December 25, 2005
Christmas Letter
Here is our 2005 Christmas letter.
Family Portrait at the Sea of Galilee
Happy Holidays from the Holy Land!
We are grateful for the chance to be here in Israel longer than we originally planned. Although we miss our family and friends very much, we love living here. It has been an amazing experience for our family. This year we have traveled to Greece, Eilat (the southern tip of Israel), the Czech Republic and Austria. We also made a quick trip to the States for Scott's brother's wedding. We have also enjoyed the opportunity to see many of the sights here in Israel. There are still so many things we want to see and do here. We hope to fit in as much as possible before returning home to Oregon in July 2006.
Brooke (2) is the sweetest little girl we know. She loves giving hugs and kisses, playing with her dolls and dishes, trying on clothes and hats, and wearing Tiffany's shoes. She is learning new words everyday. Brooke is also our little monkey. She climbs everywhere that Tyler does and then some. She amazes us with her agility and fearlessness. She is almost always happy and is great company for Tiffany during the day.
Tyler (4 1/2) loves going to his Israeli preschool. He speaks Hebrew very well. His teachers say he speaks more correctly than his classmates. We assume that it's because we don't know enough Hebrew to corrupt him with any slang. Tyler is all boy. He loves cars, trains and planes. He also loves building things with Legos. He is often rambunctious, but when he wants to, he can be very sweet. We have been fortunate this year with only two hospital trips: a minor hernia operation and then more recently a few stitches above his eyebrow.
Tiffany (just right) is kept very busy with two active children. People here are amazed that she stays at home and takes care of them. Of course all the chasing helps keep her slim. At church, Tiffany is in charge of the four young women. They love her and have enjoyed experiencing some traditional experiences of Young Women, such as handouts, activities and Personal Progress. In her limited free time, she manages to scrapbook a little.
Scott (31) has been enjoying his job tremendously. He is involved in multiple design projects. His church callings keep him busy too. Scott loves to play Legos with Tyler. He also loves being greeted at the door after work with a hug and a kiss from Brooke. He enjoys reading to our children at bedtime. In his limited free time he manages to read a few books himself.
We try to regularly post pictures and descriptions of our adventures on our webpage: http://www.bowden.info/scott/israel/
We are thankful to live in the land of our Savior's birth. We are blessed to be here and to be frequently reminded of His life and mission. May you feel the joy and love of this Christmas season and throughout the coming year.
Love,
Scott, Tiffany, Tyler and Brooke Bowden