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.