On Christmas Eve, it is a family tradition to have luminaries lighting the way for the Christ Child.

Our tree on its last day of glory. It has been a beautiful tree. There is a tree farm in Alpine so it was very fresh.

Jane post- unwrapping in the leftover Christmas carnage. She got Dora's backpack and it has hardly left her body.

Colin showing the new ax that Santa brought him from Poland (clever Santa!) Both Colin and Jane got their own tool sets along with many, many other things. We should have taken better advantage and not gone overboard on gifts. Our kids were totally delighted just by their stockings. We do have very large stockings however, big enough for Santa to give me a 2 liter of Coke Zero, over two pounds of yerba mate, a big bottle of salsa Lizano and at least two grapefruit. Very, very clever Santa, he knows me well.

We had a very fun day. We went to our church and Brian put together a little carol service. We think it is sad that Mormons do not have the tradition of going to church on Christmas, so we are doing what we can. (Mormon congregations have their Christmas service the Sunday before Christmas.) In England, the Mormon Church my parents attended additionally did a carol service on Christmas Day. It was nice to just get together for something simple. No refreshments, just simple worship through music. I totally cheated by sitting in a corner with my kids and letting Colin watch his new Christmas movie on the portable dvd player. It kept him in one place and I was able to sit in the service as a gift to myself.