Dad sleeps while the rest of us check out the new stuff and take a few more photos. Wonder how the green bow got on top of his sleepy head?? The "Russian" hat was fun, but J's not sure he would really wear it, so, it's going back. What was Mom thinking?

The Gifts

Of course, we model the new clothes.

Justin plays with his little MP3 player.

Momma Claus gives gifts from under the tree, unaware that there's a diamond necklace in the little green gift bag (way to go Mark).

We displayed a new nativity that we bought in Bolivia this summer. It was a constant reminder of the little family far away.

Such a manly pose. Looks like it's no-shave December too.

Merry Day!

The gals, leaving a space for Juliane. WE MISS YOU!

The Tree

With Mark's knee surgery, we didn't have a tree. Our friends, the Johnstons, gave us this awesome tree. It's our cute little stocky tree, perfectly shaped. We usually have an 8 foot tree, so this was a switch for us. Thanks Jim J. for the special delivery!

Holiday Cheer - Christmas day

"Hi everyone!"

Yeah, we had a lot of fun taking a family(minus the Kozels) picture. The timer on the camera was great! So have a look at our Christmas 2006 photo album

What you've all been waiting for....

This is Mark's incision. [Yuck!] It's about 4 inches long, a little swollen and all stapled together. The doctor always signs his work - the JD on the side. Since this photo was taken the swelling has come down some.

He's home with a NEW KNEE

Mark is home from the hospital and finally has a little smile on his face. He had a partial knee replacement on Monday, December 4. Today, Wednesday, he was released. The knee is doing well, the stomach not so good. His pain medication has been causing an upset stomach.
He's been resting a lot since coming home and is glad to be back in his big comfy bed. He's hooked up to the ice machine to help keep swelling down.
Most of the day he's been felling pretty punk, now he's doing better and ready to be in charge of the remote:) Stay tuned for tomorrow when we show you the small incision on his knee........