….the candles snuffed out, so the song goes. We visited all our
relatives and opened all the gifts. And I don’t care to eat any more
ham for a GOOD long time.
It’s always a little sad to see Christmas end, but it is a bit of a
relief to get things back to normal. Our traditions begin the week
before Christmas, when we visit my mom’s family in Kentucky. Over the
years the family has grown to be rather large and when 20-something
people attempt to crowd into my grandparents’ living room to open
gifts, it’s standing room only. We only get to see them once or twice
a year and there are 3 or 4 in the bunch that always are the loudest
and try to provide entertainment….wonder who that could be 
Christmas Eve is the time the Talley family gets together. This year
Kirk and my grandparents came up to our home for our family
celebration. Many of you know my Mamaw has Alzheimer’s and is
advancing quickly to the most severe stages, but she was in a very
happy mood Christmas Eve even though she really couldn’t say anything.
We played and sang Christmas songs and she whistled along. (Actually
the only one she seemed to like was “Jingle Bells”- she likes the
“Hey!” part)
Her caregiver, Becky, had put a nice outfit on her and curled her hair
and put makeup on her for Christmas. When Kirk walked in, he looked at
her and said, “Well, I see Becky’s got you all fixed up for Christmas!
You look so pretty!” Her response? “Well, hallelujah.”
Christmas morning is our time together for just the three of us. We
open our gifts and Mom cooks a big breakfast, and then my dad and I
fall asleep on the couch. Christmas afternoon we went down to my
grandparents’ house to be with them and help take care of Mamaw for
a little while, and that time with them was better spent and more
important than anything else we could have done.
Christmas traditions are fun and it’s always nice to do exciting
things during holidays, but I like the simple things the best: our
family prayer before Christmas dinner, watching my Mamaw whistle
“Jingle Bells,” and just being together with the ones we love.
So now you know all about a Talley Family Christmas. What was YOUR
Christmas like? Are you sad it’s over? Are you GLAD it’s over? 
Tell
us about it.
(And here’s a little trivia bonus: Who knows what song the title and
first line of this post come from? There’s a little Christmas bonus
for the first one who guesses correctly- a FREE autographed Life Goes
On t-shirt from the Talley Trio.)
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Don’t know if someone answered yet, but that is an easy one – I Can Still Celebrate Christmas, from my favorite Christmas CD of all time: A Family Christmas, by the Talleys. By the way, did Roger really give Debra a chainsaw like in the song?
Reply to MarkI can still celebrate Christmas! even if my 7 year old daughter has been sick since Christmas eve. She got the flu bug this year for Christmas but she has been quite the trooper.
Reply to Nicolle AThat sounds a lot like our Christmas. It’s just me, my parents, and my brother and sister Christmas morning. Then we head to my aunt’s house. My Grandma has dementia, which is almost the same thing as Alzheimer’s. She smiled some, which made me happy, and she even told me “Merry Christmas,” so I know she knew what day it was. It’s a blessing to still have her with us. She was in the hospital being treated for congestive heart failure, but after some begging, they discharged her for Christmas.
So please pray for her. Another tradition we have is my mom reads the short story “Barrington Bunny” every Christmas Eve, from the book “The Way of the Wolf.” It’s an allegory based on Christ’s death for us, and the true meaning of Christmas. This year she didn’t read it to us because my dad read it as a devotion at church. Well, I hope everybody has a Happy New Year!
Reply to CaseyIs the name of the song “The party’s over???” My grandma said she thinks it is.
I had a good Christmas and a good miracle. Cause my sister got sick and was on a ventilator for 18 days. and before Christmas she got off of life support and got to go home from the hospital. And, she came to our house for late Thanksgiving dinner. She couldn’t come for Christmas but that’s ok because she’s getting better. Remember her in your prayers please.
I got some CD’s of Kirk Talley’s for Christmas and I watched football game and fell asleep. (This is Timmy from OK – I bring you flowers in Tulsa.) I wish I could see you again.
I helped cooking little bit – my dad and me like to cook together. I make a cake and decorate it myself. It’s a Christmas Tree cake…. chocolate inside. Tonight we make a rice casserole.
