Seasons Greeting from the Rowley's.  

This has been a good and busy year for us (just like every other year).  We’ve moved to Battle Creek, MI- which is south-central MI.  We don’t know if we like it here so much because of Battle Creek’s inherent coolness, or if it just seems pretty great next to New Jersey.  (Sorry to our New Jersey friends, we love you, just not the state!)  Nick is working for Kelloggs here in a Corporate Quality role.  This job is much more 9-5 and we are loving the more structured hours and seeing him more.  He is enjoying it too, although it may take some time for him to adjust to a less frantic pace.  With the additional time, Nick has been doing a great job of keeping up on my honey do list and is looking to start several of his fish aquariums back up.

As soon as we moved in, the kids started school and so I have been doing a little exploring and settling in with only Pierce in tow.  I’m working as the Scout and Cub committee chair here.  The Lord has a sense of humor!  With a new house, I’ve also started into re-painting the interior.  I can’t seem to leave walls alone.  It drives Nick a little nuts (especially since I like color), but the kids have loved picking out colors and themes for their new rooms.  Unfortunately, they greatly overestimate my abilities and had some crazy ideas about what we should do.

Brynli- Hey, It’s me!! This year we have moved (for the 4th time) and so I’ve learned to adjust to this new chapter in my life. I have made a few friends and I am enjoying school and I am taking choir as an elective. I am enjoying that. Church has been exiting with meeting new members and meeting the YW. I am getting used to the weather, (my allergies aren’t) and its snowing, so thats good. I am taking a finances class with our church program and I’m learning lots. I got braces and they are uncomfortable. Merry Christmas!! xoxo

Arwyn- Merry Christmas, good thing I am going next (Second is the Best!) I think we have decided we like it here. I still miss all of my Peeps from NJ. School is going well. I love the young women group here. I have been taking choir as an elective and if I sing Hi Ho its Christmas one more time I WILL lose my voice. We are enjoying our new house (Particularly the hot tub!) I recently got braces. Not fun at all. I am learning sewing but I can’t tell you what I am doing because my secret santa might read this. Recently I gave a talk in church (I barely  survived) a young man in my ward was making faces at me along with my friend Jacquie. I was so close to laughing but I did a good job.

Chance-  Chance has discovered reading and loves to read.  He is on his second time through the Harry Potter books.  Despite his love of reading, he hates writing and so I didn’t even ask him to do his section.  I hear enough whining when he has writing homework!  Chance and Chase have been in wrestling.  It is fun to see their different personalities come out in how they approach the sport.  Chance is methodical about it.  He learns the moves in his head and analyzes what he is doing and what he wants to do.  Chase doesn’t care about the moves or what they are called, he just wants to get in there and wrestle.

Chase-  Chase had a few bumps in the road with the beginning of school.   The first day of school the bus lost him.  (This happened last year on his first day of Kindergarten too).  The second day of school, Chase was so adamant that he wasn’t going to be lost, that he got off the bus, at the wrong time, and went looking for the bus he thought he was supposed to be on.  He got on a bus, just not headed to the right place.  The third mishap was that the school thought I was going to pick him up and didn’t put him on the bus.  When he didn’t show up, the school called me and I went to get him.  It being the third time, he was a little frustrated.  If it was going to happen to one of my kids- I’m happy it was Chase.  He was and is a champ and takes everything in stride.  He makes friends with everyone and is always seeing someone he knows or making friends with someone new.

Pierce-  Pierce is home alone with me all day this year (Chase had half day Kindergarten last year.)  We had a rough start.  Pierce wanted a playmate and I just didn’t measure up and I don’t do well with constantly being told how I’m doing things wrong and how I need to do them instead!  After an adjustment period, I’m loving this last year alone with him (I hope he is too).  He is an expert on everything, but when it isn’t directed at me, I love to hear him pontificate on everything and anything.  He is an awesome helper and too smart for his own good.

We have talked about how our family has moved a lot in our 14 year existence.  We have talked about some of the good and some of the bad that comes with that.  We think that the good has outweighed the bad.  We have lots of friends in lots of different places and we miss you all.  We hope that you are happy and healthy and enjoying this wonderful Christmas season.  

Love,

Nick, Tiffany, Brynli, Arwyn, Chance, Chase and Pierce