Bouncing Around with the Ball Family

Moving can be difficult.  One delightful consequence is the new places that we get to visit.  We almost feel like we are on vacation for the first year or so of moving to a new place. We were lucky enough to visit a beautiful park and butterfly house with our new friends and neighbors. We had a great time. The girls loved looking at the beautiful flowers and having the butterflies fly by.  We also had a nice picnic.

A lot can change in six months.  Kids grow up, locations change, and a lot of learning and growth occurs.  The Ball family did a lot the last six months; some was good, some was bad, some was hard, but we stuck together and so far, we are great.

Kevin found out in November 2011 that due to military budget cuts, his job position was being eliminated.  Man, were we stressed out.  Here we were all the way in Okinawa, Japan, and we had no job.  That doesn't mean Kevin was kicked out of his office, and we were left to figure it out ourselves.  The Air Force was doing all they could to find Kevin another job, and we didn't have to leave.  Kevin kept working, but he also had to find a new job.  Luckily, no I don't want to use a word that implies it was random, blessedly, Kevin had come across a job a few month earlier that interested him.  He applied, interviewed, and was offered the job at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.  He also interviewed for a position in Missouri and was offered the job, and his boss at Kadena asked if there was anyway he could stay longer.  After praying and talking, we decided Dayton, Ohio would be the best place to call home.  After that, we had a lot to do, and at the beginning of February 2012, the girls and I left Japan.


Here are some of the things that we have been doing for the last six months.


We got on a plane in Japan and flew to Utah to visit our family.  It was hard to be without Dad, but it was an adventure!



















While visiting Grandma and Grandpa's we celebrated Pressley's 1st birthday.  We had a polka dot party with family.  Pressley's aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great-grandparents were there to celebrate with us.  We had so much fun, and it was great to be with family.

Pressley wasn't sure what to do with the cake.

Is this right?

Good thing Brynnlee was there to help!

The girls and I met Kevin at our new home....Dayton, Ohio.

This is a view of downtown Dayton.

We stayed on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base until we found a more permanent place to live.

Pressley learned to walk!




Brynnlee got her first Big Girl bike.  We had a lot of fun watching her go for a bike ride.













































During General Conference in April, we took a ride up to Columbus, Ohio to see the temple.  It is beautiful.  There is a sweet little park next to it for a picnic or relaxation.

































We celebrated Easter with fun egg decorating and Easter baskets.  This year, the Easter bunny made a visit on Friday night, and the girls rummaged through their baskets Saturday morning.  We really like this new arrangement with him.  The girls had fun with their Easter baskets, candy, bubbles, and books.  Where are the pictures with Easter dresses?  Good question.




















The girls and I were lucky to meet up with Jennifer Pohm and her kids in Dayton.  We know the Pohm family from living in Colorado Springs.  I now realize I should have taken some pictures of all of us, but I do have some from the fun we had at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.  What a fun place for the girls to play and discover.  There is so much to see and do that we didn't get a chance to see and do it all.  We will go back!

Brynnlee making silly putty.

We went to a Braves game in Cincinnati.  It was the last time I will ever see Chipper Jones play.  Boo for good-byes, but hooray for such a good time with Kevin and the girls.  The Braves lost, actually were swept by the Red, but I loved every minute.

When we got to our seat, Chipper Jones was standing right in front of our section signing autographs.

It's hard to see, but they are honoring Chipper Jones with a gift for his retirement.

We had great seats!

While Kevin was away to a conference in California, we got out and had some fun.  We went to Young's Dairy.  They have a nice place to eat and fun activities.  We ate lunch and then visited some of the animals and just goofed around.  There is also a miniature golf course and batting cages for more fun.

So cute.

We also went to a wonderful strawberry farm where we picked our own strawberries.  When we got home we made homemade strawberry shortcake.

Brynnlee showing the goods.

Pressley realized she could eat the strawberries and didn't stop until we left.

Our strawberry bounty....

Brynnlee started her first dance class.  She is a natural.  In class they have practiced hopping on one foot, dancing with scarves, and learning 1st and 2nd ballet positions.  She loves it.

Cute pose, huh!  I didn't even have to ask her to do it!

We built a house and moved in on July 14.  So far we are loving it.  We can't wait until the lawn is ready for us to go out and play on.