Pajamas on Christmas Eve is a tradition going back to at least Laurie's childhood and our kids look forward to it each year now. Here they are before heading up to bed to have "visions of sugarplums."

The kids also love decorating Jesus' birthday cake. The four older kids each got a quarter to decorate. We enjoyed it on Christmas day after singing "Happy Birthday".

E & K in their new matching Christmas clothes.

Decorating Christmas cookies is a great tradition and our kids love it as much as we did. I (dad) have fond memories of this as a kid, especially one year in which I convinced my mom to let me stay home from school and helpo her. Here H is clearly enjoying himself.

It took us two day to clean up the mess, most of which was caused by our precious C. He is not snorting the sprinkles although it may look like it.

Who needs hi-tech decorating stuff? Homemade icing in ziploc bags does the trick.

The masters at work.

The boys enjoyed the veggie tray at our team party. It was amazing that the whole team and the Herveys were in town at this time of year- not what we had planned or expected 12 months ago. This year we drew names and got socks for each other. The next couple of pictures show a couple of the presents.

Decorating the tree is a fun time for our family as each ornament is significant. Early in our marriage we decided not to just buy ornaments to fill up the tree but rather to add some each year. Then we decided to get an ornament from each place we visit; given our lifestyle we have been able to accumulate ornaments from around the world. As we trim the tree each year we use the ornaments to retrell our family history and to thank Jesus for His goodness and grace to us over the years. Here K is participating for the first time.

The kids' Sunday School classes gave us the tree this year- a huge blessing. Here are all 6 precious little ones after we finished the tree. We did it a little later than usual this year as I (dad) was in Turkey. Normally we get the tree the week after Thanksgiving but this year waited until I returned the second week of December.

Target had this gingerbread house kit which we bought. It came with the gingerbread pieces, the icing, the holder, and the candy. Laurie got the kids started, and they did the rest. A great activity for $8.

This actually is out of order and did not take place during the Christmas season, but the pictures were very cute and so we are including them. On Monday evenings we go to RHCC as the boys have Cub Scouts and E has Breakout (a Bible study similar to Awana). Afterwards the older kids have choir and the younger ones hang out with dad in a classroom. C is often trying to climb into the sink to get himself a drink of water and here I caught him in the act.

H has caught the reading bug and is constantly reading now. Here he is reading to his baby sister, and she is acting interested and looking very cute.

One of the first of our Christmas activities when we are in America is the RHCC Angel Breakfast in which 3-5 year-olds attend with their moms (&/or grandmoms). E, H, & now K have attended. K was very excited about going and hoped everyone would notice how handsome he was. Only H was out of the country during those three ages so he and daddy went on a special breakfast date the week before Christmas.

K and his best friend M had a great time together at the Angel Breakfast.