Living in the Spotlight

Most Memorable Years

Mia's POV

So it's Mia, again... Yeah I know, I'm clapping too. Okay so nobody laughed at that.

So we all know that my parents are Mark and Witney Ballas, but what you don't know are the memorable moments in my life, so I'm going to open my heart to you guys. Just read and enjoy.

First I'm going to start with the earliest memory, It was my first dance class. With my parents and grandma Shirley as the teachers.

Age 3: First Dance

I was walking next to my parents as they walked into the dance studio.

"Can you believe... Our baby is going to dance!" My mother coos.

"Yeah I know." My dad picks me up, "You ready, Brie you ready?"

I nod my head, "Rea'y!"

"Ready to go see Grammy?" Mom asks.

I smile and kiss my dad's cheek.

We get into the studio... I watch my mom and dad greet Grandma Shirley.

All I really remember after that is them just teaching me the basics, I didn't really enjoy it. I can say that was a feeling of sadness. I threw a tantrum. I wasn't getting it.

"What's wrong?" Grandma Shirley asks.

"No!" I start to cry.

"Well... I don't think she likes this environment." My dad tells mom.

"Me neither." My mom shakes her head.

"Okay, so how about we go out for ice cream." Grandma suggests.

"You want ice cream, Brie?" My dad questions.

I nod and smile. That was a great day, I got Vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.

That was the first time I knew, dance wasn't for me. The tantrum proved it.

Another memorable year for me is 2018, I got to play my first softball game

Age 5: First Game

It was early in the morning, but I was excited, it was the little leagues softball game for girls.

My dad was driving and my mom looked back at me, "You excited?"

I nod my head happily. I was pitching and I could wait, I had fallen in love with the sport.

"She's excited, I don't blame her. The coach says she had a real talent." My dad looks at me.

We arrive to the game and I run over to my teammates. The age range was 5-7 and I was the youngest on the team.

The game started and I pitched the ball, the girl hit it. I caught it.

Long story short, my team had lost by 1 point. 4-5.

This is memorable year, because I learned, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

Another most memorable year for me is 2019, it's the year my dad won his first Mirrorball Trophy with Olympic Figure Skater, Kristi Yamaguchi.

Age 6: Mirror ball #1

I was sitting in the audience with my mom, I was 6 years old.

I had just watched my dad dance his freestyle, needless to say... They killed it. I was so proud, after last season and his shock elimination with Slaybrina. After this they did their instant jive.

It was now the big moment. This was so exciting.

Mr. Bergeron started speaking, "And the winner of season 6 of Dancing with The Stars is....... KRISTI AND MARK!"

I heard my dad's name and I jump up and clap. I look at my mom, and she looks very excited, she's jumping and smiling, my grandma and grandpa Ballas are doing the same thing.

This is a memorable time in my life because at that moment I knew that... No matter what happens I was always going to have pride in whatever my dad did.

Another memorable year for me is 2025, when my mom won her first Mirrorball trophy with Alfonso Ribeiro and things got a little drifty between my parents.

Age 13: Parents Fight

I was sitting in my room talking to my friend, well we weren't dating, but we weren't not dating you know, when I heard my mom yelling.

"Okay, well you make it seem like I give a damn, I am trying to make this work." My mom yells.

I decided to walk mid stairs, so I wouldn't be too far if I needed to run.

"Be quiet or she'll hear you. Loud as hell for no reason."

"Okay, first... Don't talk to me like that, watch who the hell you are talking to." My mom states calmly, a little too calmly.

"You know... I'm beginning to think the only reason I've stuck around as long as I have is Brie."

"Leave... We don't need you to be here and gone at the same damn time."

"How about I do leave?" Next thing I know I hear the door slam and my mom chokes out a sob.

I choose to keep the memory at that, but things do get better. I had to learn that things had to get worse before they could ever get better.

Age 13: Season 19

This was an idyllic situation, it was my mom and dad in the finals with their partners. So either way one of my parents were going to win. I wasn't going on tour with them, I was going to Texas to stay with Grandpa Corky. Lucky me, I was going to see them either way.

I felt bad that Val had gotten eliminated, before he and Janel had a chance at the Mirrorball Trophy. Their relationship did confuse me, I thought he had a wife and a daughter. Jenna and Cat or Cate or something like that. Not good with names. Maybe they were just being friendly. I don't even know.

"And the winner of this 21st season of Dancing with The Stars is......... ALFONSO AND WITNEY!" I started screaming in excitement for my parents. No matter what had happened I was proud of Sadie and Alfonso. I even learned how to Carlton.

I saw my dad kiss my mom in congratulations. I run up to my mom and I hug her.

"You did amazing." I tell Sadie. Sadie and I had gotten fairly close and I tell her everything, she's helped me grow up a little bit.

This was a memorable year in my life because it proved to me no matter what, family is family and they stick together, no matter how bad and no matter how sad, Markney had stuck together.

Miscellaneous Memorable Moments:

Age 3: Moving from UK to LA and Utah

Age 5: Moving up from kindergarten.

Age 12: I reached 100k followers on Twitter and Instagram.

Age 13: I got a boyfriend and had my first kiss.

Age 13: I made the JV softball team in middle school.

Age 14: I made it to high school, started a blog, and created new words. Pop culture blog by the way... Check it out: www.thatssoin.com
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Well those are my most memorable years and achievements. Thanks for reading.

(PS: Cat don't get offended by the wrong name thing, we don't know each other)

-MissMiaM👑