Jordan now have Facebook profiles. Look us up!

Liliana Grace is home!

2007-08-23T08:41:00.001-04:00

My sister Holly and her husband, Dan, adopted a beautiful little girl named Liliana Grace and finally brought her home last month. Here are a couple pics from the shower we had for her. This, unfortunately, is the only picture of Liliana that turned out! But I will try to post more of her soon because she is so stinkin' cute!

Owen and Family

2007-08-23T00:14:00.000-04:00

A Day Out With Thomas

2007-08-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Me, Jordan, Owen, Dad, Judy, my sister Nikki and her husband Cris and their two adorable boys, Carter and Braylin took a trip to Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad in Flint to meet Thomas the Train. Yes, it was really Thomas - his eyes moved and everything (a little creepy, but neat nonetheless). The day was an absolutely blast! Owen met Thomas, Bob the Builder and Sir Topham Hatt (topahat, as Owen calls him).

Owen Goes Crazy @ Crossroads Village

2007-08-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

This was Owen's first amusement ride by himself. He was absolutely freaking out and yelling with excitement. These pictures say it all!

More Thomas!

2007-08-22T23:49:00.001-04:00

A Day Out With Thomas (con't)

2007-08-22T23:43:00.001-04:00

Grandma Gia, Grandma Buzzy & Grandpa Bob!

2007-08-22T23:39:00.001-04:00

More Camping!

2007-08-22T23:34:00.001-04:00

Random Owen Cuteness

2007-08-22T23:26:00.000-04:00

Owen is talking up a storm. It's been awesome to watch him grow. He is very big into diggers, trucks, wrestling and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Oh, he also knows what candy is now and expects to eat it for breakfast many mornings. It's not happening, but he still asks!

Camping

2007-08-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

Owen went camping for the first time with Grandma and Papa and the rest of the family. He loved swimming!

Boz

2007-08-22T23:12:00.000-04:00

Owen got to meet one of his favorite characters - BOZ (his name is Boz, the B-O-Z!).

Vegas

2007-08-22T23:05:00.000-04:00

In June, Jordan and I took our first big trip away from Owen (he stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Gia and had a blast). We went to Vegas to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. It was a great trip!

Should We Be Concerned??

2007-08-22T22:42:00.002-04:00

OK. So Owen loves to dress up and put on our clothes and my jewelry. He always wants to wear my earrings, but can't quite figure out how to keep them in his ears.

The Ballors have been Simpsonized

2007-07-19T21:11:00.001-04:00

Try it for yourself here.

Chicago Trip

2007-04-06T20:28:00.000-04:00

We took a family trip to Chicago in late March. I went to see my good friend Kristen who moved there a year or so ago and Jordan saw his college buddies, Will and Paul. Kristen and I took Owen to the Arboretum in Lisle, Ill. (please go if you ever get the chance - it's beautiful!). Owen had tons of fun exploring and climbing.

Owen Update

2007-04-06T20:21:00.000-04:00

Owen is becoming quite the little entertainer. He loves to do silly things to make Jordan and I laugh (one of his favorites is walking around with buckets, baskets, boxes, etc. on his head. It's the funniest thing in the world to him. He is also talking up a storm and starting to potty train a little bit. He loves to go into the bathroom and sit on his potty, but he doesn't want us in there. He will say, "Momma, out!" until I leave the room. Such a stinker!

Grand Rapids Children's Museum

2007-04-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

We took a big trip to the Grand Rapid's Children museum with my sister Nikki and her two boys, Carter and Braylin. The boys had a blast!

Snow fun!

2007-04-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

Owen was a little afraid of the snow, but he did help me build a snowman and then was sad when it melted away!

Owen and Grandma Ballor

2007-04-06T19:57:00.000-04:00

Owen loves his Grandma!!

Owen on Harmonica; Plus "Hexagon" and "Velcro"!

2007-01-19T22:55:00.001-05:00

Oh, Christmas Tree

2006-12-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

Family Times

2006-12-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ho Ho Ho

2006-12-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas was very busy but a lot of fun this year. Owen enjoyed opening all his gifts and playing with everything.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-28T22:21:00.000-05:00

Buddies

2006-12-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

A boy and his dog...

