Weekend Update

It's been awhile since we posted. Usually I wait for something cool to happen to post but the longer I wait the cooler it has to be to make up for the lull. Originally I was just going to do a lame post to get the ball rolling but this weekend provided just the example.

We went to Tamara's brother Rob's ranch this weekend. You can see a picture of Rob to the right. He's been described a lot of ways but probably never as cuddly or soft. I had a lot of stuff to do so the first time they went out I stayed back and read. When they came back, Rob made some comment that it was too bad we had to leave the next day because they were branding some cows. We decided to stay a bit to see the branding since we never had.

The next morning we drive out to where the cows were "waiting" for us. They did the big group over christmas and there were only twelve for that day. They split off the steers from the to be branded and their moms into a different pen so they didn't cause problems. It sill confuses me an animal who outweighs you 10:1 will run scared like a little girl because you yell and run at it. I'm sure it has something to do with what we were about to do to the calves because saw the wrath of the bulls in Pamplona (that's right, 4/6 of the Hall men have run with the bulls.) I mean, when I play ball and see a guy who I outweigh (doesn't happen too often) by even 10 pounds I think about how I'll dominate him in the low post. I can't imagine if I outweighed him by 1800 pounds. Even the calfs we were going to brand were ~300 pounds.

They roped the first cow and as I walked over I overheard something about "not dropping yet" and saw some blood on Ottavio's hands. I thought to myself, I'm no doctor, but it sure looks like they're castrating that cow. Turns out I, without medical training, was correct. I didn't know this was part of the process. Then I saw Ottavio put them into the pocket of his chaps. I mean, I know cowboys do thing their own way but let's not get carried away.

On the second one they let me help hold the calf down and on the third one they let me flip it onto it's back and hold it down. Over the course of twelve calves I learned some of the finer nuances of how to make a calf submit (they don't tap out but you can see it in their eyes), flip it over, tie its legs, and some of the other joys of the process. A lot of the cows didn't even flinch when you emasculated or branded them which thoroughly surprised me. I guess they saw struggling didn't do anything for their brother so why fight it. I don't know.

After we were done Ottavio emptied the contents of his pocket into the fire. I said, "You're going to burn those and not give them to the dog?" "No, I'm cooking them" he responded. Typically, you cook stuff you're going to eat. "They taste somewhere between shrimp and lobster" he continued. "So they're a delicacy?" I inquired. He laughed. I'm not sure why I ate one. He just held out his hand full of them and I took one. It wasn't bad, but I'm not counting down until I get to eat another one. It didn't really have a lot of flavor but I think with some tabasco it could be all right. They should also probably be grilled and not just tossed into a fire because I don't think the ash helped. In case you skimmed some of the above, I did in fact eat a cooked bull testicle this weekend. What?

After all this I shook hands with a couple of the guys, forgetting what they had been doing with their hands mere minutes before. I told Rob it thanks and that I had a good time, which I did. I said, don't misunderstand-I don't want to be a cowboy or anything but it was cool. Twelve is one thing-200 might not do it for me. I'm not looking for a career change or anything. But if riding around on horses while roping, castrating, branding cows and eating rocky mountain oysters is wrong I don't want to be right.

Adoption Profile

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, Doug and I are in the process of trying to adopt a child. We have tried many ways to have a family on our own but it seems that it was not meant to be that way.

We are currently working with LDS Services and we hope that something works out with them. We are also trying to do this on our own. We are asking our close friends and family to help get our information out there to a mother that is looking to give up her baby for adoption. We have put together a website with some of our information. If you could please have a look and forward it on to anyone that may be able to help.

http://www.dougandtamarahall.com

We appreciate your help so much and we are so very excited to be parents sometime in the near future.

Gone Shootin'

For the New Year Papa Hall took us shooting. I really thought that I would do better but I am very proud of the 9 clay pigeons that I did shoot. Who went home a winner was Lisa, she made all of us look bad!!! Just goes to show that I have a lot of practicing to do but it was still a great day....so great that I even got a full body massage after.

I wished!!

Doug's mom has been wanting us to do a character picture of ourselves sense we were married. Everyone else in the family has one and they are all framed it the main room of her house. Well, we got one done and gave it to her for Christmas. I must say that this does NOT look like us at all, I am kind of embarrassed that is it up in Katie's home, but hey...I wished that I look this good!!!!!

Scary Stuff

My nephew Colton gave us quiet the scare a couple weeks ago. We first heard that he had a tooth ache and was going to Arizona to take care of it. Next we heard he was rushed to the hospital and staying there for a couple days. I never really heard what was wrong but now that we know that he is okay we can laugh about this picture taken of him at the hospital. I am told that this was taken three days after the swelling was really bad. Poor kid, we are so happy that all is well with you!! The best part was when I asked him how hard it was to be in the hospital he answered, "It was the best week ever. I played video games, ate a lot of desserts, and I didn't have to do any chores." Oh to be a kid again.