I played the organ for Christmas til my mom made me stop – she said I play too loudd. I am a song writer n ow. Bro. Donnie is going to help me a little bit. (Homesteaders)
Music Love,
Reply to Timmy SmithTimmy
I had a quiet Christmas. Went to eat Chinese with some friends. Had an enjoyable time off from work — 2.5 days plus the weekend was really nice! Next week, I work 3 days & have a 4-day weekend again! Nice. I’ve been enjoying my Christmas DVDs/videos & CDs.
Reply to Elaine HarcourtWe always have a Christmas Party with my dads side of the family early in the month. We don’t exchange gifts anymore since that side of the family has grown so much. Only the little kids exchange whom are all 5 and under. It would be a dull party without my father there though. He always makes sure he’s center of attention!
You know how he is.
This year might be my uncles last Christmas. He has lugarics disease and he’s in the last stages of it. He’s in a wheelchair and in a home. My aunt picked up him for the party, but he wasn’t wanting to be there. I can see why. It wasn’t much fun for him to watch everyone eat and everything (he cant feed himself nor hold a glass). He pretty much just sat in his wheelchair and watched the game. My dad offered to get him something many times, but he just said no thanks.
Christmas Eve is time with my parents, 2 older sisters, brother in law, niece and nephew. We have dinner and exchange gifts.
Christmas morning is just my one sister that lives a block from us, my parents and I. We exchange gifts and have dinner which is usually the same stuff we had on we Christmas Eve. Makes it easier on my mom. Then afterwords we usually go mess around with the gifts we got, but this year was a little different. After the gifts were opened and dinner was over my mom and I ran over to Lancaster (about 45mins away) to see her uncle thats in a nursing home. He’s mentally challenged and has been all his life. He’s been in a nursing home since he’s early 40’s and he’s now in his 70’s. He talks out of his head and has no idea what he’s saying or whats going on. He took him some homemade candy and cookies over and stayed for a little while.
My best friend had to work (who is also in Lancaster) so we fixed her up a Christmas dinner plate and took it into her. She wasn’t having a very good day and said it just felt like another day to her, but she said it made her day to see me and have a Christmas dinner.
For the rest of the month its pretty much exchanges with friends, baking, shopping, wrapping, the norm which all gets tiring when your not feeling well and doing it all by yourself. Since mama had that tax advance to do at the office and wasn’t feeling well, I was doing her’s, dads, mine and my sisters shopping and wrapping as well as getting cards out for both mama and I. Another reason why I said I was doing my Christmas shopping at your product table! I knew what it was gonna be like and I got my shopping for my friends out of the way that night. So to answer your question on if I’m glad its over.. lets just say I’m happy not to have to wrap another thing!
But it is sad to see it all go.
Reply to Heather ChappleMy family always celebrates on Christmas Eve. My sister is divorced, so her sons go to their other grandmother’s house. We normally just have a dinner, fellowship, opening of gifts, and more fellowship. This year, my husband and I was able to celebrate Christmas in our very first house. We have only been in our new house for six months. So we were very excited that my family came down to our house to celebrate Christmas.
Reply to Susie SweanyWe had a wonderful Christmas with most all of our family Tuesday Night. All five of our sons and their families came to the house at the same time. A few of the older grandchildren were still missing from the gathering. It is still a rare occasion for all of our grown children to be together at the same time. My husband agreed to order Raw Minerials for my face a week or so before Christmas. It hasn’t arrived yet. Maybe they sent my make-up to the wrong Becky. lol I’m sure your Mamaw was beautiful for Christmas. Santa dropped by to bring Ronnie cake on Christmas Eve. Maybe next year Santa will come by when the kids are here. lol I took the tree down today and put it away until next year. I haven’t put away the manger scene yet. I was thinking since it took the wise men a little while to find Jesus after his birth, I would just leave it out for a little while longer.
)
Reply to RebeccaMerry Christmas to you and your family!
