"The Ballard's Journey to Minnesota"

It was Dec 22nd, 2001 and my husband was called into a meeting at work (Qwest) and was given a 90 day lay off notice. My initial thought was, how are we supposed to enjoy the holidays after news like this. My second thought was, OK things will be just fine, after all we have three months to look for work. January and February came and went with no luck. We were both getting discouraged trying to imagine how we could pay all our bills on the small amount we would get on unemployment. Well, March had arrived and it was my husband's last day at the telephone company, still neither of us had found new jobs. Mikeal called me that Friday morning from the office and asked me what I thought about a transfer to Yuma, Arizona. I told him to do what he thought was best, but inside I couldn't imagine moving to one of the hottest spots in the country. In hindsight this worry is comical to me, considering we ended up in one of the coldest places in the US. That afternoon I was in Target with a friend of mine when my cell phone rang. "Honey it me, well it doesn't look like Yuma is going to happen, but there is a job that came available just today in Virginia, Minnesota." I immediately started crying, I had been pretty strong the three months leading up to this, but right there in the middle of an aisle in Target I couldn't control my tears. Keep in mind, that I had never lived out of the state of Washington, it is where all of our family and friends live, it is where we got married, had children and had just bought a house only thirteen months before that I loved. How could I say goodbye to all of that. We had a great life there. I was stunned speechless really, then Mikeals voice brought me back to reality. It's now or never, I have to tell them today, what do you want me to say? I could barely get the words out; "I guess we are moving to Minnesota" was my reply. When do they want you to start? In ten days, was his answer.

Five days later Mikeal and I packed what he would need into our Ford Focus and we drove the twenty-nine hours to Minnesota. We arrived in Virginia on a Friday morning and checked into the AmericInn. We spent all day Friday and Saturday searching for a new place to live. I said goodbye to Mikeal on Sunday and flew back to Washington, back home to my boys. In the four week that Mikeal and I were separated, I sold our home, packed all of our belongings, tied up loose ends, and shed countless tears saying goodbye to family and friends. Mikeal in the meantime had moved into the cheapest motel in Virginia and was heating up his meals with the small coffee maker in his room.

My father-in-law and his brother set out for Minnesota in a very large U-Haul with all of our things. The plan was for them to arrive the same day that the boys and I would fly in. We kept our things in storage for a month when we first came here, until the closing of our home in Washington and the purchase of our new home in Gilbert. I will be quite honest with you all, that first month here was rough. Mikeal, I, Liam and Nolan were crammed into a little motel room at the Super 8. I was only able to cook what could be heated in the microwave and I washed all the dishes in the bathroom sink. The boys were without there toys and getting on each others nerves. Since, it was still cold out we spent a lot of time at the Super 8's pool. I stole many moments alone in the bathroom, crying as silently as I could so Liam and Nolan would not hear. After all, Mikeal and I had told them that the Ballards were going on an adventure and that it was going to be great. The hard part was convincing ourselves.

Now, for those of you who do not know this, Audrey and Bob Brown live directly across the road from us. The first time I met Bob he was outside busily raking his yard and introduced himself to me and the boys. Mikeal was at work at the time. Bob said that his wife was at the beauty parlor but, she would want to meet us. The next time I saw Bob he was again working in his yard, which I have come to learn is a daily thing with him, and he waved us over, and that was when the boys and I first met Audrey. She served me coffee, the boys milk and treated us to homemade cookies. We fell in love with her immediately. Two years later, Audrey and Bob are more like parents to us, than neighbors. I talk to Audrey almost daily and we all care so deeply about them that we can't imagine not having them in our lives. Audrey gave me hope that we could find what felt like family in Minnesota. I think God knew I needed her and sent her to me at just the perfect time. She has been an Angel.

When we moved here we didn't know a sole, literally, we had never been to the state of Minnesota before. Now, it feels like home to us. I have grown to love it here. I have made cherished friends, and although we miss our family and friends back in Washington, the longing isn't as strong as it was in the beginning. When we first came here we had was each other and that was what truly mattered. Like we always tell our boys, a family sticks together no matter what. In our hearts our friends here are as much family and those back in Washington. So, now you know how the Ballards came to be residents of Minnesota and that we've grown to love it. This is what I believe, everything happens for a reason and while you can't always see the big picture you must have faith that things will turn out just as they we meant to.

Sincerely,

Amy Ballard

Church Secretary