A/N I've been missing this version of the Thorntons, so I decided to give you all another little glimpse into their lives five years after we last saw them! Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Quick recap of the (mostly-grown) kids/grandkids and their ages: Jane and Patrick (29), parents to Eliza Rose and Jackson Lee (10), Grace Eleanor (5), and Patrick Michael, Jr. (2). Eleanor (almost 28) and Sidney (29), parents to Julia Jane (3 months). Levi (26) and Esther, parents to Thomas Isaac (3). Daniel and Benjamin (24). Audrey (19). Laurel and Eva (13).

...

December 1945

...

"Elizabeth," Jack whispered, lightly touching her cheek. "Sweetheart, wake up."

"Hm," she breathed, her eyes staying closed as she snuggled into him.

He chuckled quietly. "Elizabeth. As much as I would love to stay in this bed with you, we really need to get up. We have a busy day."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"Okay, but I'm getting up." He gave her a quick peck before rolling out of the bed. "I'm making bacon and eggs for breakfast. I wouldn't stay in bed too long, or there won't be any left."

Her eyes finally popped open. "Don't you dare let Eva feed my breakfast to her dog."

"I won't." He gave her a wink, leaning in to kiss her again.

She stretched, groaning at the ache that had settled into her joints overnight. "I'll be down soon."

She settled back in the pillows as she watched him put on his slippers and pull his robe around him, a smile playing on her lips.

It didn't take long before she missed his warmth beside her and she made her way down the stairs. She found him at the stove, their thirteen-year-old daughters beside him. Eva was stirring the eggs in a pan, Laurel quietly giving her directions. Honey lifted his head at the sound of her footsteps, his tail tapping a few times against the floor.

"Good morning, mama," Laurel greeted her.

"Good morning. It smells delicious in here."

"Dad says I'm even better than him at making eggs now," Eva beamed.

Elizabeth chuckled, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You should've seen some of his attempts at cooking breakfast when we were first married."

"You still ate those eggs!" he countered.

"And I'm lucky they didn't make me sick," she teased him back.

Laurel giggled. "Dad, you better stop arguing with mom before you burn the bacon."

"Oh, the bacon!" Elizabeth laughed. "He made me some questionable bacon, too."

He shook his head, joining in her laughter. "I have improved my breakfast skills a bit in the past thirty years."

"You have," she admitted as she moved to take a seat at the table.

"So," Jack began, changing the subject, "how have rehearsals been for the Christmas program?"

"Good. Audrey said our costumes should be ready in a few days."

"Are you excited for it, too, Eva?" Jack nudged her.

She shrugged. "I'm nervous for my solo."

"I'm sure it'll be beautiful, sweetheart." He kissed her temple. "You inherited your mother's talent for singing, after all."

"Thank you, dad."

"And just know, I'll be right up front, cheering you on."

Elizabeth smiled at the interaction, still amazed at her husband after so many years. He had been a wonderful father to their children when they were young, and he was just as wonderful with them as they grew up into young men and women.

"Now, we should get this breakfast finished up so you can all be on time for school."

...

Patrick shook his head, watching the twins laugh as they helped their little sister put the finishing touches on their snowman. "How has it been ten years already?"

"I have no idea," Jane said from her place beside him. "Weren't they babies just a few days ago?"

"It certainly feels that way." He put his arm around her, still gazing out the window. "Is everything ready for their party?"

"Almost. Your mom is bringing the cake over in half an hour, and everyone else should be over shortly after that."

"Mama?" Two year old Mikey toddled in, his arm stuck in the wrong side of his coat. "I go outside?"

"Patrick Michael, what are you doing?" Jane laughed, crouching down to help him fix his coat. "You need your hat and boots on first. It's cold out there."

"Here, Mikey." Patrick offered his hand. "I'll help you find those, and we can get daddy's coat while we're at it."

"You comin', daddy?"

"Sure, bud." He ruffled his hair. "Maybe we can convince mama to come out, too." He glanced up at Jane, an expectant look in his eyes.

Mikey looked over at his father, then up at his mother, trying to imitate the pleading look Patrick was giving.

She chuckled. "Well, how can I say no to that? Let me get my coat and boots."

A few minutes later, they stood on the porch. The children had completed their snowman and were now in the middle of a snowball fight. Mikey's laugh echoed around the yard as Jackson showed him how to aim just right, landing a snowball in the middle of Eliza's back. Five and a half year old Grace was smiling as she hid behind the snowman, hoping that her siblings wouldn't want to risk knocking down their creation by throwing anything in her direction.

Jane crossed her arms, sighing contentedly. "Sometimes, I still can't believe this is our life. Look at those kids, Pat. They're ours."

He pulled her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "We do have a great life here."

"Sometimes I wonder what our life would've been like if we decided not to stay in Hope Valley, but nothing I imagine is ever as good as reality."

