Hallie's First Attempt

This is my first attempt at writing on this journal. Hopefully all will enjoy these frequent updates that Mike and I put up on this site. Mike and I visited This Is The Place Heritage Park on Friday December 17. It was decorated beautifully and it was fun to eat soup out of a bread bowl. For those of you who don't know what This Is The Place Heritage Park is let me tell you. It is a place where they have moved or recreated pioneer homes of prominence in Utah. During certain times of the year they have reencactors dressed pioneer outfits. It is quite fun to go there. When we went on Friday there were Christmas tress everywhere, lanterns lit along the paths, and bonfires to keep warm. For the past two weeks we have been going to concerts at the ZCMI mall. The local radio station has had mini christmas concerts. They have been quite fun. I throughly enjoyed the day that they had three brothers from Nova Scotia who played celtic music. Mike got everyone to clap along. What a stud. If I can find the tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert then we will be going tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to going, but Hallie can't seem to find them. Start thinking good thoughts for me. Well I guess that is all the news for now. Chat with you later.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Mike, always the big kid at heart, was pretty stoked to see the trailer for the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory coming out next summer. Mike has been a Roald Dahl fan for as long as he can remember, ever since he found a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the family library, and he now has his own hardbound copies of Dahl's children's books and grown up short stories.

Christmas in California

This is a picture of us about a year ago at the Grove in LA. We were able to spend about a month down in Cali last year, which was really nice. This year, work has obligated us to stay home and make the best of it here.

Springtime in Washington, DC

Hallie really likes this shot of us at the US Naval Academy. We went back to the Washington, DC area in April 2003 so that Mike could take the oral portion of the US Foreign Service Exam. We also got a chance to get reacquainted with Mike's extended family who live in the area. While the test was a bust, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Newborn Baby Lily, December 2004

This is one of the first pictures of Bryce and Elise's new little baby, Lily. Ain't she a sweety?

A Winter Tradition

Every winter something comes over Mike and he has to cut paper snowflakes. Fortunately, he gets sick of it fairly quickly. This year he found a new snowflake website, so we no longer have to vacuum up all the leftovers. The gallery on this site is pretty amazing. Good times!

Happy Holidaze!

Here's our (more or less) annual Christmas letter. Enjoy!

From Us to You: A Year’s Worth of Haikus
Merry Christmas 2004!
Love, Mike and Hallie Owens

New Year’s in Cali,/ Then back to Salt Lake City./ Cali was so warm!
Utah winter: Brrr!/ December was worse, we heard./ Our love quells the chill.
New school for Hallie/ She’s at LDSBC:/ The next billionaire!
Hallie’s gift to Mike:/ Our anniversary date/ At Kingsbury Hall.
The Chieftains’ music,/ Rousing Irish Celtic tunes,/ A stompin’ good time!
Mike kidnapped Hallie/ Hotel Monaco and Lamb’s:/ “Birds and Bees” in flight!
Barenaked Ladies/ E-Center, capacity crowd/ Live performance rocked!
Hallie got a job/ As a fitness technician./ Curves makes you curvy!
Mike spent the summer/ Assisting professors and/ Teaching Upward Bound.
Mike counts the tithing./ Hallie leads in Primary./ The Lord’s work moves on.
Carly got married!/ Our new brother-in-law, Shad,/ Made a handsome groom.
Hallie found Mike out./ His early Christmas present/ Was still a big thrill.
Fourteen hours each way,/ Jammin’ to “Celtic Pop” tunes,/ Great Big Sea to see!
Mike got a prime spot./ Hallie, Tracy, and Becca/ Saw “da b’ys” up close.
Ah, sweet Calgary:/ Tim Horton’s & Stampede Grounds,/ A&A’s donairs!
Grandmas have been ill./ We go to offer our help./ Bittersweet partings.
Wee Lily Maygren,/ Bryce and Elise’s firstborn./ We look on in joy!
Christmas in Utah/ No trip to Cali this year./ Your love keeps us warm!
We remember you/ As we celebrate Christ’s birth:/ God’s great gift of love.
We remember Christ:/ His teachings, His Atonement,/ His great offering.
We each have struggles/ That we must bear patiently./ Jesus showed us how.
At this Christmastime/ We hope His love burns deeply/ In your homes and hearts.
We wish you all the/ Happiness you can bear/ This season and always.