Blessings in Baking

With the arrival of St. Patrick's Day, added to our exciting discovery of Pi Day, the Ballard family had some serious treat making to do. Mix in five wonderful families from our neighborhood whom we frequently gather with to enjoy food and fun conversation and we've got a party! It was a fantastic evening too. On a side note, individuals often ask me, "when do you have time to make all these goodies?" I started pondering that question myself and realized that the main reason I enjoy baking so much is because our kids do too. If I am in the kitchen, I'm never alone. It offers me countless opportunities to spend both group and alone time with everyone of our kiddos. What a true gift that has been (and will continue to be) for so many reasons! Alright, so Azure doesn't talk much yet, but she can ice and sprinkle a sugar cookie with the best of them.

Fantastic Friends

We added three girls and a puppy to our household last week. Friday afternoon we added another gal for 24 hours and Saturday we tossed one more in the mix for good measure. All of the kids were awesome and had a wonderful time together. While Thatcher enjoyed the ladies, he was able to escape our grasp on Saturday and spend some much needed boy time at one of his good friends as well. Our only set back happened when a stomach bug entered the picture and took out 2/3rd's of our "army". Luckily it only lasted 24 hours for most of us. With the exception of that small "hiccup", it was a wonderful, nonstop week of play and fun. I know our family will look back at our time in Fayetteville and remember the amazing families and friends we've already had the great pleasure to meet.

Raxtus first had to decide what he thought about his new friend.

Then he had to decide how to get his bone.

 They must have struck a deal because Raxtus ended up with the bone,
Ranger with a soft bed and toy.

A Memorable Moment

We were lucky to have Mom and Dad Ballard visit last weekend. Steven was called to the high council and Dad had the sweet experience of ordaining him as a high priest. From baptism until now, he's had this opportunity with his only son and we are so very grateful for their willingness to come share this sacred moment. How grateful we are for the gospel and the great blessings that our Father in Heaven gives to His children.

School Awards 12-13

When it comes to academics, they are definitely their fathers daughters!

His Genes....

(A honor rolls, top reader, literary writing winner)

Mine!

 His Genes...

 

Civic Oration Speech (3rd Place)

Mine!

 His Genes...

Mine!

His Genes....

 (3rd Place Science Fair)

  

Mine!

The Marble House

We drove to Raleigh a few weeks ago and tried out their children's museum. It was tons of fun! I even "hired" a girl from our neighborhood to take Raxtus out and play with him throughout the day, thus our visit could be extended. The bad news? Out of habit I ended up locking our door from the garage and she couldn't get into the home. The good news? We discovered that our home is pretty well secured without a key. My "habit" meant that we needed to return back to Fayetteville much earlier than planned, but the kiddos had a blast with the three hours they enjoyed and can't wait to return for another visit to explore.