My 2009 Christmas "Letter"

Every year around this time I get really creative and ambitious Christmas ideas like making every gift, having a Pottery Barn decorated home, and writing a Christmas letter for all my friends and family. But by Dec 26th, I look back only to reflect that I scrambled to buy gifts at the last minute due to lack of time, my home looks like it does every other day of the year but with a tree in the center of the living room, and I never did write that Christmas letter. So to save face, I have put these ambitious goals aside and realized that this year I just want to spend time with family and relaxing instead of feeling guilty about my unfinished ideas.
So instead of that letter that I never did write, this year I have opted for the ever tech-savvy Christmas Blog Post. Here goes:


Dear Family and Friends,
What a whirlwind of a year this has been for us! They say that as you get older the years go by faster- and as I entered my "late- 20s" I have found that to be true. 2009 just flew by. In January I took time to really pray and fast about what God had for me this year. One of my prayers was to travel more than ever before and boy, did He fulfill it!

In February Robert and I went skiing in Taos, NM with our friends John and Mary. It was my first time skiing in my adult life and I so enjoyed it. Robert is a pro at it, hitting the double black diamonds whenever he had the chance, while I took a day of lessons and then kept to the greens and accidentally encountered a blue once. It was a wonderful but brief vacation for us. When we got back, we celebrated the birth of Graham Ray, Lynn and Shaun's first baby. He is just adorable and growing faster than ever.

As spring rolled by, I had the honor to participate in the wedding of our friends Katherine and Blake in early April, which was absolutely beautiful. We also enjoyed Easter with both my mom and Robert's parents.

During the summer, my prayers were answered. I went to Africa for three weeks and the Amazon interior of Brazil for 9 days. No words can desribe the emotions of these two trips, though I did blog earlier this year about some reflections from Africa. If you would like more details about these two unforgettable experiences, just give me a call.

In the early fall, I had the privilege of attending the wedding celebrations of my friends Betsy and Tyson up in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was so wonderful and I had a reunion with all my best college girlfriends, so that was a major bonus! I also, unfortunately, traveled home for the funeral of my uncle Klaus (the inspiration for my studies and passion for mathematics).

October flew by with our annual HPC Live the Dream Women's Conference which my mom attended with me. Shortly after that, I found out that my friend Mallory is pregnant with her first baby! This has been quite a year!

In between all my travels, my supervisors changed, though my position remained the same. I now assist Pastor Mike Haman with our 12 international campuses and global missions, and book staff travel. With the change, I had the opportunity to travel to all of our Louisiana campuses and encourage and evaluate them. It is incredible to see the heart of Christ being represented at all of our campuses as we reach, serve, give, and build for the Kingdom. I just love serving at Healing Place Church and am so honored to call it home.

Despite all of my travels, Robert and I have a stronger marriage than ever and I am growing more in love with him each day (if that's possible). While I was gone he did a lot of amazing renovations on our home- we have a new back patio and a new fireplace mantle (thanks, Rob Gros!).

I find that I am falling in love with my home here in Louisiana and have developed some awesome friendships. I also have found a hobby in the kitchen- baking and cooking. I am working on my skills and would love you to share any of your favorite recipes!

So as the year comes to a close, I reflect that 2009 has been exhilarating, refreshing, emotional, and complete. Thank you for all your love and support. I would love to hear about you 2009 through letter or blog or phone call! I pray that this Christmas finds you reflecting on a wonderful year past and anticipating a spectacular year to come. May Christ dwell richly in your hearts and your homes this holiday season.

Much love to each of you and Blessings beyond your wildest dreams!
Robert and Colleen Conti