I like the idea of a Christmas letter because it updates people on what you've been up to in the past year.  But I don't write letters, so here's my version.  We'll see if the "annual" part sticks. 

Two thousand nine was a year of growth.  In February, we added a new mammalian member to our family, Dora the bunny.  Then in October we added another bunny for companionship, Max.  Both bunnies get along relatively nicely with the existing wildlife, though not as well with the couches and wires. 

Two thousand nine was a year of recreation.  When it was cold outside, we spent some time snowboarding in Vermont and New Jersey.  When it was getting warm, we spent some time hiking in Virginia and New Jersey.  When it got nice and warm, we spent some time relaxing in the sand and swimming in the ocean at Island Beach State Park, NJ.  Then when it was starting to get cold again, we left everything for a cruise in the Caribbean. 

Two thousand nine was a year of weddings.  One in June, one in August, and one in October.  And we were invited to two others which we couldn't make it to, which was both bad but also obviously good.  Also, in August, we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary with a weekend trip to Chicago. 

Two thousand nine was a year of debt relief.  In June, we paid off a major part of a loan on our house.  And in May and July, we paid off our cars, which are now five and six years old.  About a month before I paid off my car, I hit 100,000 miles.  And in sort of related news, we got a new roof for our house in November, since we were a few years overdue. 

Two thousand nine was a year of change.  Wendy temporarily lost her process engineering job at M&M Mars when her group was disbanded, but then she was rehired as a sustainability engineer in a different group, which she only stayed at for a few months before accepting a job as quality manager in yet another group.  In non-job news, I continued to do kickboxing at Real World Martial Arts but recently started jiu jitsu.  In church news, we've been spending less time at Bethlehem and more time at Liquid. 

Here's to two thousand ten. #lifestyle