Friends,

We Evers have our Christmas in the summer.  The travel is easier.  There is no school to interfere.  Well, usually the travel is easier.  The travel may not have been easier this year but it was more memorable.  All three of our children, their spouses, and their children came to Alaska for Christmas a couple weeks ago.

Perhaps a "Christmas tree" will help you believe it is possible to have Christmas during the summer.  Most of the presents were food that could be easily consumed because all the families were flying back to the lower 48 and did not need extra luggage.  And there were some books.

You  can see that we were all there.  There is a total of 16 of us.

We panned for gold (before Marcia's arrived.)  I think I saw one very small flake of gold.  But we had a good time trying to find more gold.

The kids played at the park across the road from our apartment.

Some of us squeezed into our small kitchen.

We took in some Native dancing.

The Native Alaskans did not have stringed instruments until the 1840 when the Hudson Bay Trading Company traded some for some furs.  Native fiddling is very popular now.  These two men played the music for some of the dances by the group above.

James's family

Marcia's family.

 Paula's family

So   ---   Merry Christmas!  We should always rejoice that Jesus came into the world no matter what time of the year it may be.

Thanks to all of you for your interest.

Larry and Elva