He smiled, tightening his arms around her. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

...

Elizabeth took a seat on the sofa beside Rosemary, settling a sleepy Mikey in her lap. "Can you believe the twins are ten now? I feel like they're growing even more quickly than my own children did."

"They'll all be grown up before we know it. Even this little guy." She reached over to touch her grandson's cheek. "Goodness, I still can't get over how much he looks like his dad at that age."

"Acts like him, too, if I remember correctly," Elizabeth joked. "They really chose well naming him after Patrick."

"What are you two talking about over here?" Jane approached them with Grace on her hip.

"Just how similar Mikey is to Patrick."

"Oh," Jane chuckled, "he is one-hundred percent his father. I'm not sure that boy inherited anything from me. But speaking of Mikey, I should probably get him up to bed."

"I'll take Gracie," Rosemary offered, holding out her arms for her granddaughter.

Elizabeth watched as Jane lowered Grace into Rosemary's lap before taking Mikey from her and carrying him up the stairs.

"She's been a mother for ten years now, but sometimes, I still see her as that little girl who would toddle around the schoolhouse while I got everything ready for the day."

"She'll always be your little girl," Rosemary assured her.

"Nana?" Grace looked up at her grandmother. "How many days until it's Christmas?"

"Well, let's see." Rosemary put a finger to her chin, pretending to think hard. "Today is the 13th, and Christmas is the 25th. That means it's twelve more days until Christmas."

"Is that a long time?"

"Not too long, sweetheart." Rosemary kissed the top of her head. "Are you excited for Christmas?"

"Mhmm." She nodded. "I get to sing at school with Eliza and Jackson and Auntie Laurel and Auntie Eva for Christmas. Right, grandma?" She looked to Elizabeth for confirmation.

"That's right, Gracie. And you're going to do a wonderful job."

"Are yours all still planning to visit this year?" Rosemary asked, referencing Elizabeth's children who no longer lived in town.

"Yes." A smile spread across her face. "The boys can only stay for a few days, but it'll be the first time in four years that Jack and I will have all eight of them with us, plus the six grandchildren."

"That'll be wonderful."

...

Eleanor gazed out the window of Jane and Patrick's guest room, seeing the snow covering the trees, the mountains rising up in the distance. It had been over a year since the last time she had visited the town where she grew up, and she hadn't realized just how much she missed it. The slower pace of life, the views, being near family. Union City wasn't that far away, but her work and Sidney's kept them from visiting as frequently as she would have liked. She sighed, bringing her hand up to the glass.

Sidney stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. "You want to move back here, don't you?"

She turned to face him. "I never said that."

"You didn't have to, Eleanor. I can tell. We've been here for two days, and you just seem so much happier than you've been in a while."

She slid her arms around his waist. "I didn't think I could still be homesick after being away for so many years. But ever since Julia was born, it's been harder to be away from my family."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think this is something we should discuss."

She shrugged. "We're settled in Union City. You love working at the hospital. I would never want to take you away from that."

"We're a team, Eleanor. If something's bothering you, we need to talk about it." He took her hand, leading her over to the bed. They both took a seat. "So, what if we moved here?"

"You're a surgeon, Sidney, a really good one. You can't leave the hospital."

"Why not? Hope Valley has grown a lot, especially in the past few years. I know the last time we were here, Dr. Shepherd was talking about how much they want to build a hospital here, so people won't have to travel all the way to Union City to be treated. I could be a surgeon here with him. And whenever you decide you want to go back to work, we'd have your family around to watch Julia for us."

"You'd give up a job you love?"

A smile played on his lips. "I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure you're happy, El. But I wouldn't be giving anything up. I've actually been wishing I could spend more time with you and Julia, and I imagine working in a hospital here would give me at least a little bit more free time." He leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, Eleanor. I think we should seriously talk more about this."

"Okay." She kissed him again. "I love you, Sidney."

...

Elizabeth snuggled closer to Jack, leaning her head on his shoulder. She gazed at the tree they had just finished decorating, each ornament hanging on the branches holding a memory from Christmases past.

He kissed the top of her head. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm just thinking about how many memories we have in this house. How many memories that tree is holding right now."

A smile played on his lips, his eyes scanning the tree. Nearly every branch boasted an ornament: ones made by their children and grandchildren throughout the years, ones from his own childhood and Elizabeth's. His eyes locked on one in particular, and his mind was brought back to a moment over thirty years before, the first time he had asked her to a Mountie Ball.

"Remember the makeshift Mountie Ball? I'm glad I was able to take you to a real one eventually, but I think the one in the saloon will always be my favorite."

"That was such a beautiful evening."

He tightened his arm around her. "Do you have a favorite Christmas?"

