Birthday Party Pictures!

Here are some of the pictures from Brock's party. The Jump Zone is an awesome place and all the kids just loved it, as you can see from the looks on their faces. I want to send a HUGE thank you to my dear friend Cortney! On the way to the Jump Zone I tried to take a picture of Brock and my camera was dead. In a panic, I called Cortney and she brought her AMAZING camera. I feel the need to make a public confession that I covet that camera! I am so thankful to have friends I know I can always count on! I would have been devastated without pictures!

The Birthday Boy!

Friends Forever

Good Friends share the water fountain... a little gross, but a lot cute and definitely a picture op!

Reid, Nate and Brock. I feel the need to mention that Nate is only 2 months older than Brock. Can you say NFL potential?

Reiders

Nate, Reid, Brock, Jack and Carter (front)

Big Cousins are so cool!

It is time for cake & Presents!

Soooooo excited about Power Ranger glasses!

Tagged

My friend Leigh Ann tagged me. She actually tagged me several days ago, but I am just getting the chance to participate. Things here are CRAZY! I am trying to get the house on the market, finish out Kelly's Kids and celebrate Brock's birthday with gusto. I didn't mention that in the mix Claire had an oral report on Friday that we practiced all last week. She did great. As soon as the cable to download my video arrives I will post it. She was adorable! Needless to say, last week was very full. I am a lot closer to having the house ready which is a great thing.

Anyway, here is what I am supposed to do: List 7 random things that people may not know about you. The rules are to link the person who sent this to you and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours. Leigh Ann is linked on my list. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Okay so here are my two amendments...First, I am an open book. There really isn't a lot about me that people don't know. I will give it my best shot, but really, I can't think of anyone that will be in great shock over anything I can come up with. Second, I am not going to tag anyone "officially", however, if you want to consider yourself "tagged" please do so. SO, with that said... here goes...

1. I taught myself to do a back handspring when I was 4 years old. I had told my coach that I wanted to do one, but he said I was too small. I went over onto the thick mat and did it. That was pretty much how my gymnastics career went. If I saw a new trick I wanted to try, I did. The coaches usually found out I was trying it after the fact. I think that "forgiveness is more easily received than permission" was a theme in my life from early on.

2. I was a high school cheerleader, and my junior year I was dropped out of a basket toss. It was a really bad injury, and I was almost paralyzed. It was in Hot Springs and Mr. Steve Clary was my ambulance driver. The Clary's had an awesome van that had a seat that laid down in the back whic was important because I obviously couldn't sit up. It is a bumpy ride back from Hot Springs! I still can't go to a CAC game without someone going "Hey, remember when you got dropped?" My reply is always, "Nope, guess that just slipped my mind." I guess sarcasm has been another theme. I still harbor hard feelings to those girls who dropped me, and I hate to watch cheerleading stunts.

3. Martha Campbell is the only reason I got through high school without getting into major trouble. To this day, I can say "heeeyy.." and she will say "No, any time you use that tone the answer is no." God love Martha!

4. I love amusement parks and can't wait for my kids to get big enough to go! The scarier the ride the better.

5. I am scared to death of frogs! I almost drowned one time when my dad pushed me into our pool with a frog. He literally had to jump in and pull me out. He felt really bad. He thought that I was faking, I wasn't.

6. I am totally addicted to TV and Dr. Pepper.

7. I love to travel. You name the time and place and I will go with you.

Okay so there are some things about me. You may know them, maybe they are new information.

Brock is 5!

Happy Birthday to the most special little boy in the world! Five years ago you entered this world in a whirlwind and so far that hasn't stopped. Your energy and spunk are contagious, and you make our home a fun place to live. I never know what you are going to say and to whom, but hey, that makes living just a little more adventurous. I am so glad that God chose me to be your Mom! I am looking forward to you growing up just big enough so that we can ride those swings at the State Fair together. That seems so important to you right now. You never cease to amaze me with your questions and observations, and I am thankful that your always there to keep me on my toes. In some ways, I am very sad that you are getting big so fast, but in other ways, it is a lot of fun to see who you are becoming. I hope that all the hopes and dreams that God puts in your head are achieved, and Daddy and I will do everything we can to help you get there. I am so proud of the brother you are to Claire, and I know you guys will always be friends. I love you very much! Happy Birthday Brocky!

