10-28-07

Blog #165

David & Joan

Four Score and Eight Years Ago...

(Happy Birthday Papa)

   That's right, Papa turned 88 today.  He is now a year older than the United States was when Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. 

Papa received a few small gifts, a homemade apple pie and a ton of well wishes and hugs from the girls. 

Svea and Brigitta made Papa some Lego Duplo presents. 

Halloween Party 2007

The annual Halloween party at the Hall's house.  We had 14 girls under the age of eight and plenty of spooky thrills.  Each year seems to top the previous - this being no exception.  We had dry ice, a fog machine, a magic show, black light room, a few crafts and some food.

As the girls color, the dry ice cascades over the table.

No, it was not supposed to be a deranged flower, it was a Jack Skeleton (from the Nightmare Before Christmas) cake surrounded by some Halloween cookies.

Joan doing a little magic. 

Speaking to the spirits via lemon juice on paper.

Grumpy spirits say "Go Away".

We had donuts hanging from the ceiling.  The game was to eat it off the string without using any hands.  Brigitta almost has it.

Svea takes a bite.

Joan painted some dried gourds she bought from a local farm.  

10-25-07

Blog #164

David

Tallmadge Trick-or-Treat

   Tonight was Trick-or-Treat night in Tallmadge.  I'd write more but I have a candy head-ache.

GFS Trick-or-Treat

   Last night was Trick-or-Treat night at the German Family Society.  I'd write more but I have a candy head-ache.

Pumpkin Carving

   Tuesday night we carved pumpkins.  I'd write more but I have a candy head-ache.

Svea Reads to Annika

   I'd write more but I have a candy head-ache.

10-21-07

Blog #163

David

61.8 Miles!

   I rode 61.8 miles today, 15 of which were in Bedford Reservation which is in Cuyahoga County.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and was a very fun ride.  My turn around point was about half way between Bedford and Solon.  I brought the little Canon along and took a few snapshots in 14 locations along my trip.  I felt especially strong during the first 30 miles, but started to run out of gas after 40 miles.  The Western edge of the bike trail loop passes by a TGI Friday's restaurant about 10 miles from home so I stopped for a late lunch.  In hind sight, I should have brought food along with me.  I wasn't really planning on going so far, however.

Near Barlow and Terex Road in Hudson.

Near Brandywine Road in Boston Heights

View from Tinker's Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook

I chatted with a couple photographers at the overlook; one took my picture for me.

Like the sign says: Bedford Reservation

Paddle

  Yesterday I went for a short paddle.  It was very windy and in places was quite choppy.  I actually had to pull my scupper plugs to drain the water that washed over the side of the boat.  I was afraid to take the camera out of it's Zip Lock bag in my pack; I only took a couple pictures at my island.  Someone added a stick.

10-20-07

Blog #162

David

Giant Sad Annika

   I just had to...

10-20-07

Blog #161

David & Joan

Farewell Grandma & Grandpa

   My parents are visiting my Mother's sister, Jeanie, and her husband, Paul, in Arizona right now.  Joan took a few pictures before she drove them to the airport on Tuesday.  This one below is one of my favorites of my Mother ever:

Annika and Helen Hall in our spooky dining room.

On Sunday I went for a ride into farm country with my parents.  We stopped at a pumpkin farm so that I could take a few pictures.

This castle is really the Alliance Scholl District Administration building.

Goofing Around

   We connected an old video camera to the TV so that the girls could watch themselves dance around.  Svea thought it would be fun to put on one of my Tee-shirts, stuffed with pillows.  Her sisters thought this was a great idea and also plumped-up.  The game then turned into running into and bouncing off of each other and then eventually marshmallow wrestling.  Annika, being the littlest and roly-polyest, ended up with a nose-bleed.  She can be seen in the back ground dabbing her nose while Brigitta prepares to hand her another Kleenex.  Meanwhile Svea ceases the photographic moment with the perfect pose.

Hershey

Jane definitely is a girl and the size of her kittens, Hershey and Speckle, are proof that she also is a relatively new mother.  Jane has kept them very well hidden under our shed until recently.

