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Weight of Manhood is hosted by Adam Smith and Ethan Ross. Two guys that met at church and realized they had a lot in common. They're both men who work hard for their families, they each served in the military, and most of all they love Jesus with all they have. This podcast is designed to be raw, up front about today's issues, funny, but most of all, unapologetically about Jesus - the true example of Biblical Manhood.
Adam Smith [00:00:00]:
The Grinch.
Ethan Ross [00:00:00]:
Which one?
Adam Smith [00:00:01]:
The Gy. The Jim Carrey. The Jim Carrey one.
Ethan Ross [00:00:04]:
That's not the original one. Don't say it like that. But the way you postured, that was as though that was the original. I think I just spit left. I'm mad.
Adam Smith [00:00:12]:
I. It wasn't implying it's the original.
Ethan Ross [00:00:14]:
It is.
Adam Smith [00:00:15]:
It's the best version.
Ethan Ross [00:00:17]:
Whoa.
Adam Smith [00:00:18]:
It. It is. Hi, everybody. I'm Adam.
Ethan Ross [00:00:29]:
Merry Christmas. I'm Ethan. Welcome to Way to Manhood. This is a Christmas episode.
Adam Smith [00:00:34]:
Yeah. So you like my.
Ethan Ross [00:00:36]:
I do.
Adam Smith [00:00:38]:
Do you realize the significance?
Ethan Ross [00:00:40]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:00:40]:
Okay. Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:00:42]:
I was Jersey.
Adam Smith [00:00:43]:
I was just worried some people wouldn't. Oh, well, that was my whole point of.
Ethan Ross [00:00:48]:
Oh. That was a prompt for me to. This is from the hit Christmas movie Christmas Vacation, starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold.
Adam Smith [00:00:58]:
Clark W. Griswold iii.
Ethan Ross [00:01:00]:
That's right. Excuse me.
Adam Smith [00:01:03]:
So.
Ethan Ross [00:01:03]:
And my shirt is my. This is my Christmas shirt.
Adam Smith [00:01:07]:
Yeah. Ho, ho, ho. That's right. So I grew up a Blackhawks fan.
Ethan Ross [00:01:12]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:01:13]:
So my dad. My dad played hockey as a kid in Chicago.
Ethan Ross [00:01:22]:
That's cool.
Adam Smith [00:01:23]:
Anyway, so it's cold up there, I've heard. Yeah. Yeah. It's a little. A little chilly. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:01:29]:
So I didn't grow up a big hockey fan because my dad didn't play for Chicago. Yeah. Or in Chicago. Yeah. Yeah. I was an Avalanche fan as a kid. Yeah. I could not tell you why.
Adam Smith [00:01:43]:
Well, you know, I didn't realize as a kid that, you know, I was the only one in the south that watched hockey.
Ethan Ross [00:01:53]:
Yeah. Well, then, see, I was still a kid when we got the Preds in Nashville.
Adam Smith [00:01:59]:
Dang.
Ethan Ross [00:02:00]:
I think I was. Was I not. Wasn't that, like, the early 2000s?
Adam Smith [00:02:04]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:02:05]:
I was still a kid.
Adam Smith [00:02:06]:
Yeah. Okay. So we just had Thanksgiving. It was, what, a couple of weeks ago? Feels like it's.
Ethan Ross [00:02:18]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:02:18]:
Been a month ago or more already.
Ethan Ross [00:02:20]:
Yeah. Tell me about it.
Adam Smith [00:02:21]:
It's about to be Christmas. So this is our Christmas episode. So. So Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:02:31]:
Yeah. I love Christmas.
Adam Smith [00:02:33]:
Do you? We do, too.
Ethan Ross [00:02:35]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:02:36]:
So what do you love the most about Christmas?
Ethan Ross [00:02:41]:
So my mom, growing up, always tried to make Christmas magical for us. And it just. It still has that. That feel to me. And, I mean, just even the side of Christmas lights or something like that, it just. It gets that nostalgic, Christmassy, cozy kind of a feel to me. And it's. It still feels magical to me.
Ethan Ross [00:03:10]:
And now my wife. I mean, it's. It's her favorite holiday. Her birthday's in December, and she has Christmas. Christmas. They had Christmas themed birthday party when she was a kid, you know, she loved. Go ahead.
Adam Smith [00:03:26]:
I forget.
Ethan Ross [00:03:27]:
We'll finish this story in just a second.
Adam Smith [00:03:28]:
I forget. Still her happy birthday.
Ethan Ross [00:03:31]:
Oh, did you. She's pregnant too, man.
Adam Smith [00:03:34]:
I know. And my mother in law's birthday was this week and I forgot to tell her happy birthday. I, I'm. I'm a birthday person.
Ethan Ross [00:03:48]:
If y' all trying to decide which host you like better.
Adam Smith [00:03:51]:
I like to be sure and tell everybody happy birthday.
Ethan Ross [00:03:54]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:03:55]:
And that just tells you how much I'm not.
Ethan Ross [00:03:58]:
I don't usually.
Adam Smith [00:04:00]:
Okay, so you don't care anyway, so back.
Ethan Ross [00:04:03]:
Yeah, what's the big deal? Yeah, the Christmas.
Adam Smith [00:04:09]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:04:10]:
So my wife loves Christmas. It's her favorite holiday. She's ready for it, probably mid August and then she's kind of Christmasy. Feeling goes way about July. But no, she loves it and so she does everything to make it as magical as possible, which has caused her some stress this year because she's 39 weeks pregnant almost right now and. Shoot. Well, by the time this comes out, we will probably have had the baby.
Adam Smith [00:04:38]:
Oh yeah, that's right.
Ethan Ross [00:04:39]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:04:40]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:04:40]:
So just add it in post.
Adam Smith [00:04:42]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:04:46]:
But all we've got up right now is a tree and Christmas is assume.
Adam Smith [00:04:53]:
Well, you know, I think I believe I said on one of the episodes, first part of November, you know, we got all the Christmas stuff out of the attic.
Ethan Ross [00:05:07]:
Well, you did say that. Then you corrected yourself too. It was actually the end of October.
Adam Smith [00:05:11]:
Oh yeah, that's right.
Ethan Ross [00:05:12]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:05:14]:
And we were sick for a week, so.
Ethan Ross [00:05:22]:
Well, you had. But you had that in your, on your calendar.
Adam Smith [00:05:24]:
Yeah, I did. You had to get that in there, didn't you? Yeah, but we had so many things come up and we just didn't get to decorate and this week my wife has had so much going on different, different things here at the house and she's been working diligently to finish decorating.
Ethan Ross [00:05:49]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:05:50]:
But yeah, we like to, we like to go all out with decorating for Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:05:56]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:05:59]:
But I don't even have the, the wreaths up yet. Wreaths. Wreaths. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:06:06]:
Arethas.
Adam Smith [00:06:08]:
Huh?
Ethan Ross [00:06:08]:
That's a singer.
Adam Smith [00:06:10]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:06:10]:
Okay. Yeah, Yeah, I don't either.
Adam Smith [00:06:13]:
But we love, we love Christmas as well. Yeah, we, we go all out with, with decorations and you know, we like to host stuff here.
Ethan Ross [00:06:28]:
Yeah. Big holster. Yeah. Real big hoster.
Adam Smith [00:06:31]:
Yeah. So. But.
Ethan Ross [00:06:37]:
You haven't invited us to anything recently.
Adam Smith [00:06:41]:
Well, there hasn't been anything that I've even been able to attend yet.
Ethan Ross [00:06:46]:
That's why you Got kicked out the other night and had to come over my house. Yeah, it was a women's thing.
Adam Smith [00:06:49]:
Yeah. And I was confined to my office one day and.
Ethan Ross [00:06:54]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:06:54]:
Yeah. So. But it's all good. Yeah. Christmas music.
Ethan Ross [00:07:01]:
Mm. I love it. I. I'm like the Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole.
Adam Smith [00:07:08]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:07:09]:
That era.
