Kristin Williams Balla

I haven’t yet had the chance to put down in words all that has happened this week. It is a beautiful story that deserves to be shared. It is the story of four wonderful parents and one perfect baby boy. I will let Lyryn tell the story first:

The Story of a Girl (written by my beautiful daughter Lyryn Yacoe)

Let me tell you the story about a girl…

A girl who made one choice not to take a life, to cover up a mistake
A girl who spent 9 months not wanting to make the same mistakes as her (birth) mother
A girl who knew there was something better for that bundle of love growing inside her
A girl who chose to bless a family with a gift, they couldn’t have on their own
A girl who did one selfless act, to give this little person she loves so much everything
A girl who grew in love and compassion in just a matter of months
A girl who became a woman, when she laid herself down for another
A girl who gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Dylan at 4:34am on July 8th 2009

  That girl… is my sister.

Johnna, I can’t put into words how amazing you are. You have blossomed into such a mature woman and I can’t wait to see what kind of plans God has for you. I am so proud of who you have become and who you will continue to be. Your strength is inspiring and I’m so blessed to call you sister! I love you!

I’ve just completed the best (and most fun) first-week-on-the-job in ‘Kristin History.’ I freely admit that my first day (June 15th) began with just a smidgen of anxiety. I was scheduled to meet with the Managing Director of a Five Winds joint venture company located in Boston. I am their new Controller too.

Upon my arrival at the Paoli office I met with my new boss Curt (Five Winds COO). I have a gut feeling that it will be effortless to form a good working relationship. Curt introduced me to the other consultants in the office. All welcomed me warmly and I felt at home right away.

When the Boston dude arrived for our meeting I was thrilled to find that I clearly understood his questions, as well as the issues and general discussion. From a financial management perspective, Five Winds is nearly identical to my former company (TSD). I feel as though I have something to contribute. What a blessing! God truly is in the details.

Five Winds is a management consulting firm specializing in environmental and social responsibility issues. Their web site states “We appreciate that sustainability – like competitiveness – isn’t a fixed goal; it’s an ongoing endeavor, a journey that can lead to a wealth of new opportunities. Our aim is to help organizations access those opportunities and strive for what we call ‘value without burden’.”

My dad owned a management consulting firm when I was growing up. That universe feels so familiar to me. I am experiencing a sweet sense of come-full-circle irony. I have landed in my father’s business, for what I hope will be the last (but longest!) job in my career.  

I went to lunch with Curt and the three other women in the office. What a sweet, down-to-earth group of people! (I know it is only my first impression, but historically they have been reasonably accurate.) I’m almost certain that there is not even one serial killer among these people. I am looking forward to building a positive working relationship with each person. 

Tuesday morning found me at the Philadelphia airport awaiting my  flight to Ottawa, Ontario. The plane had mechanical issues so we were delayed about an hour. I sat happily reading the book “God Allows U-Turns.”

It was raining when we left Philly, but Ottawa greeted me with cool sunshine – a perfect day! I involuntarily shivered with the old (nearly forgotten) thrill of setting foot on international soil. Okay. That does sound really dorky. But it’s true. And sometimes, TRUE is dorky.

I had such a case of wanderlust as a kid. That is why I traveled to 23 countries before the age of 22 (in my previous post I forgot to include my mission trip to Guatemala). I thought that thirty-one children, Fibromyalgia, medical crises, personal tragedy and twenty-nine years of life’s challenges, had all but erased that part of my personality. Not so! It had simply lain dormant for so long that I came to believe it had been extinguished. Apparently, the fire lives on.

Ottawa has a fairly small, easy-to-maneuver airport. I picked up my rental car (a cute three-door Hyundai) and drove to the Five Winds office on Wellington Street, with nary a false turn. Since everything is in kilometers I had to watch my speedometer to make sure I didn’t get a ticket. Attila would be amused by that, but our bank account would have been annoyed. 

I met Susanne (the current Controller) and felt instant connection and, dare I say it? - recognition. After our phone interview the previous week Susanne had told her colleagues, “Kristin is my clone!” Even though Susanne grew up in another country, English is not her first language, she is more than a decade younger than me, and she is strikingly beautiful, I feel like we are twins who were separated at birth! Weird, I know.

