December 2021

Merry Christmas from the Kelly family! Below is our Christmas card photo for 2021.

Everyone helped decorate the tree. I love that the kids can put the lights and ornaments on the tree themselves!

My friend Julie got married. Since we all play volleyball together, we did a volleyball picture (bump, set, spike).

We went to the swim and dive banquet. Here is Jack with 2 of the other divers, the diving coach, and the coach's son.

Maggie and a friend were being silly after school one day, so I grabbed the camera to take some pictures.

We took the kids to see the Way of Lights, per tradition.  Our Lady of the Snows had turned the restaurant into a space with a huge Lego display. This picture is just a fraction of the Legos we saw. 

Patrick earned a medal at a chess tournament.

Charlie had to leave the chess tournament early because he had qualified for the finals of a free throw contest. He took second place!

We attended a couple Christmas parties!

We are constantly raking in the fall/early winter.  Maggie and Charlie liked to jump off the fence into the pile of leaves.

I got together with my former co-workers for dinner.

My running group also went out for a holiday meal.

I helped out in Maggie's class Christmas party.

Maggie has several Christmas outfits. 

We decided to get Ted Drewes and then walk to see the lights on Candy Cane Lane this year. It was a little chilly, but fun!

We had a quick visit with our out-of-town friend Samantha. She and Maggie played chess.

We had Christmas Eve dinner at my parents' house with my brother's family. Maggie and Meara wore the matching dresses Nana made.

There were lots of smiles Christmas morning.

I got a robe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOVCtUdaMCU

Uncle David and Aunt Melanie sent this big Jenga set!

Cousins came over for brunch! Maggie got facepaint for Christmas and was anxious to use it.

A few days later when Jim's sister's family came to town, we celebrated with all the Kellys!

Grandpa and Grandma with their eight grandchildren

I got a picture of Maggie and her neighborhood friends in their snuggly shirts and boots.

On New Year's Eve, we went for a hike with Aunt Sue.

We didn't have plans for New Year's Eve night, but I got dressed up anyway. Jim spent some time working.

November 2021

Here is the rest of November (not including our week in Kauai):

In early November, Maggie and a neighbor were playing outside and spotted this owl in our neighbor's yard. I had time to grab my camera and zoom lens to get a few pictures. The owl flew from the roof to a tree, and then across the street and to the backyard of another house.  Maggie and her friend had quite the eagle eyes to spot the owl!

It's a rare day when all 8 girls in my running group are available to run together!

Maggie made her First Reconciliation in November. I didn't take a single picture at the service, but was able to get a picture at Oberweis afterwards.

Maggie and Charlie participated in a chess tournament for children in younger grades.

We hosted Jim's family for brunch on Thanksgiving morning.

After brunch, we made a short stop at Aunt Sue and Uncle Matt's before going to my parents' house for dinner.  Rachel was kind enough to share her coat with Maggie.

Maggie and Meara wore the matching dresses Nana made for them.

I braided Ryan's hair.

The chilly temps didn't keep Maggie from playing outside (in my coat).

The next night, we went to Paul and Margaret's.

As with many family gatherings, music was played.

You can watch the video of (almost) everyone singing along to a crowd favorite:

We usually host a large family gathering with my mom's side of the family. Due to Covid, we didn't have it last year. This past November we decided to have it outside. It was a nice day and felt so, so good to see everyone.

These cuties wore their Super Thankful shirts.  

A quick picture with the Wisconsin cousins before they left.