As I looked for photos for my Christmas letter I realized I didn't have any photos of Rachel's graduation from BYU Idaho. I'm not sure where they are but Rachel sent me one. We're very proud of her accomplishment!!! John also received his Associate degree that night. Great work! August 18, 2008

Hall Christmas multiple choice quiz 2008

1. After living in our house for 14 years and living without a working oven for 7 months, Halls decided it was time to fix up and remodel. This year they remodeled: * A. their kitchen B- Their landscaping C- Their downstairs bathroom D- Their roof E- All of the above and they are still working on their upstairs bathroom. It should be done by Christmas

2. Terry started a new hobby this year:

A. Taking bag pipe lessons and practicing every spare minute

B. Working as a counselor in the bishopric of our church group

C. Spending extra time in his beautiful new dental office which has massage chairs, cable TV and all of the up to date dental equipment.

D. All of the above

3. Debbie likes to:

A. Cook gourmet meals for 3

B. Sit still for hours by herself in peace and quiet

C. Post photos and write about her fantastic grandson, children and activities on her blog you can visit at http://debsramblingsplus.blogspot.com/

D. Dog sit Becca's huge Great Dane Alex

4. Becca and Jacob moved to a new house in Boise with 2 1/2 year old Aiden and Alex their Great Dane. Their hobbies include:

A. Watching and practicing wrestling moves with Aiden yelling :got cha" as he hangs on to legs and pulls back his dad's or uncle Chris's arms

B. Helping Terry and Debbie find a middle ground for their hugely different tastes in home decor and redecorating

C. Looking for and hoping for a new job

D. Talking non stop about everything he constantly gets into as his mom runs to keep up with him.

E. A= Jacob and Aiden, B=Becca, C=Jacob, D=Aiden

5. Rachel and John

A. Are backpacking through Alaska

B. Are traveling Europe staying in 5 star motels

C. Are working and living in Idaho Falls. John works as a manager for Anytime Fitness and Rachel graduatedfrom BYU IDAHO and is working as an event coordinator for Red Lion Motel. John swims, bikes and runs in biathlons. Rachel loves photography.

D.Are movie Stars with big roles in the movie Twilight

6. Kyle is doing well and enjoying teaching the gospel and finding opportunities to serve in the following German Cities :

A. Leipzig -the beautiful home of Bach

B. Eberswalde - a college town near the forests Grim Fairy Tales often described

C. Rostock a town by the North Sea

D. Eisenhuttenstadt - a city built by the former Soviet Union to be a model industrial city

E. All of the Above

7-Chris

A. was on the JV soccer team that won the district championship

B. is driving

C. was a group leader and teacher at Cub Scout and Diabetes Day Camps

D. Sings with the high school choir

E. Worked all summer as a life guard

F. All of the above

8-Terry, Debbie and Chris enjoyed traveling in 2008 to:

A. Rexburg to see Rachel graduate from BYU-Idaho with a degree in communications

B. Yellowstone to celebrate Rachel's graduation and see the animals

C. Houston and San Antonio to visit Debbie's cousin Wendy and her family

D. Seattle where Terry is participating in a dental study

E. to Utah to visit Debbie's parents who are doing great

F. to Boise often to visit Aiden (Becca, Jacob and Terry's parents and family too but really Aiden...), for Terry and Chris to take guitar lessons and for Terry to take bag pipe lessons, for Debbie to shop for anything not found at Walmart, to see movies and....(we are very happy to see gas gas prices going down)

G. all of the above

9. Our hope for Christmas 2008 is:

A. That you will win a million dollars

B. For everyone to get a chance to live without an oven for 7 months so you can feel thankful for modern conveniences

C. For you all to have a Merry Christmas filled with time to spend with those you love and with time to relax and think of the blessings of the Savior and the true meaning of Christmas

Answers:

1- E and the expenses are still adding up! We are enjoying the finished product a lot!

2-D can you hear the pipes from where you live?

3-C Debbie likes doing digital books and writing e mail letters too. The other answers are very wrong! Debbie is having a hard time forcing herself to cook anything for just 3 and she can't stand to sit still. Becca teases Debbie that she has adult onset ADD because it is torture for her to sit still for very long.

4-E Jacob hopes to get out of the mortgage business, Becca has to run to keep up with a very busy, extremely cute and fun Aiden and she has been wonderful with the Halls remodel design and work.

5- C although after living in cold sunless Rexburg and Idaho Falls they could be pale and beautiful enough to be in vampire movies.

6--E

7-F but he still only has a drivers permit

8-G

9-D We love getting Christmas letters, cards and e -mail

10- C although the million dollars would be nice too

P.S. Give yourself 10 extra points if you noticed that Terry, Debbie and Chris are all wearing braces throughout 2008.