Susanne even prefers winter over summer (as I do), and I think she just might talk faster than me! We will test that one out when she attends our family dinner this coming Wednesday night. She will be flying down to PA to complete this work transition with me.  The files were Fed-exed on Friday.

The next four days sped by. Susanne trained me on how Five Winds does things and I felt relaxed and in total sync the entire time. I marveled at how closely her spreadsheets resembled ones I had created for TSD. As I listened to her handle phone calls, I was amazed at how closely her words matched what might have come out of my own mouth. I became increasingly confident about my ability to hit the ground running when I totally assume the Controller role on July 1st.

Tuesday night Susanne took me home for dinner. Her brand new townhouse is gorgeous and I found myself guiltily lusting after the built-in espresso machine in her sparkling kitchen. We chattered effortlessly, endlessly. She asked me if she had peeled enough potatoes for five. I responded, “I wouldn’t know! My husband does all the cooking. I have a pre-nup.” She gets my odd sense of humor.

When Susanne’s husband of six-months arrived home from work, I instantly recognized a fellow Kristin/Attila coupling. Francis is quiet and reserved, in bold contrast to Susanne’s effervescence and rapid-fire speech. It’s a pretty good combination if I do say so myself!

Susanne’s twelve and thirteen-year-old sons joined us for dinner. I found them to be charming, intelligent and humorous. I saw the same qualities in Francis. I enjoyed my time with all of them tremendously and it was not simply due to the fact that I was served a delicious dinner combined with to-die-for brownie pie and decaf espresso for dessert. I’m not that easy. Okay, maybe I am, but I also really had fun! The sound of the huge pet rabbit scampering over the hardwood floors of the dining room only added to the charm of the evening.

Everything went remarkably smoothly the entire week. I did not get lost finding my hotel in downtown Ottawa. I got enough sleep each night, enough caffeine each morning, and navigated to and from the office each day without mishap.

I ate lunch with my new co-workers, discovering humor, intelligence, passion and more. I talked waaaayyy to much but no one seemed to take offense (thank you for your indulgence, my new Ottawa friends!). On Friday I departed, feeling like part of the team, and grateful. So grateful.

I returned my rental car and got through customs and to the gate with plenty of time to spare. I read completely through two Guideposts magazines. My flight was delayed due to mechanical issues with the plane a g a i n. I was stunned when my flight was ultimately cancelled. I had really wanted to be home by Friday night, but it is what it is.

I am not a fan of whining. I heard too much of it spitting into the air as we were all escorted back to check-in. The next flight to Philly was at 6:52 Saturday morning. I opted to take the 11:30 a.m. flight. If I am going to lose my Saturday, I may as well get to sleep in.

Our luggage was retrieved and we were taken by shuttle bus to a recently built Holiday Inn Express. My room was gorgeous. I called home to update the troops.

Saturday morning I took the shuttle back to the airport for a dejavu round of “take me home!” My flight was delayed about an hour due to fog conditions in Philadelphia. It was fine. I made it home in time to go on a date with my hubby (along with two of our kids and their spouses). Life is good.

Tomorrow I go back to the Paoli office. I am really hoping they have found a place to put me. And a desk would be really awesome!

My passport expired in 1987. That is the year our son Declan was born! My old passport contains tangible proof that I have personally set foot on the soil of Canada, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Antigua, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, England, Wales, Spain, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Some of these places are not even countries anymore! Most of them were visited BA (Before Attila) and BC (Before Children).

This past Friday I experienced a heavy dose of Philly Delight. I needed to get an expedited passport at the US Passport Office for my new job which starts on Monday, June 15th. On my way to 200 Chestnut Street, City of Brotherly Love and Terrible Drivers, I inadvertently drove over the Ben Franklin bridge into Camden, NJ. It was not exactly what I had in mind, but I am not religiously opposed to detours now and then.

I found my way back to the correct state (woo hoo!). I pulled into a spot in a large parking garage and immediately began conversing with a woman who was getting out of a car near me (in certain countries this could be considered assault with a deadly weapon).

She was heading to the Passport Office as well, and knew her way out of the garage. I hitched a ‘ride’ by her side. She and her husband are missionaries who are returning to Ecuador to plant a church. (I know. You aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. I can’t help myself.)

