Happy Thanksgiving!

'Twas a fairly typical Thanksgiving at the Hall house today. We cleaned and cooked,

went for a run and composted leaves. We de-cluttered the hallway and sang along with

Keith Green. Nikkia is home, on break from grad school, and her presence made

everything just that much better. Today was a day of preparation for the Thanks-

giving gatherings of tomorrow and Saturday. 'Twill be a weekend of thankfulness

for all God has blessed us with - which is much. Here are a few pics from today...

  

 Awaiting breakfast.

Rebecca poses.

 Making pumpkin swirl pancakes!

They were SO tasty.

 Delicious cream cheese glaze.

 Thanksgiving breakfast brunch!

 Stefan painted the door leading to our basement with chalkboard

and magnetic paint, so now we have a bit of the school-room in

the kitchen and have been reviewing the parts of speech.

 So says Jonathan.

 So say I. (You know, of course, that the best part about Magnetic

Poetry is forming non-sensical but somehow poignant sentences.)

Wordsmithing.

...from the Hall family! May your joy overflow in the knowledge of God's greatest gift to

the world; may the good news of peace with God through the blood of Christ compel

your tongue to sing glad praises to the One who upholds every fiber of your being.

Of Kids & Puppies & Fall-Time

 

Meet "Touille," our Rat Terrier puppy from our good friends the Bruggenthies! She's a ball of energy,

always excited to play with you = jump on you, climb on your lap, lick your hands and face, etc. She has

a sweet disposition and when she finally tires loves to cuddle up on a lap and fall asleep. She is so

different from our beloved and bygone yellow lab, Babe, but she already seems to fit our family well, and

we are enjoying her. (Even when she "goes" on the carpet, it's difficult not to like the little pup.)

Papa built us a hawk block this fall, and we've been since honing our tomahawk- and knife-throwing

skills, competing with family and friends. Our apple yield this year was a big one, with one of our honey-crisp

trees bearing far more than the rest. We've given some away and have made apple crisp and lots of apple juice.

What the wild grapes over our backyard patio look like now.

Jonathan, tending a "working fire" (as Papa calls the blaze that's for burning scrap wood or brush).

Helping in the kitchen.... On the menu: Greek salad!

Mom and I saw these little acorn treats at Dunn Bros (they were being sold for $0.25 a piece) and decided to do

them ourselves and improve on the process. The original idea was to glue the Nutter Butter cookie to the Hershey's

kiss with chocolate frosting, but we figured melting the chocolate and sticking it directly would be more efficient.

We used a candle for melting the underside of the kiss, and it worked perfectly.

Rebecca has taken up medical practice lately, most notably, dental work (but heart and eye examinations too). She uses

a pencil as a scraper/pick and reaches carefully into the mouth of any willing sibling or parent, usually targeting the molars.

What about you? Need a check-up? :)

So thankful for my little siblings...

A Motorbike for Jonathan

     He couldn't believe his eyes.

     Jonathan's twelfth birthday isn't here for three more days, but Papa came home this afternoon with a present for which there was to be no waiting. Casually, Papa led Jonathan (and a host of sibling followers) to the front yard and sat him down in a big camp chair. He slipped behind the garage, and then, while Jonathan's eyes were covered and Amanda and Daniel babbled in the boy's ears to cover any noise, Papa wheeled out the present. I crouched with the camera, the gibberish ceased, and the excited Jonathan pulled his hands from his eyes.

     "Oh my word!"

     There it was.

     "That's beastie!"

     A red, gas-powered motorbike just his size.

     "I can't believe it!"

     It's a dream present for Jonathan, who has loved motorcycles ever since he can remember. Of course, this is just a motorbike with a top speed of 25mph, but I have no doubt that the thrill he has riding it is comparable to that of any ol' motorcyclist taking his beloved bike for a spin.

  

Pool Rafting

     We'll do anything for adventure around here, even if that means creating our own whitewater rapids for rafting. Of course, sometimes the results aren't as glorious as the initial inspiration. Behold Ana and Rebecca, paddles in hand, braving all things wet and wild.

Watch out, Ana - waterfall ahead!

Boy does that water look inviting about now.

Mother's Day

     After church this morning, Mom and we five older girls went to see the Metropolitan Ballet give an exciting performance of Amadeus (the story of the life of Mozart). We came home to a supper of salmon, steak, strawberry salad, asparagus and potatoes!

Ana eyes the salmon.

 Snuggle time while supper settles.

Down time.

 We played a round of Mexican Train and then started on dessert:
a special coconut chocolate cake for Mom (made by Nikkia)...

 ...and vanilla ice cream with toppings for the rest of us.

We sang whilst we played more Mexican Train, and Mom won the three-round
game! (Rounds are lengthy when you're playing with as many people as we were).

Reading cards from her children.

Happy Mother's Day to a wonderful mother and friend!
We love you so, SO much! :)