Dearest Friends and Family,

      I hope this letter finds you in good health this holiday season.  As per never before, I’ve decided it best to share with you the many blessings Christ the Savior has lavished upon me in the twelfth year of the twenty-first century.

     I celebrated another spectacular year with my strikingly handsome boyfriend Brian.  I’m excited to say that our relationship has advanced so much in the past few months. In our initial years of dating, lunch outings to Subway would result in Brian forcing me to choose one of the $5 foot-longs or getting extremely irritated if I insisted on the $4.89 six-inch Chicken Teriyaki. He’s loosened up a bit, and although he’s yet to happily consent to a combo, he will now buy me chips or a drink to accompany my sub. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

    I made it through my pre-dental curriculum at UNC-Chapel Hill with mediocre grades and a long shot at getting accepted into dental school. It was brutally hard and semi-rewarding, but I am indebted to have had this opportunity and in debt according to my bank statements.

   Colby has had a magical year and she gave a stellar performance in her many photo shoots. I’ve heard through the grapevine that numerous dog agencies want her to sign, but she remains humble despite her recent fame. It makes me so proud to watch my perfect puppy grow into the strong, beautiful, and mature dog that she has become.

    Colby kept us laughing this year with her silly antics. From eating an entire stick of butter to attempting an underground tunnel to China, she never ceases to make us smile. She is truly beautiful inside and out. It feels like just yesterday when I bundled her in my arms as a tiny baby and she peed a half-gallon on my new North Face.

   I also started a new career this year at Duke Corporate Finance as an administrative specialist. It’s such a rewarding job for me, as I daily witness the happiness and joy I bring to each employee when I put chocolate in my candy dish. As I decide each day between the Snickers Minis or the Hershey’s Nuggets, I know my tough decisions are impacting lives.

    Finally, I’m pleased to tell you that my blog posts are really catching. According to the stats, I’ve doubled my comments. I’m up from one comment per week to two comments per week. I can’t begin to express to you how much this warms my heart.

    I continue to remain meek, modest, and humble, as I fully give God the glory for my creative writing skills, my amazing dog training ability, and my perfect 10 on HOT or NOT.com.  I can only hope that the year 2012 brings as many blessings and as much success.

Love and Peace to You This Christmas,

Kelly