Dear Family and Friends:

Welcome to the 2025 Lacey Family Digital Christmas Card!  As is our tradition, we begin our annual letter with the following two observations, which remain true year after year.

First, and as sincerely as it can be said, we give thanks for all of you, our extraordinary group of family and friends.  We are deeply grateful for your love and support, for your laughter, for your stories, and for your joy.  We are appreciative for all the moments we spend with you each year, and look forward to many more in the years to come. 

Second, we express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who take the time to send us cards and letters this time of year.  We take great delight in the photos of you and your families, and in the accounts of your recent adventures. Each year, our mantle is wonderfully crowded with colorful images of stars, trees, elves, and angels, and adorned with a host of smiling faces.  These cards, and the relationships they represent, are invaluable to us, and add immensely to our Christmas cheer.

A good friend recently asked us why we so often wait until Christmas Eve to mail out our annual missive. Because, we responded, that is when we write it.  And 2025 is no exception.  As our fingers trip across the keyboard, dear friends, the old yuletide clock already registers 8:00 pm local.  But if we are being honest with ourselves, this is how we like it. The gifts are wrapped and under the tree. This year’s recommended holiday album is on the turntable. And our newest holiday cocktail, the Mrs. Clause, is in hand. We’ve raised our glass to St. Thomas Morrow, the patron saint of procrastinators, and at long last, we are ready to recount and amuse.

We are grateful to report at the outset that the Elm Avenue Laceys have enjoyed another year of mostly good health. Andrea and Aaron, for their part, continue to fight off old age with great aplomb, if not success.  This involves, among other things, constantly taking on new exercises, stretches, and supplements, and ingesting enough protein to sustain a grizzly bear.  Meanwhile, the teenagers, who exist primarily on a diet of pizza, Cheetos, and Monster Energy drinks, grow bigger, faster, and stronger by the day. 

The “teenagers,” in case you missed it, are August, Ella, and Truman.  August is a senior in high school this year.  Consistent with year’s past, he’s been busy with marching band (trumpet), ultimate frisbee, and robotics. New on the scene this year was his YouTube channel.  He launched in February with a video that clocked 89,000 views.  That was followed by a second video that pulled in 181,000.  His fourth video pulled in over 600,000 views, with the result that mom and dad had to figure out how to accept deposits from YouTube. It’s been an exciting ride, to say the least, and his parents are supportive so long as it doesn’t interfere with his studies (said every old person ever). He's been on a couple of college visits, courtesy of the mom express, and is looking mostly at big state schools (e.g., Mizzou, UCLA, Indiana).  Not surprisingly, he’s thinking business with a focus on entrepreneurship.  We also note that he’s been a real gym rat this year.  We appreciate the discipline and acknowledge the “gains,” but we do not need any more tickets to the “show.”  We get it. It’s the “gun show.”  And the “guns” are your biceps. Hilarious. Hey, Lou Ferrigno, how about taking out the trash?

The twins both started high school this year and, to Andrea and Aaron’s relief, things have been going pretty well. Ella, who claims status as the middle child by a six second margin, made the Webster Groves HS tennis team and has had a great year on the court.  She seems to really enjoy the sport, and seems to want to stick with it. The parental units are delighted. She also has become quite the amateur nail technician, regularly providing manicures to her friends and family, to include gel and acrylics.  Like her older brother, she is an entrepreneur at heart, and at one point was planning to solicit “donations” in exchange for “services.”  Her lawyer father pointed out that this is a licensed profession and that she would likely be “breaking the law.” He then enjoyed a free manicure on the house.

Tru, for his part, has been on a musical journey in 2025. He began electric bass lessons early in the year, and went from once to twice a week in the fall.  More recently, he’s been fiddling around with the guitar, and has started asking questions about voice lessons and song writing. Aaron is ecstatic. He is already day dreaming about their band and playing around with names.  Current frontrunners include “The Trubadores,” “Yours Truly,” and “The Tru Tones.”  Apparently, he thinks they will be playing in 1955.  In other news, Tru also has expressed interest in competing in the high jump in the spring. He is now hovering around six feet tall, and the expectation is he will be the tallest of the Laceys. He also has the kind of lanky build that the sport seems to favor.

We managed two great trips in 2025, each of which is thoroughly documented in the Year in Photos gallery.  The first was to Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California in the spring.  It was 45 degrees and raining the entire time, and everyone still loved it.  The trees are just that spectacular.  That said, Aaron thought the most extraordinary moment occurred when, having just arrived at the Airbnb, he walked into the master bedroom where Truman was unpacking his suitcase.  When he suggested that the master was for mom and dad, Truman responded, quite earnestly, by asking “Why do you all automatically get the master?”  And this, ladies and gentlemen, is life with teenagers. Truman, by the way, is a very thoughtful, kind, and empathetic kid. But, you know, still a teenager.

The second trip was a return to Disney World during the summer. The Laceys had not visited in many years, and the feeling was that it was time, particularly given that August may not be available to join in years to come.  Much fun was had by all, as evidenced by the photos in the Year in Photos gallery.  As always, the snapshots taken while we were riding the various roller coasters were worth the price of admission.  That is, of course, strictly an expression.  There is very little that is actually worth the price of admission to Disney World, including, dare we say, Disney World.  The good news is, we can still afford to send one child to college.  And by “college” we mean “Wikipedia.”

Andrea and Aaron are both doing well.  In addition to gardening, pottery-ing, and teenager-ing, she has been very active in Indivisible St. Louis over the last few months and is mildly obsessed with playing tennis.  Aaron continues to co-chair the higher education practice at Thompson Coburn, where he works with an incredible team of colleagues, and occasionally plays around with music, poetry, and other such things.

Finally, on a more somber note, Andrea’s father, George Renbeck, passed away this fall.  George was a master carpenter and spent the latter part of his career working on the yachts in Jacksonville.  A first generation American, he was born in New York City to Danish immigrant parents prior to World War II.  Despite being an easy 6’3” and over 200 pounds at his fighting weight, he had a gentle way about him. He also loved to wisecrack. When you saw that twinkle in his eye, and smile on his face, you knew you were in for it. He is very much missed.

As always, we’re grateful that you’ve found the time to read the digital card.  We hope you’ll swing by the photo galleries, and welcome you to check out the new additions to Holiday Cocktails, Recommended Holiday Albums, and Christmas Poems.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope your 2026 exceeds all expectations! 

Warmest regards,

The Laceys