The 2025 Christmas Card Letter

Writing the annual Christmas Letter is hard work. Trying to make it fun and informative, but not braggy, while being funny and a little serious, but not too serious, with a hint of emotion and self-reflection and soul-searching all while being a time-capsule, of sorts, so when someone looks back and reads a letter years from now, they’ll know exactly what was happening to The Kowalewski Family in 2025. Kinda was nice my daughter Ada wrote last year’s letter.

2025 was a big year over here in Kowalewskiville. Multiple graduations, new jobs, road trips, vacations, new beginnings, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Let’s start with Jimmy. Currently in his 3rd year at Michigan State. A Biology major (but I tell everyone pre-Med). I’m re-living my MSU days vicariously through him. He’s Philanthropy Chair at Sigma Chi. He’s in the Izzone, and if you’re watching MSU hoops games, he’s on TV all the time behind the visitors bench. He’s working at SBS (IYKYK) and he’s in his second year as part of a big research project (something with testing human cells) at Michigan State. Unlike me when I was at State, he works hard and studies hard. Good job, Jimmy. Kathy and I continue to host tailgates every MSU home game with friends Amy & Alan. Jimmy (as well as nephews Vito and Dante) always stop(s) by and say(s) “hi” (and we feed him/them). Or we visit him at the Sigma Chi house on gamedays. Weather was great all season. Food was great all season. The football team … ahem … MSU has a new football coach so we’ll leave it at that.

What’s Marylin up to, you ask? Well …ALOT. The picture enclosed is from the evening after she graduated from Michigan State. Yes, in April, Marylin graduated from Michigan State with a Human Development and Family Studies Degree and continued to inch her way closer and closer to a career as a Child Life Specialist. For her entire Senior year, she was doing her Practicum at Detroit Children’s Hospital in downtown Detroit. Which then led to her summer Internship – also at Detroit Children’s. And because of all her hard work and dedication, Detroit Children’s Hospital offered her a full-time position as a Child Life Specialist – a job and career she knew she wanted all the way back in high-school – and she’s now a Child Life Specialist working in the Bone Marrow Transplant area. 

For Kathy and I, this means we raised a real-life adult. I mean, we knew that was the goal but when they actually become adults doing adult things, it’s an adjustment.

It was a fun senior year. Marylin came home every Sunday, worked in downtown Detroit on Mondays, and then drove home to Michigan State every Monday after her Practicum. Her graduation weekend at MSU was a blast and while it’s been nearly 30 years since Kathy and I graduated, on that Saturday it felt a little like a time machine. 

Before we get to Ada, let’s real quick update you on yours truly and Kathy.  I’m still at Audacy Detroit selling advertising for radio stations you might know (97.1 The Ticket, 104.3 WOMC, WWJ Newsradio 950, WYCD 99.5 Country, and Alt 98.7) and loving it. Kathy is in her 5th year at St. Regis, teaching middle school math … 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade …the entire Middle School doesn’t learn math unless they go through Kathy and because Kathy is such a math whiz and such an incredible teacher, those kids will learn math and have a great foundation for high school.

Now, let’s talk Ada. Ada had a big year.

Kathy and I forgot to properly brainwash Ada to all things Michigan State so when she graduated this Spring from Marian High School, she decided she would go off and pursue Nursing at the University of Alabama. Yes. That one. The one in Alabama. The Crimson Tide. A 12-hour drive away (which I know because I’ve made the drive 10 times between touring, move-in, a road-trip visit where I took my Dad, and taking her back after Thanksgiving). 

Note to self:  I really need to re-evaluate the low-payment that comes with low-mileage Lease offers. Gulp. Anyone know someone who can turn back an odometer?

Ada at ‘Bama . . . so far, so good. It’s been fun being part of something completely different than what we know. She went through “Bama Rush” (IYKYK) and is a Tri-Delt. She loves her roommates. She has a football team worth cheering for (MSU has taken steps to fix that for Jimmy, as I mentioned above). Her coldest walk to class was 47-degrees. And she loves being there and feels like she made the exact right choice and she’s where she should be.

All of this leads me to announce that 2025 was the “Year of the Road Trip”.  It’s 800 miles between Bloomfield Hills and Tuscaloosa. 1,600 miles round-trip. I made that drive 4 times. It’s 90-miles to East Lansing and I made that drive at least 10 times. We went to Torch Lake again for another amazing summer vacation with Dave and Melissa and family. That’s 400-miles round-trip. A couple trips to Canadian Lakes to visit Grandpa Jimmy (Kathy’s Dad). That’s 320-miles round-trip and we did that drive at least three times. 

And guess what? I loved every minute and every mile trapped in a car driving all over the place with my family. Those of you who’ve hugged your kids goodbye as they head off to college or venture into adulthood … you realize “time together” is the most fleeting treasure in the world. So when you get a chance to make a drive, like I did, in February for Ada’s official visit and tour of Alabama and Kathy, Ada, and I spent 3 whole days, just the three of us, talking and dreaming about the future. You’ll take that every day.

In August, back and forth to Torch Lake with all the kids. I might’ve driven below the posted speed limit to make it last a little longer. Also in August, another trip to ‘Bama, this time to drop-off Ada and move her into her dorm and then on the way home, just me and Kathy in stunned disbelief that we really let our daughter go to school 800-miles away, we stopped in Nashville for a night of drinking, sing-a-longs, and dancing to try and forget how sad we were …every mile and every minute of the 12+ hours didn’t seem long enough.

And when we got the chance to head to Auburn for the “Iron Bowl” (again, IYKYK) and spend a weekend with my lifelong best friend, Chad, and his wife Dawn and their kids Jacob and Katie, and we got to bring Jimmy along, too …well …  I made the drive with a smile on my face and I would do the drive again for more time with these people. 

Not to mention the adventure-of-the-year and trip-of-a-lifetime I took in late October with my Dad, back and forth to Alabama to visit Ada during the University of Alabama’s Fall Break, and I got to spend 24-hours driving with the original King of the Kowalewski Road-Trip and we didn’t listen to the radio for even a minute. It’s an adventure I’ll never forget.

10,000 miles. 12 stops at Buc’ees.  100+ hours driving, talking to, and spending time with my wife and my kids (and my Dad). Plus, my college grad daughter has decided to live at home for a bit and save some money so I get bonus time with her.

All this made 2025 one of the best years ever! 

Looking into 2026, I’ll bet I have another 3 drives (at least) to and from Tuscaloosa. I’ll be driving out to Denver for my niece’s wedding. God willing, there’ll be another season of tailgates, another year at Torch Lake, weekends at Canadian Lakes and I’ll be happy paying the per mile penalty on the low-mileage Leases.

Hope you had a great 2025 and if you’re near or far, and we didn’t see each other this year, maybe you’ll be part of my 2026 adventure.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!