A Trip To Neverland.

Yesterday I heard some ruckus coming from Jack's room I walked by to see this

Jason as Captain Hook and Jackson as Peter Pan. Pretending.

It made me think back to the Summers of my childhood. It was full of pretending. 

 Everyday it was a brand new slate of things to pretend.

Last week I got in a lot of time with Jack pretending. I  did get behind in my housework and dinner's consited of something fast and easy ( it is hard to chop vegetables with a wand in your hand). 

It was great and a well needed therapy for me.

Sometimes I wish I could visit Neverland. 

 Being a grown up with grown up problems and duties can be the pits.

It was refreshing to see Jason pretending with Jack.

To see that I am not the only one that feels this way.

The Joyful news

Last week I had another pet scan. The first one since my biopsy. I went into the oncologist this morning to get the results.

100% Clean! 

Totally clean as in no spots they are watching. No increases or decrease in anything because there is nothing there! I am beyond happy I don't have the words to express my joy so I will let this scripture portray how I feel Alma 26:16

My boys took me grocery shopping and out to lunch to celebrate. It is a very good day.

Five Years

Today marks our five year wedding anniversary.

As tradition we watched our wedding video and I couldn't help but notice how much things have changed not only with our little family but our extended as well. I thought I would post some of these candid pictures from our wedding of our families.

Oh how young we looked. So young.

Both Families have grown, The Balls side. No kids yet. Tyler was baking at that time. Now there are five cute grand kids

 Nolan and Corie before the days of Jonah and Everett

 The Brenchley Family.

Oh just a couple of weeks ago it was me and Cami hugging the new bride.

 Cami and TJ. 

Jack asked where Gracie was. I do agree it does feel like someone is missing. 

Soon they will be a family of four.

Mom and Dad.

 Jake.

Some things have not changed. He is still a dork.

 These two are now not only the GREATEST fathers but Grandfathers as well.

We still love our bikes.

However Jason's has been well loved and looks a lot older now as well!

Jason still wears crazy socks

 I still love the ocean and can't believe I live a car ride away. I would never have thought.

And most importantly I am still very much in love with Jason. And I still think this Guy is oh so good looking especially when paired with warm weather and palm trees.

A lot of changes in these last five years. I can't imagine what all the changes the next five years will bring.

We all went to the Movies!

This weekend has been quite the movie weekend.

Jason and I traveled to Mom and Dad's to celebrate our Anniversary. We went to the Cinebistro. It is a gourmet restaurant where you sit in luxurious chairs order good food and watch a movie. Jason kept asking me if I was sure that it wasn't lame that he took me to a movie theater for our nice anniversary dinner. But once we got inside and got our food we both agreeded it was awesome. We were wild and hit another movie after our movie in the Cinebistro.  

Then today we took Jack to Toy Story 3 with Nana and Pepi. It was something we have been looking forward to for a year! Jack told me he just had to take Buzz and Woody. So he did.

It was wonderful!

Once we got back from the movie I heard Mom coming down the stairs calling "Whitty we got to save them." Then she came in with a big box of our dolls.

After watching the movie you will want to play with your old toys and get them out of the attic.

Oh Mama.

I wonder how many times we will watch this new Toy Story. I think I have the other two memorized.

What a wonderful way to spend our hot muggy weekend!

Changing Zip Codes

So it is official we are moving!

In our five years of marriage (well five years next week) we have not lived anywhere longer than a year. So to have lived in this apartment over a year we decided  to keep up our moving streak and are moving in the middle of August! 

Well.... really the  reason we are moving Jason has requested his rotations over in the Tampa area. We found an awesome apartment that will fit our needs a whole lot better. It  is only 10 min drive away from Mom and Dad and we will be in their same ward! So I will be back in the Tampa 2nd ward. I am so very excited. Plus this move will be a piece of cake. 1) I will be here to help unlike the three other times when I was in the hospital 2) It is a move in the same state! We do not have to trek across the U.S So table and chairs and collapsible furniture can stay in one piece. 3) With the big move from Utah to Florida we got rid of a lot of junk and un-needed items. That will make a huge difference. Plus new apartment means new paint colors and a chance to redecorate all our rooms! 

We are excited and I will just say our new kitchen is huge, for an apartment anyways. It has an island! Really. Seriously I lay awake at night thinking about that kitchen.  When we went apartment hunting we saw like eight different apartments in one day. Jack was a trooper and paying attention more that I thought he was. But I should know better. He is quite the observant child. Well after we got home a couple days later Jack started closing all the bedroom doors and grabbed some keys. He came to me and asked me if I wanted to see his apartments.

So I follow him he takes the keys and opens the door. This is what he told me the apartment had.

A nice bed with nice pillows. 

Cars to play with.

He turned on the lights and showed me the lamps.

Then he turned on the fan. What a nice fan he told me.

Jack then proceeded to take me all around to each room pointing out the features. My favorite part was when he led me outside to the patio.

He shows me the nice outdoor kitchen! What? 

That kid knows how to win me over!

 I think he could have a future in this. 

So Jack helped  me make a picture that we can plaster on bus benches,billboards and fliers. 

What do you think?

Creepy?

I think so but he wanted a beard like a pirate and a tie, of course a tie.

I think he should join forces with Aunt Cami with her awesome home staging powers.
They could be magic!

Red, White and Blue.

Today we had a primary activity. The theme was Proud to live in America.  Jack and I got all our gear at the sweet dollar section at Target to get ready for the big day. 