Thanksgiving

2006-12-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

Owen got locked in the bedroom at Grandma & Grandpa Ballor's on Thanksgiving morning, so we had to call the Royal Oak Fired Department to rescue him!

Random Cuteness

2006-11-11T18:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween

2006-11-11T17:57:00.000-05:00

Owen was "Sir Owen of Wyoming" for Halloween. Once he understood that he couldn't go into everyone's houses, he seemed to have a good time. We went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with his cousins Carter and Braylin. All the boys were so cute together!

Mommy & Daddy Go Out

2006-11-08T18:42:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple pics of Jordan and I before the Acton Annual Dinner. Turns out that we clean up rather nicely!

Owen's growing up!

2006-11-08T18:36:00.000-05:00

Jordan profiled in new book

2006-09-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

For those of you who may be interested, Jordan has been included as one of the people profiled in the book released earlier this month, The RELEVANT Nation: 50 Activists, Artists And Innovators Who Are Changing Their World Through Faith. He was selected mainly for his work as a public intellectual at the Acton Institute.

Here's a blurb about the book:

The Relevant Nation tells the stories of 50 visionaries under the age of 40 who are living influential, active and passionate lives grown out of their Christian faith. In a series of conversational profiles, the book examines innovators from the worlds of art and entertainment, science and technology, business and social justice. The stories will inspire you to take risks, serve others with greater passion and embrace an influential and fulfilling life.

The book is available for purchase at Amazon and the Relevant Books website, where you can also see a sample chapter (PDF here). Jordan's profile appears in the book under the "Innovators & Leaders" heading.

Naughty Owen

2006-09-12T20:35:00.000-04:00

Owen's favorite naughty thing to do is pull all the clothes out of his drawer and then laugh as he watches mommy and daddy fold them all and put them back in the drawer again. This time, Domino got in on the action!

Tobox surprise!

2006-09-12T20:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks, grandma Buzzy!

Eating with a spoon is fun!

2006-09-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

Almost got the hang of it...

The Big Virginia Trip!

2006-09-12T20:12:00.000-04:00

The Ballors went down to Virginia to visit the Smith clan in mid-August. We had a wonderful time and Owen had a few firsts, which included his first trip to the beach!

Slideshow @ Shutterfly

2006-07-17T15:25:00.000-04:00

A slideshow of Owen's first birthday (roughly) photo shoot is viewable at this link. Enjoy!

Da-Da

2006-06-29T22:42:00.000-04:00

Exciting News!

2006-06-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

Owen is walking all over the place like a crazy little man. It's so funny to step into a room and have him walk up to us. It looks so funny!

He also said his first real word - "da=da" on June 27. It was so cute! Jordan was coming home from work and I took him to the window and showed him that daddy was home. He waved and said, "Da-da." It was awesome! I'm still working on "I love momma."

Self-portrait

2006-06-29T22:36:00.000-04:00

Babies Ahoy!!

2006-06-17T20:17:00.000-04:00

ARGH!!! Sorry this posting is so late. Owen's official birthday was May 30. His first birthday party on May 28 was a total hit! He seemed to enjoy himself (despite that heat). Thanks for everyone who could make it to his special day!!

Argh Owen's Pirate Party!

2006-06-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

Owen's 1st Birthday!

2006-06-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Day, Baby Owen!

2006-06-17T20:06:00.000-04:00

Random Owen Goodness!

2006-06-17T20:01:00.000-04:00

Baby Owen, (who, we know, isn't a baby so much anymore) is always up for a good time! He loves getting into things he's now supposed to. He also LOVES to sort things. Taking the lip glosses and pens in and out of my purse can entertain him for an hour! Here, he's sorting his toys on the kitty condo!

A New Picture?!

2006-06-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

To whet your appetite...more to come soon, we promise!

JJB on NRO

2006-05-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

Check out an article by me at National Review Online: "Free Workers & Free Trade".