My Christmas this year was totally different than anything I’ve ever done. For my 25th year on this planet, I decided to do something different: leave the U.S. for the very first time and go on a foreign mission trip to New Zealand! I live in Mississippi, and I have flown to other parts of our country, but it was my very first trip overseas. I went there from Dec. 6th-Dec. 25th to visit a missionary friend of mine that I haven’t seen in over 6 years and to preach and teach on Biblical Creationism and Evangelism in a few independent Baptist churches down there.
I was a little nervous about going to a foreign country where I would probably have little or no ability to use my cell phone, and I also knew that internet access might not be available at certain times while I was there. The one thing that I was concerned about the most before leaving (besides being away from family and friends): NO CHICK-FIL-A FOR THREE WHOLE WEEKS!! I don’t like going 3 days without going by there, so I knew that staying in New Zealand for 3 weeks would NOT be easy for me!
The total time for the trip was about 30 hours, and of course, I wasn’t able to sleep much on any of my flights! I’ve never been so thankful for having a MP3 player full of music from all my favorite groups like The Talley Trio and Brian Free and Assurance! Having about 8 hours of Talley songs and 4 hours of Brian Free & Assurance on the MP3 player made it much easier to pass the time! So, I arrived in Auckland and then took a short flight to Rotorua on Dec. 8th. During my stay there, I visited a church in Rotorua, a church in Hamilton, and another church in Tauranga. One young teenager made a profession of faith after one of the morning services! Many of the Christians there also expressed a lot of interest and appreciation for the creation seminars. The lessons about the age of the earth, the dinosaurs, and the Flood were familiar to many of them and new for some people as well.
A couple of girls from Israel were visiting one of the churches during one of those services as well. Both of them basically said they were atheists, but they had attended the services with the family they were visiting because they wanted to see what Christianity was all about. They weren’t ready to become Christians yet, but they had some very good, thoughtful questions after the service. I thanked them for coming, encouraged them to keep an open mind and heart about the Word of God, and told them I was praying for them and their country, which they (even as atheists) said they appreciated! They were very respectful and inquisitive, and I hope to see them again in Heaven one day!
All things considered, it was one of the very best Christmas times I’ve ever had! I had some time for some really fun tourist activities and had the privilege of making some new friends and meeting a bunch more people who love the Lord just like I do! The people there were so kind and made me feel so welcome and grateful to have been in the country. Traveling to another country also reminded me once again that there’s a whole world of people out there, and many of them still need to hear and accept the gospel. As busy as the holidays seem while we celebrate Christmas and look forward to a new year, we can never, ever, forget that fact, no matter where we are!
Reply to Joseph McDonaldAre the soundtracks available for the new cd yet?
Reply to MelanieYep
http://www.talleytrio.com.
Reply to Lauren TalleyA 2 year old little girl i know (Natalie) wants to wish you a merry christmas & a happy new year
Reply to HollyMy Christmas was excellent. My family always starts off Christmas the first weekend in December. We have a Hanging of the Greens ceremony at my church and then have Open House at my house afterward. I guess you can say that kicks off my Christmas.
The next weekend my church youth group took a trip to Lynch, Kentucky which is a very poor city. My church helps with this trip by providing clothes, money and food to give to this family. I was able to sit down and talk to a women and her young child and she was very appreciative of what we were doing. That trip is a very special part of my Christmas because we provide Christmas for families who could not afford to buy Christmas for there family. A group of us came back earlier then the rest of the group to practice and then preform the kids Christmas musical. That evening was very special to me because I love kids and helped these kids learn the narrations and the words to the songs.
The third weekend in December was Christmas with my mom’s mom, mom’s Brother and Sister-in-law and there kids and my brothers girlfriend. That weekend was also the Adult choir Christmas Cantata. I was the “Director” in the narration of the cantata, which was the biggest part in the narration. I was so happy to get that over with! Of course after that I was happy to think no more school for two weeks.
After the cantata it was nights/mornings of staying up after one o’clock wrapping presents, cooking, and helping mom do whatever I can to keep her from staying up so late. As you can see staying up late didn’t help even though I was helping her.
