Christmas 2025

Christmas 2025 was full of emotion. It's always a busy time, but there were many moments this season when I missed my dad and it all felt so heavy. As my mom kept saying, it is soooo permanent. We made the best of the season. Long gone are the days when I try to do something special/Christmasy every single day in December. The sad reality is that my kids are too old for many of the magical Christmas traditions: last year, they never opened their chocolate advent calendars. They no longer want to watch the kiddie Christmas shows (like the Grinch or Charlie Brown), and they are over many of our Christmas activities like Snowflake Lane, Garden D'Lights, Zoo Lights, etc. So, I tried to enjoy the season as much as possible without feeling the pressure to make it super special. I don't think anyone noticed or was upset by this.

Highlights of the Christmas season:

• Mimi was here from Thanksgiving through the New Year. She says she feels like she is in our way, but she really isn't. She is an easy houseguest. She does her own thing, but I know the weather gets to her (how could it not?). She gets overwhelmed with our busy family, but at least we keep her busy! I would guess that her favorite memories from the time here included making Christmas cookies with Matty and his friends, watching Matty play basketball (she cried when he played in his first varsity game because she said he looks so much like my dad at that age), baking with Brayden, and chatting with my friends when they were here for Mistletoe Margaritas and NYE.

Thanksgiving Table

Miss Annie tried to join our feast when Brayden went to the bathroom. ;)

• Uncle Ryan and Aunt Brandi were here for five days at Thanksgiving. Brayden was happy they were here for his 13th birthday.
• Tommy and I went to his company holiday party at the Chihuly Studio.
• Tommy, Brayden and I went skiing in Winter Park from 12/5-12/8 for Brayden's 13th birthday. Even though there was little snow (only 17 of 171 runs were open) and it was very crowded, Brayden enjoyed the one-on-one time with mom and dad. We enjoyed dinners out, pizza in the room, the hot tub, watching movies, and skiing!

On Monday, 12/8, we did not fly home until 4:00 PM. Tommy and I both worked that morning, and Brayden went out to ski on his own. He loved being independent.

• One night, my mom and I raced Matty from his JV basketball game to his baseball practice in Redmond. We planned to do some Christmas shopping while Matty was at practice from 8:00 - 9:30, but the mall by his practice facility closed at 8:00. Who closes at 8:00 during the holidays? We ate at Red Robin instead. I'm sure my mom will never offer to ride with me to a baseball practice again. It was a long evening, and we did not get home until after 10:00.
• I had a third surgery on my foot to remove a ganglion cyst. This is the second time I have had this particular surgery. The surgery was on 12/12, so I was in a walking boot through Christmas.
• Alexa and Ethan came over one night for dinner before they headed to Indy for the holidays.
  
  
  
• One evening, we went to dinner at Resonate and then drove around to look at the "Lights of Newcastle," which is a citywide holiday light contest. We enjoyed checking out the different houses (there were 28 entries) and voting on the Griswold Award (best use of illumination), Misfit Toys Award (best use of lawn ornaments), Traditionally Elegant Award (best use of design), and All Decked Out Award (best window or balcony)
• Taylor and I took Emery and Josie to Body Language Studio's Nutcracker. They had never been before and seemed to really enjoy it.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Mimi and I went to "The Longest Night" service at BelPres on 12/21. It is a service for those experiencing grief during this season filled with joy and light. We both enjoyed it and spent time reflecting on the loss my dad.
• Tommy and I hosted a group of friends for Mistletoe Margaritas. 

• We watched some new (to us) Christmas movies this year. I really enjoyed "Love the Coopers," "Bad Moms Christmas" and "The Holdovers."
• On Christmas Eve, we went to the 5:00 Christmas Eve service at BelPres. Adam Brown joined us. The Blighs came over for dinner after church. Tommy made filets on the grill. We started watching "Christmas Vacation" after 11:00 but most of us fell asleep on the sectional in the bonus room.

Our matching Christmas jammies!

• On Christmas morning, Tommy, my mom and I had a nice, quiet morning with coffee while the kids slept in. We did not start opening gifts until 11:30. My mom gave each of us a teddy bear made out of my dad's t-shirts/sweatshirts, and they are a treasure!

Don't worry, we were not drinking on Christmas morning! This was a joke!

Baby Bear <3

• We spent Christmas late afternoon into evening at the Bligh's. We opened more gifts, ate ham for dinner, and the boys played pool upstairs.

• We went to see the movie "David" with the entire Bligh crew the day after Christmas. We had dinner at Tapatio afterwards.

  

  Josie & Taylor Facetimed with Tyson

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Tommy and I enjoyed an evening out with Brian and Kristen in Woodinville.
  
  
  
• Brayden went to Schweitzer Mountain from 12/28-1/1 with Grandma, Pop Pop, Brian, Kristen, Emery and Josie. We were all invited to go, but the rest of us had varying reasons to stay home (Tommy had to work, I had just had foot surgery, Taylor did not want to risk injuring her knee, and Matty had two fractured ribs). Brayden jumped at the chance to ski again, and the girls were happy to have him. 
• Tommy and I stayed up way too late between Christmas and NYE working on puzzles.
• Tommy and I hosted a last-minute NYE party and had about 20 people over. It was crazy how many people were available for NYE! Taylor and Matty ditched us for parties with their friends, but the highlight of my night was at 1:30/2:00 in the morning when they both got home and we sat around the kitchen island with the Pihas, Beppus, Katzes, Taylor, Grace, Matty and Danny recapping their nights.

  

  Big hugs from Harlo and Hartley Hobday

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I spent the majority of 1/1 taking down the Christmas decorations. Many people are sad to see the decorations go, but I am always happy to have the house cleaned up. It feels like a great way to start the new year - fresh, clean and organized!

Final pics of the season - Mimi and Brayden baking!