The Urtis Family
Thursday, December 24 · Friday, December 25 · 2026
All ten of us in Lake Forest for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Six of you are staying at the Deer Path Inn, everyone else is with us at 330 Meadow Lake Lane — and everything we're doing is within about ten minutes of both.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Morning
Luggage drop at the Inn
Anyone staying at the Deer Path Inn — unload at the front desk on your way into town. Rooms won't be ready yet; we're just getting the cars empty so the day is unencumbered.
Angelina and Francesca: come straight to the house.
Deer Path Inn · 255 E Illinois RdEveryone to the house
Coffee, pastries, the tree, no agenda. Nearly two hours with nowhere to be — arrive at your own speed and settle in.
330 Meadow Lake LaneWinter walk — or ice skating, if the pond is frozen
Plan A — the walk. Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve. Park at Elawa Farm and walk in; the barns and prairie under snow are the whole reason. Free, always open, ten minutes from the house.
Plan B — skating. If the pond at West Park has frozen hard enough to open, we go there instead. We'll know that morning. Bring your skates either way — there are no rentals on Christmas Eve.
Elawa Farm, 1401 Middlefork Dr / West Park, 850 Summit AveMarket Square stroll
We put our name in at The Lantern and walk the three blocks down Western to the Square while the table comes up. The 1916 arcade, the clock tower, the shops in their last hours before the holiday.
Twenty minutes, not an expedition — but good light for the group photo.
Market Square · Western Ave & Market SquareLate lunch at The Lantern
The classic Lake Forest tavern, going since 1934. Burgers, barbecue, cold beer, zero pretense — the exact opposite of where we'll be at eight o'clock, which is why it belongs here.
Eat well. Dinner is a long way off.
The Lantern · 768 N Western AveCheck in and get dressed
Inn guests head back for keys and rooms — a full hour to change into your Christmas clothes without anyone rushing you. Stockings and pajamas will already be waiting.
Angelina and Francesca: back to the house to change with us.
Deer Path Inn / 330 Meadow Lake LaneA quick one downstairs
Anyone dressed and waiting comes down to The Bar rather than sitting in a hotel room. We'll gather there and leave together.
The Bar, Deer Path InnLeave for church
Six minutes from the Inn. We want to be in a pew by 5:15 — Christmas Eve fills up.
Christmas Eve service
Christ Church, Lake Forest campus. Dark outside, candlelight in, about an hour.
Christ Church · 100 N Waukegan RdDrinks by the fire
Straight back to the Inn and into The Bar. Fireplace inside, fire pit out in the courtyard, everyone in their good clothes with an hour and nowhere to be. This is where we do the Christmas toast.
The Bar, Deer Path InnChristmas Eve dinner
Table of ten at the Inn.
Deer Path InnWherever we land
Anyone who's done walks upstairs — they're already home. Everyone else picks: a nightcap in the White Hart Pub, back to ours for a movie, or out somewhere else in town. We'll decide at the table.
Nobody drives anywhere they shouldn't. That's the whole point of staying here.
Short, warm, and unhurried — everyone's got somewhere to be by midday, so we do the good part first and the logistics after.
Come straight over — in your pajamas
Pajamas, genuinely. Wear the ones waiting in your room. Don't pack, don't check out, don't get dressed. Just get in the car and come.
330 Meadow Lake LaneCoffee and presents
Coffee, pastries, and a round of presents by the tree. Not the whole haul — just the ones meant for this room. The rest happens later at Dad's.
330 Meadow Lake LaneBack to the Inn to pack up
Head back, pack, and check out. Then on to Dad's for the main gift exchange — and we'll see you all after.
Deer Path InnSplit your gifts before you leave home. Bring only what's meant for the coffee round to our house — everything else goes straight to Dad's in the car. Otherwise the morning turns into a driveway reshuffle with everyone standing around in pajamas in the cold.
Three rooms at the Deer Path Inn, two beds each. We go up together at four to change for church.
Nothing is more than about ten minutes from anything else.