Adam Smith [00:07:10]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:07:10]:
That's Christmas music. Everything else, it's Christmas themed. Christmas themed. Full Christmas themed music. Christmas themed music.
Adam Smith [00:07:20]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:07:20]:
You know, but I love it.
Adam Smith [00:07:23]:
Yeah, I do too. 1st of November, I start listening to Christmas music. The Christmas music. See, you didn't get me done. Listen.
Ethan Ross [00:07:36]:
Why, why, why you gotta preserve the sanctity of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is its own holiday. It's not pre Christmas.
Adam Smith [00:07:45]:
Yeah, well, but anyway. Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:07:52]:
All right, I'm sold then.
Adam Smith [00:07:54]:
Yeah, I. I can't even argue it.
Ethan Ross [00:07:58]:
Know what I mean?
Adam Smith [00:07:58]:
I. I get it, but I'm just. I'm so looking forward to Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:08:02]:
I get that. But like I said last EP two episodes ago, why don't we just shift the Christmas experience to be December? We can do Black Friday. I'll do that. Black Friday up until early February. Let's just all be Christmy that time. Yeah, it's still cold. January's cold. Keep being Christmassy.
Ethan Ross [00:08:29]:
I'm sick of it. Yeah, Christmas ends too early and it's. I don't know. It's not their fault.
Adam Smith [00:08:34]:
I'd be good with that.
Ethan Ross [00:08:35]:
Oh, okay. Let me calm back down then. I thought I was gonna have to argue.
Adam Smith [00:08:38]:
Yeah, I really would.
Ethan Ross [00:08:40]:
Yeah, we. We do that. That's. That's what we do. My wife would not choose to do that if I wasn't so Aussie. But she would do like you do. She would start Christmas music sometimes. Probably before.
Ethan Ross [00:08:58]:
What's the one in October? Halloween.
Adam Smith [00:09:00]:
Halloween. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:09:01]:
Yeah, but I like keeping holidays separate. And she decorates for every holiday. Summer. And not just like, I've got my, you know, summer kind of like decor. Like she like, decorates for it. Like a holiday. Easter, St Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day. I know.
Ethan Ross [00:09:20]:
I'm not going in order. I can't believe she doesn't get like some construction cones out for Labor Day.
Adam Smith [00:09:30]:
Okay, so traditions. What. What Christmas traditions?
Ethan Ross [00:09:39]:
You know, you asked me that and I. I was trying to think.
Adam Smith [00:09:47]:
Other.
Ethan Ross [00:09:47]:
Than like, whose house we go to. I don't think we have like Christmas traditions. But we do go to my. I go to my in laws on Christmas Eve and kids open up one present and then we have Christmas morning at our house, and then we'll go to her grandmother's and then no, then there's so many things. And I'll tell you why this is confusing. And then her parents, wife's parents come to our house, we do Christmas again. And then we go to her grandmother's house, her maternal grandmother's house, and we have Christmas there again. And it feels like we do three Christmases within the span of 24 hours.
Adam Smith [00:10:35]:
Yeah, I'm already confused.
Ethan Ross [00:10:37]:
Thanks. Thank you. Yeah, thank you.
Adam Smith [00:10:40]:
So.
Ethan Ross [00:10:40]:
Me too. You know, we do three different things and I love, love family. That's what life's all about. You know, once you've got God settled in his place at the top, it's all about family. And I love it. But three, three Christmases, I don't know, it feels weird. Anyway, that's kind of what we do. We.
Ethan Ross [00:11:03]:
About you guys.
Adam Smith [00:11:04]:
Okay, well, so my wife has a solution. She came up with a solution for that or kind of. So what we do is we do our Christmas the weekend before Christmas. Because who's our.
Ethan Ross [00:11:25]:
Just you and your wife?
Adam Smith [00:11:26]:
No, our. Our family Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:11:29]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:11:30]:
Because we know what it was like going here, going there, going here. You know, kids get up, they get their presents. Well, then you got to load them up, take them here, take them there. You know, it's two days later before they get to play with their toys and this and that.
Ethan Ross [00:11:52]:
So you've been doing this a while. What, this style?
Adam Smith [00:11:56]:
No, this just happened a few years ago because, you know, we know what it's like to have to go through all that. And you know, we wanted to take some of that off of our kids. So the weekend before Christmas is when we have our Christmas. So. So Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, they're free to know, to do their, to do their thing or go to the other places. But so what we do is. And this is it, it grows every year. But the Saturday before Christmas we have a check in time.
Adam Smith [00:12:43]:
Everyone has to be here by 2 o'. Clock.
Ethan Ross [00:12:45]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:12:46]:
This year we have a gingerbread house contest.
Ethan Ross [00:12:52]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:12:55]:
That should.
Ethan Ross [00:12:56]:
And this is all the kids and family.
Adam Smith [00:12:58]:
Yeah, this is our immediate family, as in my wife and myself, our kids, their spouses and their kids.
Ethan Ross [00:13:10]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:13:10]:
So. So yeah, this year we're having a gingerbread house building contest. But so then that evening we go to one of my wife's sister's house and it's my wife's immediate family, you know, her sisters and. But anyway, we do that Saturday night, then come back here, you know, the kids spend the night, the kids spend the night. Then the next morning we get up, have Christmas Cook a big breakfast, which on that Sunday. Yeah, okay. It's. It's got to be a big breakfast because, you know, I mean.
Adam Smith [00:13:57]:
Yeah, yeah. Us kids, spouses, grandkids. I mean, it's a bunch of folks.
Ethan Ross [00:14:04]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:14:05]:
So. And then this year, the. The cantata at church. Candlelight is that night, son.
Ethan Ross [00:14:15]:
That Sunday night.
Adam Smith [00:14:16]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:14:17]:
We probably won't be there because the baby.
Adam Smith [00:14:21]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it.
Ethan Ross [00:14:23]:
But that will have been yesterday for all these people.
Adam Smith [00:14:26]:
Yeah, that's right. So, yeah, we've got a whole weekend of. For the most part of Christmas with, you know, our kids, grandkids, and then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you know, they don't feel like, well, I got to load the kids up and go to Papa and Yaya's, you know, so we're. I'm. I'm Papa. She's. Y. So.
Ethan Ross [00:14:55]:
Yeah, I know.
Adam Smith [00:14:56]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:14:56]:
And I haven't brought this up before, but I have. I have a pet peeve about grandparents.
Adam Smith [00:15:03]:
Just one. Oh, okay. All right.
Ethan Ross [00:15:05]:
No, yeah, just one. Specifically about this, about grandparent names. It's in the. In the theme of the holiday spirit. I'll just. I'll keep it to myself until next year.
Adam Smith [00:15:18]:
Okay. Write it on the.
Ethan Ross [00:15:20]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:15:21]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:15:22]:
Had this in post.
Adam Smith [00:15:23]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:15:24]:
So silly grandparent names.
Adam Smith [00:15:31]:
Now. How are you saying that our names are silly?
Ethan Ross [00:15:35]:
No. Anyway, so that sounds like a great time.
Adam Smith [00:15:37]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:15:38]:
Very Christmassy.
Adam Smith [00:15:38]:
Yeah. Yep. So. But, you know, like, take, for instance, Sunday is the Christmas play at church. As in this Sunday.
Ethan Ross [00:15:54]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:15:55]:
The Sunday before this. Hairs.
Ethan Ross [00:15:56]:
Yeah. This is eight days ago for you guys. Or. Or nine if you're watching on YouTube or more if it's not the day released.
Adam Smith [00:16:03]:
Yeah. So anyway, the children's play, you know, all the gatherings and all the parties and, you know, I mean, we just. We. We enjoy it.
Ethan Ross [00:16:15]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:16:16]:
You know, the. Just the being with the ones you love.
Ethan Ross [00:16:21]:
Yeah. So, you know, I. I am guilty.
Adam Smith [00:16:25]:
Of.
Ethan Ross [00:16:28]:
Something that I. My kids do. You have my hip pop. Holy cow. I feel as old as you look. So.