1st haircut (2 1/2 years old)

Being Silly

You and Reid at Asbury (just turned 3)

1st Day at 2nd Pres (3 1/2 years old)

State Fair 2005 (3 1/2 years old)

Razorback game 2005 (3 1/2 years old)

4th birthday party

Reid's party 2007

Summer Fun 2007 (4 years old)

Fall Pictures 2007 (4 1/2)

Christmas 2007 (4 1/2)

Claire & Tim

Every year our church puts on a Father Daughter Valentine Party. It is a wonderful occasion, and Tim has taken Claire every year since she was 1. It is a special night for each of them. I always go with my Dad, so I get to peek in and watch which is great. This year I had a Kelly's Kids party in Hot Springs and barely made it back. Of course, I left without my camera so I have no pictures other than this one. For a picture fanatic like myself, that is really bad news. Anyway, here is the picture that they took at the party. It is wonderful. If you look you can see the beautiful bracelet that Tim gave Claire.

To my Valentine!

Happy Valentines Day Tim!

I am so thankful that you are my husband, you are amazing!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think we survived!

Okay, so three out of the four of us had the worst stomach virus that we have ever seen in the Ballard house. Whew! We are all praying that Claire stays well. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, much less my sweet baby girl!



That is pretty much what our life consisted of last week. I missed a Kelly's Kids party because I was in the bed half dead, I and am thankful for the hostess being so understanding! The other parties have been great! It is such an exciting season to be selling. The clothes are awesome! Tomorrow night is my friend Cortney's party. If you don't know how to get there let me know or Cortney, and we will tell you how to get there.



The kids are great nothing major to report, except Tim caught Brock peeing in my laundry room sink a little while ago. YEP! I about died! What is the deal with little boys (or big boys for that matter) peeing in any place other than the toilet? I am having all kinds of things going through my head about the teenage years, and I have to be honest, none of them are good! Claire would NEVER even consider doing anything remotely like that! God bless her she is just like my sister and the thought of doing anything off the straight and narrow will always (I hope) seem like a totally foreign idea. Anyway, that is the excitement from around here.



I took Claire to David's Bridal today to order her dress for Brian (Tim's Brother) and Sara's wedding in June. She was exhausted from being up late and was not thrilled about being there. I meant to take pictures of her in the dress but left the camera in the car. Sorry Sara! She looks great in the dress and will post pictures when the actual dress is in.



Okay, off to do more Kelly's Kids work. hope to see you guys tomorrow night at Cortney's!



P.S. Speaking of Cortney, her mom has the COOLEST song playlist on her blog. I am so going to be that kind of Grandmother! She rocks!

Kindergarten Registration Already!

Claire's 1st day of kindergarten 2006

Well friends, it has happened. I had to register Brock for kindergarten. Ouch! I just can't believe that it is almost time for my baby to go to school! It is breaking my heart! I promised the girls in the school office that I will start taking valium at the beginning of August. It was so hard for me when Claire went to Kindergarten, and that very first day I began dreading the day he would go. It has always been a very hard thing for me because I felt that I got cheated out of my time with Claire. If you don't know, Claire had a reaction to her MMR that caused speech and developmental delays. (I feel the need to insert here that I want it known that I am not against immunizations, and feel they serve a huge need in our society today. However, I am strongly opposed to the time and porportions in which they are given. No person, much less a child, should ever be given more than 2 immunizations at a time. Yet the medical community continues to give these babies 4 and 5 at a time even with autism and other developmental issues being diagnosed at epidemic, yes epidemic, levels. The MMR specifically should not be given to the average child until they are 4 years old. IF your child has been on extended antibiotic use they are at an even higher risk to have a reaction to the MMR. If you are a young mother reading this blog Please, PLEASE consider delaying the MMR until your child is older. The pediatrician will tell you there is not a connection between the two, but for every pediatrician that tells you this, I can give you the names of 10 parents who will tell you differently. For those of us who are living this life of severe consequences, we are not trying to protect ourselves from a malpractice lawsuit, but trying to spread the information we were so sunsuspectingly slapped with living. Your children deserve the time for you to at least consider it. ) I am off my soapbox now... anyway, Claire had to go to a full-time developmental preschool at the age of 3 which broke my heart. I always felt that I missed out on time that I was supposed to have with her. It was a very difficult time in my life, but doing the best thing for my daughter had to come first over my wishes. That is why I have cherished my time with Brock so much. I have enjoyed (almost) every minute with him. He has been my little buddy that has done everything with me, and to think of doing things by myself really makes me sad. So as I can see the dawn of a new day in my life coming, I am thinking I am going to try and sleep in as late as I can. I plan to make the months between now and August really special, and do lots of fun things. Go to McDonalds and play for lunch, go to Chuck E Cheese to hang out on rainy days, and basically make as many memories as I am going to need to carry me through the next 18 years! Once again for you young mothers, it sounds so cliche to say this but you can't imagine how fast these years go! I promise it was yesterday that I found out we were finally expecting Claire, and now she is half way through 1st grade. Cherish these years because once they are gone there is no turning back the clock!

Can you imagine what a basket case I will be when these two leave for college?