Happy Baby!

Our little Addie is growing like crazy (although still a whopping 11 lbs, but 26" long!), and she's is almost 6 months old. She is developing a dynamic personality full of facial expressions and now laughter. She is rolling just fine, but has not quite figured out the crawl. She and her Dad are working on that, while her beautiful mother is the one that keeps Addie a "happy baby".

Wowzers! What a Year!

Merry Christmas!!

Thanksgiving!

Thank Goodness for Thanksgiving!

Wow! What a great Thanksgiving we had down at Shenandoah Crossing. We brought down 4 canoes which really highlighted our adventures in the log cabin resort. One evening we launched all four with each family taking a seperate canoe; Mom and Dad with Matthew; Susan and Llew with Cline; Dana and Jason; and Renee and myself with Addie (she slept the whole way) and Daisy (my banjo, she's a part of the family too). Of course, in true Hall style, we needed a mishap that would make for a great story later. Mom and Matthew provided us with that as they tipped into the water while my Dad was pushing them off land. My Mom laughed like crazy, Matthew thought he would drown and all of our food went floating away! We landed our canoes on the far side of the lake and built a fire for roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. Susan almost mastered the art of eating a flaming marshmallow! We had a fantastic evening and paddled back over a moonlit lake.
Other events during the weekend included horseback riding, Put Put Golf, Monopoly, the movie Cars and Addie's first dip in a pool.
We really enjoyed spending time with our family and can't wait 'til Christmas!

Baby Face!

Addie continues to delight us with her dynamic facial expressions!

Bluegrass Baby

Early indoctrination is the best! Addie is always amused at the various bluegrass instruments.

The Roaring Lion!

Addie was a Roaring(crying)Lion for her first Halloween! Her parents...I mean...Addie really loaded up with candy!

Our Little Pumpkin!

The Virginia Fall is beautiful and we're trying to soak it up. Addie, our little pumpkin, is smiling all the time these days and is working up a great squel sound, kind of like a laugh. She is still a handful and Renee is doing a fine job taking care of her. Renee would like a few more arms and I would like a few more hours in the day, but life just keeps getting better!

Shark Party!

Last week we visited my Mom and Dad in Floyd for the themed Shark Birthday party for my Mom and Matthew Lee! Matthew turned 5 and my Mom is holding steady at 39. The party was great - tons of relatives and games for the kids. The highlights of weekend were the rope swing that we hung down by the creek (Addie is in the picture soaring through the air) and picking apples from the small orchard on the land and then crushing them to make cider in the old cider press.

A Visit to the Old Boone Homeplace

Last Saturday, while visiting my folks in Floyd, VA, my Dad and I decided to find the old Boone homeplace. Renee and I have been especially interested in doing family history on the Boone line on my Dad's side since aquiring a book entitled, "Descendants of Johann Diel Bohn". Our research showed that the Boone homestead was in Floyd, only 3 miles from my Mom and Dad's home! My great great great grandfather Andrew William Boone built the two room home with his sons Robert, Steve and John (through whom I am descended) during the Civil War era. It was very exciting to see the house and it felt so welcoming and peaceful to walk around the land. Mary Elizabeth Boone, great grandaughter to Andrew William Boone, is who I had read currently lives in the home, but no one was in the house when we visited so we took it upon our selves to walk the land. We found a grave site in the back yard with Andrew and his second wife, Margarete Clementine, along with some other family. This was such a rich experience to walk where my family had lived for nearly 150 years.

Family Picture

Visit the Family

Addie has been touring the East coast these past few weeks visiting family all along the way. From South Carolina to see Renee's family (Granny Grace, Greatgrandma Connel, and Aunt Marie Anne shown in the pictures) up to Southern Virginia to Travis' family (Grandma Hall, Aunt Susan, Aunt Dana shown in the pictures).

Learning the Face Language

This past month our little Adeline has been a challenge and joy. She can eat for 11 hours, sleep for 2, and eat for another 5...and somehow this all normal for her. Renee and I agree though that she is one cute baby! As you can see in some of her candid photos above, she has quite the personality. We have learned to decifer some of her facial expressions. For instance, sticking out her tongue means - "I'm hungry". If you fail to heed this cute warning face the one to follow is her scrunched-brow-I'll-cry-if-you-don't-feed-me face, and a failure to comply with this will most definitly be followed by The Cry. She has calmed down lately though and the face we look forward to now is her coveted smile.

The Baby has Arrived!!

Adeline Penny Hall joined our family on Aug, 8 2006 at 5:19pm weighing in at 8lbs 3oz and 21 inches long. We have been greatly blessed to receive such a perfect and sweet spirit into our home. She often surprises us with her unique facial expressions and actions that seem to reveal her strong, yet dainty personality hidden in her little frame. We are very grateful parents.

We were delighted to receive visits this week from Granny Grace (Renee's mom) and Grandma and Grandpa Hall (Travis' parents). They have helped out a great deal as we have adjusted to Adeline's schedule, which is actually no schedule at all but we're getting there. We are also appreciative of the many congratulatory phone calls, food and presents.

Addie had to be born C section after 9 hours of labor and when she was brought out her little head was swollen from her pushing efforts. Renee is healing up well from the surgery now. We are so happy to have this little baby finally arrive!

Can you walk out a baby?

At one day past her due date Renee has been walking and walking like pioneer trying to get this baby to come. "This baby is tremendous!" she is often heard saying.
Though I think she will miss her handy cup holder when it's gone.

Come on Baby! and Christopher Run Bluegrass!

Renee is definitely coming down the home stretch with the baby. The official due date is August 1st. We have been blessed by many of our generous friends and family and now have a nursery all prepared to meet this baby. We recently went to a bluegrass festival in Christopher Run on the shores of Lake Anna. We attended with my banjo teacher Bruce Gair and his wife Donna. It was a blast, as picking with old and new friends always is!