The Jolly James: Christmas 2012

I present to you the 2012 ~~Griswold~~ Gray Family Christmas! Sit back and grab an egg-nog filled moose cup because it’s a long post.

We kicked off the start of the season with my Momma’s birthday which falls on Christmas Eve. She’s so silly. I usually have to remind her it’s her birthday because she gets so excited about Christmas and tends to put herself aside.

We always celebrate by eating Mexican on Christmas Eve. No, we’re not Mexican. It’s just those are the only restaurants usually open.

So any who, something that made this year extra special is that my Grandparents came to town before Christmas. They usually come the day after but I LOVED having them here so early this year. They got to come to birthday dinner! We celebrated dinner and we toasted to our sweet Jade who went to Heaven that morning.

Grammy AKA Big Momma (Dad’s mom) trying out the birthday girl’s hat!

My beautiful Momma!

Momma & Daddy

Miami Vice’s for us!

Daddy-o!

Tequila!

Then it was back to my Grandma’s (Mom’s mom) house for birthday presents!

Please note her awesome lights this year. A la Pinterest! Hah!

Grammy <3

Mother/Daughter moment.

This was my first Christmas Eve that I didn’t sleep at my parents. With the dogs it was just easier. So my little family had a campout in our living room and fell asleep to the Christmas Story on tv. I missed being “home” but I guess at some point you have to cut the cord…

We went to my parents in our PJs bright and early Christmas morning. I have to share this because we got my Dad a gift and then picked up a scratch off to go with it…

and he won $250!! We couldn’t believe it…he kept checking the back thinking it was a fake!

David and I didn’t exchange gifts this year, ours is coming in the form of a large structure, with a driveway, that we get to live in very soon! Smile

The doggies got two new bones. But of course they fought over the same one.

My boys.

Our parents were very good to us! The big ticket items we got were a new tent, an awesome Ping Pong table for the new bonus room, and my Uggs! I also got some gift cards that are burning a hole in my pocket. Smile I can’t wait to use the tent and the ping pong table!

Back at Grandma’s later Christmas day. Dad & I.

It was stormy so my cute leather boot/dress/tights combo got replaced with rain boots. Practical > Fashionable. I’d like to think I was both!

Parents, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents. Family <3

Four generations. Me, Mom, PawPaw, Momi, Grandma.

Mom’s perfect mantle.

The rest of Christmas vacation was spent at my parents. Remi stayed with my wonderful in-laws so we could stay at my parents. Moose is still in the crate so she was easy to keep with us. Rem was probably sad to come home at the end of the week. He is spoiled rotten over there. Thank you Big Dawg and Mrs. Robin for keeping our sweet boy and taking such good care of him! I’m sorry he ate your porch lights. We owe ya.

Stone crab, fish, & scallops for dinner one night!

Gosh, I love her. I fluffed her hair. I left out the mohawk picture though. It was hil-arious.

I grated pounds and pounds of cheese for Grammy’s famous “Ronies”. That’s short term for the best macaroni you’ll ever put your lips on! It’s heavenly.

Lazy Christmas vacation days call for the old Super Nintendo to be setup. So.much.fun.

Mom and I gave the living room lamp a makeover!

Every night was game night.

This game of Monopoly lasted way past my bed time. Cole and I ended up calling it a draw…although the bank was out of money and I had $9,999. I’d say I won based on the numbers.

We went and visited Remi throughout the week. Poor fella, he had to get up off the couch to greet us. Rough life.

Moosey decided it’d be fun to take advantage of her leash-free time by chasing the neighbor’s dog…way too far. We ran and ran after her and I was starting to get really scared we wouldn’t catch her. Then David stopped and she stopped and turned around and came back to us. Dern dog! Don’t scare me like that! David carried her all the way home. She’s in her own lane of traffic I tell ya.

Momma enjoying her fire.

Family, story telling. Good times.

Clue night.

GMa eating some boiled peanuts by the fire.

The result of Grammy’s annual ice cream run. She takes orders from everyone for their favorite flavor. We just love her! For more reasons than ice cream runs, obviously.