Christmas Eve we had a Christmas Eve service at my church. When we got home, we opened our gifts from “Santa Clause” and then enjoyed fellowship with my family and grandmother. Christmas Morning we got up and went to Rockingham, NC to my dad’s parents and had Christmas with that side of the family and left there house about four o’clock to go to my grandfather’s side of the family (It’s a thirty year tradition!). After that, we went home to enjoy rest and relaxation (not really). We actually prepared for a trip to Greenville, NC. We are now here enjoying fun and fellowship with friends, who are actually like family to my family.
So the answer to Laurens question is yes I am glad Christmas is over but I am sad too! I love the Christmas holiday’s because it’s a time to spend with family and a time to spend reflecting on what happened two thousand years ago when a baby was born to a virgin! Just remember, CHRISTmas is all about CHRIST! Have a wonderful New Year!
Reply to Ashley LoftisMy Christmas was so fun. Having a 2 year old makes things so interesting. I love the fact that she is two because she is so cheap to buy presents for. I need to cherish it while it last because I know the older she gets the more expensive it will get.
We had so many big presents, but her favorite was a box of 123 magnets that you put on the refrigerator. we even got her a little tike car. We had it sitting out from santa, but when she walked into the living room she walked right past it! Kids never cease to amaze me. then after all of that fun Christmas, it was time to get back to work in the ER!!!!
ya know, working where I work, I don’t understand everything that happens, why people have to go through the things they do. I know that God don’t put on you any more then you can bear, but it seems that sometimes it can get to the very tip! The day after Christmas, a 4 year old was brought into the hospital with abdominal pain. Within an hour the doctor had to walk into that exam room to tell the parents that their 4 year old had leukemia. As I walked past their room, I saw the parents just laying over the boys bed in tears. My heart just broke. I am not a cryer, but that sight just made me bawl like a baby. My heart just went out for this family. there lives just changed in a split second. I saw the little boy just laying there asleep and he just looked like an angel. He doesn’t know what is really going on. He doesn’t know what he is going to have to endure in the next several weeks or even years. But God knows and God did say to suffer the little children and let them come unto Him. I know that God will take care of this little fellow! I just ask anyone who reads this to keep this family in your prayers that this boy will get through this stronger then ever.
anyway, I hope everyone has a happy new year! and make sure you grab your loved ones and let them know how much you love them because life can truly change within seconds!!!
Sarah
Reply to Sarahdear talley’s it was a great night in clemmons nc!roger thank you so much for the song! it made my night. I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk to you all. by chance when you were near the mebane ext on I-40 did you see a gray suv on your left side and then on your right! then behind you! then back to your right side! just saying hey! before i had to ext off. be safe! I pray for you all daily
love
Reply to louise thompsonlouise
This year has been sort of a strange year for me. Oddly enough we’ve actually had four get togethers this year for Christmas. I have two sisters and one brother, so we usually have a hard time getting together my whole family. My Nephew Ben is in the Navy on a submarine stationed out of Washington state and would be out on the water during Christmas, so my Sister put together a Christmas get together about a month back so he could spend some time with everyone. We usually draw names among the family just because of having such a large family and then have our get together sometime before Christmas. We always have a large spread with about every sort of fatty food you can think of. We had our second get together with the family members that could make it on the 21st, which was our official get together. My parents and I usually wait until Christmas morning to exchange our gifts to one another, which was number three. The day after Christmas we visited my Sister and her family, which was get together number four. I had my Niece’s little girl, Kaylee’s name this year for the gift exchange and was not able to see her before Chistmas at our get together, so we had dinner and another gift exchange. I built her a rocking cradle for her dolls, which I think the box was bigger than Kaylee. It’s fun to watch kid’s eyes when they see a large package. I joked, she’ll probably play with the box more! Kaylee’s three, which is such a fun age to watch kids. Between her and her little Brother Carter who is eight months and starting to be a crawling terror, especially to the dog, it was a very relaxing enjoyable evening. It’s sort of sad to me in a way because as I get older along with everyone else it seems harder each year to get everybody in the family together, but despite that we always seem to make the most of the time we do have together and that’s what is really important. I think my most memorable experiences were at Christmas past. When we kids we would all go out together with my Parents to get the Christmas tree as a family. A man we knew who had a neighboring farm had a lot of pine trees on his farm and would let us cut one off his farm. The journey to get the tree itself was as much fun as decorating the tree. My Mother has never been an outdoors person, so just watching her try to cross the stream and dealing with briars and barb wire farm fences was comical. It’s funny some of the things you remember from your childhood. It’s the little things that happen through the years that you remember your whole life. They become treasured memories that you never forget. I pray that each and every one had a blessed Christmas and that as we enter into New Year that the Lord’s hand be on each and every person and family. I hope each person takes time to treasure the time with their families this season and all the simple things in life that really matter the most. Have a blessed New Year everyone!