Adam Smith [00:16:43]:
Okay, go ahead, carry on.
Ethan Ross [00:16:48]:
So as you are. Ethan's been doing. Oh, I got. There's my son's name. He's. He's a junior. Junior has been doing practices for the Christmas play. And so we have had to make time.
Ethan Ross [00:17:02]:
Sacrifices for him to go do that when we would prefer to be doing family things. Now my daughter's come to us and said, hey, I've got stuff for my cheer team the two weekends before Christmas. And I was furious. Like, who do they think they are scheduling things that my Daughter doesn't want to miss out on before Christmas when that's time supposed to be spent with family. And I ranted for about it for almost a week probably until I realized some of these kids don't have families and I think that's why they do it. And so now I sort of feel bad, but I sort of don't because my daughter does have family. But she's not going to be spending those times with us because I'm not going to make her miss out on stuff.
Adam Smith [00:18:01]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:18:03]:
And it's tough, you know, but I was guilty of, you know, prejudging and it would be. It's better for my daughter to miss some things with us because she does spend a lot of time with us because we'll still have the whole Christmas isolated. You know, it's for family. It's better for her to go and make these other girls feel like they have a family at Christmas time.
Adam Smith [00:18:31]:
Oh, yeah. And be a godly influence.
Ethan Ross [00:18:34]:
Yeah. Because she saved and she's led a couple of her friends to. To Christ. But so I know her spirits. Right. So you're right. I just. And that was selfish for me.
Ethan Ross [00:18:49]:
And I still. Still kind of salty about it. I still want. Because she's not 14 in my mind, you know, she's my little year old daughters.
Adam Smith [00:18:57]:
Yeah, that's right. Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:18:59]:
It never changes, does it?
Adam Smith [00:19:02]:
Nope. Does not.
Ethan Ross [00:19:03]:
But this year we will have. We're probably going to have this baby right before Christmas. Like the weekend before Christmas. Maybe yesterday or today. That's what we'll be doing this year.
Adam Smith [00:19:18]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:19:18]:
And I forgot to add one more thing. We were supposed to do Christmas Eve before we go to the in laws. We're supposed to go to the Presbyterian church where her grandmother goes and do their Christmas Eve service.
Adam Smith [00:19:30]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:19:33]:
Which I always make a big fuss about, but I don't mind it.
Adam Smith [00:19:38]:
Yeah. Gonna put on a front.
Ethan Ross [00:19:40]:
Yeah. Yeah. I've got to. But yeah, this year we're not doing anything. If you want to see us, you know where we live. But call first because we might lock the doors.
Adam Smith [00:19:50]:
That's right. Watch for the chicken poop.
Ethan Ross [00:19:54]:
Watch for the chicken poop. That's right. Literally. That's a. Yeah. That's not an inside joke. We have chicken poops everywhere.
Adam Smith [00:20:03]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:20:04]:
We had a bunch of chickens and then they all died.
Adam Smith [00:20:08]:
Because you didn't feed them.
Ethan Ross [00:20:09]:
I fed them.
Adam Smith [00:20:10]:
Oh, okay.
Ethan Ross [00:20:11]:
They got eaten by coyotes.
Adam Smith [00:20:14]:
Yeah, that's.
Ethan Ross [00:20:15]:
Or the neighbor's dog.
Adam Smith [00:20:16]:
Yeah. Christmas memories.
Ethan Ross [00:20:23]:
Well, we were talking about this before we hit record. My Memory is very poor. Very poor as yours is, too.
Adam Smith [00:20:32]:
Right.
Ethan Ross [00:20:32]:
You have. I can't remember if you said you had a.
Adam Smith [00:20:35]:
Had a. Had a bad memory.
Ethan Ross [00:20:37]:
Yeah, I know you have bad memories.
Adam Smith [00:20:41]:
It depends on who you ask.
Ethan Ross [00:20:43]:
Oh, okay. What does your wife say about your memory?
Adam Smith [00:20:48]:
Well, okay, so my short term memory is awful.
Ethan Ross [00:20:51]:
Yeah, but you can't remember what we talked about on previous podcasts.
Adam Smith [00:20:54]:
But I can if it was important. I remember specifics about.
Ethan Ross [00:21:01]:
Yeah, she points that out, doesn't she?
Adam Smith [00:21:03]:
So anyway. So you can't remember.
Ethan Ross [00:21:07]:
I don't know. I remember some Christmases, but for the most part, I just. I don't have a very good memory. And even of my own kids Christmases, like, I just. It's. It's spotty. I have a few memories of Christmas as a kid. I have one funny one, one year I decided.
Ethan Ross [00:21:29]:
And this was like, at the age where you start, like, you're trying to be cool as a guy, you know, and you're a little more grown. You're not a kid anymore.
Adam Smith [00:21:36]:
It never actually worked for you, did it?
Ethan Ross [00:21:38]:
No, I'm still a kid, and I'm not cool. And now I've embraced it and it's fine. But I thought, Christmas is for babies. I'm just gonna. I'm not gonna smile all day. And so. And I. It had to be like, 9 or 10 years old.
Ethan Ross [00:21:56]:
I was young, maybe 11 or 12, I don't know. But I was. I was pretty young, and I decided I just wasn't going to smile. And halfway through Christmas, like the day of Christmas, I realized. I bet my mom was really sad that I hadn't been smiling all day. I bet she thinks she did something wrong. And so then I was like, okay, I got to fix this. So I started smiling.
Adam Smith [00:22:20]:
You're off.
Ethan Ross [00:22:21]:
I'm a bad person.
Adam Smith [00:22:22]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:22:23]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:22:25]:
Okay, so this will be the last episode of Way to Manhood.
Ethan Ross [00:22:28]:
I shouldn't have smiled for this whole episode.
Adam Smith [00:22:30]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:22:30]:
But, yeah, I remember that distinctly.
Adam Smith [00:22:32]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:22:33]:
Tried to not smile. I do remember also that my mom. And this will make me feel a little older. Used to set up the camcorder in the living room and tried to get me, like, my first reaction and everything. And then she would leave it on for the whole time. The entire time. She would have that camcorder running.
Adam Smith [00:22:53]:
That's funny.
Ethan Ross [00:22:54]:
Yeah. And I don't. You know, we used to take all these home videos on vhs and then nobody watches them unless Clark Griswold, I guess, in the attic, because you got locked up there. People watch Family videos back. Do people watch family videos back, do you think?
Adam Smith [00:23:14]:
You mean, like.
Ethan Ross [00:23:15]:
Like. Like family. Like, home videos?
Adam Smith [00:23:18]:
No, no.
Ethan Ross [00:23:19]:
You just keep them in your attic until it's time to throw them away because some grandkid later on doesn't care about them. Yeah, okay.
Adam Smith [00:23:24]:
I think so. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:23:26]:
Well, now. Now they're all on a cloud.
Adam Smith [00:23:28]:
Yeah. I've got all kinds of VHS tapes, you know, from way back.
Ethan Ross [00:23:35]:
Yeah. When you first became a grandfather.
Adam Smith [00:23:37]:
Yeah. No.
Ethan Ross [00:23:40]:
Joke.
Adam Smith [00:23:40]:
Way back. I got you. Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:23:43]:
Anyway, at least I'm older than all your children. Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:23:48]:
Nah. How old are you?
Ethan Ross [00:23:50]:
35.
Adam Smith [00:23:51]:
Yeah. You are. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:23:56]:
What about your Christmas memories?
Adam Smith [00:23:57]:
Were we about to ask about other Christmas memories? Anything else that. That you can think of?
Ethan Ross [00:24:05]:
No. And it used to really bother me that I couldn't remember. I don't remember a lot of my childhood period. And I didn't have a bad childhood. I don't. I don't think, unless there's some trauma, that my brain's just, like, really kicking off.
Adam Smith [00:24:19]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:24:21]:
But my mama made sure that my childhood was a good childhood. But I don't remember a lot of it, just a large portion of it. And that's always kind of made me sad until I realized it's okay. I don't have to remember. I just need to make my kids have good memories.
