Fall Happenings '16

Fall here in beautiful NC has been packed with some pretty wild experiences. We've enjoyed time at our favorite park, which is about an hours drive but well worth the effort. We've spent time with friends at various events including Honeycutt's Boo Bingo and our church Trunk or Treat. Halloween was enjoyed by all with large amounts of pizza, donuts, and of course candy. Kadyn ventured off with friends this year but made it back in time for the traditional Ballard kiddo candy trade. With that being said, here is where the "wild" comes in. About a month ago our Fayetteville area experienced Hurricane Matthew. It left hundreds of families with damaged homes from flooding and fallen trees. Church was cancelled and for the past four weekends we have spent the entirety of our Saturdays and Sundays "mucking out" homes and dragging trees to the curb for the city to clean up. It's been a humbling, emotional experience. It's also been an amazing one as these families embrace you and weep in gratitude for coming to help them. Our prayers and hearts continue to go out to these families who have lost everything they know. May we remember that no matter what is happening in our lives, Heavenly Father is always there and waiting to lift and comfort us through our wild times.

 

 

School, Cousins, and Cougars

School started with a bang and all of our kiddos were off. This school year we cover 9th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, and Kindergarten. Luckily our cousins were stopping by and eased the pain of "first week blues". It was a wonderful weekend of playing games, enjoying the park, and rooting for our favorite football team. We have spent the last few weeks getting back into the routine of school, and of course, cheering on our Cougs!

Summer Time Wrap Up

In efforts of catching up on our family blog I'm cramming the rest of our summertime fun into one quick post. We searched far and wide (within 100 miles) for the best ice cream shop in NC, spent time at our favorite arcade, and celebrated Dad making Lieutenant Colonel. We enjoyed the rodeo, rock climbing, and spent a few days at the pool with good friends. Ryley experienced some major independence for two weeks and flew to Utah to enjoy time with family, friends, and EFY. With the help of many, I pulled off a youth conference in Washington D.C. and Girls Camp in 105 degree weather. We visited some great friends in Charlotte, enjoyed a few temple trips, and the older girls and I ended the summer with Cheesecake Factory and Newsies.

Terrific Thatcher

Our Thatcher is now ten and will soon be heading to 5th grade. He had a great birthday celebration with his best friend Tyler and the rest of the Shields family. We call them TNT because together that is about what they make. :) To celebrate we went to see The Secret Life of Pets, then returned home for pizza, cake, ice cream, and presents. We ended this particular birthday with a sleep over bash because the following day Tyler and his family moved to Germany. It was a wonderful few days to celebrate Thatcher and spend some quality time with great friends. Heavenly Father knew exactly what He was doing when He sent down our little boy. Thatcher's tender heart is just what our family needs to balance the many emotions of four sisters and a mama. Happy 10th Birthday Thatcher boy!