The Ball Family: April 2008

Monday, April 21, 2008

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for!! "

We are excited to announce we are having a baby this October!

We couldn't be happier about having a baby and are really excited to be parents. It's wierd to think that I'm actually old enough to be a Mommy =) I'm almost out of my first trimester and hope to be feeling great again soon! This first little bit has been full of not only morning sickness, but ALL day sickness! FUN! But the hardest thing has been to get over my aversion to food. Eating is a nightmare and nothing ever looks good, which would be great if I was trying to lose weight but isn't so good when I have a growing baby inside! I hope to love food again soon! I don't mind being sick though, it will all be worth it when I hold my sweet angel in my arms.

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Beautiful NAUVOO temple!

Joseph & Hyrum monument at the Carthage Jail

Monument of Joseph & Hyrum's last ride before the martyrdom

Me in front of Carthage Jail

The BIG ole Mississippi River!

Joseph & Emma's Mansion house

Devin preaching from the pulpit of the Seventies Hall

On our drive out to work in Philly this summer we stopped for a day in Nauvoo. Neither me or Dev had ever been to Nauvoo before and it was an amazing experience. Its truly humbling to walk where the Prophet Joseph once walked. The spirit was very strong in this little city and I loved every minute of it. One day definately was not enough time to spend and we want to go back soon. What they call "old Nauvoo" is the part of town that is now owned by the church and has been restored to the way it once was. Being there I could almost picture myself one of the early saints as well. Nauvoo is a beautiful little town right on the mississippi, with the most beautiful temple that overlooks it. We crammed as much as we could into our day at Nauvoo and didn't even stop to eat the whole day cause we had so much to see. We got to see some of the homes of these early saints including John Taylor, Lucy Mack Smith, Jonathon Browning as well both the Homestead and the Mansion house where The Prophets family lived. One of the best parts was all the couple missionaries that give the tours at each site. We drove the half hour to go to Carthage jail where the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred. When you go in the room where it happened it is an overwhelming spirit that is there, I felt so much love and admiration for the two great men that gave their lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for them. I love the Prophet Joseph Smith and know that he was truly a man called of God and will forever be revered as the Greatest man to ever live.