You can take the family out of Ukraine, but you can’t take the Ukraine out of the family!

Not that they make Gingerbread Houses in Ukraine, but you know, it’s the date that counts.  Celebrating Orthodox Christmas is a tradition now!  One of these years we will act like real Ukrainians and make a Napolean Cake or a Paska, or maybe we will be able to afford caviar again?  In the meantime, there is always vodka.  And Jake decorated the roof like the Ukrainian flag!

Our gingerbread houses are pretty lopsided and one might say pretty bad, but we have so much fun making them.  Mommy usually stresses out at some point over trying to cut the pieces, but here is Daddy saving the day:

This year we had to bake the gingerbread extra long, to make the pieces strong enough to hold up against the humidity.  Christmas is the rainy season here in Zambia.  We messed up a bit on the angles and the roof didn’t really fit, but the dining room smells so lovely right now!

For some reason, my boys don’t wear shirts in the house anymore.  Is this normal?

Jake worked on the structural details, while Eli tended to the environmental features.  Here are the people going in for church:

And the kids outside playing soccer.

I ordered candy canes online this year, and the smallest box I could find was 300.  The rest were M&Ms, skittles, twizzlers, and sour patch kids.  Next year I need to remember the pretzel sticks.  But I think it still turned out pretty good!