"No." She shook her head. "There's been something special about every Christmas we've shared together. I think I am partial to all the first Christmases, though."

"This will be Julia's first Christmas," he pointed out. "And the first one Mikey will really be able to participate in."

"I wonder if we'll have any more grandchildren by next Christmas," she mused.

He chuckled. "Please don't put pressure on any of the children."

"I won't, but just admit, you love being a grandpa."

"I do." He kissed her. "Just as much as I love being a father and your husband."

...

"Thank you for driving us to and from the train station, Dan," Sadie Flynn said from the backseat of the car. "I know Ben was worried we wouldn't be able to make it back to Hope Valley for Christmas this year." She turned to look at her fiancé, giving him a sympathetic smile.

He reached over and took her hand, his own smile widening at the sight of the ring he had placed on her finger just a few months before.

He and Sadie had spent a lot of time together in the months after Eleanor's wedding, and they kept in touch when he and Daniel had been deployed to the United Kingdom. When he had returned to Canada following an injury that would force him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life and his subsequent discharge from the service, she came to visit him.

Somewhere along the way, they had fallen in love, and once he was back on his feet, he proposed.

Now, they lived in Vancouver, where Sadie was a nurse and Benjamin worked with an airline company. Daniel lived nearby, in Victoria, visiting them frequently.

This Christmas would be the first Christmas in a few years that all three were able to be in Hope Valley with their families, though.

Ben squeezed her hand. "I can't wait to be back in the place where we grew up. And this time, I get to show you off as my future wife." He leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hey!" Daniel shot a glance back at them. "No kissing when I'm driving, Benjamin Todd!"

"You aren't the boss of me, Daniel James!" he countered with a chuckle.

"Are you two going to bicker like this the entire way?"

"If he keeps kissing you, yes," Ben joked.

"Just wait, Daniel. You'll meet a pretty girl someday, and you'll want to kiss her all the time, too." To prove his point, he turned to kiss Sadie again.

"Don't test me, Ben. I'll make you walk the rest of the way through this snow, injured leg and all."

"Spoilsport!"

Sadie laughed. "Benny, we're almost there, anyway, and then you can kiss me all you want."

"Well, I certainly like the sound of that."

...

"Mo chroí."

Audrey looked up from her sewing machine, having been so involved in her work that she hadn't heard anyone come into the shop. A smile stretched across her face. "Owen."

"Why don't you take a break, Audrey? I'll treat you to lunch at the café."

"I'd love to," she sighed, "but I really need to finish these costumes for the Christmas program. I'm running out of time."

"You can't spare half an hour? I promise, you'll be back to work in no time. I feel like we've barely seen each other lately."

"Well, when you put it that way…" She removed the fabric from the machine, quickly folding it and setting it aside. "Let's go."

A few minutes later, they found themselves tucked into a table in the corner of the café. Audrey blushed when he met her eyes, giving her a crooked smile.

For her entire childhood, she had told anyone who would listen that she was going to marry Joseph Shepherd. But one summer day when she was sixteen, not long after Joseph had gone away to school, the Reilly family arrived in Hope Valley from Ireland, and she found herself captivated by the family's eldest boy.

Owen Reilly had bumped into Audrey in the street, accidentally knocking her books to the ground. She was in a hurry, and was about to give him a piece of her mind when his piercing blue eyes met hers. He apologized as he picked up her things, and her stomach fluttered at the way the words sounded in his unfamiliar accent.

"Mo chroí." He reached across the table for her hand. "What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking about the first time we met."

He chuckled. "I'm glad you gave me a chance even after I showed you how clumsy I am."

"You're just lucky I thought you were cute." She smiled at him. "And don't get me started on your accent."

"Agus nuair a labhraím Gaeilge?"

She giggled. "If you keep that up, I'm going to have to come around this table and kiss you."

He gave her a mischievous grin. "Ní leomhfá."

"Owen Reilly! Quit distracting me! You know I need to get back to work soon."

"Okay, I'll stop. But I do have something for you while we have some time together." He reached into his pocket, pulling out something small that he kept hidden in his hand. "I wanted this to be special, and not just a Christmas present." He held up a small gold ring, featuring a pair of hands, a crown, and a heart. "This is a Claddagh ring that used to belong to my mother. It's not an engagement ring—though I hope to give you one of those someday—but this is to symbolize loyalty, friendship, and love. I would be honored if you would wear it."

"Owen…" She took the ring from him, running her fingertip across the delicate images. "This is beautiful. I would love to wear it."

He grinned as he watched her slip it onto her finger. "I love you, Audrey Thornton."

"I love you, too."

...

"Are you ready to surprise my parents again?" Levi nudged Esther as they stood on the porch of the Thornton home, waiting to knock on the door.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe that you brought me here to meet them, and they had no idea we were engaged or that you were even seeing somebody!"