Sam Kerfoot
Reply to Sam KerfootAs for my christmas, we start at my grandparents house christmas eve open gifts, then eat, then me and my momaw sing christmas carols on the porch(those memories i hold close.)Then we leave around 10:00pm and come home, once home i open my gifts from “santa” aka: mom and dad(they like to keep that tradition alive) and we go to bed, exciting i know
Then this years been diff as far as christmas day goes, with the passing of my grandfather in sept. we’ve held thanksgiving and christmas day dinner at my house so all of my dad’s side of the family comes over and eats not so much exchanging gifts this year, but i dont mind, since popaw died; i have learned what’s most important about these once a year family gatherings 
and i would have too say i’m glad it’s over cause this year’s been tough but im always welcoming a new year.
Reply to allieHappy New Year
God bless
This year I went caroling with some members of our church choir to a Nursing Home in my community. My aunt, some older members of my church, and some neighbors live there now. At first I wasn’t going to go, but I am soooo glad I did. When your singing Christmas Carols and you look into the eyes of people who have helped to nurture you, and they are trying their best to sing with you, and you remember how they used to be – well … well … it is just overwhelming. We should all be THANKFUL for our health, and the people who care about us.
Thank You.
Reply to JeffHey Talleys .It was great seeing you in Lumberton Sunday.You were AWESOME as always.I look forward to seeing you in April at Myrtle Beach.God Bless and Happy New Year. Carey
Reply to Carey DevaneThe song: I`d still like to go to grandmas home for christmas.
During the advent I prepare the gift and food.
Our Christmas celebration starts 24 des at 5am.
Dinner is reday and we eat:lamb,pig,potatos,swede,red cabbage,and Vigra pig hot dog…it`s much and very tasteful.
After dinner it`s time for dishes and after that…it`s time for gift.
We wisit family and friends and eat lots of cake and late evenings, it`s good to be together.
2christmasday it`s time to dress up and go to our Prayr House (church)for sining, and listning to the Gospel and walk around the christmas tree.
We take the day as it comes.
Merry Christmas to all of you and Happy new year.
From Marita
Reply to Marita N GiskeMy Christmas is the same as it has been for 14 years lol. Every year we go to my grandmother’s house for a family get together on Christmas Eve and we have dinner and see family we havn’t seen for a year. It was really nice but only one thing was different this year. My dad wasn’t with us kids. He has always gone with us and woke up with us Christmas morning and this year was totally different. Since my mom remarried, my dad has been by himself on the holidays.
So it is really upsetting to see him be by himself all the time.
Anyway, on Christmas Eve we had loads of food. Oh wow did we have some food lol. Instead of walking out of the front door I just wanted to roll on out lol. We had a great time and I love my family so much. I really miss my family. All of my family lives in Southern Indiana and they live literally on the border of Kentucky so I rarely ever see them. All the younger kids are all grown up now and I saw some of them I was in disbelief. My cousin, Makenzie, she is 10 years old and is as tall as me. So I was in shock. This Christmas was just okay for me this year. I found out that I had lost a few great grandparents on Christmas Eve and it just tore me apart.
