He has his daddy's calves!

We just went in for our first ultrasound today and my premonitions were all right . . . we're having a boy!  I've felt fluttering movements for about 6 weeks now so it was fun to finally see what he was up to . . . kicking away and keeping the ultrasound tech on her toes.  It looks like we're going to have a lot of activity on our hands come Labor Day!  

It was very satisfying to find out, especially since I've had this gut feeling from early on that it was a little boy named Isaac.  I guess the reading could still be wrong, but fortunately that was one of the few poses the baby held still for so the tech and the doctor were both very confident.  I guess we'll have to wait our turn for girls! (or buy dresses and bows for other people's babies)  It will also be fun to have two Ballard boy cousins within 5 weeks of each other.

I was surprised we were able to see so much detail during the actual ultrasound, the only one I had seen before was when I was 9 and my mom was about to have Chris. I was relieved to find out there was just one head and that everything looked healthy.  (This is a picture of his leg, it was this or an image of his face that looks like Skeletor through the ultrasound!)  

Our Last Dining Out at BYU

Last Saturday we went to our final Dining Out with the BYU Air Force ROTC.  We had a great time, but it was hard to think about having to leave so many good friends behind when we'll head to Alabama in two weeks for Orson's Air and Space Basic Course (and then on to California in July!)  We actually decided to date after Orson took me to our first Dining Out two years ago, so the night always has a special meaning to me when it comes around!  I was so impressed the first time by all the cadets and their incredible respect, dedication . . . and by their manners!  I always love the empty table and presentation for the MIA and POW table and the reminder it gives me for all the men and women who sacrifice everything for the rest of us to be free.  

Fortunately, Orson made it through his last Dining Out at BYU without ever having to drink from the grog, but we had an enjoyable time watching the antics involved with the tradition and watching others participate :)  For anyone who doesn't know, the grog is a toilet which contains a bowl of the most nasty concoction possible while still being edible (although we 

hear it was quite tame this time).

My sister-in-law was so awesome to do my hair and let me borrow her sewing machine so I could bust out a little bolero for my hot pink dress, 

which happened to be the only remotely formal or semi-formal maternity dress on the market in Provo.  I laughed after the fact, but for some reason I had a little too much confidence in being able to make something simple without a pattern, so it definitely took more time than it needed to and in the end I ran out the door without trying it on.  It all worked out though, and I was super impressed by Becky's speed hair styling skills with some cool twisty things in the back of my now short hair.

Our Spouses and Sweethearts group had also met 

up two nights before to make corsages, and I made my own which I was quite proud of :)  They are pretty cheap to make and everyone's turned out so well that I'll definitely be using that skill in the future.  We also had invited several cadets to the activity and it was absolutely hilarious to hear their comments and help them throughout the night.  I'm definitely going to miss all the awesome girls I've gotten to know through Spouses and Sweethearts this year!

My First Passover & Afikomen

For some reason I've always had a fascination with Judaism and Orson was so sweet to take me to the Seder Service offered by my former Writings of Isaiah professor at BYU last week.

I always thought Passover was an entirely serious time for the Jews.  I mean, when you think of plagues and escaping death by spreading blood over your door and waiting for Elijah . . . you wonder how it could be anything but serious.  But the night was a lot of fun and opened my eyes more to the Jewish culture. I enjoyed a Judaism and the Gospel class I took a few years ago, especially all the singing and learning about various festivals.  How many other university classes are there where you get to sing Hava Nagila from the bottom of your lungs while circling the room with your classmates? To my surprise, Passover seemed like an extension of that with plenty of the more serious elements in a perfect mix.

One of my favorite new discoveries was the tradition of the Afikomen, a piece of matzah that is broken by the patriarch, then wrapped in a napkin and passed under the table during the meal so no one knows who has it.  At the end of the dinner, it is time for whoever has the Afikomen to present it, and the patriarch must pay to get it back (redeem it) with a gift, deed, or a promise.  Orson was the oldest male at our table by a year (I think he was the youngest in the room!  Most of the patriarchs were older men in their 50s-70s) . . . and I kept thinking of what I would make him do if I got the Afikomen . . . and with the help of some very determined girls on the table to get it to me, I got my wish!  We negotiated a few options and I ended up with a promise for Orson to take me to the Florida coast the weekend of my birthday, including dinner at a nice restaurant on the beach.  I LOVE this Afikomen tradition!  Sign me up for next year :)  

We learned why the night was different from all other nights and the answers to a lot of other things a Christian might not know about the Jewish Passover.  It was very educational and deepened my respect for Judaism and the dedication held by so many Jews throughout history.

Here we are getting ready to partake of the last of four cups of the fruit of the vine . . . in our case Welch's.  

A New Start

So yes, I used to blog daily . . . believe it or not :)  But it's been so long and I've made an executive decision that we now need a family blog.  And pretty soon I'll have tons of time on my hands to dedicate to this said blogging, which will be great :)

As for what's happening in our lives, Orson is excited to graduate from the Marriott School of Management at BYU this month and even more excited to commission as an officer in the Air Force. For anyone in the area, you are all welcome to join us for his commissioning ceremony in Provo on Saturday April 25th (it will last about an hour), and/or to stop by after for a family BBQ at Rock Canyon Park at noon. We’ll have something along the lines of a waterslide or ice blocking for the young and young at heart ☺

After that, we will be heading to Alabama for more of Orson’s training before we’ll report to the Los Angeles Air Force base the first week of July. Geographically, L.A. is a very small base focused entirely on the Air Force’s Space Mission. Orson is excited to learn a lot and work hard as a young acquisitions officer in the Global Positioning Systems Wing. If anyone is in the area and wants to visit, please give us a ring!  We're super excited to have a room for the baby and another guest room, so come make yourselves at home in Southern California so it gets some use :) We took this picture in February from one of the backyards on the base housing community where we’ll live.

Then two months after we move we’ll be pleased to welcome our first baby due on Labor Day ☺ So it should be a whirlwind summer. We have our first ultra sound scheduled in a few weeks!  I can't wait . . . I keep getting premonitions on what it will be, but we'll just have to see.  I'll tell everyone whether or not I was right after we find out.