christmas eve with the hallens

The Happy Hallen Family!
It is CHRISTMAS EVE and we are all sitting down to a nice ham dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Hallen's home. The food was great with lots to do.

Every year G-pa and G-ma have a fun gift that is set at the table for us to open before we eat dinner. This year Thys received a Hot wheels Truck. That was a big hit. Way to go G-pa & G-ma!


Every year we act out the Nativity scene with whoever will be spending the holiday with us. It looks like someone doesn't look too excited to be here! Sydney kept telling Andrew, "Its just like playing mom and dad, only Jesus is our son." She said to mom, "Andrew still is really bored. "Madison was the narrator with dad's help making sure it was accurate or we might all have, "the 'Sprite' of Christmas to be with us."

Swing batter, batter, batter, batter! Swing batter! Madison taking a big Swing. She didn't brake it though. Addie had her chance and still nothing. Meagan stepped up there and she blew the top off.

Thanks to Auntie Kay we had fun destroying the Snowman Pinata

Ellie is wearing the cute hat that was on the Pinata. Thanks for spending Christmas Eve with the Hallen family.

Christmas 2008

Tis the Season to be jolly...

O.K.....It has been a few weeks since I have been able to write. At the begining of December I was browsing the Net for pre-school ideas and well I got computer virus and that put me out of commission for a week and a half. By then December was in full gear. So I am sorry for the long laps of time.

We have been having fun. Decorating our gingerbread house and making fun Christmas crafts. Christmas is upon us. And with some reluctance...I seem to be ready.

Through all the hustle and bustle I have managed to Christmas shop, have a Christmas mother/daughter progressive tea party with some friends(12 moms and their daughters). {My friend Michelle had a tea party with friends and family when she was a child and it became a tradition in their home for many years but once she got older they stopped doing it. Now she has two girls and I have three, she approached me about helping her to start it up a again. We did it and had a lot of fun. It started at her home with all the yummy food then off to Amy's house where they played a game and made a craft. Our home was ready for the group. We moved all the furniture out of the way so the girls could come and have dessert while I read them some Christmas stories. The joke was on me...apparently the last home that has the traveling teapot is the one to start the party next year. My girls will love it so it will be fun. }
I have been busy teaching pre-school for the last 3 weeks and helped to plan our Christmas pre-school party. Luckily that wasn't at my house this year. The children made their own gingerbread houses. It was very messy but sweet!

More hustle and bustle...I wrote to and sent my homemade christmas cards. Then I made handouts for our friends and neighbors. This year no sweet goodies. Instead I went to Ikea and bought their nice recycled bags and wrapped them in raffia and a nice tag and voila. C'est fini!

So Sydney has been telling things to her teacher, Mr. G that are really funny. Sydney was visiting Grandma K and Grandma told Syd that if you are naughty Santa only brings you COAL and UNDERWARE in your stocking. Well, Sydney went to school and told her teacher that if you are naughty Santa brings you coal and "dirty underware." He really got a kick out of it and asked her to repeat that a few times during class "What does Santa bring you if you are bad?". On Friday the last day of school it was the Christmas class party he asked her again. She was rather embarrassed and kept saying..."MY GRANDMA TOLD ME....!" not wanting to say...dirty underware! Then Mrs. G started to tease Mr. G that the kids will get HIS dirty underware. Everyone was laughing and it was all in good fun.

Christmas 2008!

Madi, Syd, Thys and Ellie
It is a joyous time of year and we wish everyone love and peace. Take time to be apart of the scene, embrace and love your family for they are most important, enjoy the aroma of the season and be enchanted by the carols that you hear. But most of all remember our Savior and his most humble birth. He is there for us all. Let us come unto him.

Merry Christmas from the Hallen Family

What would Christmas be without The Nutcracker?

There is magic in the air when December rolls around and the spirit of Christmas is here. Boxes of decorations, stockings, greenery and all the trimmings are overtaking our home.

Over the last few years I have been able to attend "The Nutcracker Ballet" with my children. It is so enchanting and blissful. It just ushers in the season for me and it is becoming a tradition in our home to see. However, I had know idea that I felt this way until a month ago. I was preparing for Thys' Preschool and was thinking of a fieldtrip that we could do . The Nutcracker came to my mind. I went to work and arranged it all and I am so excited to be able to go with Thys this year. What a great Christmas activity. I think the pre-school children will enjoy it too.

For Monday preschool, we read the story of The Nutcracker, listened to the music and even made a cute Nutcracker craft of our very own. I used all punches for this Nutcracker and he turned out alright. The children liked the story and the music. I think they will love the ballet.