2025 Tallman Family Christmas Letter

Greetings! Another year, another letter. My word of the year has been “simplify”, so I’m going to minimize the fluff and give you the bullet points (literally) of the 2025 Tallman Family Highlight Reel:

• Josie – 13 years old, 7th grade

  • Became a teenager and is navigating the ups and downs of this stage of life

  • Speaking of stages – Jo had her first major role in a school play

    • Oliver in “The Snow”

  • Made the A Team for 7th Grade Girls Basketball

  • Broke the CT Middle School Record in Discuss earlier this year and narrowly missed the shot put record (as a sixth grader!)

  • Qualified for Track and Field Junior Olympics in Discuss and Shot

  • Straight As in her classes this semester

  • Alto in Choir

    • Selected for KMEA District Honor Choir AND the All-State Choir

  • Almost as tall as mom – yikes!

  • Went on her first Mission Trip to Texas over the summer

  • Some favorites: Dungeons and Dragons, Creative Make-up, Washing Dishes

• Julia – 10 years old, 5th grade

  • Took a “10 Trip” to New York City with Mom in May

    • Favorite Memories Include:

    • Hamilton  and Wicked, the Musicals

    • St. Patrick’s Cathedral

    • American Girl luncheon

    • M&M Factory

  • She is a Representative on Student Council

  • Started Competitive Gymnastics and is on the Silver Team

    • Six hours of practice per week!

    • Mastered her round-off back handspring!

    • Scored 3rd Overall on her team at the Winter Expo

  • Qualified for Junior Olympics in Turbo Javelin this summer

  • Participating in Choir and Playing Flute in the band

  • Safety Patrol – helps with the car line as kids drop off at school

  • Performed in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Once Upon a Lily Pad”

  • Favorites: Making cookies, anything “Preppy”, anything gymnastics

• Janna – 7 years old, 2nd grade

  • Doing very well in school and is to be tested for Quest Program

  • Qualified for Junior Olympics in the Shot Put as a 7 year old

  • Level 3 Gymnastics – just started in August and is improving quickly!

  • Competed in Track and Field, Softball and Basketball

  • Sings in the Children’s Choir at church

  • Performed in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Once Upon a Lily Pad”

  • Loves to do gymnastics, play with the neighbors, jump/flip on the trampoline, practice the splits, be upside down, anything “preppy”

• Family and Life Updates

  • Vacationed to Colorado Springs in August – Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and nightly hot tubs soaks – Oh, My!

  • Family Cruise on Royal Caribbean in February – Ice Cream Cones, Family Karaoke, Excursions, Cruise Shows, Fine Dining, and more!

  • Jamie and Jessica went to Washington DC for their 18th anniversary

  • Planning a Disney Land trip in February 2026

  • Track and Field as a Family – Jamie and Jessica coached the throwers while the girls competed

  • Painted our house Illusive Green – bye-bye mustard yellow!

  • Garden was fruitful – literally! We had blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, lettuce, turnips, and carrots. We also had peaches this year – but most were scavenged by squirrels when we went out of town for two days.

  • Jamie hit a major milestone and celebrated 15 years with Jack Stack Barbecue

  • Jessica turned 40 at the beginning of December

  • We said goodbye to our sweet kitties, Maverick and Bella, this year. They were brother and sister and were about 16 years old. We miss them very much!

The girls are getting ready to participate in the annual church Nativity Pageant. It’s always a lovely way to round out our year and remind us of what really matters.

Besides our own activities, we have enjoyed many gatherings and celebrations with friends and family! We are so grateful to have such an incredible support system.

Thank you for making a positive impact on our lives! We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Jamie, Jessica, Josie, Julia and Janna