Foster Family Christmas 2023

There we are - the Foster Family!!  I really don't know the last time we all five were together like this or had our picture taken together.  In the last 30 years most family Christmases have involved my parents and sister, usually together, but never my brother.  He lives out of state and generally is with his other nieces in Colorado.  This year, though, OHIO won and here we are :). What a great weekend to celebrate.  

Usually the VJ's have a real tree but no luck this year - they were out of town for Thanksgiving and by the time they got back and got to the nursery most of the trees were gone - but this was beautiful and no mess so they may never go back. . . 

When Tom's parents moved to East Tennessee we started doing our Ohio Christmas the weekend before the big day.  This year, of course, it was a little over a week before and that worked out really well.  Tom, unfortunately, came down with something on Wednesday (he was tested for everything and came back negative) but with a fever, aches, tired. . .he didn't go with us.  Stephen and I headed up Friday morning to pick my brother and his wife up from the Cincinnati airport on our way to northern Cinci where my mom and sister live.  We timed it almost perfectly (only waited about 20 minutes for them) and had the entire afternoon/evening with everyone.  

Usually we all stay with my mom or my sister but this year our cousin from Chicago was (coincidentally) going to be in town on Saturday so Tom and I decided we would get a room down the street just to alleviate some of the chaos.  Apparently not many people were visiting Kings Island this time of the year - ha!  I bet this place is packed during the summer.  Since Tom wasn't with me Robert stayed with me one night and then he and Laura the second night.  It was a good option for this year.

Robert and I were up bright and early Saturday morning so he could go workout with the crew that stayed with Jodi.  It was a beautiful sunrise!

Ellie joined us for her first Ohio trip :). We all went up to Dayton for a hike at Sugercreek, then Marions Piazza, Esther Price store, and Bills Donuts were all on the list.  Because of the early start time for the party (3 p.m.) Dorothy Lane Market will have to wait for a future visit.

Ellie said the pizza lived up to its hype, so that is a WIN for this crew :)

This is just the neatest thing.  Sarah, our cousin from Chicago, happened to be in town because one of her boys was invited by the baseball team at the University of Cincinnati for a visit on this same day!  This is my sister's alma mater so, of course, she thinks it is a great place for a kid to land ;). Anyway, Sarah is my mother's sister's daughter and there is a LOT of family resemblance here!!  

Three of Sarah's four kids were able to be there also (the one on the floor with the baseball cap is the kid that brought them here) - none of us had ever even met her kids!  

Sarah and her siblings used to spend a week with us in the summer when we were growing up - she and her late twin were born on my sister's second birthday :)

We were sending all kinds of pictures to Aunt Susie because we were missing her!  It brings to mind that the relationships you develop when you are young stay with you forever - being with Sarah kind of felt like "yesterday".  Aunt Susie asked for a picture of all the cousins - here they are!

These are all but two of Grandpa & Pa Cooper's great-grandchildren.  What a legacy those two wonderful people started with their marriage in 1947!

Then it was time for everyone to indulge me in doing family pictures - ha!  Look at these wonderful people, one of which I have gotten to call "sister" for 50 years:

One kiddo lives in Nashville and the other is in school in Virginia.

Here is my crew - making sure everyone knows where they are from!!  

Grandma Wolf and Grandpa Foster joined all of their grandchildren:

What a blessing to be a part of this family :)

Once again this year we did "Foster Family Favorites" as our gift exchange.  Each person that wants to participate brings their "favorite thing" x2 and we exchange that way.  The oldest Bell and oldest VJ (both on the far left in this picture) kept the exchange on track and allowed stealing of gifts if someone got what you wanted!

I was lucky enough to end up with Ellie's gift - it was stolen by one of the Chicago cousins but luckily there were two! - and Erin's gift.  They are both "my people" - bracelet, body lotion, basket of tea and chocolate.  My sister and Laura ended up with my gifts - Bob Goff's devotional and a Teema towel.  I think there were 14 of us playing so lots of variety and a way to get to know a little something about everyone.

Dinner was spectacular, as it always is.Erin started us off with a beautiful charcuterie board.  

Uncle Brian pulled out all the punches with beef tenderloin AND a smoked pork butt.  Both so incredibly delicious.

For some reason this is the only picture I have of the food. . .in addition to the meat there was coleslaw, brussel sprouts, and my twice-baked potatoes.

This incredible dessert spread was barely even touched.  I brought 3 peanutbutter pies and only one piece was eaten.  If that isn't a testament to the main course, I don't know what is :)

Some people spent time on the back porch enjoying a roaring fire and football. . .

And, in looking through our shared photo album from the night, it looks like Robert & Ellie snuck out front for a picture together

Virginia loves to shop and always remembers every person every year.  I like this picture of my brother and her a lot.

And, there always has to be someone that brings the party to the party:

We got my mom a Roomba and our dad a Solo stove.  Robert and Laura went over to her house the next day to set the robot up for her:

We weren't really sure what Sadie thought about it!

We took off later after lunch. . .and about three hours after I got home these came in the mail - ha!  Oh well, I got them in the mail to my mom, dad, and brother this week :)

What a terrific weekend!

Thanks for reliving the time with me, blogger friends.

On to our Christmas Eve church service, apps, and desserts with the Bells and our framily, then Christmas Day will be laid back, complete with a brunch and our traditional dinner of beef, potatoes, and roasted vegetables.  Andrea posted about Boursin Potatoes earlier this week so I'm going to try those!

Merry, merry Christmas!!

Love,

Jenni

 

I found a post from two years ago and realized not much has changed. . .tweaks along the way but if there is something about the Foster Sisters, it is that we like tradition!!