Chatting happily together, we entered the security line in the Federal building. I had to leave my new friend prematurely when my brutal honesty forced me to admit to the guard that I did indeed have a nail file in my purse. I actually had two of them in there. (Don’t ask why. Things just have a way of mysteriously multiplying in my presence. Remember the lamps in my old TSD office? And have you counted my children lately?)

I left the building and tossed the tiny weapons of mass destruction into the nearest trash can. Note to self: Buy new nail file for purse! I returned to the Federal building with a clean conscience and a safe purse.

My appointment was set for 12:30 p.m. I made it to the window at 3:00 p.m. Heavy sigh. They said it would take at least another hour until the passport was actually made. Where are all the passport-construction elves when you need them?

I had not eaten all day, so I took my receipt and headed across the street to buy a real Philly cheese steak for brunchdin (breakfast, lunch and dinner). I found an open bench under a row of trees and planted myself there for a spell. Sunshine had replaced the early rain and there was a delightful breeze. I felt oddly content.

I tossed the empty bag and aluminum foil into the receptacle that also contained my nail files, and returned to the waiting area of the Passport Office. At 4:45 p.m. I finally left the building, passport in hand. I felt slightly jubilant, with a freaky sense of excitement tickling the back of my neck.

Finding my way into the parking garage was no easy task since I had not paid much attention on my way out of there (jabbering with my missionary friend).  I forgot to press ‘receipt’ at the payment machine and had to push the ‘help’ button. A disembodied voice assured me that they would have a receipt ready for me on my way out. I had fifteen minutes to find my car.

My ‘Find Your Car!’ adventure ate up nearly every one of those precious fifteen minutes. I had to check several levels of the garage, and use my remote trunk opener just to locate my beige beast of burden. What joy washed over me as I heard the familiar “eee eee” responding to my silent call.

I switched my cell phone back on and almost immediatly received a  call from a teenager (in tears) and then a second call from another teenager  wondering where I was, and when exactly would I be home? I hate cell phones.

I needed to call my new boss to let him know that my passport mission was successful. Of course the traffic lights on Walnut Street were timed in my favor and I cruised right through, leaving no time to dial my cell. By now it was closing in on 5:30 p.m.

When I finally reached Curt on my cell I missed my turn onto 676 N and drove in a huge circle to get back to where I needed to be. I am pretty good at multi-tasking, but city traffic and cell phones just don’t mix. Driving in Philadelphia in rush hour made me feel like an idiot and a grown-up all at the same time. I’m not sure I want to be either one!

So… on Monday I begin my new job as the Controller for Five Winds International, an environmental management consulting firm. While the corporate headquarters is located in Paoli, PA (where I will be working under the fairly new COO) the out-going Controller works out of the Ottawa, Ontario office. I am flying there on Tuesday to train with her for the rest of next week. She will fly to the US the following week so that we can complete the transition as efficiently as possible.

It will be awesome to actually be transitioned at all! My work experiences have typically consisted of ‘thrown into the fire and work your way out’ situations.

It is possible that my updated employment status is due in part to my brother Bryn’s advice to buy a “more professional-looking” interview outfit (and eldest daughter Lyryn taking me shopping to pick one out). Apparently my old outfit was outdated and inappropriate for today’s business environment. Decide for yourself. Feel free to comment – you know you want to!

Original Interview Outfit

Updated Interview Outfit

Okay people. You are lucky I leave the house wearing a bra!

So… I am happy to be gainfully employed once more. I am thrilled to adjust my morning routine so that it no longer includes the daily perusal of countless classified ads on a multitude of  job seeker web sites. After months of unemployment my ‘Job Search’ notebook is full and a new journey in my life is about to begin. I reluctantly say “goodbye” to sleeping in, but happily say “hello” to earning a real paycheck again.

During this unscheduled sabbatical I have had the glorious opportunity to put a real dent in my personal to-do list. I have spent quality time rekindling old friendships, strengthening critical family relationships, and making new connections. I have no regrets.

I am excited about meeting new people and acquiring knowledge in a field I know little about. I am hoping that the new information won’t shove the basics out of my brain (things like walking and chewing gum at the same time).

