A Father's Day Tribute

A few months back I flew to Albuquerque to visit my Mom and siblings. It also happened to be the weekend of my birthday. We woke early Sunday to get ready for church and with just myself and Azure to prepare it was smooth sailing. As we left the house I returned to grab something I'd forgotten. To be honest, I don't remember the needed item but I will always be grateful that I went back. As I crossed the door frame to my parents room I suddenly heard a sound. It didn't last long, perhaps five seconds or so, but I immediately recognized the sound. I'll quickly interject here. My Father passed away eleven years ago and while things in my parents home have been moved around for cleaning purposes, my Father's dresser remains in the same condition it was prior to his passing. From the watch that still sat on his dresser came...."beep beep beep beep"....."beep beep beep beep"..."beep beep beep beep". Suddenly I froze. I knew that sound. It was the same sound that I had heard on numerous occasions when Dad's watch would go off to remind him of our birthdays. Now, this may seem silly to some and many would chalk the timing up to mere coincidence, but, for me, for that brief moment, I knew he was calling out, "Happy Birthday kiddo".

He was a smart man, my Dad. I'm pretty certain he didn't need a watch to remind him of anything, but I I know he wanted to make certain to never forget. He was a good guy too. Always smiling, always looking for the positive in things. I'm sure the five of us kids gave him a gray hair or two, and while he raised his voice a time or two....or three, he always ended by making the "right" parenting choice for that particular situation. For instance, Liz accidentally threw my friend through our large glass bedroom window. What parent wouldn't raise their voice when all they hear is lots of shattering glass and the words, "I didn't do it!" The fact that I ran to hide behind our couch probably didn't help the situation either. Upon finding me and returning my friends home, Dad quietly cleaned up the entire mess, perfectly boarded up the window, and sat Liz and I down on the couch only to say, "Please don't do that again." We accidentally made holes in the walls, got cupcakes stuck the the ceiling, and threw our slippers down the hallway while banging the closets just to giggle and run back to our rooms pretending we were sound asleep. In our teenage years we accidentally dented vehicles, used the gas credit card to buy lotto tickets (long story), and got escorted home by a police officer (even longer story). He handled five kids and their many life experiences with both justice and mercy, and in the end.....you can't ask for more than that.

I believe my Dad left this life having learned one of the hardest lessons for mankind. He had learned humility. He learned that sometimes your right - and when your right your right, and that's great. The flip side of that coin is that sometimes your wrong - and when your wrong your wrong. All of us will be wrong at one time or another, for life is a learning experience. The key to that experience is learning to say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong". My father had done that - and perhaps that's why his time on earth came to an end and he returned to our Father in Heaven, only to share his smile and sweet spirit with all our loved ones on the other side. As Father's Day approaches I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the great men who have influenced my life and the lives of our children. There are many. To the wonderful man who raised me, for my dear husband who cherishes and honors our children, and, to my sweet Father-in-law who sets a solid example of kindness and the power of prayer for us and his 29 Grandchildren. To these amazing men, I thank you. Happy Father's Day!

Summer Time (Week 3)

We discovered some new information this past week. All the kiddos have grown! Their 48" status now allows both girls down the large slides and Thatchers 42" status now allows him passage down the inside tube slide. In addition, Haley J has "grown" in confidence and will now go down the yellow kiddie slides and Azure....well, she has learned not only to tolerate the water, but absolutely loves it! We also sought out a fun new park with a splash pad area and our eldest gals truly "rose to the occasion" when I devised an idea to place them in charge of dinner. During the weeks of summer both Ryley and Kadyn get one night a week to plan, prep, and cook a meal all by themselves. I purchase the ingredients they need and take things out of the hot oven, but my part ends there. They both did an amazing job (pics below) and can't wait to take another turn this week.  In addition, both girls set and cleared the table, and, included dessert to their menus. I'd better watch out! :)

"NO WAY!"

"O.K!"

