It's Sum, Sum, Summertime!

So, I'm not a very good blogger. I'm coming to terms with it. But now that we are in Utah for the summer, I'm (once again) trying to start afresh and turn over a new leaf or two.

Billy was selected for a summer fellowship teaching position at BYU, so we are living in Provo for the summer... and enjoying every minute of it. I think we all needed a change of pace! The warmth, beautiful mountains and canyons, and long summer days have been very rejuvenating. We've only been here a week but have already packed in a lot: completed a week of swimming lessons, reconnected with friends (Smith's, Jackson's, Earl's & Stanfield's), discovered a new, great library, enjoyed a little country with the boys catching chickens and feeding horses & Grace swinging on a hammock under shady trees, visited Billy after he settled into his fancy office, took a family hike up Rock Canyon and to the "Y," went bowling on campus, and indulged on ice cream from the "Creamery on 9th"... along with the usual fun summer stuff like bike rides, popsicles, running through the sprinklers, park trips, and lazy warm evenings. Phew! No wonder all the boys were asleep by 7:30 pm tonight, including Daddy!

February beach day... gotta love So Cal!

Monday we spent the afternoon at the beach, enjoying a freakishly warm February moment. We count ourselves lucky and know that since we've been spoiled here in Santa Barbara the past 4 1/2 years, we'll probably end up somewhere like Minneapolis, Minnesota once Billy finally gets a job.

Some of my favorites of Billy Elijah...


Seth...


...Grace

It's Sour Grass Season!

The boys love sour grass (aka Bermuda Buttercup) and it's finally here! Is it spring already? We went sour grass hunting last Sunday afternoon; Billy & Seth were so excited, you'd think they were Easter egg hunting... soon enough.

Happy New Year!

I figured I would ring in 2008 by starting a family blog... and do something I've been meaning to do for a long time: reconnect with friends & record our family memories. So, here goes!

For those of you who I've lost touch with, and to reminisce for a moment, here's a little update on The Hall Family:

We live in Goleta (just north of Santa Barbara), California and have been here at UCSB since August 2003. If you can believe it, we are still in school! Billy is writing his dissertation, which explores the intersection between 18th-century British poetry, Enlightenment aesthetics & the philosophy of technology. When he's not writing or chasing the soccer ball around in the backyard with the kids, he's shopping on Ebay for a good deal on gadgets required for his latest passion--roadbiking. Ten years ago he never would have guessed he would have three kidlets & spandex shorts!

I (Ingrid) am loving my most satisfying life-experience to date... being a Mama! I absolutely love it! I go to bed each night thankful for my three angels, breathing softly and snugged under the covers. And as I look around the house even now, quiet after the day's bustle, I see echoes of happy moments... dried finger paint on the kitchen table, bike helmets, baby bouncy chair, the Book of Mormon with the satin ribbon wedged in "The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith" (another family New Year's resolution). I'm a happy woman! My other activities (trying to get back into shape after baby #3, working a little as a nurse on a Medical/Surgical unit, etc) aren't nearly as exciting as my adventures in child-rearing.

Billy Elijah turned five in September, and has grown into a very independent and loving soul. Billy is a special kid, plain and simple. He has a warm and gentle heart. He loves to help in the kitchen and loves organizing and doing his chores. He is learning to sound out & spell words and loves to read simple books to Seth. In the fall he finished his first soccer season and eared the title of "Most Improved Player"... he wasn't too fond of the sport at the the beginning of the season but was hard-chargin' by the end! Before Christmas, Billy spent 3 1/2 hours, straight, wrapping presents (his own toys) for cousins, friends and family. It was amazing to see the giving-spirit alive in him! He's a great singer and people always comment on his ability to sing on key. And, he's a wonderful big brother to "Sethy" & "Goo-Goo"... names he came up with on his own.

Seth Kapono is our three-year-old "Sunny Boy." He is bright and vibrant and funny. He is a ball of energy and keeps our little house a hoppin'! Seth loves cars, trucks, motorcycles-- pretty much anything with wheels. He gives big, wet kisses out of the blue, which can be quite a surprise sometimes, and can't seem to keep his hands off his new baby, "Chubby Gracie." He loves snuggling up for a good book and especially loves "Marsupial Sue" & "Sunny Boy" (hence the nickname... he literally had the entire family calling him "Sunny Boy" for a solid week, scolding anyone who dared to call him "Seth").


And then there's Grace Leora, who joined our family on September 6, 2007. She is magic... full of smiles, slobbery kisses, smooth skin and so much love! A stranger at the grocery store put it perfectly: "She's FRESHNESS!" And that is our "Gracie Girl," to a T. It is a wonder and a joy to watch her personality emerge and reveal itself to us with each passing day.

We wish each and every one of you an amazing New Year!