Christmas morning was amazing! I got to watch my little sisters open their presents and I had to take some Tylenol for my headache they gave me from screaming lol. It was all fun especially since I got clean-up duty this year. Oh well I don’t mind lol. My little sisters got alot of toys and when I was a little kid I never had kool toys that they got. Lol I was actually playing with some of them. They have the koolest things lol. Yeah the Christmas breakfast was great….considering I cooked it
…lol. We had had egg nog the night before and I had used the egg nog for batter for the french toast I hade made and then I made homemade syrup. Oh man sorry you missed it because it was delicious! Yeah so that was my Christmas and Chritmas Eve. I love reading everyones stories. They are so great.
Much Love,
Reply to Haley PearceHaley
So do I get a t-shirt?
Reply to MarkHappy New Year !
A cheerful friend is like a sunny day, never miss an opportunity to make someone happy. The little simple things – a smile, a hug, a kind word – these are the big things. Indulge in people you love, even when it seems hopeless ; you may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person … all it really takes is a willing heart, and a tender touch.
Next year let’s slow down and be nicer to everyone, we are only here for a little while.
Reply to JeffHi, My name is Holly & when you came to our church (Jones Chapel) I asked Lauren Talley if she could take a picture with me & She said sure.She also took a picture with my little sister Rachel. I just wanted to say thank-you again & a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. Please e-mail me back.
Reply to HollyMusic means many things to many people, but what does it for me, personally, is when singers sing in tune. When Lauren absolutely nails notes with that bright clear voice, and Roger and Debra complete the rest of the chord with such strength, it raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Never really cared much for lyrics in general, but I pay attention to them in your case. Thank you so much for providing such joy!
Reply to JohnMy sister Rachel ~ she’s 8 ~
Reply to Holly WhaleyMy Grandmother Judy Ownby and my Aunt Carol Ownby
Reply to Holly WhaleyHAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! I’M A LITTLE LATE, BUT I’M AT WORK. I HOPE THE NEW YEAR IS THE BEST THERE EVER WAS. BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE NEXT! THAT MAKE ANY SENSE! BEST ALWAYS. LOUISE
Reply to louise thompsonHAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU.
lOKING FORWARD TO SEE AND HEAR FROM YOU???
lOVE FROM MARITA
Reply to Marita N GiskeHappy New Year!!! You guys have a great one!
Much Love,
Reply to Haley PearceHaley
Hey Talleys! Just wanted to thank you for a great concert the other night at Sandy Cove. That was a terrific way to bring in the New Year. A little windy, but still a lot of fun. I got a chance to say goodbye to Roger. He was loading the bus and trying not to get blown away. It was so cold that he looked like he was ready for the Iditarod dogsled race. I missed the chance to say goodbye to the rest of the group (Debra and Lauren). I told Roger the other night that for a bunch of people that were supposed to be under the weather you still sounded great. I don’t think anybody could tell that you were not feeling well. I met a couple that night who had never been to Sandy Cove before nor had they ever heard the Talley Trio before. We got aquainted and they talked with me throughout the evening. When they asked about your group I told them about you and they were very impressed. I told them that you said you were under the weather and that really blew their mind. Anyhow hope all of you are feeling a little better and get a chance for a little down time to get a little rest. I’m keeping you and your family in prayer. Have a great day. Take care Talleys!
Sam Kerfoot
Reply to Sam KerfootIt sounds like you all had a good Christmas and I hope you all had a wonderful start to the new year. Hope 2009 is a great year the Talleys. I spent my time between my uncles and a brother and on the road but while at my brothers my nephew called home from Iraq and that was a call that was waited for. He is safe so far.The MARINES have had him running escort on top of normal duties.I thank your mom for having my nephews on her prayer list 1 is home with 1 to come back and the 1 home is not shore when he will have to go back.He has already pulled 1 14 month tour. In this area the gospel greats only plays long enough to hear the last 20 of the top40 2008 with the top 20 this Sunday. I say you all will get the top spot.
GOD BLESS
Reply to Jeffrey MearsJeffrey A. Mears
Hey Roger! I guess you’ve heard by now our two teams are going to be playing next weekend. I sort of thought we were going to take Miami. Things are really getting interesting now. I expect it to become an ugly brawl before it’s all over. I guess Lauren was disappointed after last night. I never saw that one coming. Take care!
Sam Kerfoot
Reply to Sam Kerfoot