Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Season's Greetings: A look back on 2008

Some of our mailing addresses were out-of-date, so if here's a copy of our Christmas letter in case yours didn't arrive!

We're writing to you with the 5th Annual Allen Christmas letter. 2008 has been another memorable year for us as we continue to enjoy this fun stage in our lives.

Our year started with the annual Frito-Lay marketing offsite in Miami. During the trip, Christine enjoyed winning the company "Rock Band" contest - full rocker outfit and all. We followed up the craziness of Miami with a relaxing trip to Puerto Vallarta where we enjoyed perfect weather and some incredible food. We loved the Westin there and although we generally prefer not to return to the same place twice, PV is definitely a place where we'll be back to at some point.

In March, we made a trip to visit Dana’s brother, Sam, in Hong Kong, where he’s been living for the past year. We were joined for this portion of the trip by Dana’s parents as well, turning the trip into a full family affair. Sam was a wonderful host, helping us to experience the energy of the city, the tailors of Kowloon, and the scenery and incredible seafood of neighboring islands. Christine & Dana then hopped over to Vietnam where we spent another 10 days, starting in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) and working our way north to Hanoi. The country was beautiful, the people friendly, and the islands of Halong Bay were breathtaking.

Back in the US, Dana found out that he was moving from Cheetos innovation to a new role - Frito-Lay's Multipack business (think small bags in bigger packages). Christine continued to work in Innovation and is currently working on the re-launch of Smartfood as a brand of smart treats for women (indulgent-tasting snacks with real nutrition). We've both enjoyed our roles this year and continue to love the people we work with at Frito-Lay.

Over the summer, we volunteered at church with their pre-marital program. We enjoyed meeting new people, helping them talk through different aspects of marriage, and also regrounding ourselves in the traits of a successful marriage.

Christine has several new hobbies this year. First, our many weddings were replaced this year with many baby showers. She is now an expert at shopping for baby gifts and planning showers if you need any advice! Second, Christine has taken her running beyond basic fitness and this year completed her first 10k, followed shortly thereafter by a 15k for good measure. Also, to celebrate her 32nd birthday, Christine recruited several friends to join her for trapeze lessons to check that off her "life list."

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Michigan with Christine's sister, Ana, who just moved to Birmingham. A highlight was taking our niece to see the Rockettes holiday show. For Christmas, we're excited to travel to Belize with Dana's family!

We wish you a memorable and blessed holiday season. Love, Christine & Dana

No comments:

Post a Comment