Merry Christmas 2024

Merry Christmas from The Kettes!

This picture cracked us up...one of us has her pants pulled up too high, one of us looks beautiful and one of us looks like Mr. Clean with his white bushy eyebrows (courtesy of the down lights). We celebrated Christmas Eve at Mimi and Papa's with the Kettes 2.0, Shapiros and Groths. We were extra cozy this year as we all wore matching pjs. We enjoyed one of our favorite traditions together...Christmas Eve fondue. Kiera requested a chocolate fondue this year. We laughed, ate, loved on eachother, drank, opened gifts and ate some more, then headed home to wait for Santa to come! 

The Bockraths

The Groths

                                                                           The Kettes 2.0

The Shapiros

Three Generations of Kette Guys

Dave and his mini me!

Maria's Field of Hope at Cedar Point

We spent Labor Day Weekend at the farm with Mimi and Papa. Then on Monday, the girls drove from the farm to Cedar Point to volunteer at the Prayers from Maria sunflower field at Cedar Point. Kiera got a new Cedar Point Sunflower shirt (of course!). We enjoyed the new field and spreading the word and raising awareness for childhood cancer in Sandusky. At the end of our shift we enjoyed the beautiful blooms. 

Sunflower Selfie with Sunglasses...

 ...and a sunflower selfie without!

Go Ape Treetop Adventure!

This year, I had to go back to school earlier than ever before...August 6th! (Kiera doesn't start until August 22nd.) To mark the end of our summer vacation time together, Kiera and I went on an adventure. We did a high ropes course in the metro parks. We had fun but it was hard (well, hard for me anyway!) We treated ourselves to a smoothie at Robeks afterward. 

 We made it!

Prayers from Maria Sunflower Field

Every year, Kiera and I volunteer together at the "Prayers from Maria" Sunflower field. We greet and talk with visitors and sell Maria merchandise. Though we never knew Maria, she attended Kiera's school and her family is still a member of our parish, so this organization is extra special to us! This year's harvest came sooner than expected (it was set to bloom in September, during childhood cancer awareness month). Due to construction, this may be the last year for the field at this location, but the field will bloom again next summer...somewhere! 

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!

Halloween 2017

Another fun Halloween is in the books! Our pumpkin came from Millersburg (not at our farm) but it gave us an idea...make a pumpkin patch at the farm! Kiera sketched out her design on paper, then got to work. We always take a pic of her pretending to eat the pumpkin guts. This year, instead of a candle inside the pumpkin, Kiera saved a little LED flashing light from a light stick and used that. She was quite proud of her creation. Kiera was a deer this year, Dave a hunter, Brooke a squirrel and Kitty and acorn.The weather was chilly and cool, in the 40s. Kiera's favorite candies are Sweet Tarts, Twix and Take Five. After they came home, around 7:30, she sorted and ate some candy then took a warm bath.  This was the first year Kiera wasn't allowed to dress up at school. Since she's in fourth grade, she's now in "intermediate" status, not primary. She wasn't too upset about it because she said they got to watch a Halloween movie in class. They also got to wear a Halloween accessory. Kiera chose cat ears. 

 Brooke the squirrel...her costume was too big

So happy to have a kitty, Kiera insisted on taking her outside 

to show the neighbors the kitty in costume. Just then, the neighbor's dog scared

kitty and  she scratched Kiera. A few scratches, drops of blood and tears later

she decided she wouldn't do that again. I may or may not have said something 

similar to "I told you so."

 Dave borrowed some hunting gear from Grandpa...

Thanks Dad!

 Oh deer!

 Posing with our neighborhood friends...

These four girls were inseparable all summer...they call themselves "The

Canterbury Crew." They even named their group text message that...

funny part is 3/4 of them don't have their own phone and use their mom's phones!  

Showing off her tail!

 Kiera's Jack o' Lantern 

 Coming in for the night...

 ...look at that full bag!

 Just a doe and her fawn

 Sorting her all the candy! She knows that she has 14 Reeses, 

3 Almond Joys....

Here's a picture from earlier in the day at school...the 6th grade team!

If the costumes look familiar, that's because Dave, Kiera and I wore 

them last year for our Halloween Block Party. A great, easy group costume.

I just had to make the honey jar. I also shared with the sixth grade classes

the pictures of us extracting the honey and brought in a jar for all to taste!

 f=- op[

(that was typed by Kitty) 

Every morning, she climbs up my leg to sit on 

my lap as I drink coffee and sit at the computer.

Then she climbs up on the keyboard. She does this

at least 5 times!