Debbie Beardsley:“ The Mouse Trap Game! I wanted this so bad. I checked under my parent ' s bed every night for the longest time to see if it was there. Then, one night I finally saw a wrapped gift that had my name and a bow on it. I snuck into my parent ' s room one evening when they had company, and carefully unpeeled the invisible tape, and removed the wrapping paper. To my surprise it was the most awesome thing that I ever saw, The Mouse Trap Game! I wrapped and taped the gift back to its original packaging as best as I could, and placed it back where I found it. Christmas morning I opened the package and acted dramatically by screaming with thanks and excitement. When I glanced over at my parents, both had smirks and half grins on their faces.”
Elizabeth Katherine Cochran:“ A box full of socks. The first year my husband and I were dating, everyone kept asking me what I wanted for Christmas and my answer was socks. I come from a large family with lots of girls, lol, and socks were hard to come by. Especially matching ones. When Christmas arrived my husband handed me a fairly large box, when I opened it it had at least 20 pair if the in style( of) slouch socks, in the middle of them all was one pair of red socks, which I still have to this day. In it was a ring box that had a beautiful heart cross ring. We were both in college as well, the bottom of the box was filled with notebooks, my favorite ink pens and the calculator I needed for my Algebra class. Most thoughtful and sweet gift ever.”
Darrell Littrell:“ My niece Autumn Rowe got us an Alexa Echo. Have to say that has been the best practical gift I have ever gotten in my life! We use her for everything. Our big Christmas light show we do at Christmas runs off of Alexa. It ' s like having an extra person in the house because you can actually talk to her and she ' ll talk back to you, play games, ask her anything you need to ask her. We have a lot of our devices hooked to her, lights, fireplace anything you can think of!”
Cindy Preston:“ My mom and dad got me a stereo with an 8-track( and) a radio in it.”
Gladys Wesley Thurman:“ When I was 5 I got a set of Roy and Dale Evans dishes.”
Christi Miller:“ When my sister was in need of a car, my husband and I cut back on everything else, didn ' t get each other anything, and got her a car. It was my most favorite Christmas ever.”
Toni Bumgardner Morrow:“ In 1996 my parents got me a 1987 Nissan Maxima.”
Bruce Catron:“ My Wells Fargo cowboy guns.” John Paul Alexander:“ Christmas of 1983. Shuttle Tydirium from‘ Return of the Jedi.”
Kasey Parks:“ A scrapbook of my life made by my mother. The same year I received a handmade tree box for the base of my Christmas tree to fit in from my dad. So very thoughtful.”
Crystal Cotey:“ Stockings sewn by my Granny Anita who passed in 2023.”
Laura Rutherford Phelps:“ My favorite Christmas present has been the gift of my family being together! We’ ve celebrated every year together and we’ ve lost some valued family members over the years. Seeing the tradition continue is the great gift I can receive.”
Kristina Creek Harney:“ My very own tool kit.”
Patti Whitis:“ Store display Baby Crissy doll from Roses. Our house had burned in early December. I think the year was either 1974 or 1975. Still have the doll.”
Donna Wheeldon:“ I was eight years old when I got my doll, Betsy! I loved her so much! I still have her, that’ s been many years ago!”
Patty Pennington:“ My birthday is December 21st. My first baby was born in January 1980. My then husband got me a rocking chair, saying this is for your birthday, Christmas and for the baby! I loved it and loved rocking that baby!”
Jody Webb Phelps:“ My Cabbage Patch Kid doll. It was mid 1980’ s and they were so hard to get! My mom somehow made it happen!”
Bobbijo Murphy:“ My favorite gift I gave was I got my nieces a different ornament every year. It ' s always so fun to pick them out with my mom.”
Brian Purtee:“ The Dukes of Hazzard racetrack, watch, and 1:25 scale General Lee in the early 1980s!
Heather Dawes:“ 1983, two Cabbage Patch dolls. Yes, my mom, grandmother and both aunts went black Friday shopping for them and they had stories about it!”
December 2025 SEKY- Southeast Kentucky Life • 29