VIDALIA — For the Craft family, there’s no place like home for the holidays.

The whole family was gathered outside the Vidalia house of James and Donis Craft Saturday, playing with the new toys their grandchildren had just received for Christmas.

The Crafts’ four sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren were in town for their annual family Christmas.

Though the family is spread from Missouri to Oregon, the close-knit clan returns to Vidalia every year for the holidays to enjoy Donis’ cooking and the children’s football games.

“We’re missing just a few,” James said. “But everyone tries to make it.”

James worked for International Paper for 45 years before his retirement. All his children are alums of Vidalia High School, where they each played varsity football.

James and Donis’ son, Jerry, joked about his Christmas motives while complimenting his mother’s cooking.

“Look in the refrigerator, you’ll see why we’re here,” he said.

His mother said if the family didn’t finish up the leftovers, they wouldn’t get a thing to eat next Christmas.

“You say that every year,” James said. “You know it’s not true.”

The real Christmas miracle, James said, was family.

“We’re just blessed,” James said. “I have the best daughters-in-law you can ever come up on and four boys that never gave me a minute’s trouble.”

Donis said her sons were even better adults than they were children.

“They take care of their mom and daddy, that’s for sure,” she said.

The sons now bring their own children home for the holidays.

Will Wiley, 8, jumped onto his stomp rocket, sending the little missile high into the air.

“I’m glad I got this for Christmas,” Will said with a laugh.

His cousin Kayla Craft, 13, said she helped to pick out the present. Kayla Craft said she wouldn’t miss Christmas in Vidalia for anything.

“I only get to see my family three times a year,” she said. “My family is awesome.”

Her grandfather agreed.

“I don’t know much about other people’s families,” James said. “But I wouldn’t trade mine for the world.”