Our First Furlough Christmas and a Big Announcement!

This year we did our Christmas in multiple phases to accommodate the schedules of our families. First we drove to Emily's school to get her for her break. All of us then drove to Josh's to have a Christmas party with him and Kristen. A few days later we went to Tennessee and had a birthday party for my dad and two more Christmas parties. Here are a few highlights.

Josh's contribution to Kristen's tree: the sock monkey I made for him last year.

David always used to read Luke chapter 2 at the beginning of every Christmas celebration. When the kids learned to read, they began asking if they could read the Christmas story.

Emily and Kristen

The perfect ornament for someone who lives for bacon.

Sock monkeeeeees! Very cool beans!

I don't understand how a kid who turns the Raggedy Ann and Andy ornaments around backwards on the tree because "they are creepy" can then proclaim that this is "awesome."

Meeting up with Jim and Nancy Smith for lunch. They are dear friends and fellow missionaries that we met in Congo. It felt a little strange to be seeing them on this side of the Atlantic but it was a real treat to get to spend time with them.

We had a very nice Christmas season and we are grateful. We also feel grateful and blessed to share this very Cool Beans announcement: We have reached 100% in our ministry support and are going back to Congo on schedule! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the many who pray and give and make it possible for us to go. We are ambassadors for Christ but we also represent you and we are honored. 

Happy New Year with love from the Burtons!