When I was a child, I would wake up during the early morning hours of Christmas Day to see if Santa Claus had come. Last night and early this morning, I woke up every hour to check the volcano for lava flows. At 4AM, I was rewarded for my efforts when the clouds lifted for a 30 minute window during which we had great views of the lava streaming down every five minutes or so. I woke Jeanine and the children for what will be a long remembered Christmas morning gift, one enjoyed by few people who visit Arenal. Using my travel camera it was nearly impossible to photograph the eruptions but I did get exactly one photo from the dozens I shot which captured a sliver of the action. Trust me when I say it does not begin to capture the views we enjoyed.