Merry Christmas 2016

This Christmas I had more than twenty-four hours off!!  Since we hadn't been able to make it to an Ecklund/Regan Christmas Eve party in a few years, we decided to stay local for the holidays.  The party this year was extra special with appearances from the Chicago Regans, the Mangas family from Pennsylvania, the Worshams all the way from India, and Michael and Sheri who haven't made it for at least ten years!  Harper did well with the big crowd and anxiously awaited Santa Claus with the cousins.  We had an amazing time.  Christmas morning was perfect as Lisa was called off from work and could spend the day with us.  Harper must have been a good girl this year because she received the most wonderful presents.  Alex and Harper fly off to Colorado tomorrow to celebrate the holidays with the other half of our family.  Happy Holidays!

  

Merry Christmas Eve!

    

My parents hosted over fifty people this year!

   

Harper and Lily

    

   

Alex and Katherine

   

Tessie Louise

    

Just hanging out with the cousins!

     

   

    

Harper started off the cousin exchange this year.

    

    

    

She was lucky and had Ryan.

    

    

    

Faking out cousins awaiting gifts!

    

Lily had Harper and gave her the cutest tea set and books.  Harper preferred to read her new books while holding the tea pot.

    

Merry Christmas!

   

Let the games begin!  The last gift this year involved a three part competition.  The first part was reverse charades.  

    

Part two involved Christmas carols.

    

And part three was intense with oven mitts and packaging tape!

    

The stairs get more crowded every year!

    

Christmas morning!

    

    

Harper's new wheels!

    

   

We were so happy to have Lisa all day! 

    

Santa delivered for Moo too!

    

Grandma and Harper

    

Big presents for such a little girl.

    

Grocery shopping with Stella

        

Strolling Stella

    

    

    

    

Busy, busy, busy

        

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, the Schecklunds

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Holiday Lights

We went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Holiday Lights event with the Moynihan family again this year.  It is officially a family tradition.  The babies were more difficult to photograph this time around and it was a bit chillier than last year, but we had a great time.  We toured the gardens with mimosas and wine in hand, met Santa Claus, and veered off the trail for our annual babies in the lights photo.  Harper and Landon had fun running around giving high fives and taking ornaments off Christmas trees.  Santa was a bit scarier this year, but there were no tears.  Merry Christmas!
 
Landon and Harper

    

Just strolling through the vineyard. 

  

We had to sneak into the field for these pictures.  Last year, we just sat the babies on the concrete block and they stayed in one place.  This year it was like herding cats.  Luckily, the pictures turned out really cute.

    

    

     

    

   

Back to the concrete block! 

   

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Oops!

   

    

    

Merry Christmas Harper and Landon!

    

After playing in the tree lights, Harper and Landon ran through the blue forest.

     

Harper Eden

   

   

    

Landon John 

     

   

   

Daddy and Harper

   

    

There was a different Santa this year.  The kids were not too sure of him.

    

   

Until he started talking about presents. 

    

    

Our lovely bunch!