You've heard kids have more fun with a box than with an expensive toy. Aiden kept throwing the packing peanuts saying "it;s snowing"

Each year I love to get Christmas cards from friends and family near and far. We have lived in 10 different places since we were married. In 6 states and in Germany, we found so many great and fun friends we love to keep in touch with. Some of our friends write clever intriguing family news letters that we wait to find in the mail. The Kirkwoods come up with a different letter theme each year. Last year each family members life story was told as a comic strip starring them as a super hero. This year each person had a rhyming Christmas song. They always include some important story about their pet chickens. VERY FUNNY ! Luddingtons always have a laugh out loud funny story about living in Cheyenne Wyoming. My letters aren't clever but I try to put news in a concise form with some abstract interesting facts. If you read this blog you may have guessed that concise isn't easy for me. Anyway, this year I did a multiple choice Hall family quiz.(an idea I got from our friends the Simpsons) Readers of the blog may find the answers easily. MERRY CHRISTMAS

Aiden cried when we asked him to talk with Santa. Santa almost won him over when he gave him a coloring book. Aiden likes books. He wanted to stay with Becca though. Sitting on Santa's lap will have to wait!

Terry and I had on the floor, close tickets for the Tabernacle Choir Christmas program. The forecasted snow almost stopped us from going but we decided Saturday morning to go anyway. We LOVED the show. Brian Mitchell one of the singers on The Prince of Egypt movie and the Reba South Pacific special, sang and Edward Hermann, the grandpa and Gilmore Girls and the rich husband on Overboard narrated. There were were several bell choirs and the tabernacle choir and symphony... WOW. It did snow and we had to leave later than planned but we had a great time.

On Friday Chris and his friend Becky (my friend Julie's daughter) had a big combined 16th birthday party. I had a great time and I think Chris and his friends did also. The 38 kids gathered in the upstairs room of Becky's dad, John's dental office where they ate, played games and gave Chris and Becky silly and very nice birthday gifts. They are such a great group of nice kids I felt excited to join them. Happy birthday Chris!!!!

After the Creche, life didn't slow down. I helped with the Relief Society Enrichment dinner and program, took my van to Boise to be repaired, decorated my house for Christmas.

Life has been crazy busy since Thanksgiving. Each year our church group produces a "Creche" where they display Nativity scenes from people all over town. This year we had over 700 on display. I helped by typing the information cards describing each donated Nativity scene. I also sang in the Hallelujah choir. We sounded ok but the other groups throughout the event were so great. The Riley's are a couple in our ward who sing together and they always bring me to tears when they sing. I could listen to them daily. Chris participated in a youth choir and they sounded like they had been singing together for years they sounded so good. I really liked the bell choir from a local church too. I love starting Christmas with an event that focuses totally on the Savior's birth in a beautiful event.

Thanksgiving Day 2008

Chris spent the day in PJs

Aiden spent the day running from one activity to another most of them a bit loud

Derrick and Nathan write a note to Kyle

Second Thanksgiving

Becca and Colette look through the Black Friday newspaper adds

Jacob

Zane

First Thanksgiving 2008

Matt and Ken discuss high school teaching 2nd Thanksgiving

Rachel can't participate in the games because she is finally reading Breaking Dawn at our 1st Thanksgiving in Utah

Scott and Mallory wait for the ball or a tag so they can get back into the dodge ball game

Millie, Rayanne, Aiden, Zoe and John playing dodge ball

Debbie and Becca model their "Utah hairstyle"

Dr. Lineberry's turkey brine recipe

Apple Cider Turkey Brine


3 oranges, quartered
2/3 cup Kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 tsp whole allspice berries, coarsely crushed
8 cups unsweetened apple cider or juice


In a 3-4 quart saucepan, put the salt, sugar, ginger, and bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and allspice. Add 8 cups of cider and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Add 4 cups of ice-cold water and stir. Set aside to cool.

Have ready a large roasting pan large enough to hold the turkey. Place a plastic oven bag inside a second one to create a double thickness; then place these bags inside the roasting pan, open wide. Stuff the open cavity of the turkey with 3 oranges, quartered.

Fold back the top third of the bags, making a collar. Place the turkey inside and stand it upright and then unfold the top of the bag. Pour Apple Cider Brine over the turkey. Add and additional 2 cups of cold water. Twist tie both bags separately, drawing out the air as much as possible. Place the turkey, breast side down in the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Turn the turkey 3 to 4 times while it is brining.

Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine. Remove oranges and discard. Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry. Rub entire bird with olive oil and bbq, roast, whatever!

