Christopher and Melanie Ballard are the happy parents of seven children, founders of Moms’ Retreat, Dads’ Retreat,The Gathering Home Foundation, and Homeschool Family Network.  Melanie is also a personal mentor and lecturer, and has spoken at the World Congress of Families IX.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from BYU and a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in education from George Wythe University.  Christopher is an attorney in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Utah Attorney General’s office.  He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from BYU.  Together, Chris and Melanie have a mission to protect and strengthen families.