Happy New Year

2008 was a tough one for us so we are only hoping for the best in 2009. We rang in the new year with our friends here in LA. A little get together at the Fishers, then we headed out the The Marina Del Ray for the Fireworks. Well, we were able to hear the fireworks because the fog was so bad we could not see anything. We found ways to amuse ourselves!!! The pictures below are not taken by a dirty lens, that is just how foggy it was outside. Doug was not pleased that he got to bed so late (or early) but I believe that he still had a great time.

Hall 2008 Christmas Letter

As always Doug writes a very clever Christmas letter to go along with our Christmas Cards. If I had your mailing address you received this letter in the mail. It not, here you go:

Tamara asked for a top ten list but I couldn’t do that. Instead, I’ll use numbers to represent our year.
1-The ranking of LA’s weather, where we now live. It’s amazing how quickly you can adjust to no seasons when the weather’s perfect year round.
1.5-Number of seconds it took Tamara to start crying from happiness after the beginning of the Bon Jovi concert. Also the number of hours she continuously screamed and danced during the concert.
2-Number of bedrooms in our new place. We’re moving up in the world.
3-The number of times we went through the IVF process this year. It was emotionally and physically draining (more on Tamara than on me). We’re now going through the adoption process and hope that yields better results.
3’x3’x3’-The size of the biggest boxes we could use to ship our stuff across the country.
3.6-Number of liters of displacement of the engine in Tamara’s new car-an awesome Buick LeSabre. Also, the average number of time a day Tamara wonders how she got a LeSabre and I got a motorcycle.
4-Number of wins UCLA football has where I am attending the MBA program. As this goes to press, we still haven’t played USC but I’m pretty confident this won’t change.
5-Number of days we were in Idaho for Tamara’s family reunion-I was invited this year.
6-Number of banks assuring us they’ll be hiring interns this year. Also, the number of banks stringing us along and shattering our dreams.
7-Number of days we were in Costa Rica doing some decidedly non-missionary approved activities. Hiking, surfing, mountain biking, napping, hot springing.
8-Number of hours a day I expected to be working out, playing video games, napping, or being at the beach while in school. That number is zero for most of those ventures.
9-Number of hours a day Tamara has to work at her new job producing at Motive Films. The unique combination of better hours, better use of her skills, and better pay convinced her to take this job.
10-Number of minutes it takes us to drive to the beach.
18-Number of the kids we watch in nursery on Sunday.
33-Temperature of water in Bodega Bay. How long it took Tamara to paddle back to shore after hearing we were on one corner of the red triangle.
44-Number of heads of cattle we herded the day after Thanksgiving.
45-SPF of the zinc oxide I rocked in San Clemente
73-The temperature outside as I type this. In December.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day finally arrived!!! I had my video camera so most of the details are captured on film. Just wait until I show the video of all of us playing Rock Band. I just have to brag that I scored 100% singing Bon Jovi:) I also got a new camera from my wonderful husband, does he know me or what. It was so fun to watch the kids open up their gifts and to see their excitement. A long time tradition is to have dad make breakfast, this year he went all out and made reindeer waffles.

Luke very much enjoyed this moment and I have to say, so did Doug.


Bree got the doll of her dreams and carried it around with her everywhere.


We had dinner at my aunt Kathy's home. She goes all out when it comes to entertaining, I must have gotten that from her.


It has been three years sense I spent Christmas with my family, it was so nice to spend this wonderful holiday with them.

Christmas Eve

I know that I am writing a lot about Christmas and splitting everything up but I want to remember all of these memories so bare with me. Christmas Eve was spent at my parents house in Arizona. My dad wanted to do a "cowboy cookout" so everything was cooked outside dutch oven style.

It was oh so good.

We ate inside in the cowboy room

My cousin Gina came and I had to show how cute her little girl looked

Bree showed off her magic slippers

Of course the guys played video games

While I was showing Angela how to start a blog.

Leading up to Christmas

Roberts family was not going to my parents house after the Polar Express so we had a little pre Christmas at the hotel. James family was very missed this week. The kids exchanged gifts, then played in the snow and swam in the pool. The adults did what we do best, eat and talk. We gave dad his gift. He gets to ride his own Nascar around the track about 20 times, this is something that he has been wanting to do for awhile. It is always fun to be together as a family.


We then went to the Mesa Temple to see the lights. It worked out perfect because we were able to meet up with some of Doug's family and visit. Doug's grandparents were there visiting his aunt and uncle. It is always nice to see as much family as possible.