Hall Christmas Letter 2008

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sorry I just had to get that out of my system - I do believe that this is the first annual letter our family has ever sent out before Christmas. Kudos to Mum for being on the ball in ordering our pictures, and for continuing to bug me about writing this. J So what has 2008 held for the Hall Family?

Well, we branched out when it came to activities this winter and spring, adding a musical to our usual sports schedules. A local home school group called Fine Linen Drama put on a production of “The Prince and the Pauper”, which Dawn, Becky, Abby, and Zeke were all a part of. It was an amazing experience for all of us -- we made many new friends, enjoyed the dramatic side of things, and felt it was definitely worth the extra schedule tweaking. Basketball for Andy, Becky, Abby, and Zeke, and baseball for Andy and Zeke were, once again, a major part of the winter, spring, and beginning of summer. We also celebrated the graduation of our two oldest, Andy and Becky, from high school with a small ceremony and party. Immediately following that, Dawn and the five youngest kids took a trip out to upstate New York for a family wedding. We took Dawn’s parents along, and were able to stop at several historic sites and cities, giving the kids a tangible experience to connect with the history they had studied in school that year.

The summer was a busy one. We kicked it off with a great, week-long visit from friends from Norway, which we used as an excuse to visit several new places in Missouri. Dan, Dawn, Andy, and Becky also took a weekend trip out to California, to be a part of the final celebration of Trinity Lutheran School. We had a visit from Dawn’s sister and her two sons, who currently live in Dubai, U.A.E., as well as a weekend with the rest of Dawn’s family in Forrest. Then, the final hurrah of the summer was a family reunion/50^th Wedding Anniversary for Dan’s parents, which we celebrated in grand style at Camp Windemere, right on the shores of the Lake of the Ozarks here in Missouri.

The school year began with mixed feelings, as we drove Andy down to Poplar Bluff to start his first year of college. Our fall so far has been full, with volleyball, soccer, basketball, band, choir, Sunday School . . . Oh, and of course, a little bit of home-schooling on the side. J With Andy and Becky in college, Dawn now has one high schooler, one middle schooler, one first grader, and one pre-schooler -- talk about a spread!

Dan single-handedly saved the Rolla economy by shopping for the first time on Black Friday. He is still working for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and enjoying it immensely. He has found a challenge with the economic dip of the past several months, and spent a lot of time reassuring his clients. In June, he had a chance to give the graduation address at the final graduation of Trinity Lutheran School, an occasion that can only be defined by the cliché “bittersweet”. Several weeks ago, he found the fulfillment of a life-long dream, by getting to mow his own property with a tractor. He can now claim to be a Midwestern farmer. J This basketball season, his schedule has loosened up enough to permit coaching the JH boys’ home school team.

Dawn organized the world last March, but still finds the time to be involved in nearly everything new that comes her way. She has declared that this is the year that she works herself out of her many commitments, but she still continues to be involved in various events throughout the school year. She was asked to serve as Sunday School Superintendent for this year, and has done a great job at it of course. This fall, she volunteered at the Republican headquarters in town, and continues to serve on the board for Capable Kids and Families, a local organization that provides equipment and support to families with special needs children. A project she took on this fall was to rearrange our rooms, so that we now have a “school room” in the basement, separate from our living areas and her office. This has made the school year run more smoothly, and has made life easier on Dawn as she is still balances (and masters) the roles of wife, teacher, mom, household administrator, schedule coordinator, and beautiful daughter of the King.

Andy, 18, decided to start a band and cut a record. Last spring, he finished up his senior year at the high school in Rolla, playing basketball and baseball and is now in his freshman year at Three Rivers Community College, in Poplar Bluff Missouri. He is on the baseball team there, and has impressed the coaches with both his skills and his willingness to hustle. He rooms with 3 guys, two of whom he already knew, and they have been great friends for him, helping him stand for what is right in every situation. We enjoy seeing him every few weekends, and are looking forward to having him home for Christmas break.

Becky, 17, spent the summer scuba diving off the coast of Australia and slaying sharks. I finished up high school at the end of last school year, and graduated with Andy in May. This fall, I began taking college classes at community college in Rolla, as well as getting more involved with the home school athletic association by taking over a lot of Mum’s administrative work, and helping out with the teams when I can. I babysit twice a week, co-lead the high school girls’ Sunday School class at church, and drive the siblings to various events all over town. I feel like God has taught (or at least tried to teach) me so much this year. If I could narrow it down, it has been mostly about relationships - those with my friends, my family, and of course the most important of all, my relationship with Jesus Christ. Life can be hard to balance when you live at home and go to college, but I am slowly learning. I’m looking to transfer to a four-year university next fall, although I have not yet decided where, or what major I will pursue.

Abby, age 14, became a world-class ice-skater, reaching new heights with her jumps. She has become quite a beautiful young lady this year, and is nearly as tall as Becky. Still very passionate about singing, she is part of a choir in Rolla and has also taken up trumpet, playing in the homeschool band. She plays both volleyball and basketball, and continues to help babysit several times a month. The love of horses is still the primary focus of her life, and she is pushing for getting some of her own this spring. Right now, she spends time each week with a lady from our church, learning about the basics of caring for horses and helping out with chores. As a high school student, she is learning a lot about time-management, as well as getting more involved around the house.

Zeke, age 12, set the world record for words spoken per minutes this past June. Since Andy left, he has started to fill the role of the young man around the house. He still plays 3 sports - basketball, soccer, and baseball, and was very excited to be old enough to play on the homeschool basketball team this year. The find of a xylophone at a local garage sale by Dad has led him to play in the homeschool band as well, and he rotates between that and bass drum.

Isaac, age 6, joined a Viking ship and has plundered most of the East Coast. He is a typical “pseudo first child“, often-times shocking us with the grown-up ways he thinks and talks. He still loves to draw and play “pretend” - his “pretend life” is often more elaborate than real life, and certainly more interesting. This fall he has developed a love for games, and has quickly picked up Sorry, Rack-o, Yat-zee, and several others. He finished up Kindergarten in May, and has started First Grade this year. He constantly amazes us with the things he can read and remember, following his brother Zeke in being a wealth of random information. He also enjoys going to the homeschool PE group once a week, and having play-dates with a number of homeschool boys his age who we have met.

Elizabeth, age 4, ran away to the jungles of China, and was adopted by a family of panda bears. She goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week, and there she gets speech, physical, and occupational therapy. While she has yet to begin “really” talking, she has many words and signs that she uses to communicate, and has no trouble understanding our verbal communication. She is very active, and has “run away” several times, giving us a good scare. Many times she tries our patience, but is learning to obey and be a good listener. This year has been an adventure in potty training, which started entirely on her own initiative during our vacation to NY. It is fun to watch the things she learns each day, and cuddling with her makes us wonder why God doesn’t bless every family with a child who has Down’s Syndrome.

God has certainly been good to our family. As we look back on the year, there are so many ways he has blessed us. Mostly during this season, we remember the greatest blessing of all -- as Isaac asked me in the car yesterday, “Becky, isn’t Christmas the most important day of the year?”

I responded, “Well, why would you think so?”

“Because, it’s when God sent Jesus for us,” he stated simply.

Need we say more?

May God bless you and your family this Christmas season!

The Halls

P.S. In case you didn’t catch it, this letter was written by Becky, and the first adventure in each life is made up!