2008 Christmas Letter

Friends and Family,

In an effort to be more green (not really, this is the fastest, cheapest, and lowest overhead way to do a Christmas letter) we've decided to go online with our annual update. We had yet another eventful year with many trips and events with friends and family that helped add texture to an already over scheduled life. Kresta and James went to Hawaii in May where we visited with Debbie(Kresta's sister) and Bryon for a few days before heading to Kauai for some much needed R&R.

The older boys (Taylor and Tanner) participated in a LDS Dance Festival in the Tacoma Dome that took months and month of preparation and culminated in an event with literally thousands of other kids. Taylor's Group peformed the Disco (it was a huge hit and Taylor is quite the dancer). Tanner performed in the "Get Your Head in the Game" performance and also in the Choir that had a role in the entire presentation. It took a lot of extra commitment and preparation but we were so proud Tanner was willing to do that. We can't adequately describe what an amazing experience it was. I (James writing) really thought the whole premise was kind of silly, but when all 11 stakes and nearly 3,000 kids came together for those several days -- the event was amazing. It was entertaining for the thousands of community members who attended and was great for the kids to hear from Brad Wilcox, and Sister Dalton among others. It was truly a great experience.

We had another Rowley Reunion this year that was held at Grandma and Grandpa Rowley's house. It was tons of fun. Later in the summer James and Kresta went white-water rafting near Leavenworth, WA. It was Kresta's first time . . . and she LOVED it! We plan on doing that again. Now for the family updates . . . sorry if this is a bit boring for you, it's strangely cathartic for me:

James: Is changing Jobs again. After 8 years with 2 companies (Intel and T-Mobile) I'll be starting my 3rd job in the last 3.5 years. I left Mikron's top finance job to take another shot at Sr. Leadership in a major fortune 500 corporation. You know the type: a stable institution with a long track record of success . . . so I picked WaMu. Should probably stop there. WaMu has been great -- I've led the Finance for Marketing and eCommerce for the bank, worked with some amazingly talented people, and formed some life-long friendships. With the integration with JP Morgan I was offered a position in Columbus, Ohio as CFO of their Debit business. Certainly an honor, but not the right thing for our family at this time. We have always been blessed and this situation was no different. My first boss from Intel called and that led to a Director position with a fantastic consultancy called Alvarez & Marsal. Start date is February 2nd -- check next year's letter for how that's going.

Kresta: Is doing awesome! She is the Primary President in our ward and works very hard to give her best. The Primary is the children's Sunday School organization in our church and she has full responsibility for all kids ages 3-11. Kresta continues to Homeschool Tanner, Dallin, Haley, and McKay and while the work is arduous, she loves the influence she's able to have on our children and she does a great job at it. They all have tested well-above their respective grade levels on standardized tests which I believe is a testament to the quality of teaching they receive. Re: her cancer, Kresta is doing really well. Her cancer levels are the lowest they've ever been since diagnosis and continue to drop. We're sure grateful for that progress -- having a chance to reflect on our mortality over these last 6 years has truly changed our family perspective. Life is short. Enjoy every minute. And the big news for Kresta . . . she's planning to return to school this year! Fall 2009 will be her target relaunch and we're all very proud of her. It will mean changes for some of our kids in terms of now going to public schools but they've all responded in very mature and understanding ways. We'll be cheering her all the way. Once more thing, she took Tanner to the Midnight showing of the new movie Twilight . . . and then saw it 2 more times. That's right, 3 times she's seen that movie . . . I'm almost jealous (JK).

Ladies first . . .

Haley: is doing wonderfully and now is 9 years old. It has been really fun to hear her singing her heart out almost every day. One day we were driving in the car and I turned to Kresta and commented on how much her voice was evolving. She no longer sounds like a little kid -- she really has a good voice! Of course, I think that comes from the constant practice. She enjoys activities days with other young women her age at church and this summer attended the Peninsula High School volleyball camp. We're not sure if it will continue, but Haley is very tall -- literally head and shoulders above all the other girls her age. If that continues and she gets a bit more aggressive (she helps girls up on the soccer field when she accidentally runs over them) we could have a future WNBA star on our hands. Watch for updates. More than anything, we really appreciate having Haley as our daughter. She is an amazing help with McKay and Olivia often acting as a little Mommy -- giving them spelling tests for "fun", fixing them meals, helping at bed time, and many other things. She is a delight to have in our family.

Olivia: is now 3 and is the Queen of the Reed household . . . and knows it! She constantly amazes us with her intelligence, curiosity, and ability as a munchkin to physically dominate her older siblings. She has got McKay's number and manhandles him whenever she feels like it. Except for those times, she is the sweetest little spirit we could have dreamed of; I can't imagine our family without her -- we would be incomplete. This year Olivia has been attending a Lutheran pre-school which is kind of interesting as she loves wearing her BYU shirts there and may be the most vocal fan under 4 years old in the BYU following. Whenever there is a football game on she asks, "Is this the BYU?" and then chants "B. Y. U."; it's pretty funny. Olivia may be the best worker in our family: picking weeds, folding laundry, asking "Dad, what can I do for you?" -- she is constantly engaged in something useful. And it's a good thing because she has LOTS of energy.

