What's Christmas like with 12 children?

If you think your house is crazy at Christmas, just imagine what it would be like with 12 kids.

That's exactly the case at the Johnston household outside Newry in County Down.

"There's paper everywhere, there's noise everywhere, presents galore, sweets and wrappers," mum Jennifer told BBC News NI.

Dad Mark says it's an important day for them: "It's family time - we just love that and we make sure everybody enjoys that day."

Home birds

Aged between 20 and two months old - all the Johnston children still live at home.

The family has got so big it is even hard for Mark and Jennifer to remember all their names - which are all made up of five letters.

Baby Ebony is just two months old and will be celebrating her first Christmas

There's Chloe who is 20, Dylan, 18, 16-year-old Ethan, Nadia, 14, (she'll turn 15 on Christmas Eve), Kezia is 12, Kaleb is 11, Joell, nine, Alfie, six, Lydia, five, Sofia, three, Heidi, 20 months and Ebony who is two months old.

Mark said there's "always noise" and the house is never quiet, which is understandable when you consider there are 14 people living together.

Jennifer has always wanted a big family and feels blessed because they are all happy and healthy and very close.

'Expensive'

"Every night you hear out of every room: 'Night night I love you,'" she said.

They are like a modern-day Waltons family (younger readers may need internet help for that reference).

The couple start saving from January every year for the festive gifts

Although Christmas is a time they love, it's also very expensive.

The family start saving from January every year.

Dad Mark says it's an important day for his family of 12 children

As for Christmas dinner - they say a few more people around the tables won't make much difference, as there are 14 in the family around the two tables every day and mum Jennifer does all the cooking herself.

Even more family join them at Christmas - but the couple say they don't care how many people are in the house and that "the kettle will always be on".

Baker's dozen?

Both Mark and Jennifer consider themselves pretty easy going.

They don't know anyone else who has as many children as them and find people are always very surprised to hear they have such a big family.

The couple may have more children. Will they make it a bakers' dozen?

So could there be more children in the future?

Well, according to Jennifer - it's a case of "never say never".

So watch this space... and Mark's hairline - because he reckons if he has many more he'll go bald.