Adam Smith [00:24:43]:
That's right.
Ethan Ross [00:24:44]:
And then I can just pour my energy into that and I don't. I don't have to remember anything.
Adam Smith [00:24:48]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:24:49]:
I'm sure my wife doesn't agree. She wishes I remembered a lot more than I do. She gets frustrated. But Christmas memories, that's it, man. Well, about you.
Adam Smith [00:25:07]:
Really, I don't remember much. I don't. I don't remember many Christmas memories before the kids.
Ethan Ross [00:25:17]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:25:18]:
So. Especially childhood Christmas memories. I don't know. I don't. I don't remember any of them, but, yeah, I agree with what you said. It's about making their, you know, our kids, our grandkids, making sure that they have great Christmas memories.
Ethan Ross [00:25:42]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:25:44]:
So. But.
Ethan Ross [00:25:47]:
So what about going back to. Yeah, we didn't sleep a lot last night. Yeah, we don't sleep in the same. I was at my house.
Adam Smith [00:25:58]:
Yeah, I was at my house.
Ethan Ross [00:26:00]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:26:00]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:26:01]:
It's not.
Adam Smith [00:26:02]:
We just didn't sleep.
Ethan Ross [00:26:04]:
We both didn't sleep separately.
Adam Smith [00:26:05]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:26:06]:
Yeah, we did.
Adam Smith [00:26:08]:
We did sleep separately.
Ethan Ross [00:26:10]:
Wait, what have I done?
Adam Smith [00:26:14]:
Anyway?
Ethan Ross [00:26:15]:
What was I saying? Oh, do you guys go do things. Speaking of holiday traditions, do you go do things? Like last night? We went to the.
Adam Smith [00:26:25]:
To the what?
Ethan Ross [00:26:26]:
Hold on. What Is it. What's the real name? Markowski's.
Adam Smith [00:26:29]:
Yeah, Markowski lights.
Ethan Ross [00:26:31]:
Yeah. And it's. It's this cool drive through thing where they. They've got. I guess it's their front yard, right? Front and side yard. Yeah, they do. And it's huge.
Adam Smith [00:26:42]:
Front yard, front yard.
Ethan Ross [00:26:44]:
Yeah, yeah, they. Thanks. They do Christmas lights and you drive through and they've got tunnels. Oh, my gosh. Stank bug. It won't here, Aaron, catch it.
Adam Smith [00:26:58]:
It won't hurt you. Good.
Ethan Ross [00:27:05]:
Didn't get me.
Adam Smith [00:27:05]:
Markowski lights.
Ethan Ross [00:27:07]:
Yeah, tunnels you can drive through and then they'll either have like somebody dressed up as somebody Santa or the Grinch. The Grinch is the best one.
Adam Smith [00:27:15]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:27:17]:
And I guess it's Mr. Markowski, right?
Adam Smith [00:27:21]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:27:22]:
Dresses up as the Grinch.
Adam Smith [00:27:23]:
Oh, I don't know.
Ethan Ross [00:27:24]:
I don't know who does it, but he's hilarious.
Adam Smith [00:27:26]:
Oh, yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:27:26]:
Or she.
Adam Smith [00:27:26]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:27:27]:
There's a. Was it a woman on you?
Adam Smith [00:27:29]:
I don't know. You can't tell because they have a costume on.
Ethan Ross [00:27:32]:
Yeah. Typically men and women have different voices.
Adam Smith [00:27:36]:
I've never had a conversation with a Grinch.
Ethan Ross [00:27:38]:
So you're going to say a woman. The one that drives around. No, no, no.
Adam Smith [00:27:47]:
So. And you can put your radio on a. A specific station and it plays, you know.
Ethan Ross [00:27:53]:
Yeah, we don't do that. I play my own music. Oh, you're not going to play. You're not going to tell me what I'm going to play in my car?
Adam Smith [00:27:59]:
Anyway. Yeah, we. We go to the Markowski Lights every year and generally we'll go numerous times.
Ethan Ross [00:28:07]:
Really?
Adam Smith [00:28:08]:
And we will go around.
Ethan Ross [00:28:09]:
We did two times in a row last night.
Adam Smith [00:28:12]:
Yeah. Yeah. And our grandbabies love it.
Ethan Ross [00:28:15]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:28:16]:
Yeah, yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:28:16]:
My youngest, my 2 year old loved it. But yeah, we did that. We like to go to patties.
Adam Smith [00:28:24]:
Oh, okay.
Ethan Ross [00:28:24]:
Up in. Where is it?
Adam Smith [00:28:26]:
Grand Rivers.
Ethan Ross [00:28:27]:
Yeah. Kentucky. Their Christmas lights are awesome.
Adam Smith [00:28:30]:
Okay. Yeah, we haven't been to patties in a while.
Ethan Ross [00:28:33]:
Yeah, that's a good experience.
Adam Smith [00:28:35]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:28:35]:
Drive's kind of annoying.
Adam Smith [00:28:39]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:28:39]:
But yeah, the Christmas lights, they are awesome. And I guess that's it for. For going places, but. Oh no, we'll go to like the one in Savannah. Savannah had like a Christmas on the square, Christmas, downtown Christmas, something like that. They'll do stuff. Bolivar has a nice one.
Adam Smith [00:28:58]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:28:59]:
And we had a lot planned for this year. And then the kids have things and then we're gonna have a baby. So we're not. We're not gonna do anything.
Adam Smith [00:29:04]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:29:05]:
But normally we like to go do that kind of stuff.
Adam Smith [00:29:08]:
Okay, well. And I know they have a Christmas parade in town.
Ethan Ross [00:29:11]:
You know, I've never been. I've always been working.
Adam Smith [00:29:16]:
I've been. It's been. It's been a while. Yeah. You remember? Do I what?
Ethan Ross [00:29:21]:
Remember it.
Adam Smith [00:29:22]:
I do.
Ethan Ross [00:29:23]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:29:24]:
Yeah. We. Have you ever been to the Operand Hotel and actually all that?
Ethan Ross [00:29:34]:
Yeah. Christmas one year.
Adam Smith [00:29:35]:
Yeah, they. They really do it. We used to have our work Christmas party there and it's.
Ethan Ross [00:29:41]:
Oh. For the unnamed company you work for.
Adam Smith [00:29:43]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:29:43]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:29:44]:
Yeah, so they really. They really do it at. Nice.
Ethan Ross [00:29:48]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:29:48]:
So what about Graceland? You ever been?
Ethan Ross [00:29:53]:
Not for Christmas. Do they do Christmas?
Adam Smith [00:29:57]:
I think so. I don't know. I couldn't tell you.
Ethan Ross [00:30:01]:
You wouldn't remember if you knew. Anyway.
Adam Smith [00:30:05]:
This is totally off topic, but have you ever actually been to Graceland?
Ethan Ross [00:30:08]:
Yeah. Went to a concert there.
Adam Smith [00:30:11]:
Okay. Now why is that?
Ethan Ross [00:30:15]:
Why is that bad?
Adam Smith [00:30:17]:
I've just. I've never been. I drive by it.
Ethan Ross [00:30:21]:
You don't like Elvis?
Adam Smith [00:30:22]:
No, it's not that I don't like Elvis. I've just never had any desire to go to Graceland.
Ethan Ross [00:30:28]:
Well, I don't have a lot of desire to go to Memphis usually.
Adam Smith [00:30:32]:
Yeah. Memphis is improving, though. They are making some major improvements in Memphis.
Ethan Ross [00:30:39]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:30:39]:
Yeah. Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:30:41]:
I do. Me and my wife have talked about. We're not going to go grocery shopping in town anymore because where we live it's more expensive than anywhere around us. We've started. We said we're going to start going to Memphis to buy all our groceries. Have not done it one time. No, not once. But they've got like, you know, because they got like Trader Joe's and Costco, stuff like that.
Ethan Ross [00:31:04]:
Just we haven't been.
Adam Smith [00:31:05]:
Yeah, well.