Our Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving Day we invited the Bundy family, Matt, Colette, Nate, and Zane, and Nate's friend Derrick Mahn, and my mom and dad for dinner. I found some silverware on sale that I planned to use for a Christmas gift but instead I opened those so I could set the table with matching silverware for a change. I don't know how so many spoons and knives always go missing. I used my stoneware that I purchased before I got married and I almost never use for some reason, for our tableware. The stoneware is the "Williamsburg" pattern which I thought appropriate for Thanksgiving. I found tablecloths with a cut out leaf border along the edges and everything looked kind of nice. I think it may have been the first time Bundy's or any of our friends have visited our home for a meal that I haven't used paper plates. It surprised me how much I enjoyed having everything matching and looking nice. Terry spend Wednesday night fixing a special brine recipe to soak the turkey in. Dr. Lineberry shared it with him and we all decided that it was the most moist, best flavored turkey we have ever eaten. I love having more than one family for Thanksgiving. This way we got my mom's great pie crust, and sweet potatoes, my dad's rolls mmmmmm, Becca's extra flavored mashed potatoes and decorating, Colettes desserts, eggs, relish tray and favorite cranberry butter. It was truly a feast!!!!! We visited, played games, watched Get Smart movie and had a very nice day. It might have been a perfect day except I have and cold and sore throat and I didn't feel very good. I sure am thankful for our home. We had a room for football and room for everyone to sit at a table and even a little place for Aiden to watch his latest favorite movie "Wallace an Gromitt". I'm extremely thankful for family and friends!!!! Aiden of course was adorable and fun and a handful (he really fits the stereotype of an active 2 year old all boy ). We missed Rachel and John who were in Arizona where John is racing in a triathlon and visiting John's sister and of course I miss Kyle! Matt brought some German matziban (spelling?????) candy which honestly is not very tasty and some really cool German maps in honor of Kyle and I wouldn't let anyone eat until they wrote him a note. We have so much to be thankful for this year. ...The Savior and His Atonement, the Gospel, the blessings of a Church organization that has so many ways to care for people, a Prophet to help us with guidelines and information, the Priesthood, our good health (except for my cold and Chris diabetes) but still we have great health to be thankful for!!!!, the internet so I can hear from Kyle weekly and with current information, cars so my mom and dad, Becca, Jacob and Aiden could be at our home for thanksgiving, phones so I can talk with Rachel when she is not home. Terry's great job. Chris being home with us still and and such a great kid... .... and I am thankful for so many more things I would be typing all day. HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2008

This was actually our 2nd Thanksgiving because we got together for a great dinner and fun with the Littlefields when we were in Utah for Max's funeral. Everyone attended except for Kyle in Germany, Gage who was hunting and Hailey. The traditional Turkey, gravy, etc. was a little hard to get ready and transport to the church gym where we met for dinner but it all worked out. Our favorite activity after eating is a fun spin on dodge ball. If you get hit you sit until the ball comes to you or you touch another player. Usually the big guys actually win if we play long enough but even the little kids have a chance and can participate. Pretty fun. I loved seeing everyone and having time to visit and be together.

Chris in his Choir Tux

Chris sings with the High school choir and they are AWESOME!!!!!

Kyle with Elder Graham Poland is on the other side of the river.

Restaurant in Cottbus

Kyle in Berlin

Kyle sent new photos!

My dad's sister Barbra with her husband Dick, my dad Ken,
my mom Marlene, my dad's brother Max and his wife Coleen

My dad's brother Max passed away this morning. I will miss his example of integrity and caring. I loved to watch the relationship he had with his wife Colleen. He seemed to care for her and her needs with great compassion. He was a cowboy. He built a surrey and a sleigh that his horses would pull. I loved to go to his house especially at Thanksgiving when he would hitch up the horses and let them pull us around the neighborhood. Before he retired he served his community as a policeman and became Provo Chief of police. I aways felt proud of him. To me he always stood for the right. After he retired he built things with wood. I have a violin on a stand he made and attached "The Touch of the Master's Hand" poem and some wooden toys. I'm glad I have them because I will think of him. I feel sad but thankful for knowing him .

Terry, Debbie, Chris all still in braces.

Chris, Debbie, Terry in braces.

Terry and Debbie both in braces Sept. 2008

Wow I haven't written for a long time. My braces have been off for a few weeks now. I must admit to being a bit grumpy and whiny about the braces while they were on and the retainers are getting me a bit grumpy too. The retainers look clear and they can be removed so I like them more than braces but I really HATE bothersome things in my mouth. I sometimes wonder if I should have just lost the two teeth and had implants or something. Terry is much less of a whiner than I was about wearing braces but he is funny about what he will eat. If it isn't easy to chew he won't eat it. He hasn't had a salad the entire time. I've almost given up cooking for him because I can never guess what he will find to hard or bothersome to eat. Somehow he is losing weight because of braces. Not me! I learned to eat just about anything during the 3 years of wearing braces as a teen. Losing weight might have made the experience worth it. Rachel took this photo to show off our braces for our orthodontist Laura Lineberry. She told me she wouldn't take the braces off until we had pictures of Chris, Terry and I all in braces. The braces family!!!

Elder Kyle Terry Hall in Germany

September 17, 2008 Kyle opens his birthday package in Eberswalde, Germany