Christmas 2025

Another year, another blessed season gone by.  What a beautiful time of year to get to see everyone, have a little downtime, and reflect on where we are and dream about where the coming year might take us.

We celebrate in two movements - we do our Ohio Christmas, with my family, the weekend before Christmas, then Christmas Eve and Day here at home with our Tennessee famiy.  It's worked for us for a long time and kind of spreads the holiday out a bit.

So. . .Friday, December 19th (that seems so long ago now!) we headed 250-ish miles north after I got off my last work meeting around 1 p.m. We got to my mom's house, freshened up, and headed out for our 6:45 dinner reservations at one of my new favorite restaurants in Montgomery, Kitchen Social.  

They are known for these cheddar scallion biscuits with honey butter - Mom and I split half of these - I brought the rest home :)  And fish tacos for me - delish!All decked out for the holidays - excited for our Christmas together!!

We had to stop at my sister's house to pick up a few things for my mom (my sister's family were at an annual party with their friends) and our girls had driven up by then.  We sat around the island in her kitchen for quite a bit just catching up. . .it was a really nice moment I would have forgotten about if I didn't have this picture :)

The bad news we received that evening was that Robert & Ellie, the newlyweds, had caught a stomach bug and things were not looking good for them making it up there. . .they said they got ready the next morning, got in the truck, and then Robert said he just couldn't do it.  I get it.  We've all been sick and had to miss something - but we sure are glad they kept that bug in Chattanooga, as sad as it was to celebrate without them.  
Jodi had arranged a "family workout" for us Saturday morning!!  Please notice all the people missing. . .Stephen invited three of his friends to "fill in" for the sicko kiddos and others who sat out. . .:(

This is her friend (in the middle) that held the extra class for us after her usual Saturday morning classes. . .

Later that afternoon this great charcuterie board was set out. . .

. . .we got a family game out - Even got Mom and Dad into it :)

No "winners" in this one, but everyone had fun :)

Picture with Virginia. . .and Tom

The original Foster Girls and their parents. . . .

MomDad

And these girls with their annual onion ring feast for us. . .

Well, along with the beef tenderloin, brussel sprouts, green beans and potatoes :)

On to Foster Family Favorites - 

Everyone brings two of the same "favorite" gift and then it's played like Dirty Santa with numbers drawn. . .number one goes first, then two can steal or get something, etc.  When we got to 15 (or whatever the number was this year) all gifts already picked are "frozen" and then we start over, starting with 15 and going backwards. . .

As always, lots of great gifts but I failed to get any pictures :/. Brian did his "usual" bottle of wine, pizza GC, and lottery ticket, Tom did Carhartt hat and mittens this year, I did the Aged and Ore travel bottle caddy filled with Trader Joe's goodies, I got Laura's favorite - some barebells and green powder (really going to appreciate this once all the holiday food is gone!), Anna gave a favorite knife, Erin car Pura diffusers, and Abby made really sweet homemade coasters from vinyl and a silk pillowcase.  There were other good gifts - can't remember them all.  Always a favorite to do this!  Tom ended up with his own gift :). 

And Anna received a "boyfriend" gift (always enjoy adding a "new" person to the mix!) and her doggie was certainly everyone's favorite all weekend :)

Virginia got many of us new nightshirts 

And I got an old family photo framed for my mom - she was 2 (?) in this picture?

Stephen is continuing to try to turn his Grandpa and Virginia into Vols fans!
These are great pictures of Mom with her VJ granddaughters and their gifts from her:

Love my Ohio family!!

I just realized I failed to get our annual cousins picture - so now we'll just have to make sure everyone gets there next year to make it up :)

Back home Sunday. . .

And the sickos sent a picture of them attempting a holiday party with their friends.

 The days between our Christmases was work, cards, food shopping, and wrapping. . .I have been using this address book since 2003!!

I kind of got "into" bows this year!

Pickleball Christmas Eve. . .took a picture with a friend to send to a mutual friend who was on the road. . .

Left Pickleball to head straight to church for Christmas Eve service - 

And our annual picture together - Robert & Ellie weren't planning on getting to Knoxville until mid-day Christmas Day.

Our Christmas Eve tradition is appetizers and desserts along with a gift exchange with the Maxwells.

It was beautiful enough for some of us to eat outside

Look at that sunset!!!  Christmas Eve!!!

And played a fun family game First to Worst

This was one everyone got in on :)

Walked the doggies and came home to a house ready to welcome Christmas Day.

Again, lots of tradition around this day also. . .breakfast (bacon, eggs, pancakes) at 9 a.m. then gifts with the grandparents.

Frittata this year (only pic I have!)

Radar, per usual tearing his gift apart. . . 

LOVE

She's already used this for an overnight with friends. . 

The kids made a good choice with this gift. . .

And I got him a backpack for his tools - that he ended up returning for a bag the next day, which is fine. 

I wanted him to have something he wouldn't buy for himself :). Laura, Tom and I went to see Song Sung Blue - excellent - highly recommend!!  The cast is amazing.  And it was a great way to spend the early afternoon :)

Another gorgeous day - just can't beat the mild weather this year.  When we got home Robert and Ellie had gotten there, Nana & Grandpa came over, we broke out a puzzle, played cards, apps from the night before came back out. . . 

and did another round of gifts, including my annual stocking picture.

This is such a fun part of the day - the gifts that people so thoughtfully make (Ellie's apron!) or purchase based on knowing one another so well.  It's a lot of work, time, and money but always worth it!!

Dinner was a departure from our normal beef tenderloin - instead we did a ham, Robert contributed "Grandma's potatoes", sweet potatoes for me and Ellie, and Barbara's green beans.

One of the family gifts was a box of Esther Price candy - a Bell favorite :)  We had so many people this year we had to set some places at the island - yay!

Looking at this picture. . .need to make finishing those cabinets a 2026 goal!!

Also, we ran the dishwasher 3 times each day - thankful for that convenience :)

It was not a late night - I was going to have to work on Friday (my choice - I'd rather have New Years' Eve off) and Stephen was going to head to SC for the week with his cousins.

It was such a beautiful, full, wonderful holiday this year.  The extraordinary was the tradition and "ordinary" and all the people that made it special, just by virtue of being born into and then marrying into (or living close to) these families.

If you posted about your Christmas, please leave your link in the comments so I can share in your memories of your day too!

Love,

Jenni