Saturday, December 30, 2006

A Kountry Kristmas.

When it comes to the holidays, our families couldn't be more different. Wait, give me a second while I think real hard to come up with one single similarity about our family Christmases. Ummmmm, kay. Can't think of one.

Me: Baby?

K: Yeah?

Me: Can you think of one similarity between our family Christmases?

K: They are both spent with big families. And there is a big old ham at both. There is football watchin'...

Me: Wait! I did think of one....it's a good one. Drunk uncles of the redneck persuasion!

This was Kevin's first Christmas in Virginia with my family and my first in the last 5 years. My family is big (as in, there are lots of them), loud, chaotic, extremely funny, and parties hard. There really haven't been any set traditions in the last decade and usually the Christmas festivities just feel like one big old free for all when it comes to food and gifts. I love the unstuffy throw-downess of it.

Some of the standout moments:

- Giving my mom and stepfather a digital camera and my stepfather giving my mom one too. Sophie claimed ours as her own (Rosie got me I digital camera!) and ended up breaking it 24 hours later. The broken digital camera is now back in Denver with us.

- My mom giving Kevin my brother's bag of gifts and then having to take them back when she realized my brother only got one gift. (Kinda bummed, there were some super cute pillow cases in there!)

- I finally joined the year freaking 2006 and got an ipod. I also got some organic cotton socks, a necklace, a cookbook, an Eagle Creek travel thingy, some candles, ummm, can't remember what else. Oh.....yeah. A joke gift. A 1970s grow-your-own-desert garden someone got for .25 at a yard sale. And only because my mom claims to have read my blog entry about regifting. It also made it back to Denver.

- Going to take care of my mom's horses at my uncle's on Christmas morning and one of my other uncles already drinking solo cups of cheap red wine (it was 11 am). Sophie said he was being "weird." It was also pouring down rain.

- The dead coyote hanging in my uncle's barn that he shot. (I have 5 or 6 uncles, in case you're wondering...so when I say "my uncle" it does not necessarily mean the same one, though to Kevin, they were all one in the same, he couldn't keep them all straight.)

- The funky cedar tree Christmas trees that everyone has in Charlottesville (this one is compliments of Kevin). Hey, it's what grows in this part of Virginia. My mom just cuts hers off their land out in the country.

- Shots of apricot brandy. There are always shots of something. Rosie's family likes liquor. My own mother declared me "the drinking queen" to one drunk uncle. I don't know whether to embrace my family heritage or recoil in shame...

- My family's white elephant game. Some of the gems: socks, socks, socks, socks. Also, flashlights, umbrellas, gloves, a lava lamp, captain morgan glasses (I got, and they've already been regifted...), drill bits, some fancy soap from the early 70s (another regift compliments of my mother). Everyone gets really dramatic and showcases their selected gift with the utmost importance and flair and then offers running witty commentary on what others' are getting....totally fun.

- Five thousand pounds of meat to eat. Much of it actually shot and killed by members of my own family. People! Kev ate venison!

- My uncle getting shit from my cousin about dating girls in their 20s. "But I just want a friend." Ummm, sorta creepy. But funny.

- Going out until 3:30 am Christmas night with Patsy. We went to Miller's with a random assortment of folks and discovered that over half the table had a CO connection. K left us girls around midnight and we went on to Orbit, another bar that, without fail, offers a high school reunion-like environment. After a Jager Bomb (that's for you, Kath!), I approached a guy who was, like, the cockiest (read: hottest) guy in our school (and whom I also hooked up with once) and said: did I go to high school with you? Loser! (Him, not me). Always good to see those who were "the bomb" in HS and know that they don't have half the life you do.

Alrighty, that about wraps up Christmas. And that's only one day! I'm telling you, there is really never a dull moment when I go home. Never.

3 Comments:

At 4:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

rose i love the recap. i think i've spent an xmas with your fam and they do get a bit wild! it was great to hang out with you and kev. my friends all loved you and holly they said "they were so nice" and "they're both so beautiful" and "rosie's so easy to talk to". nice huh? love ya girl.pd

 
At 4:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love hearing about your family escapades! Thanks for the Jager Bomb on my behalf!

Happy New Year to you, Kev, Lucy and Biggie Purrs!

 
At 5:58 PM, Blogger hotdrwife said...

That was great!! Sounded like fun.

I had a dead coyote in my locker once at school ... so not cool. Boys sure have funny ways of telling you they like you ... :)

Happy '07! See you soon!

 

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