Hi. I'm Nathan. I'm sitting here next to my brother Jordan. He's two years old now. My big name is Nathan William Halloran. I came to this family on January 10, 2003, so this is my first Christmas. Our parents are John and Melisa. When Dad comes home from work, Mom tells him funny things I did that day. They both laugh.
 
Hi. My name is Gabe. My big name is Gabriel Thomas Halloran. I was born on January 29, 2003. This is a picture of me with my sister Eleanor. We call her Ellie. She's three years old, almost four. Our parents are Dan and Suzi. In November our family bought a house. The back yard has nice trees and soft grass. Sometimes I ride in my stroller to the park nearby.
 
On April 13, we had a big 90th birthday party at Moreno's Restaurant for Grandpa's mother Billee Halloran. We call her Nana. Jordan and Ellie danced to the Mariachi music, and Ellie sang the Happy Birthday song. Everybody clapped.
 
In April and again in October, Grandma and Grandpa traveled to Rock Island, Illinois. They visited Grandma's Benedictine sisters there. Sister Estelle went with them to Nauvoo in the spring, and to Door County, Wisconsin in the fall. They saw how pretty the leaves are there in October.
 
We were all surprised when our great-grandmother died a few months after her 90th birthday. www.twhalloran.info is where you can read about Nana's life, and about the memorial Mass for her at Holy Family Cathedral and the party we had after the Mass. We both wait to see what our second year will bring. From Nathan and Gabe and all of us, Merry Christmas.