And I am NOT giving up on writing my book. Really. I’m serious. Stop laughing! Okay, now you are starting to annoy me. You know who you are! :-}

Lyryn and Jesse are doing well. They still have jobs (three between them) and have recently been spreading their creative wings more and more. Lyryn writes and does photography.

Jesse jumped on the family bandwagon and started his own blogs to provide a forum for his movie reviews and whatever else moves him at any given moment in time.  He is a really good writer which doesn’t surprise me since he is capable of doing nearly anything he sets his mind to. 

Here is one of my favorite photos that Lyryn has taken recently, capturing my beloved Attila with the ever-precious Jayden.

For anyone who is not a Facebook user, you may have missed the Jayden “Freak Out” video. Click below to witness an ardent display of Jayden’s naturally-inherited acting talent (and love for applause). He has learned to “Freak Out” on cue, while the rest of us just do it on an “as needed” basis!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=552158872390

Brent and Tara remain the content newlyweds. Tara is working as a secretary for Luvin’Bugs. Yes, they do pest control. Lyryn is the Office Manager and both girls work from their respective homes. Have laptop will travel – or not!  

Brent’s construction company has had a fairly steady flow of work since December, but hit a temporary slump last week. He immediately began processing the massive quantity of clothes he has been given to sell (at his garage sales over the years). He will do almost anything to earn a buck.

Brent came over to use the washer and dryer in our basement. Attila forgot he was down there and locked him in when he left the house to run an errand. We always latch the basement door because it doesn’t stay shut on its own and we don’t want cellar perfume wafting on the dining room breeze. I was on the third floor, which rendered me deaf to Brent’s cries to be released. Note to self: Add ”fix broken lock on basement door” to Attila’s To-Do list.

Brent does do lovely work. Here is a picture of the basement he recently finished renovating for Declan and Katie (they did the painting and decorating themselves).

Declan and Katie are thriving. Declan continues to enjoy his department supervisor job at the Firestore, as well as his freelance graphic design work. Katie is finishing her first year as the Art teacher at the Octorara Primary Learning Center and Elementary School, while simultaneously working on her Master’s degree. She has a blog and an art site for elementary art teachers.  She also does freelance mural work.

Johnna will be graduating from Octorara High School on June 4th. At least I think she is graduating. She likes to “chat” with me on Facebook during Psychology class. Yes, apparently I am an enabler!

As I mentioned in a previous post, Johnna plans to become a phlebotomist after graduation. We just happen to have a picture that will give you a preview of what you have to look forward to if you ever venture into her lab.

Yes, I DO think the above picture is hiLARious.

Ashley has done very well at Mapleton High School this year. This past quarter she received Honor Roll! She has a real job in the office at Devereux and earns a decent amount of money for a 16-year-old. She is very motivated and works hard. She plans to purchase a laptop computer when she comes home, and has already amassed the funds she needs to do that.

Ashley is scheduled to be discharged from Devereux sometime in June. We are proud of the progress she has made over the last seven months. Once she returns we will have in-home Family-Based therapy  twice a week, which should be good for all of us. There will always be challenges but I think we will all be better equipped to handle them as a result of this lengthy intervention.

Leigha also made Honor Roll this past quarter. The school filled out her achievement certificate but she handed it back immediately, informing them that “Hughes” is not her name. They apologized and shredded the form, then filled out a new certificate using “Leigha Balla.”

This may not be legal yet, but it is totally emotionally where Leigha is right now. The county is changing her goal to adoption so it looks like we are at least moving forward with that. I feel like an inch worm on the ten-yard line of a football field, but at least the goal is in sight.

And last, but never least, how about the energizer-bunny-dude-bionic-man-with-nine-lives formerly (and presently) known as Attila? I called him today as he was driving to Nancy’s house to finish renovation work he had started in her kitchen on Saturday. It took a while for him to answer, and then he sounded slightly winded, so I asked him what was up. He replied, “It took a while to get it out of my pants!”

Well, under different circumstances I am very sure that I would have had a biting retort for that line, but since he was referring to his cell phone I just guffawed and said, “I haven’t heard you say that in a long time!” Attila can’t die on me. It would cause serious shrinkage in my blogging material.

