Merry Christmas 2025

Our Christmas season has been very merry and bright! By now, we have a fairly ironed-out routine with the blending of the Kennedy and Bakewell traditions. The days surrounding Christmas follow a predictable and festive rhythm from year to year. How blessed we are to have family so close to share the holiday. On the Sunday before Christmas, we had the Candlelight Service at church. It is the only time all year that we are together as a family during the service, rather than the kids in their own "Kids Street" children's service. It was a beautiful time of carols, communion, and the lighting of the candles. That evening, on the drive home, Emmy brought up in the car that she would like to be saved. It has been a conversation for several months now, and Boomer and I continue to ask deeper questions to probe at her understanding and intention. We didn't lead her in the sinner's prayer just yet, but we are hopeful that it will be soon. We are glad that God is working in her heart, and we pray that our church and home lead both kids to accept Jesus. The Candlelight Service is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. It was nice to pause and remember the birth of our Savior.  

On Christmas Eve, we had a relaxing day at home and then went over to Mom and Dad's for yummy appetizers and a Christmas movie. With Elf playing in the background, we tried our hand at constructing a gingerbread village. Needless to say, the kids were more interested in eating the decorations, rather than adding them to the houses! All five structures were standing upright at the end, so I suppose it was a success. However, the jury is out if we will add 'gingerbread houses' as a new Christmas Eve tradition. The adults exchanged gifts, with a particularly funny comment from Boomer about Dad starting a TikTok with Mom's new make-up mirror, which resembled a ring light. After gifts were opened, we rushed home to put out our letters for Santa. Emmy threw in a last minute request for a treehouse with a slide and a snow day. Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask! 

On Christmas morning, the kids woke up around 7AM and patiently posed for a photo while Daddy surveyed the downstairs (and started the coffee!) The temperature was unseasonably warm (in the 70s!) so unfortunately Emmy's request for a snow day was not granted. Both kids were excited to find the microphones they asked for under the tree. From Mommy and Daddy, they opened a shoe box with tickets to the Wake Forest bowl game, along with a night in a hotel in downtown Charlotte. I'm not sure what they loved most - the game or the hotel! In their stockings, they found gum and other candy. There were special homemade presents too, like the gingerbread ornament from Eli and The Three Trees book written and illustrated by Emmy. Once it seemed that everything was opened, Boomer noticed an envelope tucked into the higher branches of the tree. Inside was a clue, and off the kids went on a scavenger hunt around the house. The last clue was in the microwave with photos of water slides and wave pools. Santa brought tickets to Great Wolf Lodge! The kids were very excited. The night at GWL will be just before the Wake Forest bowl game, so we will spend two total nights in Charlotte over New Year's. Now that all the presents were in fact opened, we went over to the Houstons' for breakfast. Grandpa was feeling under the weather, with a cold that seems to be going around (Boomer has had it too!), so he was not able to join us. Grammy and Grandpa got both kids new Crocs and some new clothes. Eli got a Lego excavator, and Emmy got some jewelry and a butterfly ornament from Dollywood. We returned home to change out of our pjs. We then headed to Star for our Christmas with the Kennedys. This year, there were 17 of us, with baby Asher joining us for his very first Christmas. Before it got too dark, the kids enjoyed riding the side-by-side around the property and putting out corn. What a new experience for our two suburban kids that live in a cul-de-sac! Presents were opened, and what was meant as a gag gift, turned out to be the best one of the night - a giant squishy block of cheese. Eli was thrilled with his present from Aunt Darby and Uncle Goosie and proceeded to say "Cheese Louise!" no less than 200 times. As Aunt Darby said, Eli sure knows how to love a present. After all the gifts were opened, Granny and Paw Paw made a delicious meal of chicken, steak, mac-n-cheese, potatoes, and corn. We pulled back in at home just before 10:30PM. What a full and fun day!

As I write this post on the day after Christmas, I hear Emmy singing in her room on her new microphone and Eli racing cars on the hardwood strip at the front door. Earlier we took down the tree and packed away all the decorations until next year. It may seem a little hasty, but I do like the feeling of getting the house in order again. We are thankful for another year of Christmas memories, and we are most thankful for God sending His Son to be born. Merry Christmas from the Kennedys!