Looking Beyond the Details

As the Christmas hype settles and the decorations slowly move back into boxes, I sit and think about the valuable time I just spent with my family.

Family. Such a precious gift I am so blessed to have. Loved ones that provide me support. Support that so many people in this world do not have.

While I may have dreaded having to spend more than 12+ hours in the car to make it to all five Christmases, and the constant rush to bounce from one place to another, I wouldn't exchange the small amount of time I got to spend with each of my family members.

Life is simply too short to pay attention to the details. Did I get to spend enough time with my dear granny on Christmas day? No. Did we hug and kiss our parents enough when we left? Nope. Did I get to have a conversation with all 35+ family members at my Grandpa and Grandma's? Of course not.

What really matters is the time we did get to spend with them. The time that I am cherishing now.

So much effort goes into the Christmas season -- decorating, crafting, baking, thinking, shopping, wrapping, planning, mailing, giving, traveling, receiving, eating, drinking, and being merry, of course.

It's quite a lot of work. And very time consuming. But, I love it all. Because it's all worth it.

So, our holiday went a little something like this:

5 Christmases
1. Oklahoma border, at the Ranch: Christmas with Brian's Dad & Lori
2. Wichita: Christmas with Momma and Daddy B, siblings and 8 nieces and nephews
3. Ark City: Christmas with Granny M
4. Winfield: Christmas with Grandpa & Grandma B
5. Wichita: Christmas wtih Momma K

Now, I didn't get many pics of the fam. I'm still trying to find an easier way of pulling out my camera at family and friend gatherings without everyone looking at me with a "Really Krista? Do we have to take a picture?" look.

We didn't get to enjoy a white Christmas like last year, but I did enjoy not getting stuck in a trench of snow while driving out of Madison, KS and having to get pulled out by a tractor. Thanks snow, I needed the break this year.

Most of these are from our Christmas Eve hunt. At first, I was really disappointed with the drab scenery I had to work with. But once I looked beyond the details, I captured some pretty decent Kansas inspired shots.

 Headed out to the hedge rows 

Jake was super excited after being away from hunting for a year

 Rainfall from the night before

 On point

Skinny jeans tucked into hunting books, classy

 Brothers

 The city dog's still got it

Handsome hubs

Ace makin' a run for it 

 The three musketeers spotting quaily birds

 My brother, Granny, me and Brian

 Dad, Granny, Mom 

Sisters

My nephews



I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas as much as I did!