We survived a Salem winter, enjoyed a Salem spring, and played through a Salem summer. But there’s nothing like a Salem Fall!!!
Finally some fall pictures to share! The first part is from our Connect Group Fall Party, the Saturday before Halloween. It was so much fun: watching the kids run around and laugh and play, roasting hot dogs, carving pumpkins, smashing a pinata, making s’more’s, and going on a hayride. Our kids had a blast, and we did too. What a great group of friends God has blessed us with here at this church and in this particular class. The last half of the pictures, of course, are from Halloween. We spent the morning in Marion with the Combs family, trick-or-treating down Main Street. Very crowded, but lots of fun. We went home, rested a while, emptied the pumpkins of their morning haul, and headed to our church’s Harvest Party to fill up again. Haven’t heard official numbers yet, but the guess is that we fed around 500 people at the chili supper, and there very well could have been more there that didn’t eat. Not bad for a town of 700! The Activities Team put on a great event, and once again we had a blast. Clay debuted his cow-print suit, which immediately had people daring him to wear it Sunday morning to lead worship. They started a pot, which grew to $165 before the night was over, which would have gone to him had he given in. But my husband is a man of principle to his core, and he would not ignore the conviction that worship is a time of reverence and focus on the glory of God, and nothing about wearing a cow-print suit on a dare would add to that reverence. So, to the amazement of some, he refrained. I love being married to a man of convictions. But we still had a great night playing games, winning prizes, and riding a mini-hayride. When we got home and dumped out all the candy from the whole day, it weighed in a 6 1/2 pounds! And Samuel didn’t even have a bucket, so I can just imagine what next year’s loot will look like. So the moral of the story is: If you give my children presents at Christmas, PLEASE don’t give them candy. We have enough to last quite awhile!!! Happy fall, everyone!
Halls in the Hills, 2009
Labor Day weekend found almost 60 Hall’s, descendants of the first Samuel Hall himself, gathered at Tuckaleechee Retreat Center in Townsend, TN for the ??th annual Halls in the Hills. Our surroundings were breathtaking, the food was plentiful and nicely filled with calories, and the company full of laughter. These reunions are like no other, with people being absolutely cutthroat at game time, and then tearful and reverent an hour later during the worship time that highlights the weekend. We missed last year’s, since the newest Samuel Hall was born the very day of the reunion, so we were especially glad to see everyone this time. Every year brings changes in the group–deaths, births, and marriages, but these Hall’s are an embracing group, gathering in anyone who will claim them. I officially claimed them just over nine years ago, and I’m honored to be a member of this amazing family.
This year made new memories just like every year. How fun it was to watch our three oldest playing with Clay’s cousin Michelle’s two kiddos, Kyle and Ava. The four oldest of the group–Kyle, Abigail, Ava, and Catherine–are just stairsteps in age, and they played so well together all weekend, even allowing two little tagalongs when Elisabeth and little Eliza wanted to play. It was also fun to watch Bennett and Samuel, the two newest Hall’s (although not for long, since the next one is due at the end of September) explore the cabin, the front porch, and each other. We rejoiced with Derek and Melissa, Bennett’s parents, at the announcement that their family would be expanding soon, and we marveled at the grace and strength of Becky and Glenda, who are both still freshly navigating life without their husbands. We tried a dip in the pool, found it a little chilly, and wound up in the hot tub instead–Michelle and me, plus about 7 or 8 children! There was singing, game-playing, game-watching, and smore’s made with Reese’s cups.
Our family was one of the first to say good-bye, since we needed to be home Sunday evening, but we still had a great time. Plans are already being made for next year, and Lord willing, we’ll be there with bells on. Thanks, Halls, for a great weekend!!
Happy birthday, Samuel Frederic!
Well, it’s already been a year! It’s hard to believe. Last year, we had all girls, and then with one moment, one announcement (“Monica, it’s a little boy!”) our world shifted from all pink to a little blue. This last year has brought lots of changes to our family, but through it all our little man has remained mellow, content, happy, and easygoing. He quickly gained a reputation for being “the best baby,” and–aside from getting kind of mean when he’s hungry–he still holds the title. He’s content nearly all the time, finding ways to entertain himself if no one else is doing the job. He gets praised everywhere we go, and he spreads joy to everyone he meets. We’ve so far managed to protect him from too much “feminizing” from his sisters; his daddy is pretty firm that his boy will not wear pink or be dressed up. He loves to explore now that he’s mobile (crawling, still refusing to walk) and I’ve had to rescue him from a few precarious positions–like from the top of the stepstool this morning as he was trying to pull the duster out of the vacuum cleaner. His main fault is an unfortunate liking for dog food, and he gets dragged away from Elliot’s dish at least once a day. He doesn’t talk much yet, just says “baa” which means various things at various times, and “bye-bye” comes out pretty clear. But when he sees someone he likes, he grins from ear to ear and points to them, as if to say, “Hey, I know you!” He is extremely ticklish, and loves to laugh at his sisters as well, so we find ourselves laughing at him laughing quite frequently. We love him fiercely and the memory of our all-pink household fades a little more every day. We have a boy now, and a fine boy he is. Happy birthday, Samuel Frederic. May God shed His grace upon you as you grow, and may you find His favor and grow into a strong, godly man.
