Merry Christmas 2016 and Happy New Year from the Biesingers!

Merry Christmas from, Geoff, Rachel, Kai, Hana, Aya and Aya!

メリークリスマス とあけましておめでとうございます　　

－ジェフ、レイチェル、海、花,彩と綾より！

What an amazing year it has been for our family! As most of you know, we spent January-June running the Mikuni International College in a rural mountain town in Japan and loved it. You can read about our adventures on our family blog at http://simplehomeinparadise.blogspot.com/2016/01/japan-our-new-home-in-different-kind-of.html if you are interested. This was our girls first time to Japan and we had so much fun introducing them to some of our favorite places, food and people. Geoff was the principal and Rachel was the vice principal (aka the mom) of the school so we were all very busy. Hana and Aya loved playing with all the students.  We lived near the school along with all of our students who came from all over Japan and we really became a family. We love and miss our students and Mikuni staff so much! Geoff is continuing to work with Mikuni as the principal of their Ejuku (online) classes and we keep in contact with all of our students. In fact, one of the Mikuni students, decided to come to the U.S. for her last 2 years of high school and is now part of our family while she is doing that! Her name is Aya Nagano, so yes, we have 2 Ayas in our family!

なんて素敵な1年だったのでしょう！みなさんご存知のとおり、私たちは1月から6月までの間、みくに学園という山の中にある学園で校長をしていました。私たちの冒険はこちらで綴られています。もしよければ読んでみてください。

花と彩にとって最初の日本であったため、子供たちに私たちの日本でお気に入りの場所、食べ物、人たちなどを紹介するのが楽しかったです。夫ジェフは校長、私レイチェルは副校長でしたので、私たちはとても忙しかったです。花と彩は他の生徒たちと遊ぶのがとても好きでした。私たちは他の外国の方とともに学校の近くの宿で泊まり、本当の家族のように接していました。私たちはみくに学園の生徒たちや、みくに学園がとても大好きで、今ではまた行きたいとも思っています。夫ジェフは今では多くのみくに学園の生徒たちと英語を話す練習やコンタクトする、E塾というオンラインの学校の校長として働いています。実際、1人のみくに学園からの生徒で、2年間英語の勉強をするとともに私たちの家族の一員としてアメリカに来た生徒がいます。彼女は永野綾といい、なんと私の家族にアヤが二人もできました。

Our Mikuni family in May at the dinner dance-miss you all so much!
私たちのファミリー　ダンスパーティーにて　とても寂しく思います！

When we came back from Japan we moved into a home in Riverton, Utah, close to Daybreak where we lived before. We love our neighborhood, ward and schools here.
アメリカに帰国後、リバトンというデイブレイク（日本に来る前、私たちが住んでいた場所）に近いところに住んでいます。私たちは近所の人やワード、そして学校などが好きです。

While we were traveling we also had the opportunity to go to Hawaii again! It was so great to see our Ohana there because we miss them a lot. Love and aloha to all of you! And thanks so much for your hospitality Murdocks, we loved spending time with you!

さて、私たちが旅行中、ハワイに行く機会がありました！オハナ（ハワイでいう家族）にまた会える喜びを感じていました。ムードックさんの素敵な勧誘に感謝しています。私たちはあなた達と過ごした時間が大好きです。

Quick update on everyone:
皆さんの最新情報

Kai stayed with another American family in South Jordan while we were in Japan so he could keep going to school here. It was kind of funny that he was in the U.S. while we were in Japan! We had the chance to meet his family in person while we were in Kyoto and we all got along really well. They took us to a really cool secret Ninja hideout themed restaurant and it was amazing!

海は私たちが日本にいる間、別のアメリカの家族と共に過ごしていました。彼がアメリカにいるのに、私たちが日本にいるなんて面白いですよね。私たちは京都に住む彼の家族に会うチャンスがありました。彼らは忍者レストランという京都のレストランに連れて行ってくれました。そこはとても凄かったです！

With the Sawai family in front of the cool Ninja restaurant in Kyoto

Kai is a senior at American Heritage now and is continuing to enjoy his B Boy and Hip Hop company dance classes. He had the opportunity to choreograph and teach dances to other boys in his class for the fall concert and it was really fun to watch. He graduates in June!

海は今年アメリカンヘリテイジ（以下AH）という学校で高校3年生（シニア）になり、ヒップホップやブレイクダンスの授業を楽しく受けています。彼は他の生徒たちにダンスを教える機会があり、秋のコンサートで見せてくれました。そのコンサートは楽しく見ました。後、彼は6月に卒業します！

Kai and Aya blowing out the candles on their cakes at the Bushman family August birthday party

Kai playing with Hana and Aya 

Aya (Nagano) had her whole life change when she and her parents decided to have her finish high school here in Utah this summer. Now she is here, as part of our family and doing really well adjusting to doing school in English, American culture, having siblings etc. She also goes to American Heritage and is learning the guitar, sign language and Quidditch along with all of the regular classes. We’re so happy to have her here with us!　

