Merry Christmas to you and yours! We wanted to update you on our activities over the year and tell you of our adventures. You may already know about how at McClelland St we were simultaneously frozen and kept awake until all hours by our neighbors. Well, we are happy to say that the gas leak in the furnace and the house fire solved both problems quite well (Hallie will miss Mitch, though). We then moved into a new house with Vola, a wonderful lady. Hallie’s brother came to live with us while laying low after running into that fire truck (driving and pesticides don’t mix). We especially loved having immediate family so close for the first time in four years. We had many laughs with him. A “Family Guy” fan, he set up a small idol to Peter Griffin in his new place.
Speaking of mind altering experiences, Hallie, now manager at Curves (local health club), is now fully into the Curves lifestyle. She rarely leaves the house anymore without wearing some bit of Curves advertising. Mike did an ethnographic paper on the culture of Curves. The ladies all love him (and he them).
In April we visited Montreal, Canada. Mike attended an education conference, & Hallie thought it would be fun to tag along. She was right. We stayed at a B&B and got to know Montreal quite well. Unfortunately, this will be our last visit to Canada for some time (if the customs authorities have their way). Once again, Mike went into one of his political tirades with a Mounty, only this time Sgt. Preston spoke back more eloquently with his baton. Montreal reminds Mike of Buenos Aires. He could live there (assuming we cross under cover of darkness).
On May 18, Hallie turned 30. What better way to celebrate your birthday then to take a trip to Disneyland? It was great fun especially to surprise all of Hallie’s family. What a great look Hallie’s mom had on her face when she walked in to say hi to her at work. Mike will never forget how she slammed through two lines of tardy students requesting readmit slips just to get to her daughter. Reminiscent of that Schwartzeneggar classic “Total Recall;” truly touching.
September was a busy month. A new semester brought new trials, & as the end approaches we wonder what were those trials all about? Mike suspects it had something to do with his recurring dreams about a red faced man with horns, the promise of finishing his PhD, and a blood pact, but Hallie scoffs. After all, dreams are rarely based on reality. Hallie interned at Anton Boxrud B&B downtown. She has really enjoyed it and has made good friends with the owner. Now she needs to make nice with the local chamber of commerce & Vola so we can start our own at home.
November brought a first for us. M&H celebrate seven years of marriage in January, & not once had we spent a night apart. Yet on November 10, we both had to go separate ways. Mike went to Nashville for another education conference, stayed at the Opryland Hotel, & really enjoyed it. Hallie went to the Curves Convention in Las Vegas. Both have remained closed-lipped about our trips. After all, you know what they say: “What happens in Nashville. . . .”
On December 11th, we took a business trip to Waco, Texas where Hallie will learn more about what Curves expects of her. Mike will visit the freezing war protesters at Pres. Bush’s Crawford ranch. Nothing warms the blood like a good debate! At the end of December Hallie will graduate with honors from LDSBC. She is excited and has enjoyed her time at school. She made many friends and learned a lot about how to bend the honor code without breaking it. Mike is done with course work and will start writing his dissertation soon. We are excited for this transition in his program.
And our big news of the season: we have decided to start the adoption process, so hopefully by this time next year there will be another little Owens with news of his or her own to share! We hope that as we reflect on the birth of our Savior during this Christmas season, that you will feel His love in your lives. We hope for you and yours all the happiness you can reasonably bear, and you are in our thoughts and prayers!
Love, Us
This blog is an ongoing love letter to our children, their birthmothers, their grandparents on both sides of the continent, and our extended family and friends.
1 comment:
Speaking of blood pacts with horned, red-faced men, here's an interesting fact:
Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.
More Chuck Norris Trivia Facts:
Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.
Chuck Norris does not have AIDS but he gives it to people anyway.
Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris instead decided to punch his way out of his mother's womb. Shortly thereafter he grew a beard.
When Chuck Norris plays Oregon Trail his family does not die from cholera or dysentery, but rather roundhouse kicks to the face. He also requires no wagon, since he carries the oxen, axels, and buffalo meat on his back. He always makes it to Oregon before you.
Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck met all three bullets with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.
Chuck Norris recently had the idea to sell his urine as a canned beverage. We know this beverage as Red Bull.
A man once asked Chuck Norris if his real name is "Charles". Chuck Norris did not respond, he simply stared at him until he exploded.
To prove it isn't that big of a deal to beat cancer. Chuck Norris smoked 15 cartons of cigarettes a day for 2 years and acquired 7 different kinds of cancer only to rid them from his body by flexing for 30 minutes. Beat that, Lance Armstrong.
The original theme song to the Transformers was actually "Chuck Norris--more than meets the eye, Chuck Norris--robot in disguise," and starred Chuck Norris as a Texas Ranger who defended the earth from drug-dealing Decepticons and could turn into a pick-up. This was far too much awesome for a single show, however, so it was divided.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
After much debate, President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima rather than the alternative of sending Chuck Norris. His reasoning? It was more "humane".
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.
Post a Comment