Christmas in Georgia

For a while I wondered if I was ever going to actually return to blogging...I have been away so long that I almost felt I had reached the point of no return.

Almost.

I think I am going to have to recap in parts. Because I started this post an hour ago, and I've only reached this point (blame it on facebook).

I was highly disappointed in my picture taking over the holiday...I guess I took a break from ALL technology. Though, I did get plenty of pictures number wise, but 90% of them are of my nieces. And most of those they aren't even doing anything significant. So I'm going to make the best of my story-telling with what I have!

Though we got to Georgia several days before, I apparently didn't take my first picture until Christmas Eve. But trust me, you aren't missing anything from those first few days. Just mostly eating at this place and that place with this person and that person. It's fun for me, but I think it would be a snooze fest for you.

(I know this because I hear about it all the time from my mom when I call her. She feels the need to update me on everyone she's eaten lunch with in the past week. Even though 75% of the people I have never met. That's why I spend the bucks on the unlimited minutes with her, heaven forbid she not be able to tell me such riveting news.)

But the big news is I got a promotion in the Christmas Eve Dinner sitting situation! For years I've been suffering sitting at the kiddie table. One year when I was in college my Aunt Carleen made a college kids table and I didn't even make that cut. May I point out the irony that ALL of my cousins that did make it to the table were at least 4 years OUT of college? I've been dying for years to be bumped up to an older age group table. Unfortunately, (and I mean this in a funny way, not a harsh uncalled for way) someone actually had to die for me to get the bump up, my grandaddy. So not only did I move up, but I surpassed the "college kids" all the way to the top! My cousins were impressed (and that makes it okay that I make a joke of my grandaddy's passing...I hope).

But after we eat, we always gather in my aunt's living room and sing Christmas songs. Actually, my Uncle Claude is a pretty good wedding singer. So once a year we guilt trip him into putting on a free show for us for Christmas. So he guilt trips my Cousin Chuck to play as well. They set up equipment and everything!

The kids dance around...

Elle decided to do some "free as a bird" hippie dance...

She also thought she'd add a little something special to the music...a good old trusty recorder.

Man, I hadn't heard one of those things play since I was a kid!

I remember my recorder playing days. I would get so excited when it was "recorder week" or "month" or whatever it was. I remember thinking, I can't believe I have my very own instrument that I know how to play and that I get to take home to play!

I also remember the days when I thought, man, you know what would make this recorder even better than it already is? If I didn't have to hold it anymore! Maybe if I could find some way to just lay on the ground, yet still make noise with the recorder...

Actually that last part never happened. Well for me, obviously, for Elle, it did.

Moving on, Christmas day. After Santa came, the presents were opened and we ate lunch at my uncle's house we went outside to get some air.

First, we had to declare which side we were routing for in the Independence Bowl. This was my brother's present to my mom (thought of by me...if I didn't give him present ideas she would have a VERY extensive supply of spa products. And she hates spa products. I know, who hates spa products? Don't get me started.).

The wonderful framing of the picture is compliments of my 13-year-old cousin. At least we can eliminate one career path for her future. (And I mean photographer, not schools attending)

This is my uncle's dock where they are preparing our strange tradition of shooting things into the air on Christmas (complete by accident it has become tradition, not something we plan every year).

Notice the dog escaping.

If you've been dying to try the whole mentos in a soda bottle thing...let me show you what you've been missing!



The most anti-climactic moment of your life. I don't know what I was expecting, but judging by the fact that I backed up about 50 feet, it wasn't that!

So what do you do when an experiment doesn't go as planned???

You drink it, naturally.

Well if you are between the ages of 9 and 13, like my cousins, that is what you do.

And if you are little and didn't know what just happened (or lack of happened) you just pet the dog and let your butt crack hang out.

Or you pose for pictures while hugging the pink soccer ball Santa brought you.

But apparently Elle is more interested in posing with her soccer ball than she is playing with it.

Grey, on the other hand, loved kicking the ball around!

And because blowing things into the air didn't work out as planned, my brother decided to get out the helicopter that Santa brought him.

Actually it was sitting with the stuff left for the girls, but when my brother pointed it out to Elle she said, "don't be silly dad, Santa left that for you!"

You can't slip anything by little kids, even presents that are disguised as theirs but really are for you.

But if you have exceptionally good eye sight (which I don't), you might be able to see the helicopter in this picture!

I should mention, the biggest chunk of our time in Georgia went to painting my mom's guest bathroom. It was originally wallpapered, but as one might imagine, with all the moisture in a bathroom, that is not a good idea. The paper was literally peeling itself off the wall!

So we decided one of our presents would be to tear the rest down and paint if for her.

That always sounds good in theory. But in actuality, when you are painting it for the fourth time (two priming, two final paint) and starting at 11:30 at night, the night before you leave, it just isn't as great of an idea.

We had a bit of a slow down on the project though. Arguing what color to actually paint the bathroom. It is tiled in the most nightmare of colors...pink. I made the final decision of a light green. I still think it's better than the cream-white color we were debating (because it would've clashed with the trim and brought the pink to full life). But I must admit, it looks a bit minty.

Oh, and yes my mom did strike the jackpot with a gold speckled counter top as well. You just can't find such great color pallets like that for your bathroom these days.

Well, that is about all that went down in Georgia. Now I'm way past my allotted blog posting time and I must go to bed. Maybe by February I will have caught the blog world up with what is going on with me currently!

Hope y'all had a wonderful holiday, I know I sure did!!!