綾（永野）は彼女の親と一緒にアメリカの学校で卒業すると決めたとき、彼女の人生が変わりました。今では彼女は英語やアメリカの文化を習い、家族の一員として環境に適応しています。彼女もAHに行っており、ギターや手話、それにクディッチ（ハリーポッターのボール競技）や必須科目などを習っています。私たちは彼女がここに来た事をうれしく思います。

The first time we met Aya at our school, last February. In this picture we have 2 Ayas and 2 Hanas!

Kai and Aya's first day of school this year at American Heritage in South Jordan in August

Hana is in the 5th grade now and is loving her teacher and new school, here in Riverton. She loved living in Japan and some of her favorite things from that experience were: becoming friends with all of our students (and Japanese girls her age wherever we went!) eating lots of yummy seaweed and Japanese candy, going to Tokyo Disneyland and being spoiled by her Japanese grandparents.

花は小学5年生になり、新しい学校や先生が大好きです。彼女は日本で日本人の友達を作ったり、日本食（主に海苔や飴）を食べたり、東京ディズニーランドに行ったりなどという経験が大好きです。

Lamby and Hana enjoying some delicious ramen at a place near our home in Japan.

Aya (the younger) is a 2nd grader and is enjoying it a lot. She also loved Japan and some of her favorite things from the experience were: playing with all of our students and in the playroom she and Hana had in the school, seeing the baby monkeys that lived around our school, eating chicken katsu and chocolate eggs and collecting the little toys that come inside and also going to Tokyo Disneyland and being spoiled by her Japanese grandparents.

彩（幼い方）は小学2年生になり、楽しく過ごしています。彼女も日本が好きで、多くの生徒と花と一緒に遊んだり、サルの赤ちゃん（学校の近くにいる）を見たり、チキンカツ、チョコレートエッグを食べたり、小さなおもちゃを集めたり、また東京ディズニーランドに行ったりするのが好きでした。

Aya blowing out the candles on her R2D2 cake at her Star Wars birthday party for her 7th birthday!

Geoff and I (Rachel) finally started the business that we’ve dreamed of for a long time! We work to help Japanese students succeed in college and ESL programs in Utah and Hawaii. I really enjoy being the American mom and arranging the right school and living situation for each student, Geoff great at using his schooling and experience to help our students make progress with their English and their studies at school. We really think studying here is very beneficial, but challenging so we are working hard to help as many Japanese students study here as we can. We are also continuing to run our organizing business and I love helping people simplify and organize their lives. I also teach meal planning classes and love all the people that I meet that attend those. We are really busy running these 2 businesses but we love doing what we do!

ジェフと私（レイチェル）はやっと私たちが長い間夢にしていた仕事を始めました。私たちは日本人の生徒をユタやハワイの大学やESLに合格するためのお手伝いをしています。私はアメリカのお母さんとなり、1人1人の生徒を助けることが本当に楽しく、ジェフは彼が日本での経験を活かし、他の生徒の英語力を助けています。私たちはアメリカで勉強することは得があり、ですがこれはチャレンジでもあると思っています。だから私たちは日本人の生徒を助けるため、できる限り熱心に働いています。私たちはまたオーガナイズ（他の人の家の中を整理し、きれいにする仕事）の仕事も進めています。私は自分の仕事や他の人を助けることが大好きです。それに、私は他の人に料理を教えています。私たちは2つの仕事で忙しかったですが、この仕事が大好きです。

With our Japanese family, the Ishiis in Gifu! We love them so much and they treated us like royalty both times we stayed at their home! 

 We are so thankful for all that the Lord has blessed us with this year. We have had so many amazing experiences, grown closer as a family and learned we can do challenging things with Heavenly Father's help and direction. We are so thankful for our Savior and to love celebrating Him this Christmas season. We are continually amazed and thankful for all the wonderful people He puts in our life. Thank you so much for all your love and support.  We love you all and hope you all have a wonderful 2017!

私たちは神様が私たちの一年を祝福してくださったことに感謝しています。私たちはとても素敵な経験をしたうえ、家族として成長し、天のお父様が指導、手助けしてくれることに挑戦できることを学びました。私たちはまたキリストに感謝し、クリスマスの時期に祝うことを大切に思います。私たちはとても素晴らしい人たちに感謝しています。私たちを助け、愛してくれてありが

とうございます！私たちも皆さんを愛しています！素敵な2017年を過ごし下さい。

At the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, UT