Ethan Ross [00:31:06]:
But I did have a good experience. We went to a Christmas thing in Germantown, a little farm thing. We did axe throwing.
Adam Smith [00:31:15]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:31:15]:
Yeah, that was cool. My. Both my older kids did it and then I. I ended up doing it paired with my sister in law. But that was fun. She sucked at it, though, so.
Adam Smith [00:31:27]:
So what does Axler have to do with Christmas?
Ethan Ross [00:31:30]:
I don't know.
Adam Smith [00:31:30]:
Oh, okay. I thought. Yeah. You know, something else in Memphis at Bellevue is the. The Christmas tree. They. What is it? They call it the live Christmas tree or human Christmas tree or whatever.
Ethan Ross [00:31:48]:
I don't know what you're talking about.
Adam Smith [00:31:49]:
Where the choir.
Ethan Ross [00:31:52]:
Oh, I don't believe in choirs. Not gonna go to that.
Adam Smith [00:31:57]:
But you're part of the praise band. Yeah, well, Praise team, right? Isn't that what y' all call yourself?
Ethan Ross [00:32:06]:
We Call ourselves. We can't repeat it in here.
Adam Smith [00:32:08]:
Yeah, but. Yeah, so they. They do that as well.
Ethan Ross [00:32:13]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:32:15]:
And, you know, it's funny.
Ethan Ross [00:32:17]:
We're remembering things as we're talking about it that we didn't remember.
Adam Smith [00:32:20]:
Yeah, exactly. My wife has always wanted to have a drive through nativity.
Ethan Ross [00:32:29]:
I used to do more memories. I used to do those every year at Poplar Heights.
Adam Smith [00:32:34]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:32:35]:
I was. I was always part of. My dad was always. He always did, like, the lighting for it or whatever. He was the sound guy growing up at church, and so that also meant he did all the lights. And I used to be in that all the time when I was a kid.
Adam Smith [00:32:51]:
I didn't realize they had that. Mm. Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:32:55]:
Yeah. And it felt like we were standing there for six hours. It was cold. Yeah. Yeah. It's a good time.
Adam Smith [00:33:02]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:33:03]:
So your wife wants to do one where.
Adam Smith [00:33:06]:
I don't know. She's just said she's always wanted to do that.
Ethan Ross [00:33:10]:
Like, to go to one?
Adam Smith [00:33:11]:
No, to actually have one. Participate in it. Whatever. Yeah. So. Well, you know, maybe that's something that we need to do at church. Do at church.
Ethan Ross [00:33:22]:
Well, we've got to grab a lot now. Be the perfect place for it.
Adam Smith [00:33:25]:
Yeah. Or back behind, anyway. We're getting sidetracked. Oh, back.
Ethan Ross [00:33:29]:
Yeah. Oh, that would be cool, because then you got the drive, too.
Adam Smith [00:33:32]:
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Meaning of Christmas. What does Christmas mean to you?
Ethan Ross [00:33:42]:
Well, I mean, first and foremost, we try to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of.
Adam Smith [00:33:49]:
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Ethan Ross [00:33:51]:
That's right.
Adam Smith [00:33:52]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:33:52]:
The world. So we end that. End Christmas Eve, usually by reading Luke 2, but also the other. Other passages that mention his birth. I can't remember if we do that last or. We do the night before Christmas. I think we do twice. The night before Christmas last as.
Ethan Ross [00:34:13]:
As. Like the. The bedtime story. But we'll all gather in the living room and read. Read the Bible and then discuss as a family what. What it means to us. And so for me, it's. It's that first and foremost.
Ethan Ross [00:34:28]:
And it has to. That has to pervade everything, Right. It has to bleed into everything, because that's the true reason. But then just a family. It is. It is for family to get together, to love each other, to. To give gifts, receive gifts, to eat together, spend time together, celebrate. Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:34:52]:
Yeah. Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:34:55]:
How about you?
Adam Smith [00:34:59]:
Well, first of all, you said that about Luke, too. So before I came out here, I. I had prepared for you to read that.
Ethan Ross [00:35:14]:
Oh.
Adam Smith [00:35:15]:
And then I come out without my phone without my Bible.
Ethan Ross [00:35:18]:
I also left my Bible in the car.
Adam Smith [00:35:20]:
Exactly. Yeah. So.
Ethan Ross [00:35:21]:
So just go and do it from memory then.
Adam Smith [00:35:28]:
Anyway, so what does Christmas mean to me? Well, pretty much the same thing. It's, you know, it's about our Lord and Savior and family and that. That time together. But I think of hope because, you know, it. It's a reminder to me that, you know, there's hope even though we live in a fallen world.
Ethan Ross [00:36:11]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:36:14]:
You know, our Lord and Savior was. Was born and he walked this earth and what a thought. He went through this. He went through struggles. He went through. Know the same temptations and. And all. And.
Adam Smith [00:36:37]:
Yeah. So, I mean, to me, it's. It's hope. It's not. We're not going through this. This world, through life, just random and for no reason, with no purpose. You know, we're not doing it alone. Yeah, that's right.
Adam Smith [00:36:55]:
That's right. So. Yeah. Hope.
Ethan Ross [00:36:58]:
Yeah, I like that. Thank you. Maybe I'll take that back home and. Yeah, I like that. And you're right. Now that I think about it, it's. Yeah, it's a perfect time to talk about hope and when you got the new year coming up, too, it's time for refreshing. Right.
Ethan Ross [00:37:23]:
Which I guess we'll talk about New Year's stuff in the next. Next episode, because I feel very strongly about some New Year's things.
Adam Smith [00:37:29]:
Yeah, I do, too.
Ethan Ross [00:37:30]:
So we'll talk about that.
Adam Smith [00:37:32]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:37:33]:
Christmas movies. I like Christmas movies, too.
Adam Smith [00:37:35]:
Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I didn't have that written down in my. I don't have notes.
Ethan Ross [00:37:43]:
What's your favorite Christmas movie?
Adam Smith [00:37:49]:
All of them. Well, not all of them. Most of them.
Ethan Ross [00:37:52]:
It's the worst answer you could have given.
Adam Smith [00:37:54]:
Yeah, man. I love. Well, Four Christmases.
Ethan Ross [00:38:01]:
I've never seen that.
Adam Smith [00:38:04]:
Anyway. It. It's for real. You.
Ethan Ross [00:38:08]:
I've never seen it.
Adam Smith [00:38:09]:
You've got to watch it.
Ethan Ross [00:38:10]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:38:11]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:38:12]:
Invite me over to your house sometimes and we can watch it together. It's me and you on the couch. Or wouldn't it. You can sit in your recliner.
Adam Smith [00:38:24]:
Anyway, so let's see. Well, I'm drawing a blank. Oh, all the Santa Claus movies.
Ethan Ross [00:38:33]:
Yeah. With Tim Allen.
Adam Smith [00:38:35]:
I'm a huge Tim Allen fan. My dad was a huge Tim Allen fan.
Ethan Ross [00:38:38]:
I could have called that.
Adam Smith [00:38:40]:
Yeah. And he's one of those that. That I would love to meet. You know, I would love to meet Tim Allen, your dad.
Ethan Ross [00:38:51]:
At first.
Adam Smith [00:38:54]:
Sorry, you're just wrong sometimes.
Ethan Ross [00:38:57]:
My bad.
Adam Smith [00:38:58]:
But also, Die Hard, It's a Christmas movie. I love Die Hard. And. And I'm a firm believer it is.
Ethan Ross [00:39:06]:
A Christmas movie if Christmas is in the movie. A Christmas movie.
Adam Smith [00:39:10]:
Yeah. And Bruce Willis is one that I would. I wish I could have met. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:39:14]:
Is he dead?
Adam Smith [00:39:15]:
No, he's still alive, but he's like.
Ethan Ross [00:39:17]:
He's not doing great.
Adam Smith [00:39:18]:
No, no, he has dementia. Alzheimer's.
Ethan Ross [00:39:22]:
Yeah. Yeah. So I saw a video of him recently. He's.
