Pfefferkorns at Christmas 2008

My slightly-older-but-ever-so-much-smarter sister, Dianne (OK, so there's not that many shopping days left before my birthday) over the past couple of Christmases has started the great tradition of having a Christmas Eve family get-together at her home in Winston-Salem NC. Since my wife Elaine and I are always up from where we live in Columbia to visit our daughter Kim and her family in Greensboro NC and son Jamie and his family in Lewisburg just outside of Winston-Salem, there's always a couple of generations of Pfefferkorns at this gathering.

Last Christmas, we had a ton of family there, and this picture was taken especially to capture the Pfefferkorn bloodline in attendance.

• My sister Dianne and I are wearing red;
• My son Jamie, and Dianne's son Andrew have on white; and
• Jamie's son, Parker, always "dresses up" for special occasions.

Dianne's son, Andrew Hobbs is an exceptionally bright young man who is pursuing a college degree at Appalachian State in Boone NC. At age 2o, his talents and energy can take him wherever he wants to go -- and his future is a bright one, for sure.

My son, Jamie, has something in common with my sister Dianne -- they are both graduates of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem -- Jamie at the undergraduate level and Dianne earned a Masters there.

Parker and Andrew also have something in common, besides the Pfefferkorn bloodline -- they both have the name "Andrew" in their name. Parker's full name is " Andrew Parker Pfefferkorn." Parker's 11 (going-on-21) years old, doing well in school and excelling in every sport he plays. Also, like Andrew, the sky's the limit for this fine young lad.