Christmas Eve

Randy and I are really lucky that we can do holidays together with both families.  Part of it is just lucky that I'm Catholic and he's Jewish, so there is no disagreements as far as where we do Christmas or Christmas traditions, etc.  That's just a small part.  The other 95% is that my family and Randy's get along so well.  Like we're surprised our mothers don't hold hands and skip whenever they get together.  In fact this year, Randy's brother hosted Christmas, but more on that later.

My brother and his girlfriend, Ashley, unfortunately have to do the every other Christmas thing.  This year we got them for Thanksgiving, so we didn't get them for Christmas day, but we got them Christmas eve!  We opened half the presents then and saved the rest for Christmas day morning at our house and Christmas night at Randy's brother, Jason's.  Presents went a lot faster than they usually do since we always open one present at a time starting with the youngest to the oldest.  I know most people probably subscribe to the free-for-all tear fest, but we like to see what everyone got and the reactions when they open something we got them, etc.  It's just personal preference and how we like to do things.

Best line of the night:  My dad got my mom and iphone for Christmas.  My mom doesn't know how to use her current phone, but so far she has answered calls and made calls and that is a good first step.  This weekend she would like us to teach her how to text.  Here she is listening to her "new favorite song", Red Solo Cup.  Dad set it up for her.  Then when Dad explained that it was a iphone 3S, Mom screeched, "What??  You got me last year's model??"  Joking, of course, but her timing was impeccable.

My dad and his new Phillies gnome:

My brother, Bryan:

His girlfriend, Ashley.  We hope they get married some day.  We really like Ashley.

2012 Chik-fil-a calendar.  Everyone was super jealous.

Last year, Bryan and Ashley got Randy this great book called "Awkward Family Photos".  This year they got him a second book, "Awkward Pet Photos".

Which of course inspired us to take our own.  Ashley and my neph-puggle, Calvin, are good sports.

Every year Bryan and Ashley get Randy a funny hat.  In past years he got a Cheesehead hat:

And a bakers hat...  among other gems like a WWII French combat helmet, a racoon skin cap, and a knight's helmet.

This year, dun dun dunnnnnn...  It was a ninja hat and practice sword.  Pretty cool, huh?

Hope everyone is still full of holiday joy this week between Christmas and New Years!