Adam Smith [00:39:24]:
And. And that's. That's sad because I've always been a huge Bruce Willis fan.
Ethan Ross [00:39:32]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:39:32]:
Yeah. Even when. When he did Moonlighting. You know, I was a kid when Moonlighting was on, so. Yeah, that was way before you.
Ethan Ross [00:39:41]:
I'll be honest, I don't even know what you're talking about.
Adam Smith [00:39:44]:
Really? Yeah, him and Sybil Shepherd.
Ethan Ross [00:39:46]:
Who?
Adam Smith [00:39:49]:
Sybil shepherd, you know. Yeah, it was. It was a good television show.
Ethan Ross [00:39:54]:
Sorry.
Adam Smith [00:39:54]:
You know, she used to live in Memphis.
Ethan Ross [00:39:56]:
I don't know who that is. You know, Delta Don used to live in Brownsville.
Adam Smith [00:40:02]:
Yeah, I did know that.
Ethan Ross [00:40:03]:
Yeah. Tina Turner used to live in Nutbush.
Adam Smith [00:40:07]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:40:07]:
Which is real close.
Adam Smith [00:40:08]:
Yeah, that's right.
Ethan Ross [00:40:10]:
But they put a statue there. That's. Do you see that statue of Tina Turner?
Adam Smith [00:40:15]:
I have seen the statue.
Ethan Ross [00:40:16]:
Oh, buddy.
Adam Smith [00:40:17]:
Yeah, that's tough. Someone that Jerry Clower used to talk about in his stand up was from Roswell. Yeah. You know.
Ethan Ross [00:40:33]:
Yeah, I've heard of him.
Adam Smith [00:40:34]:
Yeah. Okay. All right.
Ethan Ross [00:40:36]:
Anyway, so, yeah, if Christmas is in the movie. Yeah, it's a Christmas movie.
Adam Smith [00:40:41]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:40:42]:
There's. And I. I know this is not a Christian men's podcast, but we talk about Christ. I'm gonna bring up Harry Potter. Sorry. My kids love Harry Potter. There's. Christmas is a big thing in the Harry Potter movies.
Adam Smith [00:40:55]:
Oh. So, okay.
Ethan Ross [00:40:56]:
They're Christmas movies.
Adam Smith [00:40:58]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:41:00]:
Okay. But what about specific Christmas movies?
Adam Smith [00:41:03]:
Well, I gotta say this.
Ethan Ross [00:41:04]:
Oh, excuse me.
Adam Smith [00:41:07]:
Our oldest daughter, which our kids, you know, liked Harry Potter, watched Harry Potter, but our oldest daughter is a Harry Potter fanatic.
Ethan Ross [00:41:18]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:41:19]:
Anyway, carry on.
Ethan Ross [00:41:20]:
Yeah, it's okay. It's make believe. I don't understand the people that get so bent out of shape about it. It's just make believe. Anyway, that's another day.
Adam Smith [00:41:33]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:41:34]:
We just watched Elf with Will Ferrell the other day. You're a big Will Ferrell fan.
Adam Smith [00:41:40]:
Right.
Ethan Ross [00:41:43]:
But my 2 year old loves that movie.
Adam Smith [00:41:46]:
Really?
Ethan Ross [00:41:47]:
He loves that movie? Well, all my kids do, but he. He especially loves it. And I figured he would be more of the, you know, cartoon. But no, he loves that movie. And he points out, because when we go to stores, you know, you see Elf Themed things all. All over the place. And he's always like, dad.
Adam Smith [00:42:00]:
Yeah, dad.
Ethan Ross [00:42:01]:
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Adam Smith [00:42:04]:
Yeah. My oldest grandson, you know, we were in New York not long ago, and, you know, we took. We FaceTimed them and, you know, showed pictures and all this good stuff and. Yeah. So he related New York to Elf.
Ethan Ross [00:42:27]:
That's cool. Yeah, that's cool.
Adam Smith [00:42:29]:
Yeah. So. But, yeah. Christmas vacation.
Ethan Ross [00:42:34]:
Yeah. So funny.
Adam Smith [00:42:35]:
Yeah. Miracle on 34th Street.
Ethan Ross [00:42:38]:
I've never seen it. I do know that movie, though. Let me. It's not like. That's too old. I don't even understand. I know that movie.
Adam Smith [00:42:47]:
Why have you never watched it? What about It's a Wonderful Life?
Ethan Ross [00:42:50]:
Yes. That is my favorite Christmas movie. Yeah, it's one of my. It's one of my favorite movies. And it's still. It's. It gets me every time I watch it.
Adam Smith [00:43:00]:
Yeah, we watched it the other day.
Ethan Ross [00:43:02]:
Do you watch the black and white one or the color one?
Adam Smith [00:43:04]:
Black and white.
Ethan Ross [00:43:04]:
Okay, good.
Adam Smith [00:43:05]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:43:05]:
The right one.
Adam Smith [00:43:06]:
Yeah. Well. And just like with Miracle on 34 straight.
Ethan Ross [00:43:10]:
Oh, they got a colorized version, too.
Adam Smith [00:43:12]:
I'm pretty sure they do.
Ethan Ross [00:43:13]:
Do I need to watch Miracle?
Adam Smith [00:43:15]:
Oh, yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:43:15]:
You know, we'll be at home. We'll be stuck at home for the holidays. Perfect time. What? You okay?
Adam Smith [00:43:23]:
Why would you say it like that? Stuck at home.
Ethan Ross [00:43:25]:
We won't.
Adam Smith [00:43:26]:
You will be enjoying that new baby.
Ethan Ross [00:43:28]:
Oh. Trust me. Yeah. We're not going to anybody's house. Yeah, and I am. We're gonna start trying to have a baby every year at Christmas.
Adam Smith [00:43:37]:
So.
Ethan Ross [00:43:38]:
Sorry, we can't make it this year either.
Adam Smith [00:43:40]:
The Grinch.
Ethan Ross [00:43:41]:
Which one?
Adam Smith [00:43:42]:
The gym. The Jim Carrey. The Jim Carrey one.
Ethan Ross [00:43:45]:
That's not the original one. Don't say it like that. But that's the way you postured. That was as though that was the original. I think I just spit. I'm mad.
Adam Smith [00:43:55]:
I. It wasn't implying it's the original.
Ethan Ross [00:43:57]:
It is.
Adam Smith [00:43:58]:
It's the best version.
Ethan Ross [00:44:00]:
Whoa.
Adam Smith [00:44:01]:
It. It is. Anyway, that is a bold take. Well. Hey, I'm just kidding.
Ethan Ross [00:44:10]:
Why is that the best one, though? Why is the live action one the best one? The original cartoon one is the best one.
Adam Smith [00:44:15]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:44:16]:
And have you seen the newer one, though?
Adam Smith [00:44:19]:
Yeah. Not a fan.
Ethan Ross [00:44:21]:
Yeah, because it's got rap music in it, probably.
Adam Smith [00:44:23]:
No, it's because I like Jim Carrey. Just like Scrooged.
Ethan Ross [00:44:29]:
Or with. What's his name.
Adam Smith [00:44:32]:
No. Yeah. I was thinking Bill Murray.
Ethan Ross [00:44:34]:
Screw.
Adam Smith [00:44:35]:
But. But I. I actually meant the Ghostbusters. No, No.
Ethan Ross [00:44:46]:
Groundhog Day.
Adam Smith [00:44:49]:
No. Where Jim Carrey is Ebenezer. Ebenezer Scrooge. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:44:58]:
Christmas Carol.
Adam Smith [00:44:58]:
Yeah. Yeah. Have you seen that? Yeah, that's. But I mean, the one with Jim Carrey.
Ethan Ross [00:45:05]:
I think so. Is it like cgi?
Adam Smith [00:45:08]:
Yeah, yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:45:09]:
The whole thing. Cgi?
Adam Smith [00:45:10]:
Yeah, it's.
Ethan Ross [00:45:10]:
I've seen part of that.
Adam Smith [00:45:11]:
That's really good.
