Grandpa Hall

Joe's Grandpa Hall passed away last week.  He was 94 and we knew the end was coming.  His wife had died about 8 years earlier and he was ready to be with her again.  Still, it's always hard to say goodbye.  We drove back to Idaho for the funeral last weekend.

It was a really wonderful service.  It was fun for me to learn a little more about his life.  And boy did he live a good one.  It was one of those truly inspiring funerals where you leave wanting to be a better person.

The graveside service was really powerful.  Grandpa had served in the Navy during World War II and so there was a special military service for him.  (I stole a lot of these pictures from Joe's cousins)

Look at how handsome he was:

After the funeral and luncheon, Joe got to gather at his grandparents' (now his aunt's) house for a big game of whiffle ball with his cousins.  It sounded like they had a blast.  I'm so glad he got that time.  Nate went with him and had a lot of fun, too.

I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to visit Grandpa Hall on our last Idaho trip and especially that we had time with him last summer.

He was so lucid that time and Joe loved talking to him about some of his memories.  Grandpa Hall was really a remarkable man.  I could see that immediately when I joined the family.  He loved his wife dearly and he often said so.  He was always so cheerful and optimistic.  I think that Joe inherited some of that optimism and enthusiasm--qualities I've always loved about him.  Grandpa Hall also made me feel very loved and welcomed into the family and I was so grateful for that.  He was just a genuinely good and kind man.  I'm sure he had his faults, but they were very hard to see.  I hope we can all try to live up to his excellent example.

Happy Birthday to Joe

We got to sneak away up to Greenwood for a couple of days for Joe's birthday this year.  I think it turned out to be a pretty great birthday for him.  We all love it up there and we loved getting some time with Grandma and Grandpa.  

While Joe and my dad went golfing, the kids and I hung out at the pool.

 They could stay there for hours--even this guy:

He learned to love the waterslide this trip, which got to be quite exhausting.

We indulged Joe in his favorite pastime--hunting for golf balls after hours:

 The kids all love it, too.  How could you not in surroundings like that?

We went to the lake one day and had a blast.  

We rented a kayak and had fun paddling around in it.

This girl, especially, couldn't get enough: 

I just love that clear blue water.

Of course there was quite a bit of crawdad hunting, too:

 And just playing in the water:

 

 

 We sure love our Dad. The kids worked hard making him some homemade gifts and cards.  He always asks for a couple of practical things and doesn't want us to spend more on him.  We did have a nice steak dinner in his honor, though.  

It was so nice just getting a few days together in a place that we love.

Summertime

Here are some moments to remember from our summer...

Just kicking back, making music:

I experienced the wonders of Google Shopping Express:

And the kids had a blast playing with the boxes:

One day they decided to pull out the winter clothes:

Nate kept his on for quite awhile:

He even wore ski gloves to the store.  He makes me laugh. :)

We visited a fun little Youth Science Institute and I had to get a picture of Eli with the (stuffed) birds:

He LOVES birds and is constantly pointing them out or chasing them around.

He and I took a fun bike ride together while the other kids were at a playdate:

More birds!

We had a great, albeit cloudy, beach day with just us.

There was an otter hanging out just off the beach for a long time.  The girls even got to touch him:

I sure love these four:

The girls have had piano recitals.  Their teacher has them perform at nursing homes and they were all a lot of fun.

Getting ready to perform:

They also had the fun chance of playing with a band:

I found some chubby selfies on my phone:

I had this dream that once the kids and I all finally got outfitted with bikes that fit us, we'd ride over to 7-Eleven for slurpees.  Now, the actual execution wasn't so dreamy (it was a bit too far for Nate on his bike, my bike kept falling apart, Natalie got lost in our neighborhood trying to follow Elizabeth...) BUT we made it home alive!  And, the kids got some good exercise that day. 

So there you go. 

 

 Yet another beach trip--this time with friends.  

These kids had fun watching the Jr. Guard camp that was going on nearby:

What's better than hanging out naked in the pool?

Not much.

Here's a tastefully cropped picture to prove it: