July has come and gone and I have a new daughter-in-love!

Tampa Bay

My life is a wild, wonderful whirlwind. Well maybe it's more like hurricane season when you wait for the next big one to roll in. In between, there's tranquility.

We've been home over two weeks and "BLOG" keeps staring at me from my to do list. Computer issues, some house repairs, checking in on Bill's mom and catching up on sleep from the Florida wedding trip have kept me from writing.

So, excuses aside, here we go!

Yes, we drove all the way to St. Petersburg, Florida for son David and his lovely bride Chelsea's wedding. We made the drive safe and sound, all 2500 miles round trip in ten days! And the drive was definitely "shortened" by Katie introducing us to the podcast "Serial." Oh gosh, a seriously addictive real-life crime story!

Hot, it was hot as a pressure cooker! Bill and I lived in south Florida our first five years of marriage but the incessant rain they've been having blew the humidity level to around 200%. We dressed appropriately (no matronly suit for me!) and the wedding and reception and even the rehearsal dinner were just fabulous. Most importantly, the bride and groom were thrilled and loved their special day and they are just ADORABLE!

                            (Benjamin Hewitt Photography)

 

                                            Sweet dance on the patio.               (Benjamin Hewitt Photography)

Oh I didn't mention ... the wedding and reception were held at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club ... a SWEET and historic place where David and Chelsea had many dates. Following dinner we all played shuffleboard. What fun!

 

                                                                  (Benjamin Hewitt Photography)

 

 

Lily caught on fast and loved some shuffleboard!

 

 

David's beautiful bride Chelsea, who I prayed would be kept safe and healthy

until God brought them together. I can't tell you how happy I am that they

both waited for each other. A perfect love story!    (Benjamin Hewitt)

 



It's hard "losing" this last son. As CRAZY as I am about my daughters-in-love, I feel a little loss when each son has married. But I'm super proud of each of them, and happy to see them succeeding in life. David and I danced to "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan. Ok, ok, I love it as the intro to Parenthood but the lyrics seemed perfect, even though my son is grown.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young

 May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young

 May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
 

Bob Dylan, 1973

I have more to share, especially about my grandchildren's roles in the wedding .... next post!

birthdays and bumping along

This gal had a birthday on June 23, but I was MIA and missed blogging it.

Happy birthday, Jill!

She's a mama to three tiny ones, ages 3, 22 months and one month.

Full, long days. But you handle it with grace, Jill.

This photo about sums it up, I think! (Ethan would not pose!)

Hang in there! I love you.

 

 

And this little girl turned four the day after Jill's birthday.

Oh Ashlyn, you're a sweet treasure ...

my curly-headed, lovey, cuddly, sometimes emotional, darling granddaughter.

I hope your 5th year is fabulous!

Love, love you.

 

 

I'm tellin' ya ... life is full to the brim for the Hallers!

Two new grandchildren, keeping tabs on Bill's mom,

trying to sell our cabin, and a wedding next month.

I've had LOTS of travel, and

 the coming month will be wild and wonderful

as son David gets married in Florida. Yippee!

 

 

Just crazy about all these people ... my wonderful, exploding family!

Here are a few more photos from recent weeks:

 

Ethan

 

Lily

 

Jenny with Jordan

 

Dan with his older three

 

Noah the "squawker"

 

 

Ethan, Mark and Lily

 

 

I am exceedingly blessed and grateful.



happy birthday, Chelsea!

This girl's birthday is today ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHELSEA!!

 

She's the one who stole my son David's heart,

the one he waited for,

the one I prayed for,

the one who blew into our family just over a year ago,

who blew us away at Thanksgiving as we all crammed into

one house together with 5 little children,

who could go with the flow of our craziness,

and will officially join us when she

marries David next month!

 

Chelsea you are warm and witty,

outgoing and humble,

hospitable and grace-filled,

faithful and loving.

Best of all, you have brought light and love to my son's life

and for that I thank you and thank the Lord for his faithfulness.

Hope you've enjoyed a special birthday!

 

it's raining babies: welcome, Jordan! (And Noah's birthday)

The craziness started last Friday as Mark was bringing Jill

home from the hospital the day after she had Peter.

Jenny, expecting in about two weeks, was experiencing signs of labor!

For a few hours we wondered if we might have two babies in two days.

The visits to and from the birthing center ended in Jenny finally going

home yesterday morning, May 31, to await labor.
And May 31 is Dan and Jenny's son's birthday,
turning two yesterday!

 

This photo of Noah taken by Ari, age 5!
He's very difficult to capture.

 

Mid-afternoon we wished Noah a happy birthday via facetime.

Within the hour, Jenny's water broke and an hour or so after that,

she gave birth to Jordan Elizabeth Haller!

Would you look at this face?

 

 

 

She's beautiful and well-loved by Ari, Ashlyn and Noah

and has made us grandparents for the SEVENTH time!

 

 

 

For those a little lost on all these children ...

we have four granddaughters, ages 5, nearly 4, 3, and newborn. 

And three grandsons, ages 2, 21 months, and newborn!

I'm simply amazed and thankful!

The five older ones will be in David and Chelsea's wedding in July

so obviously our summer is crazy full and fun.

 

 

 

Thank you for all the messages, prayers and good wishes!!



boy, oh, boy: welcome, Peter!

 

The text came from Jill late Wednesday afternoon:

"I think this baby is coming soon-ish!"

Indeed he did, a week before the due date!

I scurried around to finish packing and left the next morning

after a 2:30 a.m. message: "headed to the hospital!"

It was just two hours into my trip that Peter Norman Haller

came into the world at a healthy 7 lbs 15 ounces, 21" long.

Peter is a beautiful, blessed sixth grandchild for us!

 

 

Big sister Lily, 3, was so sweet and tender with Peter.

She asked lots of questions and was so

very gentle and nurturing with him!

So precious to witness.

 

 

 

 

Ethan, 21 months, was much less interested in Peter, as

would be expected. He's a typical toddler boy,

needing lots of space to zoom around and

make himself loudly known!

But it's fun to think how these brothers

will be great buddies.

 

 

Jill came home 24 hours after giving birth, looking fantastic

and in great spirits!

We're ordering her to take it easy and nap when she can.

 

 

 

Maybe it's a perspective gained through the years since

I had babies ... but seeing little grandchildren brought into the world,

to loving parents, is a holy privilege.

 

 

Meanwhile, in Charlotte ... Jenny is showing all signs of going into labor.

(Actually, she texted us that things were happening while

Jill was on HER way home from the hospital yesterday!)

G-6 and G-7 within two days!?

I'm not making this stuff up, folks! 

 

 

 

65th anniversary

 

This photo was taken 65 years ago today at my parents' wedding

in Memphis, Tennessee.

Weddings were so different then.

Look at the huge flower arrangement behind my grandfather on the left!

No dinner afterward: I imagine this was a cake reception at the church.

Mom wore a tea-length dress and my grandmothers of course

were decked out with their gloves, hats and purses. 

With the exception of my dad's father, all my grandparents

were younger than I am now, yet they look so old in their dowdy clothing!

 

This joyous union produced four children but lasted just 28 years

when my mother died of cancer in May of 1979. Dad married a lovely woman,

Sally, and their marriage lasted over 30 years before Dad's death.

He was the only person I knew who celebrated TWO 25th anniversaries!

 

To my children and all young marrieds, cherish the one you marry

because this life holds no guarantees.

One day your children will look at your wedding photos

and wonder where the years went.  

 

With all your strength and with God's grace, love big and love well!

 

 

 

happy birthday, little brother

Today's my brother Mark's birthday.

Look at us here, around ages 5 and 3.

We were almost the same size ...

the doctor told my mom around this time that

Mark would be a "big boy."

I guess doctors can tell by hand and bone size.

And he turned out to be very tall!

 

 

You've always been a good and caring brother and

I'm sorry I bossed you around so much!

Have a happy birthday!