Ethan Ross [00:45:13]:
What about Christmas Story?
Adam Smith [00:45:16]:
Yeah. It's not one of my. It's not one of my favorites. Not one of my top ones. I have to watch.
Ethan Ross [00:45:22]:
I could see that.
Adam Smith [00:45:23]:
So. And I feel like we're leaving some.
Ethan Ross [00:45:26]:
Out, but we're definitely leaving some out. What about the old claymation? Rudolph, Red nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to Town.
Adam Smith [00:45:33]:
Oh, yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:45:34]:
So another Christmas memory was just unlocked. My. Oh, boy. I better get this right. My dad liked Rudolph and my mom likes Santa Claus is Coming to Town and they used to make me pick which one I liked better. Like, which parent are you loyal to? Which. Which movie do you like better? Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, we.
Ethan Ross [00:45:52]:
We try to watch those every year and my kids, they don't get the appeal that I. You know, but they're hilarious.
Adam Smith [00:46:01]:
So my youngest daughter's husband is redheaded.
Ethan Ross [00:46:11]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:46:12]:
And last year, I believe it was, she had a picture of my youngest grandson and she put a red beard on him.
Ethan Ross [00:46:25]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:46:25]:
And he looked like Yukon. Yukon Cornelius. Yukon Cornelius.
Ethan Ross [00:46:35]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:46:35]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:46:36]:
That's funny. Yeah, those are. Those are two of my favorites. We are leaving somewhere. We're leaving a lot out. Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:46:44]:
Yeah. Which, you know, I mean, the Daddy's home too. You know, I've never seen. That's a Christmas movie. Oh, my God.
Ethan Ross [00:46:52]:
Jingle all the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Adam Smith [00:46:55]:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Him and Sinbad.
Ethan Ross [00:46:57]:
Sinbad. Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:46:58]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:46:59]:
Yep. That's a good one.
Adam Smith [00:47:00]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:47:02]:
Frosty. The original Frosty.
Adam Smith [00:47:04]:
Yeah. Huh. Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:47:07]:
Yeah, there's probably a lot. Tell us in the comments which one you guys like. Yeah, please.
Adam Smith [00:47:12]:
Yeah, that's right. Okay. So one other thing before we go. Not that I'm trying to cut us off, but one thing I want to be sure that we don't forget is. Gifts tipping. Like take for instance, Rachel. That cuts my hair.
Ethan Ross [00:47:35]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:47:35]:
You know, I always make sure. And you know, give. Give her something for Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:47:42]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:47:43]:
I know people that. And I say it like I don't do it. I don't know that I ever have. But you know, their mail carrier.
Ethan Ross [00:47:52]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:47:52]:
You know, things people like that that, you know, you need to remember.
Ethan Ross [00:47:57]:
People in the service industry.
Adam Smith [00:47:59]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:48:00]:
And you know, now I am in the service industry and my. I haven't got any Christmas gifts, but I'm sure my clients are going to come through for me.
Adam Smith [00:48:09]:
Surely they are.
Ethan Ross [00:48:11]:
I have. I have to say my clients have been giving me baby gifts. Okay. I have. I love my clients. They're awesome.
Adam Smith [00:48:21]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:48:22]:
They make. They make me feel like part of their family. It's pretty cool.
Adam Smith [00:48:25]:
That's good.
Ethan Ross [00:48:25]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:48:26]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:48:26]:
So in that vein, it makes me feel like they really appreciate me and like they're trying to spread holiday cheer. Just like tipping well and, you know.
Adam Smith [00:48:38]:
It'S a season of giving.
Ethan Ross [00:48:40]:
That's right.
Adam Smith [00:48:41]:
You know, we were given a gift. Yep. And, yeah, we should. We should give gifts where we can spread the joy. Yeah, that's right. And. And also, you know, at church there are. We do the backpacks.
Ethan Ross [00:49:01]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:49:02]:
You know, and there's. Yeah, the shoeboxes. That's right. Yeah. Backpacks is a different.
Ethan Ross [00:49:07]:
There's another memory. One year at Christmas, I went to like the distribution or collection center for the shoeboxes, and I had to go through them and it was like a volunteer thing that our church did. And we went. We were going through them and pulling out, like, you're not supposed to put toy soldiers in there because a lot of these, A lot of the kids that receive them are in like war torn parts of the world.
Adam Smith [00:49:29]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:49:32]:
That was a good memory. I really enjoy doing that. I should. I should try to figure out how to do that and let my kids do it.
Adam Smith [00:49:40]:
And, you know, speaking of that, I know people that will go serve at like, soup kitchens and things like that.
Ethan Ross [00:49:49]:
You know, if I wasn't having the baby, we should have done something like that for a special. Maybe next year for a special Christmas episode, we'll go do something like that.
Adam Smith [00:49:57]:
It's a good idea. Yeah. Because there's like. Well, there are places in Jackson. Yeah. Yeah. That you can do stuff like that.
Ethan Ross [00:50:05]:
I'm sure there's a ton in Memphis, too.
Adam Smith [00:50:07]:
Yeah. So something that I won't be specific as to who does this, but I know someone that their family, instead of buying gifts for each other, they will all go out to eat. I think it's a specific restaurant, but I can't remember. But anyway, the whole family will go out to eat.
Ethan Ross [00:50:34]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:50:35]:
And what they would normally spend on gifts for each other, they pull that together and that's what they leave as a tip for their.
Ethan Ross [00:50:48]:
Good grief.
Adam Smith [00:50:49]:
Yeah. For their waiter waitress. That's a.
Ethan Ross [00:50:53]:
That's a Merry Christmas.
Adam Smith [00:50:54]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:50:54]:
Holy cow.
Adam Smith [00:50:55]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:50:55]:
That could be a lot of money.
Adam Smith [00:50:56]:
I mean. Yeah, that's a sizable. That's a sizable tip.
Ethan Ross [00:51:00]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:51:00]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:51:01]:
Well, I hope they got a good waiter.
Adam Smith [00:51:04]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:51:06]:
I would just, it would feel, I would feel weird if it got like really bad service.
Adam Smith [00:51:13]:
Well, but you know, I mean, but.
Ethan Ross [00:51:15]:
Maybe they just had a bad day.
Adam Smith [00:51:16]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:51:17]:
Maybe they're struggling through the holidays.
Adam Smith [00:51:19]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:51:19]:
And they just need that little boost.
Adam Smith [00:51:20]:
Yeah. And it could have a huge impact.
Ethan Ross [00:51:24]:
You know, maybe the last time they ever gave anybody bad service.
Adam Smith [00:51:26]:
Yeah, that's right.
Ethan Ross [00:51:29]:
I believe in tipping all the time though.
Adam Smith [00:51:31]:
Oh, I do too.
Ethan Ross [00:51:32]:
Like, yeah. 20% is a baseline.
Adam Smith [00:51:34]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:51:35]:
But I do feel like it's kind of gotten out of hand in our culture. Like people will be like, they'll take your order like a walk up counter and then ask you to tip. You just push buttons. You're not making $2 an hour and relying on these tips.
Adam Smith [00:51:49]:
Yeah. And I'm. Yeah, that bothers me.
Ethan Ross [00:51:52]:
And I still feel obligated to leave something.
Adam Smith [00:51:55]:
Well, but I have also been told, and I asked this, would you ask. No, I ask this, you know, like.
Ethan Ross [00:52:06]:
Yes.
Adam Smith [00:52:07]:
When I do something to where, you know, it asks you to leave a tip.
Ethan Ross [00:52:10]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:52:12]:
There are a lot of cases, there are companies that the, the server never sees that tip. That tip goes to the company and they say they use it for, you know, to actually be able to pay their servers more. But whether they do or not, I don't know. But if I'm going to give a tip, I'd rather give it directly to the server.
Ethan Ross [00:52:36]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:52:38]:
So anyway, I know we get totally.
Ethan Ross [00:52:40]:
Off topic, but it's a season of giving. We're talking about giving.
