I know I have posted excessive amounts of Christmas photos already but there are more. Our whole trip to Nebraska, our Christmas & Christmas with my side are still on the docket. As I am putting these blogs together I am reminded at how blessed we truly are to have so many special people in our lives to celebrate with and make our kids feel so loved and so special. And with that...here are some snap shots of our family-friends-joy-fest!
We started out our trip on a not so joy filled note as we made a 7 hour trip in a little over 10 icy, scream filled, semi trechorious hours. It was the low point of the trip. But we made it in one piece at like 3 am and kicked off our Christmas weekend.
We popped out of bed the next morning and started in on a tour of friends and family that began in Ashland...
where we of course met up with Grandpa Sapp out plowing the streets and met up with...
my beloved teaching partners in 2nd grade crime, Carolynn and Nancy. Without their TLC & friendship I would never have made it through my first years of teaching. They are true treasures! Then we headed to the Richard family Christmas out in Ceresco, which I sadly got no pictures at! Brad and LuAnn had a most delicous dinner with all the Richard favorites! It was awesome to see everybody! We headed back to Omaha after that, for a reunion with some of our favorite delights from the college days! It was AWESOME to see all these faces and there were a few more that didn't make it in the photos. We "laughed and caught up and soaked up the smiles of our buddies" the night away. It was truly a highlight of the Christmas season for Ry and I!
We got in some great down time at Grandma and Grandpa Eccleston's house over our few days too. The kids played with cousin Hudson and the boys played with their Uncles, always a wild time!
And snuggled with their Aunties too!
Christmas Eve we spent at our both our Moms, Mom & Dads house...a Christmas Eve tradition for both sides! Here's the whole clan to date! And, you may notice a new & beautiful blonde in the pic and that is our soon to be sister in law, Amber! Jason got engaged this Fall and they are getting married in May! We are so excited to have her!
We had a great time at G & G Benne's house with all the extend fam...
some cousin Melissa love
the Greats with the kiddos
and the reading of the Christmas story starring all the great grandkids in costume!
We then headed back to Ashland for Christmas at the Sapps...
I quickly forced the kids to take this one shot of just our family on my phone and they were officialy DONE with pictures, so there aren't any more from this night, I know, I know
...you're feeling low on pictures.
But we had a BLAST with the cousins and MAX, who is always a highlight for my boys!
Then we got the "children all nestled snug in their beds" and drifted off in a Christmas daze ourselves. In the morning we woke to a lot of Christmas JOY. With these 3, how can there not be:)!
There was playing and eating and packing up. And some snuggles from one Lucille to the other...
And then we had to head home, but we tried not to be too sad, because there was more fun to come!!!