Now for the Boys:
Taylor: is now 15 and is a very good son. He serves in church as the Teacher's Quorum President and is very faithful and diligent in his service. He's a really good student too as he has decided he wants to be a surgeon. We'll see if he sticks with that but it's great motivation to do well and he is doing that. Taylor missed most of his Freshman baseball campaign with a broken arm suffered at a winter scout campout. We had a great camp and on our way out he broke his arm sledding. Taylor has been cursed with one of the wackiest Father's on the planet and I didn't respond very well as this was 2 days prior to try-outs. He got to play in a few games at the end of the year and ended up working out with a select team during the fall. We'll see where we go from here. As mentioned, he was in dance festival which was very cool. Later he went to scout camp and earned his BSA lifeguard which is quite an accomplishment. He's working on his Eagle advancement (albeit slowly) and hopes to complete that this year. Later on we had a high adventure activity fall through but I was not going to allow it to fail . . . so we camped at the lake for a few days, played xbox until 3am, water skied, wake-boarded, and hung out. And wouldn't you know? Taylor got a shard of Metal in his eye! We spent part of the week in the ER getting the fragments DRILLED out of his eye. But alas, all is well and he's not injured as of this writing. He also finished driver's ed this year so is gallivanting about with us in tow -- he'll get his license AFTER he gets his Eagle. He's a great kid with many admirable qualities and we're lucky to have him as our oldest.

Tanner: is now 13 and has a hilarious dry wit about him. Tonight I called a family council for a a very important topic. Before I could even start Tanner says dead-pan: "I want a raise." He's like that every day and it keeps us laughing. Tanner serves in his Deacon's Quorum Presidency as the 2nd councilor and has done a great job training the new Deacons on their duties as they come into the Quorum. He's a legend at Scout camp each year for earning so many merit badges and could possibly earn his Eagle this year too if he really tries. Tanner's big thing this year has been in learning to play guitar. He actually starts formal training tomorrow but in the last several months has taught himself some of the basics of classic guitar and already has several songs in his repertoire. He loves to read and is always doing it -- I often have to turn lights on for him because he's so engaged in his book that he forgets to turn on the lights. Tanner is above all else, a really fun kid who has a super testimony of the gospel. We really love having him in our home; our days would be much duller and less humorous if he weren't here to keep it light.

Dallin: is now 11 and has many talents. It was apparent early on that this boy has a real shot at being very special on the piano -- he is naturally gifted on the piano and improving daily. We have generally told our kids they need to be able to play hymns but Kresta has repeatedly informed me regarding Dallin, "we're not letting him stop lessons." Dallin completed his tour of duty in Cub Scouts this year and is now into Boy Scouts. He'll be the first to tell you he's not a huge fan of scouts but he does enjoy camping and hiking and I look forward to having him with us on more and more outings. He earned his Arrow of Light which is an award he is allowed to also wear on his Boy Scout uniform. He participated in the Pinewood Derby for the final time and after winning out right each of the last 2 years he was middle of the pack this time. I was never more proud of him than at the derby this year. We put very little time into this year's car. Dallin wanted to let others taste victory (I was totally opposed to this strategy BTW). He was amazing in how gracefully he congratulated his friends and genuinely felt happy for their victories. He taught Dad that day. I have to mention some of Dallin's quirks: he's a "lurker" as Kresta calls it, he finds his way into adult discussions and before you realize it he's in the middle getting all the dirt, he should be a spy; he loves little kids, he's just wonderful with toddler aged kids; and he's a defender of his brothers, he will do anything to keep his brothers and especially Tanner out of trouble. Dallin's just a great overall son and brother and we love him a lot.

McKay: is 6 and is at a very fun stage. The other day early in the morning (he, Olivia, and I are the early risers in the family) he said very seriously, "Dad . . . never trust a Genie" -- and then walked away. He says hilarious stuff like that all the time! He has of course been a big part of all our family fun this year but he was most engaged in his swim lessons. We feel it's very important that our kids all swim well and so, we've had them all in swim lesson off and on. One day during an open swim McKay asked if I wanted to see his back stroke. I answered in the affirmative and he flipped over, thrashed like a fish OUT of water -- arms and legs flailing, water flying everywhere -- looking like he was drowning . . . and not moving an inch. He jumped up with a huge smile on his face seeking my praise and basking in his accomplishment. It was a really funny sight to behold and one I will always remember. The boys and I also took McKay on a Scout hike this year up to Lena Lakes in the Olympic Forest. I gave him a whistle and told him to blow it if he saw any bears and . . . next time I saw him was a few hours and 5 miles later. He was among the first group up the mountain without even a single complaint. He beat the scout I was accompanying up the mountain by over 30 minutes. It was really fun. McKay is really a delight and in those moments where we peel him away from anything electronic (he's seriously addicted to video games) he has a super personality. We love having him in our family and seeing him pal around and play with Olivia is one of the sweet blessings of parenthood we get to enjoy. They are buddies.

Among our other activities already mentioned, we took many ski trips, had Grandma and Grandpa Reed here when we were in Hawaii, and made an October trip for an MBA reunion to Utah. We reunited with many beloved friends and family in each of these adventures and had a great time doing so.

Above all, our testimonies of Jesus Christ have been strengthened this year. Our beloved Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley passed away this year. In his place a great man and Prophet of God named Thomas S. Monson has been called and our witness of that transition has served to strengthen our faith. For certainly our Father in Heaven loves us and would never lead us on this earth without his servants to lead and guide us.

It is our holiday wish that each of you who may read this will enjoy this season. Take a little time to serve your fellow man, to love a little more, and to thank God above for the birth of his only Begotten Son, even Jesus Christ. We know that they love us and they love you and that our common cause to come to this earth is an outward manifestation of that love. This is our collective opportunity to learn and to grow.

Merry Christmas and a most Joyous New Year,
The Reeds James, Kresta, Taylor, Tanner, Dallin, Haley, McKay, Olivia, and Helaman (the Dog)