Christmas Eve

We were so happy that my mom was able to come visit us for Christmas. She was supposed to arrive on Saturday before Christmas, but was delayed several times and we finally had to rescue her from the Chicago airport on Sunday. Our first task was to *winterize* her! Isn't she cute!




On Christmas eve, Grandma Z and Tyler tracked Santa via NORAD and even called into the "NORAD Track Santa" hotline to find out just when Santa would arrive in our area.

Later we made gingerbread houses. Even though it isn't a contest, Brian always *wins*! In fact, his is usually the only one that remains standing! Watching Brian painstakingly create his houses, I think, "If only his patients could see this!" Knowing that he takes more care in surgery than in gingerbread house construction, his patients are in good hands! You don't even want to see how the other houses turned out!

The last activity of the night was the annual Christmas show, the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible, singing carols, and costumes. Our neices and nephews in College Station, TX were also part of the action as we did the show via web cam! As the kids go to bed, we hope the last thought in their minds will be the true reason for Christmas, the birth of our Saviour. Well, nice try, I guess!

The kids head to bed in anticipation of Santa! Little do they know of the surprise that awaits them the next day! Tyler has oft complained that he is the only person in the family without a rolling suitcase. We got one for him and inside it was a boarding pass for a flight to Texas that left on Christmas day. We tore into our presents, then packed up to go to the airport. We said goodbye to Grandma Z at one terminal and flew out of another ourselves!