A whole lot of smooching going on!

The cast of 2009 preforming in The Nativity-Luke 2. Featuring Kendell as Mary, Peter as Joseph, Gary as the Narrator, Addie as the Shepherd, Thys as the Sheep, Sydney the Angel, Meagan, Madison and Andrew as the Wise-men.
Mary and Joseph kiss'n it up! The two little cousins were having such a good time acting out the parts as Mary and Joseph. Loving and taking care of the little baby Jesus. They started kissing and wouldn't stop. They were very cute!

This is too cute! We hope that all our family and friends had a wonderful and joyful Christmas season. We wish you the very best to come in 2010. And we are sending you all of our luv'nes and kiss'nes your way. Love The Hallen Family

TisThe Season

Merry Christmas! It is such a joyous time of year. Celebrating the birth of our Savior, being with family and friends and giving to those whom we love and care for so much. It would be a Christmas wish from my heart if all my family from Canada were able be together on this Merry Day! It has been too long since my parent and siblings and I were all together for this Holiday. Don't get me wrong I have Gary's amazing family right here for the Holiday but...I miss the moments with my Canadian family greatly. I ponder on the memories of my childhood often and remember how SPECIAL my parents made the season. My mom sewing things night and day, my Dad dressed as Santa handing out things to those in need, baking yummy sweeties to eat, celebrating Christmas Eve with my extended family, sipping Dad's delicious eggnog punch and eating my mom's amazing cabbage rolls, and caroling to all our friends. These memories bring a smile to my face and a sparkle in my eye. They are what makes the season bright for me. The presents that I received are the least important compared to all that I shared and did as a family so long ago.

Now I have my own family and we try to do things to remember the Savior and put him first during this bustling season. Such as Christmas corner, singing Christmas carols, and my favorite is acting out Luke 2 on Christmas Eve with cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grand-parents. It is entertaining and spiritually enlightening too.
Christ is the greatest gift anytime of year. But it is extraordinary because all faiths come together as believers and followers of Christ and celebrate His birth and His life.
Remember HIM. :)

Say Cheese!

Picture Time! Say "cheese"...and this is what you get from Kendell.She is such a cutie pie. I just love the grin that she has. It kind of reminds me of some childhood photos that I have of myself and makes me laugh.
She is so cute! But the pigtails and bows didn't last long!

Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks
Our adventure was perfect. The weather was cold but no rain or snow to talk of, so we were happy. We enjoyed the view of El Capitan and Half Dome and all the nature walks and gorgeous landscapes, rivers, streams and falls that we saw along the way. We saw a lots of Squirrels, Birds and Deer as well as one hungry Coyote and three cute black Bears. We found a lot of things to be thankful for as we past through this amazing valley and the giant sequoia grove. We are truly blessed to live in this country where we are surrounded by immense beauty. We hope you had a wonderful Thanks Giving and have a chance to visit this beautiful National Park one day.

Yosemite National Park

What a great place to go take the perfect family picture for the Holiday. We spent ThanksGiving in Yosemite National Park. Our first day, we visited Mariposa Grove to see all the amazing Giant Sequoia trees.
This is the GRIZZLY. It is so big! When you finally come around the corner and it comes into view it takes your breath away. The photo will never do it justice. It is just one of those things that you need to see for yourself and experience the awesomeness of it all.
These trees are so big that you need more than three people to wrap around its trunk.

It was a cold morning especially for us but we were prepared with all the gear!
It was so much fun, even though we were freezing!