Our trip back to the Midwest for the holidays was just what we needed. It is a long drive, but the kids travel well and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than flying!!! We were able to leave Colorado about 2pm MT on Tuesday, December 22nd. Jeff had been checking the weather for a few days and saw a nasty storm along our route. This was our incentive to drive straight through and just get there. We arrived, exhausted, at 4:40am CST. Jeff and I had survived the trip on good conversations, guess-the-artist-singing-the-Christmas-tune games, vanilla lattes & Mt. Dew. Hey... whatever works!
Some highlights of our trip - in no particular order (don't be offended if I forgot something -- I have a terrible memory!)...
* Jeff & I sleeping in as often as we could (thanks to Grandma for helping the kids with breakfast!)
* Meeting our new baby niece, Kristina -- she's a sweet, precious angel!
* Santa finding us on Christmas (and not giving us coal!!!)
* Spending time with our families (Terry - we really missed you!)
* Visits with the Bachman's, Meeks', Ruff's, Hamm's and Breitbach's
* Baking with Josh (he is loving his new cookbook!)
* Watching the kids (including Trae) have fun at Jumpin' Janes
* Eating lots of delicious food that I didn't have to prepare!!!
* Wearing fun holiday socks
* Playing around with the features on my new camera
* Playing volleyball at Courtside with lots of friends we haven't seen in a long time
* Dinner at the Rausch's -- it was so awesome to see the Trumm's, Rausch's, Eklund's and McQuillen's
* Enjoying the kids interacting with their grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles & cousins
* Watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (we laugh so hard EVERY time!)
* Sledding with Uncle Tim, Jake & Justin
* Presents -- giving & receiving (being woke up at 6:00am instead of 7:00am was not so good!)
* Seeing Mattea "dive" for hugs & kisses after opening a present
* Eating Happy Joe's pizza, Donut Boy donuts & Pickle Barrel subs (Jeff snuck in a Long Island Ice Tea at the Mining Co., too!)
* Celebrating Tyler Skahill's 1st birthday and seeing the Skahill & Lucas families
* Seeing the kids enjoy their new toys & clothes
* Playing cards until 2:30am (have you made that list yet, Jules???)
* Spending New Year's Eve with the Dolan's, Mishler's & Jacobsen's eating yummy food, singing karaoke, playing pool & the Wii and toasting with champagne & blowing party horns at midnight
* Pedicures/toe painting with Julie & Mattea (Julie & Mattea got matching blue toes w/ white snowflakes!)
Our trip back home was much the same as the way out. We ran into bad weather in Nebraska, but pushed through and made it back home safely in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday. We have many wonderful memories from this trip. It was great seeing everyone, but we're glad to be home, too. Now that the unpacking from the trip is done, it's time to "undecorate" from Christmas. Ugh. : )
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