With the holiday season upon us, the Hoover Sun recently took the opportunity to ask area residents to share one of their favorite Christmas memories or traditions:
“Last year, for the first time, we decided to go to Panama City for Christmas. We’re starting to like being away from home more than anything for Christmas. The food and having the kids not want to go to sleep the night before and waiting till midnight to open gifts. One of the things I like most about Christmas is how willing everyone is to give. It’s not just about giving to your family members anymore. It’s more so about doing things in the community that help you give back and helping people that are less fortunate.”
Gigi Hayes, Riverchase Landing
“Going to see Wright’s Lights in Florence, Alabama.”
Adam Talmage, Ross Bridge
“For Christmas, my whole family — we all go home to Troy. I’m the youngest of all the grandkids. There are about eight of us. We’ve done that for years. We all get together Christmas morning. I just like being with my family.”
Alla Smith, Bluff Park
A favorite Christmas memory for Jay and Jeanna Sims of the Deer Valley community is from Christmas 2015, when they were able to celebrate the holiday with both of their 2-year-old twins, Mason and Gray, and their two older children, Parker and Addison. Mason was in and out of the hospital most of his life after being born at 28 weeks with complications. He died Jan. 29 of this year. “My family is thankful for the wonderful two years and six weeks we had him, and he impacted many lives,” Jay Sims said.
In this photo, Jay and Mason share a fun moment together in front
of the Christmas tree this past Christmas. Photo courtesy of Jay Sims.
“We have out-of-town family, and we always make it a point to stay at home on Christmas morning. We have monkey bread we make every Christmas morning — and bacon. Of course, we do cookies the night before for Santa, and they’re always oatmeal chocolate chip with M&Ms and chocolate milk for Santa.”
Miranda Wesley, Ross Bridge; Cameron, left, and Charlotte also pictured
“Spending time with the family — waking up, them arriving at the house, everybody getting together and cooking food, the stories that are told.”
Cameron Crummie, Russet Woods
“Just waking up before my parents and trying to sneak into the gifts.”
Cullen Byington, Lake Crest
“My late dad was like a big kid. He loved Christmas. One of my favorite memories is going to his house, even after I was an adult and moved out, and hearing Christmas music and seeing him dressed up in a Christmas sweater. It’s just a big family time for us — time to reflect on the true spiritual meaning of Christmas. We always try to remind our children about the birth of Christ at Christmastime.”
Chip Bivins, Trace Crossings
“One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to make gingerbread houses with my girls. Now, we invite two to three others to come over and do it with us, and we end doing a craft for the Christmas tree. Last year, we did pillowcases. Each girl made their own glow-in-the-dark Christmas pillowcase.”
Sharon Cross, The Woodlands
“I guess my favorite Christmas tradition is going to the beach. We seem to do that now because my wife works at Samford, and she gets 10 days or so off, and I’m retired, so it’s a good opportunity for both of us to get away and get a little warmer. Sometimes both of my sons will join us with their families, and sometimes not.”
Paul Aucoin, Bluff Park
“We always get together Christmas Eve and make sherbet punch and then open one present, and it’s always pajamas. I’m not complaining, though. I got a onesie last year.”
Rebekah Odle, Southpointe
“My favorite Christmas memory is all the window decorations at Loveman’s and Pizitz downtown. It was a fantastic thing to see as a child. It was a memory I won’t forget.”
Nick Pissanos, Ross Bridge
“My parents didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up, but I remember I asked for one of those Winchester rifles that actually made the sounds. I had to ask for it for five years before I finally got it. My brother and I were out in the front yard playing with it, and my brother swung it around and hit me with it. It gave me a mark on my eye. My dad took the gun and broke it down over his knee.”
Rhett Whitley, Bluff Park
“Getting together with my parents who live just two miles away. We go to the Christmas Eve service at church and then have snacks and appetizers and open gifts on Christmas Eve. All of our out-of-town family comes here. And then Christmas dinner on Christmas Day at my parents’ house.”
Sharon Neill, Heatherbrook
“I watch the Dean and Company Christmas special. It’s like a local family that does a Christmas special every year. It’s that family that lives in Mountain Brook. They put it on YouTube now, but it used to be on TV.”
Jack Dewberry, Bluff Park
“Getting together with family, making sure we have a time to share some gifts and be thankful for time together and to share another Christmas and celebrate what it means — the birth of Christ. And we love to ride around and look at lights and decorations.”
Jim McCoy, Patton Creek Condominiums
“Mom and Dad on Christmas Eve put sticky notes around the house, saying go to this place and that place (around the house), and at the end, it tells you what the present is — the big present.”
Josh Tulloss, Riverchase
“I like getting the family together and playing music and cooking a Christmas brunch — a hash brown casserole, and I do fruit and grits and pancakes.”
Matalie Acoff, Alabama 150
“My most recent favorite Christmas memory was last year, going to the live Nativity scene at Briarwood, where the have animals and all. My wife and four children got to experience it. It made it come to life. They actually had camels there. That was really cool. We’ll definitely do that again.”
Matt Hodges, Southpointe
“Just family getting together. We are spread out over the nation. It’s really nice to be at home with family in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And Mom’s turkey. We can never get away from that tradition. Also, my son and I always find a family that is maybe not as blessed as we are, and we always try to give to that family.”
Michelle Scholtz, Trace Crossings