Pity Me

Annika Ingrid Hall - master of the pitiful frown.  This picture may be proof of global warming - we has a bubble pool and bathing suits just last week.

Pump-it-Up Party

While My parents and I went for a drive, Joan took all three girls to a friend's birthday party at Pump-it-Up.  The pictures are evidence that they enjoyed every moment.

Pumpkin Farm

Annika really is happy most of the time.  On Wednesday her class visited a local Pumpkin farm and she apparently wasn't happy about something.

Dead Old Canon

   Our old Canon S400 is finally dead.  It lasted three and a half years and took over 14,000 photos.  It has spent a great deal of time in my pocket and has been on dozens of hikes, rows, paddles  We have replaced it with a Canon SD1000.  As much as I still love our Nikon, it is essential to have a camera that comfortably fits into a pocket and is easy to take everywhere.  The new SD1000 is much more powerful and cost half as much as the old S400.

Svea's Birthday Encore Photo

Somehow this picture never made it off of a memory card.  It was taken on Svea's birthday while she was on the phone with uncle Mark. 

Biking

   I'm still biking regularly and have increased my standard ride to 25.5 miles.  I average 15 miles an hour on my mountain bike; effort wise this is more than walking, but not quite as strenuous as running.  Compared to kayaking, I get more exercise within the same amount of time.  When I paddle it takes me about 25 minutes to load my boat on the car, drive to Mogador Reservoir, unload and get going.  I waste the same amount of time coming home.  When I bike, I start in the driveway.  I also can only expend so much energy through my arms when I paddle; it's much harder to get a cardiovascular work-out.  That being said, I'm long overdue for a paddle.

10-13-07

Blog #160

David & Joan

Akron Zoo

   On Friday Grandma, Grandpa, Joan and the girls went to the Akron zoo.  Svea and Brigitta had the day off, but David had to work.  The weather didn't look too promising, but the sun did come out and it wasn't uncomfortable at all.

Grandma and the girls.

The zoo was completely decorated for Halloween.  This was a castle setting, complete with frog.

Brigitta dancing on a turtle....aw, poor turtle.

Joan, Anni and Grandpa hamming for the camera.

One of the girls' favorite stops at the zoo, the rope bridge.

"Mush, Grandpa, Mush"

Svea reading to Annika.  How great it is to have another reader in the family.  Not only do Brigitta and Annika get stories read to them, but Svea get in her reading practice.

10-6-07

Blog #159

David

Happy Brigitta Day!

   On Saturday we celebrated Brigitta's Swedish Name Day in Hudson Springs Park.  We had a picnic, played at the playground, went for a walk and built fairy houses.  See more new fairy houses on our Fairy Houses page.

Brigitta through a fish eye

We celebrate the girls' Name Days with little gifts; Brigitta examines a polished rock from Annika

Grandma and Grandpa gave her a cast moon

Svea reads a card to her sister

All three girls were very excited about the newest Barbie movie

Brigitta found a caterpillar

Annika fell off a swing and literally ate dirt

Annika smiles, through a fish eye

Annika says, "O", through a fish eye

A dead fish eye

Geese on the lake

Svea found a particularly large, interesting tree

She also found a tiny salamander.  At first we were trying to determine if it was a worm or small snake.  Svea spotted the ever so tiny legs and exclaimed, "It's a salamander!"  I had to get very close to see his legs.

A fish eye close up of the big tree

Svea and Joan gathering materials for fairy houses

Fairy house builders four

Plum Creek Park

Friday evening grandma joined us for a sunset visit to Plum Creek Park

All three girls enjoyed throwing things into the creek

Brigitta slides

Grandma Hall with her youngest son and granddaughters

10-3-07

Blog #158

David

Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!

   My parents arrived from Alaska on Sunday.  Our girls have all four grandparents living with them for two weeks!  Svea, Brigitta and I won't be able to spend as much time with them because of school, but so far we are having a nice visit.   On Monday they took Annika to a local farm and bought a few pumpkins.