Paulsen Zoo: Jones Family Christmas '12

Because it was the weekend before Christmas, and a Saturday, it was time for the

Jones Family Christmas!

Meaning, all the family comes together at my parents house and we eat steak and open presents.

Mom and Dad are in the middle of a remodel of their kitchen, so they had some blank drywall spots. This drywall spot was covered with all of our stockings on push-pins.

Uncle Steve came all the way from AZ! It was raining, so we set up our "gazebo" over Dad's new patio firepit.

Favorite (and only) appetizer to go with the chips & salsa: linguica!

We eat lots of tritip...four this year.

Dad: I have to unfurl this one.

Tim: Like a flag.

Me: Well, if the Jones family had a flag or a family crest, tritip would definitely be on it.

Daddy and I outside by the firepit trying to convince little Cole that its good an warm!

Courtney (& Cole), Uncle Steve, & Ryan warming by the firepit.

Ryan, Bryan, Jenn, & Brittany congregating around the chips & salsa.

"Is anyone going to drop ANYTHING???" -Kensi

Man-time!

Only grill-masters around the grill!!!

Uncle Steve, Adam, & Dad checking out the tritip done-ness.

And after we ate all the delicious food (tritip, caesar salad, bbq bread, Grandma's potatoes, red jello jigglers, and salsa), we gathered in the living room to have a White Elephant gift exchange!

Me & Adam

Courtney & Ryan...classic facial expressions.

Adam and Kensi having a staring contest.

Brittany. Apparently Bryan and Stevie thought her gift was pretty good...maybe because Stevie hadn't gotten her fancy 4 foot toilet seat cover yet, and Bryan hadn't gotten his musical tie!

Bryan modeling his musical tie

Doggies were sad they had to be outside in the rain during the White Elephant.

Jenn got an unopened "Feliz Navidad" chocolate advent calendar, and Mom opened an apple spice muffin candle that came all the way from AZ!

Tim opened a hot chocolate mug kit with fancy leaf switchplates (that may just go okay with our forest theme in the baby's room), and Grandma opened a gift that (seemed like it) contained contents of an emptied out soccer bag courtesy of Brittany!

AND FINALLY...people kept stealing things (the pears, the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings on cassette tape, swirly candlestick holders), Dad had to open another present. And he opened the angel. That he got last year and sat in their yard until June, when they snuck it into Tim & my yard.

The Eleven Cousin picture...minus Brennan :(

Heather, Shelby (& Baby), Tim, Adam, Courtney
Ryan, Stevie, Jenn, Brittany, Bryan

And because we can never get everyone looking and the picture not blurry...we take silly pictures and they turn out perfectly.

Tim is being pregnant, and Adam is covering his nose so no one can pick it

Everyone trying to pick Adam's nose, now that we remembered that's what we're supposed to do!

And then we opened the "real" gifts.

Auntie Wendy & Courtney

Tim got his Home Depot gift card! Project time!

We were all teasing Heather and Jenn because they got their presents and sniffed their new clothes to make sure they smelled good.

Dad "sniffing" his new golf shirt (and Mom cracking up)!

Doggies were all happy that they got to come inside. Kensi got to sit and nap on her daddy's lap, and Cole got a bottle (I stole a White Elephant gift to get the Gatorade bottle to give to him)!