2012 ended our first full year in the big city! We've settled in a bit, even if we still have quite a few boxes left. It was a mild winter, which made some of the Bowdens very happy, but left a few others longing for snow.
January 2012 started with great joy, enjoying a visit from our nephew Adam and Chuck. Our 7th Annual Bowden Bowl Bash was great fun. Aunt Kathe lovingly came up to stay with Sarah and Emily while Daniel had surgery. The girls especially loved her lunches, which apparently are better than their normal lunches! A week later, Sarah won the family snow bet.
February included Operation Welcome Home, where Emily met Miss America. Debbie came for a quick visit (all by herself!). We spent a great (and chilly) day with our niece Kate at Penn State. In the end, she picked Duke, but we were okay with that! The girls participated in the Living Stations at church, too.
Nana came for a week-long visit in March. We played games, shopped at IKEA, explored the arboretum, and had lots of fun. Daniel made the switch to a big-boy bed, and we were crib-free again!
April brought a visit from Greg's friend Cara and her two girls. After their visit, we packed up and headed to South Carolina & North Carolina. Emily finally went on her first motorcycle ride with Uncle Jeff. Sarah decided to give it a go, too! We celebrated Easter at Debbie & Scott's, which of course involved a crazy Easter basket hunt! Sarah participated in her first chess tournament, and we spent a rainy day with Aunt Nancy & Uncle Ken. Emily's dance club put on a great show.
In May, Emily had several crazy adventures geocaching with Uncle Jeff when he and Aunt Kathe came for a visit. It was a weekend of jazz, with both Sarah's concert and Shawn's concert. We got to meet Duchess, too! Daniel and Kristen went to North Carolina to celebrate Kate's graduation from NC State. Julia was a great cousin, and Daniel loved the chance to play with her. Sarah enjoyed a day trip to Six Flags with the Glee Club & jazz band for Trills and Thrills. The girls had a fun time planting a garden with our friend Michael Hill, and the month ended with our annual Measuring Day (the first since our move).
The girls attended Camp FACE the first weekend of June, and we had a surprise lunch visit from our beloved friend Robert! Emily's fifth grade graduation was beautiful. VBS was great fun, and the girls were a huge help, handling the snacks every day for about 75 people! Papa & B'dette came for a visit, and we had fun exploring Fort McHenry. Papa spent a day in Philadelphia with Sarah and Emily for their 2011 Christmas present. We went to our first Orioles game, too. June started and ended with a crazy storm!
In July, Emily started a newspaper, with a staff of three (now four). We had a great visit with three of the Harrelson family. Then we had a visit with Nana, Gene & Joanna for our annual scrapbook trip. I came back and started my new job!
August brought lots of summer travel, with a trip to Hersheypark, Aunt Chris & Uncle Bill's, New York City, and Aunt Nancy & Uncle Ken's. Then Kristen & the kids headed to North Carolina. We went to visit Nana B. and Granny Gayle, and the girls spent a few days with Nana in South Carolina. Then it was back to school!
Daniel started preschool in September. Greg and Anthony went to a Penn State game in Virginia, and Kristen went to a USC game with Papa, B'dette and Kathe.
Nana came to celebrate Kristen's big 40th birthday in October, enjoying a series of celebrations with us, and conquering the corn maze! We adopted Anthony's dog Blue for about a month, adding quite a bit of excitement to our house! For Halloween, we had a plague doctor, Tonks, and Marcus Lattimore.
In November, we had a fun visit with the Marusak family. Greg & Kristen participated in the Reading of the Names at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. We spent a beautiful Thanksgiving at Nana's house. Nana had a great birthday party for Daniel's 4th birthday, and we spent some time with our dear friend Richard (Bubba to the kids). We also enjoyed Bradley & Brittany's wedding Thanksgiving weekend.
December was a month full of emotion, as Richard was called home. We are broken-hearted, but take great comfort knowing he is no longer suffering. We spent some quality time with family and friends in Goose Creek, and we can still feel his love.
Papa came for a week-long visit mid-December, and trains were the theme of the trip! We had the absolute joy of spending Christmas with Nana, and it was a beautiful day. She was thrilled to see snow, as were the kids, making Emily the winner of the 2012 snow bet! We made a yummy lasagna for Christmas dinner, and it easily weighed 20 pounds. After Christmas, we had a visit with Anthony, who came up for a fun day, but he did not bring Blue, much to Daniel's dismay!
We hope 2012 was good to you, and we look forward to an amazing 2013!
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