Christmas Day 2017

For Christmas, everyone got the gift of sleeping in this year! Kiera didn't wake up until 8am which was a treat after hosting Christmas Eve. First up were the stockings, both K and Ty won on their lotto tickets. Kiera's big gift was a softball bat and a waterproof bluetooth speaker. Ty's was a new gym bag. We didn't have a true Christmas breakfast this year, we just nibbled on the leftovers from the night before. 

Kiera loves baths! Here she is with bath crayons, 

but also got bath bombs and shower gel. 

 Santa brought a softball bat! 

 As Kiera was posing for the pic, both Ty and Dave shouted,

"Get your elbow up!"

 After a disastrous canoeing trip this summer, both Em and I

gifted Ty waterproof cell phone holders, ha! 

 For the past few years, Kiera has slept in front of the tree in 

hopes of seeing Santa. This year she slept on the couch, as you

can see all of her pillows and blankets!

 Kiera made Dave a button Christmas tree picture for Christmas

 Handmade gifts are the best!

 New pajamas for me

 Kiera has become quite witty, thanks to the tween shows on the 

Disney Channel. I wish I had written down what she said, but
here's the look that when along with her doozy of a comment...

 Santa brought this toy for Kitty, not Kiera!

 Brooke wants in on the action

 She looks so cute here, but she's still a D.C., as we call her.
D.C. is short for Devil Kitty, which would technically be D.K,
but once you start with a nickname, there's no going back! 

 Christmas Beverages for both!

Kiera got vanilla syrup and coke in bottles and Ty got a pack of

seasonal local beers...Thanks to World Market!

 Vanilla Coke for breakfast? Pouring sugary syrup on the couch?
Sure, it's Christmas!

Now off to see the family!

Christmas Eve 2017

We normally go to Mimi and Papa's house for Christmas Eve, but this year, it was at our house. We opened presents, then did our traditional fondue dinner and Ryan brought over a ton of Thai food from the restaurant where he works. I didn't take many pictures.

In addition to their real gifts,

everyone got a "thrifted" gift from Unique, 

which is really now Savers, but it will always

be Unique to me!

Little did we know...we each got each other

fermentation crocks! 

 Mimi got Kiera a big tub filled with all the fixings for 

slime. Papa and Tyler each made a batch with Kiera,

and here's Em and K blowing a bubble with the slime!

 Brooke got a new toy!

 Christmas macrons from

Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes

 Emmy's Christmas I-Spy Book from when

she was little is now on it's second generation!

 Peppermint Martinis

 The only pic I got of Mimi, Ty and Val...and no pictures of Ryan!

Off to bed for the last sleep before Santa comes!

Christmas Festivities

Kiera had a sleepover with Maxi at Mimi and Papa's 

house over Christmas Break

 Dave reading his new coffee table book,
The Bee Bible (Thanks, Ween!) while Kitty waits to be petted.

 We didn't get to see this cutie on Christmas but 

we did mail him some gifts...Playdough and all things

Paw Patrol were at the top of his list. 

 A visit to Grandma and Grandpa Kette's means

lots of Willow time for Kiera 

Something new in the porch window box 

Maxi's first Christmas with our family

One of my students is in the Singing Angel's Practice

Choir so Kiera and I went to hear her sing! 

St. Raphael School Christmas Concert

 Mimi and Papa come to the day performance,

and Grandpa, Dave and I go to the evening one

 Kiera is on the top row, 7th from the right

 Extended Family Christmas Party

 Everyone wanted to hold Avery!

 Love the smile and the little double chin! 

Christmas Day

Not too many pictures to share, but lots of fun was had! First up, Aunt Dorothy's house to see Grandpa's side of the family. Then off to Adam and Kathi's house to see Mom's side. We missed the Amy, Chris, Nick, Ty and Bay as they took a holiday trip to Cancun. We did get to FaceTime! We also kept the tradition alive of sending videos and texts to the Mormile Fam to wish them all a Merry Christmas and Bryn a Happy First Christmas Birthday!

Great Gram and the "twin cousins"

Decorating gingerbread men 

 Fun with Christmas photo booth props...

Kiera, the angry red nosed reindeer

 Even Sonny got in on the fun!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Kettes!

These are the pictures we used on our Christmas cards with the quote

by Charles Dickens from A Christmas Carol...

May each of us "Honor Christmas in our hearts and keep it there all the year."

Life Lately

Playing catch up! Here are a few pictures from "this and that."

 We celebrated Kiera's half birthday in

September with Kelsey Elizabeth macrons...

Kiera's fave is the birthday cake flavor.

Dave and I traded in our standard weekend wear...farm

clothes and got dressed up for Erin's wedding. 

 One of Kiera and Brooke's favorite

spots in the house...in front of the 

heater vent! And can you spot Kitty?

 Kitty loves all things...bookbag straps, 

pens, food scraps, Kiera's toys...you name it

she plays with it. 

Clowning around at the cottage 

 Clam Chowder at the Farm! We saved the

clam broth from our clam bake at Put in Bay 

to make a batch of our favorite chowder. Yum!

 We love having visitors at the farm...3/5 of the Bockrath 

Siblings and their spouses...
Charlie and Becky, Joan and Paul, Papa and Mimi

 Imagine our surprise when Grandpa showed up on his usual Friday

visit with his hand in a cast! He misstepped walking down the steps at work and 

as he fell, he raised his arms up in the air. When his arms came down,

he hit his hand on the metal hand railing. He worked two days

 but when the swelling didn't go down on  day three, he took

a trip to the emergency room....broken bone in his hand. Ouch! He's out of work

for a few weeks, but not out of his routine for Friday visits! 

 Gram came to visit too! She's slowing down a bit 

but comes to visit whenever she's able. 

Kiera and her friends have been sewing and making 

other crafts. They've been making a ton of pillows, but 

also made a tutu for Kitty.

 We spent the afternoon in Columbus for Baby Avery's Baptism.

May God always bless Avery and our family! The Mormiles....

 Fun with cousins...