Late Christmas Letter 2012 (or maybe it is really early for 2013)

 Merry Christmas to one and all.  We send our thoughts, our hopes, and our love to each of our friends and family near and far.  We have had a busy but blessed year and never cease to be amazed at the amazing people and the great amount of love that Heavenly Father surrounds us with each year.  We are grateful!

Perhaps the biggest news for the family is that we moved from our beloved, beautiful Japan to London, England in July.  I am still struggling to say beautiful as we have yet to see the sun shine for more than a few days (or hours) at a time.  We truly feel like moles on those days that it does shine as we are squinting and covering our eyes.  No joke, I think my Vitamin D levels are in the negative numbers :0) The kids love their school and have adapted well.  It is a great school with many opportunities.  We have made some great friends and really enjoy our ward, as well.  Overall, I think it is safe to say we are as settled as can be expected.

Bryce:  Bryce continues to be busy, busy, BUSY!  He is now the IT Director over Eastern Europe as well as Africa and parts of Asia.  This translates to TRAVEL and lots of it.  Have to admit I was grateful when the budget ran out of travel money the latter half of 2012 because that meant he was home a lot more.  He describes it best....it is feast or famine with him.  We either see him a lot or not at all.  It is the not at all that we struggle with a bit when he is gone.  He loves his job though and I think he is quite good at it if I do say so myself.  He was also called to be the Ward Mission Leader for church.  He has enjoyed working with the missionaries and we all have enjoyed having them to our house for dinner each week.

Kim:  I am adjusting...still.  I think it is just taking a bit longer for me.  The kids school schedules, a little one at home, and church keep me busy, though.  Loving that the stores are more 'American like' than in Japan.  I can even read food in English and find shoes to fit my sasquatch feet!  Cade and I fill our days with taking care of the house, visiting friends, going to Gymboree, and carting the kids to and fro.  It is a busy schedule but I am sure glad I have my little buddy to keep me company.

Cade:  Speaking of little buddy....Cade is our Wild Card.  You just never quite know what you are going to get with this one.  He will have us rolling with some of his antics one minute and practically in tears the next after pegging a fork full of food in the face across the table.  He is a thrower and we fully expect either an NFL or MLB career in his future.  (I mean, there has got to be SOME benefit to not tying him up by his toes to the ceiling when he throws things, right?).  He is always running and usually getting into anything and everything he can.  He does not talk....AT ALL, but understands EVERYTHING you say and also knows how to get you to understand what it is that he wants.  Of course, this is usually by screeching in your face.  Oh boy, are we in for a ride with this one!

Tanner:  Tanner continues to be our crazy boy.  We finally found a friend for him that can keep up with his energy and the two are peas in a pod.  He is a very good reader, but doesn't enjoy it at all.  Tanner would much rather be doing something with a ball or with wheels.  He tends to be our video game junkie if we let him but thankfully that has become our bargaining chip, too.  Tanner tends to be a bit overactive for his teacher sometimes and apparently us threatening no video games solves that issue nicely.  He is a SUPER big brother to Cade and also LOVES our new guinea pigs.  Tanner has played soccer and basketball and just started piano and really enjoys it.  Oh, how we love our Wild Child!

Brynn:  Brynn has just blossomed since coming to England.  Japan was tough because she didn't have friends that necessarily enjoyed the 'girlie girl' things.  Boy, has that changed here!  Sometimes I think we have the opposite problem.  She has begun dancing again and piano and really loves it.  She also is in Sewing Club and has loved her Drama Class at school as well.  She continues to be my biggest helper with Cade and he loves his big sister.  Brynn never ceases to amaze us with her creativity and has written poems for us, made works of art, and decorated her room.  We can usually expect a performance of some kind any time she has a friend over or goes to a friends house (complete with music, costume changes, and scripts).  What a blessing to have such a fun daughter!

Isaac:  Perhaps the biggest change for Isaac is his GROWTH!  The kid is a horse.  He is almost as tall as me (5'8") and he just turned 12.  It seems like he grows an inch every night.  Isaac had a rough start to adjusting to life in England.  He went from almost no homework, responsibilities, or assignments in Japan to having over two hours of homework a night, switching classes each period, and having to organize himself OVERNIGHT.  It was tough but he persevered and we are proud of him.  He is doing well in school and enjoys his friends.  Isaac still continues to be our comedian.  He is hitting that pre-teen/teen stage which has been an adjustment for us all....him ready to be on his own (or at least he thinks he is) and Mom and Dad not ready to let go of the reins yet.  But I think we are finally seeing the forest through the trees.  Isaac is in Scouting and also does Basketball and has picked back up with the piano (much to his chagrin).  Now that he is 12, he is also able to attend mutual each week at church which he really enjoys.  He is still my big teddy bear and loves his baby brother (not too sure he feels the same about his other two siblings all the time).

We wish everyone a very blessed 2013 and hope to keep in touch with everyone!
Much love,
Bryce, Kim, Isaac, Brynn, Tanner, and Cade Bowman