As with most Modern Family episodes, this one is filled with many funny individual stories, yet they’re all tied together.

Will Phil reach his resolution to walk to Canada on the elliptical machine he received as a Christmas gift the previous year or will the machine be banished to the garage, much to Luke’s chagrin, as he has been hiding the recyclables in the garage for months because he forgets to bring them out to be collected.

Can Gloria and her mother survive the holiday together or will Claire take Gloria’s place in the kitchen with her mother, whom Claire is liking more and more because at least Gloria’s mother doesn’t keep giving her slippers every year for Christmas like DeeDee does.

Jay and Manny take on the task of cutting down a Christmas tree, just like Jay and his father used to do. Minus the cigar and cigarette.

Haley and Alex risk their lives working at the mall as an elf and Mrs. Claus because Santa has gone AWOL and the crowd of kids is getting antsy.

Lily, who only wants a toy called a puppy pound for Christmas, misspelled it on her list and Cam blames Mitchell for not figuring it out. So while Mitchell has to go to the mall in search of the toy, Cam and Lily attend a charity event fundraiser for the needy which, unbeknownst to Cam, is actually not a fundraiser but is FOR the needy.

Cam: “I thought it was a charity event for the needy. Turns out it was a charity event FOR the needy!”

And Lily ends up getting a puppy pound toy from Santa.

Just as Mitchell appears fresh from the mall with gifts for Pepper’s party, Lily gives her puppy pound away to a boy who didn’t receive anything from Santa but wanted a puppy pound.

In the end, Claire and Gloria make up, Jay and Manny get their tree, Haley and Alex survive, Phil makes it to Canada and then goes to the mall to get a puppy pound for Lily and Luke owes six weeks allowance for not taking care of the recycling.

Always a good time with the Pritchett-Dunphy clan.