The Allens' 2017 Christmas Letter

<p>What a difference a year makes. </p>

Dec 25, 2017

Wow, what a difference a year makes.

So much happened this year, and despite most of it being really great, it definitely has changed our lives in such a way that, while I have time to write this letter, I don’t have time to make it as emotional or eloquent as I would like. Here goes.

As a new dad, it might not surprise you that I’ve had plenty of “firsts” this year, but some of them might surprise you:

My first time getting a brand new drum kit.

I learned to actually cook (like not bachelor food) and quickly took over as new head chef at our house. Kori doesn’t seem to mind.

I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner, which I really enjoyed (cooking AND eating).

I played my first tour, a short weekend one with Wild Pines, which was a lot of fun.This is honestly the only pic I took during the tour, haha. Classic.

I traveled to Raleigh, NC for the first time ever, to surprise Stevie Benz with some great hangs.

I traveled to Olympia, WA to catch with the CROBertsons!

I drove a Tesla for the first time ever; so owning one is now on my bucket list.

Our family had some great adventures too!

We got to be a part of Susanna Roberts’ wedding in January.

We got to be a part of Johnny and Gabby Jones’ wedding in Ft. Lauderdale.

We got to see Zac and Keyla twice, once in Miami, and once in Gainesville.

We traveled to NY to celebrate Kori’s Grandparents’ 60th anniversary. It was Charlie’s first flight and she was a champ.

And a bonus trip to Bemus Point to celebrate Lauren's graduation!

We went on our first cruise since our honeymoon, to the Bahamas, with a few friends to celebrate David Shepherd’s 30th birthday!

We finally saw the So You Think You Can Dance Tour in Orlando.Me, and Koko and Koko!

We welcomed our newest nephew Eden Weintraub into the world!

As I type this, we’re a few days away from celebrating Charlie Hope’s first birthday. I can’t even begin to describe how much she’s grown up in the last year. She’s such a happy girl who loves to laugh and touch and grab everything she can, including my beard! She is content to sit in her play area surrounded by her toys, playing and babbling away.