But what happens when the actual day arrives?  Like the typical three year old won't wear any of it. We did had fun once we got there. Watching a movie narrated by John Wayne about America. Learning all about the American flag and learning new songs. We made crafts and even a cool key chain. What a great activity it was. 

The kids "marching" with their flags.

For lunch we had a picnic with sack lunches. Here Jack is with one of his buddies. Melanie is in my class and helps out with Jackson's class during the first hour of primary. He always has to be with her or sitting on her lap.

Each class designed a patriotic poster to decorate the gym. For my class we covered our poster with "hand-some" flags. I got the idea from one of my mom's mailbox magazines that she uses for school.  Jack and I tried it out beforehand to see if it would work. It was such a fun thing and they turned out great. To do this project just get washable paint in red, white and blue. Paint the palm of the right hand blue, then alternate the fingers red and white.  Place hand on paper. It said to use silver stick on stars, which I couldn't find so I just used a silver marker and drew the stars on when the paint dried.It is a super easy project. I did this last Sunday during class. I was worried paint and dress clothes would be a disaster.  They are 8 and 9 year olds so it all went off great. Good for any age.

It had a fun poem that went with it that we put on the poster.

When it's time for the pledge to start.

I put my right hand over my heart.

I promise to honor the red, white and blue.

And to America I will always be true.

I love this time of the year!

A Letter to Papa.

Dear Papa,

      I thought that I would write you a letter to let you know that I thought of you today and wanted to be with you.  Tonight Mom and Dad took me to Sea World. I wanted to see the manatees and we got there just in time for their dinner. Guess what they eat? Lettuce! Just heads and heads of lettuce. Mom said that I looked just like that when I ate the lettuce fresh out of the garden at your house. I then wished that I had some of your fresh garden lettuce to not only eat but to share with the manatees. I think they would have liked it as much as I did.

I miss you and can't wait when I can come again and eat things out of your wonderful garden.Say hi to Grandma for me. I love you both. -Jack

P.S This shark scared me....well at least it did until I figured out that it was fake. Did it scare you?

Mother MIA

This is how I have been feeling all this week.

Like half of a person,mother and wife. 

I have been suffering with extreme allergies.I had really bad allergies as a child and had grown out of them but as a result of the transplant my immune system is just like a child's again. So along come the bad allergies. Either my eyes are puffy and watering, or swollen from wiping and cleansing.One morning I even woke up with one eye sealed shut. So in order to use my eyes I have to really drug myself with allergy meds. It takes care of the eye thing but I am so out of it. Jason started school this week but has had a light schedule and has been home most afternoons. I am so grateful for that because I would seriously fear for my child. For example tonight Jason went out on a group ride. Jack and I spent our time playing "nap time." Where I lay in his bed and he pretends to put me down for a nap. Then around dinner time we stop playing so he could eat dinner. Which consisted of me opening up a lunchable and setting it on the bed for him to eat.  I am sure Jack is loving this and all the things that he is getting away with. There is a divine purpose that most of us grow out of our childhood allergies because this kind of allergies as a mother...well I think what happened tonight really speaks for itself. Not a good combination.

Jack's Personal Taxi Driver

Today on our way to church Jack was treating Jason like his own personal taxi driver. He told him turn left here. Turn again there. Just keep going straight. Keep going, keep going. Then when we were in sight of the church he said "Taxi driver this is my church turn in here." We all get out and Jack and I start walking to Primary. Jack grabs my hand and says with a cute smirk on his face "The taxi driver took me to church today. He was nice. I said thank you."

Oh how I love that Jackson Cooper Cool, as he likes to be called. He keeps life so interesting and entertaining. I love calling up my parents and starting the conversation with " I have a Jack story." and the squeals it invokes on the other end. I always come out of primary with a story to tell Jason. One week he was up front doing Kung Fu panda moves for all to see. The next he was standing up leading the music with the chorister, To him turning around with his hand on the side of his mouth whispering. "Hey Mom, Mom you OK?" Let's just say Sundays can be quite entertaining for me.

Jack, The Dancing Fool.

Today we had a regular day at home. It was fun to be in Utah with family but it is also nice to be home. Basically because we get to be entertained by Jack. He is a dancing fool. When we turn the music on he will dance. He has some unique "all Jack" moves including stunts and even the use of props.

Dancing Jack from whitney Balls on Vimeo.

Our favorites of this movie.
The rolling arms, the somersault, the use of the box especially the throwing of it, his facial expressions and the little kick towards the end. That boy is a dancing fool!

A Balls Family Retreat

We had the chance to spend a whole weekend with the entire Balls family. We got to spend it at Amy's family cabin up in the mountains. It was beautiful and the perfect place for us all to be together. Jack loved the cabin so much that he has asked us several times when we were going back. What a great time for him to be with his Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents and not to mention all his fun cousins. 

Since my Camera was dead I want to thank Amy and Darren and Pat for the pictures. Photo credits to them.

We woke up to snow Saturday morning. It was not as cold and it was beautiful. It makes a difference when you don't spend a whole winter in the stuff. I had a new view on how beautiful the snow can be.

Grandpa Seth with Ella, Jack and Tyler

 Jack had fun in the snow and liked to throw snow balls. 

Here he is chasing Papa with a snowball

 There was a fun swing and Jack loved it and rode it several times.

With Uncle Darren

 and Aunt Nelly

 Jason even got in on the fun

 We had a family picture with everyone. We were so lucky to have Corie and Nolan, Jonah and Everett there. Everett was just born a week earlier. It is fun to have that moment documented.

 Our family picture in the mountains

What wonderful bonds and memories made.