For about two weeks, my ability to hear was diminishing at frightening speed and I began to feel like a deep-sea diver. What was happening to me? I didn’t like any of the options: infection, allergies, sinus problems, hearing loss and of course, (the always terrifying) alien symbiote. 

On May 8th I decided it was imperative that I visit a real doctor, preferably one with a genuine medical degree. And I knew just the guy. He took one look in my ears and told me they were filled with wax. That had never occured to me! No wonder I could barely hear and yet felt no pain.

As the man in the white coat brandished a massive metallic hot water pistol, there was no time for fear. It was actually awesome to feel the warm water rushing into my clogged ears. He handily released two disgusting creatures that I am fairly sure were alien symbiotes. Plop, plop, I could hear with clarity again! I have decided that spa resorts should include an ear-wax-removal treatment on their option menu, along with the traditional facial, pedicure, etc.

I admit that I was now giddy with joy. How often do we get to go to a doctor and be instantly healed of what ails us?

I gleefully asked him, “Isn’t this fun? I bet it isn’t often you get to cure someone in five minutes flat!” He agreed that it was indeed a good day. I informed him that I would be blogging about him later, and asked if he wanted me to use a pseudonym for him. He said, “If I am going to show up on Bill O’Reilly I do. Just call me ’Doc’.”

So… thanks Doc! Now I can hear my squealing teenagers at full throttle. It doesn’t get much better than that.

My sister and I agree that Mother’s Day has a way of setting up some women for disappointment. Let’s face it, being a mother is seriously hard. Hard-core hard in fact. We should receive awards if we simply manage to refrain from eating our young (especially during their teen years). To borrow from the Peace Corps, “It is the toughest job you’ll ever love.”

I admit I have had some disappointing Mother’s Day experiences myself . This year, I am happy to announce, was not one of them. Actually, it was my best Mother’s Day ever!

I am sure that it helped that the weather was gorgeous and I was feeling upbeat to start with. But the day just got better and better as it went along.

I arrived home from church, starving as usual. It is too early for me to eat breakfast before I attend Praise Team practice before the first service. By the end of church (9:45am) I am ready to gnaw on cardboard.  

Once home, Johnna met me in the hallway with a hug and a half-pound of gourmet chocolates. How great a daughter is she? I made Ashley, Leigha and Johnna each take one of the precious commodities. They refused to take a second one because it was a gift for me that they wanted me to have for myself.  That collective spirit of generosity touched me. And it was my breakfast after all. I am so NOT Jane Fonda.

Ashley crocheted an orange and black pillow for me to put in my orange/black/white home-office. She is quite accomplished at this and does impressively neat work.  

Leigha messaged me on Facebook. Here is her tender proclamation:

Once I stopped feeling depressed about her English-as-a-second- language English skills, I laughed at the P.S. If I had been drinking coffee at the time, I would have inadvertently snorted it onto the carpet. Note to self: Give Leigha $5 from her paper bank account.

My sister Kathi took me and our mom out to lunch at Isaac’s in Strasburg. We had such a wonderful time! Kath remembers stuff that I don’t remember at all. We got all nostalgic about the magic of our childhood Christmases and the way Mom attended all of our functions, sports, etc. Mom was a Girl Scout leader, Boy Scout leader and lifeguard. We had a pool in our backyard so she was unofficially responsible for the neighborhood gang all summer. Mom was also a cook, driver, cheerleader, therapist, etc… We sang harmony when we did dishes and when we drove in the car. She took in “strays” (kids, not dogs). I was blessed with a Super Mommy.

When I got home from lunch my own kids (and one grandson) began arriving at our house. They brought hamburgers and hot dogs to grill, pasta salad, chips & dip, soda, pickles, sliced tomato , lettuce, brownies and two cakes!

Attila fired up our $15 charcoal grill and 1.5 hours later two hamburgers were ready to eat. The kids all decided that Attila will definitely be getting a gas grill for Father’s Day (but I think that may have been the stomachs talking).

We laughed hysterically for three hours. Jayden was his ever-delightful self. Katie and Declan gave me Tupperware and drinking glasses as a gift. They went “practical” this year since we have broken about 20 glasses in the last few months and we never have enough for Wednesday Night Family Dinner. ”Practical” totally works for me.

So, Mother’s Day didn’t stink and I am really looking forward to having that gas grill in a few weeks.