Daddy at the Dunes

2006-04-02T22:09:00.000-04:00

Sleeping Bear

2006-04-02T22:02:00.000-04:00

The three of us went up to Traverse City the last weekend in March for a day of shopping and playing on the dunes. It was sooooo windy that day, it kept taking Owen's breath away. He also didn't quite know what to do about the grass, as you can see from the pictures. He just sat down for 5 minutes and wouldn't move because he didn't want to touch the grass with his hands!

Snowy Bear

2006-04-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

Owen had a good time playing in the snow in March with the sled that Aunt Holly and Uncle Dan got him for Christmas.

Fun Times at Home

2006-04-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

Welcome

2006-03-29T13:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Ballor Family blog. Jordan and I set up this blog for friends and family to keep up with all the changes in our lives - most specifically our little boy Owen! Feel free to post any comments and information you like.

Young Talent

2006-02-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

Owen helps Grandpa Ballor play the mandolin. Could he be future musician?!

Nine Months

2006-02-27T10:44:00.000-05:00

Owen loves to ride on daddy's
shoulders!

He's nine months old!

Kitty Love

2006-02-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

2006-02-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

Bath time is sooooo much fun

2006-02-09T15:14:00.000-05:00

We know, he's too cute. He loves bath time now. It's so fun to splash and try to bite the faucet!

Owen Loves To Climb

2006-02-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

Owen loves to climb up everything and stand up. The consequences of this are a lot of bruises and a closer step toward walking!

Crawling Like Crazy!

2006-02-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

More of Owen's Cuteness

2006-01-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

Crawler

2006-01-18T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. Owen is finally total mobile. He's crawling all over the place. It's exciting, but horrifying at the same time. Crawling means he can entertain himself better, but it also means a lot more slipping and sliding and general exposure to potential injuries. He wants to crawl up everything, but it's a lot more complicated to get back down. And nearly impossible to get back down without knocking an elbow or smacking a chin. But I guess it's all a learning process!

Owen has also taken to experimenting with different voices. Right now he's really into this scary growl that sounds like something out of a horror movie. It's quite amusing to here him say "ba, ba, da, beb, ba" in a voice a demon might use. I can't wait to see what's next...

Amy

Family Photos

2006-01-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Owen's First Christmas

2006-01-03T20:04:00.000-05:00

Owen's first Christmas was very exciting. The weekend before Christmas, he made the big trip up to Petoskey to visit Uncle Denny and Aunt Cher. On Christmas Eve, he went to Grandma and Grandpa Sinquefield's house to celebrate with all his great-grandparents, his aunts and uncles and his cousins. On Christmas Day, he traveled to the other side of the state to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Ballor for a couple of days. There he also visited with his great-grandparents and his aunts and cousins. It was a great first Christmas.

Also, on Christmas Day, we discovered that Owen is getting his two top front teeth!

Christmas Cutie

2006-01-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

Rockin' Baby

2006-01-03T19:50:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Petoskey

2006-01-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Sitting Pretty

2005-12-06T20:43:00.000-05:00

Owen is sitting up pretty much on his own now. He still leans forward a bit and falls over every now and then, but he's getting there. He's also starting to crawl around a lot more. He's not quite ready to take off yet, but it won't be long!

A Boy and His Dog

2005-12-06T20:41:00.000-05:00

Too cute!

Yummy!

2005-12-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of pics of Owen chomping on a teething biscuit. There have got to be more teeth coming in because he is chewing on everything in sight!

6th Month Checkup

2005-12-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

We just got back from the pediatrician for Owen’s 6 month checkup (he’s a little overdue), and here are the vital statistics:

Weight: 16 lbs., 15 oz.
Length: 26 3/8 inches
Head: 17 3/16 inches

He’s right in the 50th percentile for the first two, and around the 25th for his head size, so as he’s been growing his head is getting more proportional to the rest of his body. At least for now!

6 Months!!

2005-11-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but Owen is already six months old!! He's getting so big and every day he seems to be up for more adventures. He's not quite crawling yet, but he can creep and roll around pretty good. He also scoots around backward to get where he wants to go. We've got to really start keeping an eye on him!