 

  

Homemade Pizza Dough and Pizza w/Dessert Pizza

 

Oriental Noodle Soup and rolls w/Brownies

It's A.......

We're happy to announce a new addition will be joining the Ballard family in 2012! We are so excited and can't wait to meet this little peanut. On a crazy whim we decided to find out the gender of "number six". Let's just say that Thatcher is absolutely ecstatic with the findings! :) He wanted a boy so badly, so when the results came back in his favor he jumped for joy! We know adding one more is a huge step and have been considering this big decision for months now. Even the older girls have been begging us for quite some time. "Please, Please, they are just SO cute!" We reminded them what a big job they can be when they're little. You have to constantly watch them, sometimes they destroy your toys, and they poop and urinate all over until they're potty trained. Did that deter them? Oh no. The pleading continued on and on. So....Steven and I decide to give in and go for it!

We spent two months reading, researching, and discussing breeds in efforts to be knowledgable in making the best decision when picking a dog for our family. We're currently on our second dog book, recommended to us by the breeders. It's actually very fascinating and exciting stuff. We've come to understand that getting a new dog is very much like adding a new baby to your home. It's not something to be taken lightly, but with hard work and love it can be a wonderful experience for the entire family.  We also lucked out in finding some amazing breeders. They already have our puppy crate trained, and more importantly, almost potty trained. Our little guy has not had an accident in weeks! I have to admit, that's my favorite part of the situation. They have now moved on to leash training him and when we pick him up in mid July he'll be 12 weeks old and ready for puppy kindergarten. Hopefully he will also be ready for a home full of individuals who already love and adore him. If you know our eldest girls very well, you know that animals (specifically dogs) are their L.O.V.E and joy! They have been wonderfully patient as we have postponed this day for a variety of reasons. The time has now come and we are so excited for them to finally have their "dream come true". (Scroll down for a picture of our upcoming "baby")

Summer Time (Week 2)

We had a great time at our friends pool this week. It was our first "pool time" of the summer and the kiddos had a blast. We all got a little pink regardless of my constant efforts in slathering the kids with sun block. Due to that (and the fact that Haley J caught a cold) we decided to spend the remainder of our week engaged in indoor activities. When you have four kiddos with HUGE imaginations like ours, that's not a difficult task to perform. Ryley was even invited to go bowling with a friend and turned down the offer because she was having too much fun with her siblings! I must admit, that was a sweet moment to witness.

We also stayed busy making tie-dye cookies from Pinterest and enjoyed dinner at Red Robin. Friday evening Steven and the eldest gals headed for "The Avengers". Apparently it was "AWESOME"! 

(No worries....Thatch get's a Cardinal's game with Dad)

Memorial Day '12

Our church held a fantastic Memorial Day gathering complete with games, food, and a wonderful program put on by the scouts. It was a perfect day to be together as a family as we paused to remember the many men and women who gave of their lives while fighting to defend our country and freedoms.

  

Piano And Violin

The girls had a Spring recital this past weekend. It was so fun to watch them perform and I know they really enjoyed playing on their music schools beautiful Steinway. Since Ryley already had the opportunity to perform with Dad she was on her own for this recital, however, Kadyn got to experience her first duet with Dad by her side. It was a very enjoyable morning!

I also added a pic of Kadyn and her violin. There hasn't been a recital recently but she sure works hard and enjoys that instrument as well.

Azure Turns ONE!

Azure turned the BIG one this past Saturday! We cannot believe our baby is already one. It's all downhill from here....drivers license, boys, college!!! Alright, perhaps I'm overacting just a bit. Maybe the next step would be to ween her from the bottle, however, you must admit there is some truth to my fears. Life continues to fly by and one day I will have to accept that their baby toes and baby rolls must come to an end. Azure has sure blessed our lives with her "toothy smile" (Thatcher's words) and her constant happy countenance. Happy 1st Birthday sweet girl!