"You were a good surprise, though. And this baby will be, too." He touched her stomach, where their second baby was growing.

"Daddy, can I knock?" Their son asked.

"Sure, Thomas." He lifted him from the ground so he could better reach the door. He rapped on the wood a few times before a call of 'come in' sounded from inside.

"It's us!" Levi announced as they stepped through the door.

"Levi!" Elizabeth stepped into the living room, her eyes growing wide at the sight of his little family. "Well, you certainly enjoy surprising us when you visit." She pulled him into a hug first, then Esther. "When are you due?"

"Early March. I tried to convince Levi to tell you sooner, but he really wanted to surprise you."

"Well, this is certainly a welcome surprise. And how's my boy?" She took Thomas from her son. "You've gotten tall!"

"'Cause I eat my vegetables," he declared proudly. "Hi, grandpa!" He waved excitedly when he saw Jack enter the room. "Guess what. I'm gonna be a biiiig brother!"

"I see that, bud." Jack chuckled, nodding at his daughter-in-law. "Good to see you Esther." He straightened up, giving his son a salute. "Constable."

Levi returned the salute. "Sergeant."

"Every time." Esther laughed.

"Why don't you two go upstairs and get settled? I'm sure you're tired after the drive. The guest room is all ready for you."

"Thank you, mom." Levi kissed her cheek before retrieving their bags and taking his wife and son upstairs.

Jack slipped his arms around Elizabeth's waist, a smile on his face. "They're all officially home."

"And now we can really start the Christmas celebrations."

...

Later that evening, the entire Thornton family gathered with other townsfolk in the saloon following the school's Christmas program.

Eva beamed as she received praise for her performance, Laurel staying proudly at her side. Eliza happily did a repeat of her part for anyone who wanted to watch, still seeming so much like her Nana Rosemary.

Benjamin and Daniel were off to the side, catching up with old friends, while Levi introduced his son to those who hadn't yet met him.

Jane stood near the stairs and gently bounced her niece in her arms, smiling as the little baby yawned. "Julia Jane, I love you so much."

Patrick sidled up to her. "Is she making you want to have another one?"

"A little." She met his eyes. "But I'm pretty happy with the four we have. Besides, we might get to see more of this little one soon. I was talking to Ellie a few minutes ago, and she said that she and Sidney have been discussing the possibility of moving back here, so Julia can grow up around family."

"Really?"

She nodded. "They'll need more doctors when they build the hospital here, so Sidney's willing to leave Union City."

"That would be great. I know your mom and dad would love having them closer."

"They would." She smiled as she looked over at her parents, who were clearly having the best time surrounded by all of their children and grandchildren. "I should get Julia back to Ellie. Would you like me to get you a cookie while I'm up?"

"Do you even have to ask?" He winked and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Janie."

...

"Do you think everyone will fit in front of the tree?" Jack asked, looking uncertain.

"We can all squeeze in there." She assured him, helping organize the family in front of the Christmas tree. "Is the camera ready?"

"Just about."

"Dad!" Eliza whined as she moved to stand beside Jane and Grace. "Jackson keeps poking me!"

"J, leave your sister alone," Patrick warned, shifting Mikey on his hip. "Grandma wants to get a nice picture of the whole family. You just need to stand still for a few minutes longer."

"Mama," Thomas whispered, squirming as he tugged on Esther's skirt. "I gotta potty."

"I'll take you, bud," Levi offered, taking his hand and quickly whisking him off to the bathroom.

Jack peered through the lens. "Daniel, you need to take a step closer to Ben. You're hidden behind Audrey right now."

"If any more of us get married, I don't think we'll all be able to fit in the picture," he joked as he moved slightly to the side.

"Can you see the baby?" Ellie questioned, glancing over at her daughter tucked up in Sidney's arms.

"Yes, just make sure you keep your arm down, Sidney."

"Eva, your sleeve is twisted." Laurel reached over, helping her twin fix her shirt.

Levi and Thomas returned, standing by Esther once more.

Elizabeth took her place in the center of the group, smiling as she looked around at her family. So many times in the first few weeks that she lived in what was then called Coal Valley, she considered packing up and returning to Hamilton. But she was incredibly grateful that she stayed.

She couldn't even count all the blessings the town had given her, there were so many. Thirty years married to a wonderful husband, eight beautiful children who were creating families of their own, friends who felt like even more members of their family, her list could go on and on.

Finally, everyone was in place, and Jack moved to stand beside Elizabeth.

"Everybody ready?"

Murmurs of 'ready' and 'yes' sounded around him.

He counted down before snapping the photograph.

Elizabeth turned toward him, placing a hand on his arm. "I can't wait to see how that turns out. Thank you, Jack."

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. "Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. I love you."

"I love you, Jack. Merry Christmas."