Adam Smith [00:52:43]:
Yeah, that's right. That's right. Yep. So.
Ethan Ross [00:52:46]:
Yeah. Well, I think that's, that's a good thing to end on.
Adam Smith [00:52:50]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:52:50]:
I was curious if there was anything that you and your families do that would be considered out of the norm for Christmas. Like any weird, weird family traditions for Christmas. Something that a normal.
Adam Smith [00:53:03]:
I call normal. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:53:07]:
That's not us.
Adam Smith [00:53:09]:
That's. That's a good question. I wish you'd have asked that before. Give me some time to think about it. Cuz, you know, 20 minutes later. Oh yeah. I'll think all kinds of stuff.
Ethan Ross [00:53:19]:
Been thinking about it. And you said the, you know that family that goes out to eat. Like for me, I, I have to get boiled custard. You have to have boiled custard? Yeah. That's just been something. Okay. When I was young.
Adam Smith [00:53:33]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:53:33]:
And it comes, you know, you go to Kroger or wherever it comes. Yeah. So your dad started that for you. Yeah. That's cool. I like that. I. I used to work with his dad.
Adam Smith [00:53:42]:
Okay.
Ethan Ross [00:53:43]:
He's a good guy.
Adam Smith [00:53:44]:
So.
Ethan Ross [00:53:45]:
He's weird, though.
Adam Smith [00:53:45]:
Bowl custard or eggnog, which I've.
Ethan Ross [00:53:50]:
It's always boiled custard. Yeah. I can't tell you the last time I tried eggnog. I know. I don't like either one. I'm sorry.
Adam Smith [00:53:57]:
Well, I can't have them, so. Oh. Anyway, we don't have to go there, can we?
Ethan Ross [00:54:04]:
Can we? I'm right there with you. No, Adam's lactose intolerant. Apparently Aaron is, too. Anyway, do you get, like, a tummy ache?
Adam Smith [00:54:17]:
So. So is there anything.
Ethan Ross [00:54:20]:
That's why you asked me the other day at the house. Does this have dairy in it?
Adam Smith [00:54:28]:
Hey, it's real, okay?
Ethan Ross [00:54:30]:
Look it up, man. It's real.
Adam Smith [00:54:32]:
Anyway, struggle. Aaron had a question.
Ethan Ross [00:54:35]:
All right. Weird. Weird holiday tradition.
Adam Smith [00:54:39]:
Did you say weird?
Ethan Ross [00:54:40]:
Yeah, he said outlandish. You think while I. Or you talk while I think. Okay.
Adam Smith [00:54:51]:
Someone is here.
Ethan Ross [00:54:52]:
Who's here?
Adam Smith [00:54:53]:
Oh, it's a delivery.
Ethan Ross [00:54:56]:
My. I'm out in the car.
Adam Smith [00:54:59]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:54:59]:
He just waved at us through the window.
Adam Smith [00:55:01]:
Oh, did he? Yeah. So I can't think of anything right off hand. I know. Like I said, 20 minutes later, I'll think of it. I'll think of something.
Ethan Ross [00:55:12]:
But, yeah, I don't think we do anything weird.
Adam Smith [00:55:16]:
I mean, we do. Well, are you at different things we'll do, like dirty Santa and things like.
Ethan Ross [00:55:25]:
That, but I hate dirty Santa. I freaking hate it.
Adam Smith [00:55:31]:
Why?
Ethan Ross [00:55:32]:
It's just. It's a waste of time. And I hope my wife's family's not listening to this because we do it every year there. But I just don't like it. I don't enjoy it. Half the time you get stuck with a present you don't want. And what. Just.
Adam Smith [00:55:46]:
So our Sunday school class, you know.
Ethan Ross [00:55:48]:
Are we doing dirty Santa?
Adam Smith [00:55:50]:
We always do dirty Santa. But the. The guys. Last year, the guys generally just, you know, you keep what you got and, you know. Yeah, the.
Ethan Ross [00:56:00]:
We do. Yeah, we do. Because we do the separate ones here.
Adam Smith [00:56:02]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:56:03]:
Okay.
Adam Smith [00:56:04]:
I don't mind that I have a nephew that at one of our family gatherings that generally we all draw names.
Ethan Ross [00:56:16]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:56:16]:
And if we don't get each other's names, we find out who has that one and swap with them, you know, because we just hand each other. Because there's a dollar amount. Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:56:29]:
You just hand each other that money back.
Adam Smith [00:56:30]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:56:31]:
Perfect.
Adam Smith [00:56:31]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:56:33]:
My kids had dirty Santa at both of their Christmas parties. $20 each. And I know, $40 may not be a lot to some people, but to some others, $40 can be a whole heck of a lot of money.
Adam Smith [00:56:48]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:56:50]:
That'S fine. It's a season of giving.
Adam Smith [00:56:53]:
That's right.
Ethan Ross [00:56:54]:
Just give everything I got, I guess.
Adam Smith [00:56:56]:
Yeah. So I guess, Aaron, to answer your question, I'll have to. When I think of it, I'll have to write it down and mention it.
Ethan Ross [00:57:08]:
In the next episode.
Adam Smith [00:57:08]:
Yeah, yeah. Come back to it.
Ethan Ross [00:57:10]:
Just save it for next year. Yeah, we'll be better prepared for it. Just ask this again next year. Okay.
Adam Smith [00:57:14]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:57:16]:
Yeah, we're pretty normal. Very Christmassy.
Adam Smith [00:57:19]:
Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:57:20]:
Very Christmassy. I remember making Christmas cookies when I was a kid, too, with my mom. The whole kitchen table would have been covered and the counters, everything covered with Christmas cookies. Used to make those. The peanut butter ones that you put your thumb in and then you put a Hershey Kiss on top.
Adam Smith [00:57:39]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:57:40]:
And the sugar cookies and the decorating of the sugar cookies.
Adam Smith [00:57:42]:
Now you say that and I. Haystacks. I remember I've got pictures of my wife and the kids, you know, making cookies and, you know, different Christmas treats.
Ethan Ross [00:57:58]:
It's a good memory.
Adam Smith [00:57:59]:
Yep. Yep.
Ethan Ross [00:58:00]:
It's all about family.
Adam Smith [00:58:01]:
That's right. All right, well, guys, we hope you all have a merry Christmas.
Ethan Ross [00:58:08]:
Yeah.
Adam Smith [00:58:09]:
And.
Ethan Ross [00:58:10]:
Absolutely. How about I pray us out? Would that be okay?
Adam Smith [00:58:14]:
Yes, sir.
Ethan Ross [00:58:16]:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for allowing us this time of fellowship and discussion, God, to talk about you. And the true reason for Christmas is giving your son, Jesus Christ for us, God, to come to the world as a baby, live a perfect, sinless life where he was tempted, like Adam said, as we are, God, but he was able to provide a perfect role model for us and show us how to live life, God. And then to ultimately die on the cross for our sins. God, we just ask that you would help us to remember that that's the true reason for this, for this season. God, for giving as you gave. God help us to give and to love and to spread warmth and cheer, God, especially to those that need it most in this time, those without families, God, anybody, that for the holidays is a worse time than normal. And God, we just. We love you so much and we thank you for all the blessings you've bestowed upon us.
Ethan Ross [00:59:07]:
And I ask that you would help us to spread those blessings across the world. God, help us to spread your kingdom. Be good stewards of the life you've given us. And we ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Adam Smith [00:59:18]:
Amen.
Ethan Ross [00:59:20]:
That's it, man. Merry Christmas to you.
Adam Smith [00:59:22]:
Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas to y'.
Ethan Ross [00:59:24]:
All. Merry Christmas to everyone watching. That's right.
Adam Smith [00:59:27]:
Yeah.
Ethan Ross [00:59:27]:
Thank you, guys.
Adam Smith [00:59:28]:
That's right.
Ethan Ross [00:59:28]:
We'll see you next time.
Adam Smith [00:59:29]:
I'm Adam.
Ethan Ross [00:59:30]:
I'm Ethan. Thanks for watching Way to Manhood.