Unfortunately, he's not sleeping through the night yet, but we think we've found part of the problem - he doesn't get enough sleep during the day! Sounds weird, but we've been trying to get him on a more consistent schedule that includes at least two longer naps a day, and it seems to be helping. Last night he only woke up once, but we are considering that a lucky night and not expecting it to happen again! Don't want to get our hopes up too high...

Owen is still a wonderful baby. When he isn't cranky from lack of sleep, he's always laughing and smiling. He also has an odd fondness for disco music! "At first I was afraid, I was petrified..."

Bath in Grandma & Grandpa Ballor's Sink

2005-11-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

Bath & First Cereal

2005-11-17T16:21:00.000-05:00

It was the cereal!

2005-11-04T23:45:00.000-05:00

Latest update: he was cranky not only because of the teeth, but because he was having trouble digesting his rice eereal. So he's off solids for the near future...let's hope he starts sleeping through the night instead of waking up cranky!

Update

2005-11-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to give everyone an update on what little O has been up to. It's been a lot!! He's 5 1/2 months old already - time flies! He started eating rice cereal about two weeks ago (ask Jordan about his trip to the store for the cereal - very entertaining). Owen is also getting very mobile. He can roll all over the place and has started creeping a lot. If you put a toy out in front of him he will creep his way over to it ASAP to get it directly into his mouth! This is because he already has two teeth! They came in on Friday, Oct 28 (sorry, I don't know the time - j/k). He's been very cranky and not sleeping well because I think they are causing some discomfort. But other than that, he's one happy baby!!

Halloween

2005-11-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

Owen was a little pumpkin for Halloween! So cute (thank Auntie Amy for the outfit). The pictures above are with Crazy Old Granny (aka Aunt Holly).

Pumpkin Carving at Grandma & Grandpa Ballor's

2005-11-01T18:20:00.000-05:00

Whatcha looking at?

2005-10-20T16:19:00.000-04:00

Grins and giggles

2005-10-19T22:54:00.000-04:00

By the Mighty Mississippi

2005-10-19T22:51:00.000-04:00

Gran & Owen

2005-10-19T22:50:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of O with his great grandma Rena Sue "Gran" Sinquefield.

Owen with his aunts!

2005-10-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, my grandpa, Papa Sinquefield passed away on Oct. 9.
We made the trip to Memphis and Owen was great - it was his first plane trip.
Papa's service was beautiful and it was nice to hear all the fun and touching
stories about him. We will miss him.

Here's a pic of Owen charming his great aunts - Michelle and Suzanne.

Klackle's

2005-10-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the fall season, we went to Klackle's for some
pumpkins, donuts and cider!

Rollin all over da place

2005-10-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

Owen has started rolling all over the place. Tummy to back,
back to tummy - over and over. Gotta keep an eye on that kid!

Go See Serenity

2005-10-07T14:20:00.000-04:00

It's an awesome movie. Even if you aren't a fan of the TV show Firefly, you'll enjoy Serenity.

You can see the first 9 minutes here.

Here's a survey of various reviews of the movie at Christianity Today.

I reviewed the TV series Firefly, the movie's predecessor, here.

You now have no excuses...go see Serenity!

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the tummy!

2005-09-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

BIG NEWS!!!

I know, all you veteran parents are going to laugh at me, but every little thing Owen does is very exciting. It's amazing to see him grow and do new things, whether it's exploring his mouth with everything he can possibly fit in it or pinching his toes...IT'S ALL SO ADORDABLE!

Well, on Friday he had a major development by rolling over from his back to his tummy (with a little encouragement from Elmer the Elephant, of course). He actually did it twice, but since then he's not too interested in trying as much. He must be thinking, "been there, done that"!

He's also becoming more interested in food - he watches us when we eat, and if I am holding him and eating he'll smile and laugh and grab at the food. I see mushed bananas and pureed peas in the very near future...yummy!

Amy

2005-09-12T21:57:00.000-04:00

Owen now loves his Maya Wrap sling. He hated it when he was smaller. Here are
him and daddy in Saugatuck where we took a day trip for you three-year anniversary!