Snow Days

I know I am not in Michigan anymore when...
we have two snow days in a row for 1.5 inches of snow.  SERIOUSLY...

Epiphany Dinner

Holy Spirit Epiphany Dinner

We went out to Hornville Tavern again this year!  My in-laws donated all the food and the backroom of their restaurant for all of us (and our spouses) to enjoy some special time together!  I am so blessed to work with a bunch of wonderful people!  I really enjoy EVERYONE!  Who can say that about their workplace????

 Holy Spirit Faculty and Staff that were in attendance.

 The young teachers...

The "old" teachers showing off their youthfulness!!!

(I wish this picture was in focus! Jamie...you need to post yours so I can steal it!) 

so we decided we needed to be more creative!

It was a fun evening of dinner and chatter, followed by an entertaining "white elephant" gift exchange!

Catching Up!

Here are a random group of pictures from the last few weeks.

 Keelin loves to color!  She likes to practice writing letters and numbers.  This page she practiced writing her numbers all over it!

 Our table this Christmas

 Is this a surgeon performing surgery or Drew in our attic replacing a light/fan?

You decide!

On New Years Eve...I took one...yes, one picture!

Emmy eating her dinner at the Tavern.

Drew and I went to a New Years party at my friend Abbie's house and I didn't take a picture.

 New Year's Day!!! Michigan State vs. Alabama

or I would call the slaughter match!

State got their tails KICKED! but...we still cheered them on!

Emmy has this LOOK!  She pulls her head down and looks at you from the top of her eyes.  If looks could kill!

She is giving her daddy "the look" in this picture!

I wish a camera could capture all the emotion in this look!

Kristin's Birthday

Tonight we celebrated Kristin's birthday!



Keelin helps sing "Happy Birthday" to her Aunt Kristin!

Kristin blows out her candle!

 Emmy and her Aunt Kristin

Keelin and her Aunt Kristin!

sisters 

 sisters

Emmy enjoyed Kate's table!

Entertaining a 15 month old!

More Gymnastics!

Keelin's gymnastics is coming to an end.  She has two weeks left.  She has really enjoyed going every week.  My parents were able to attend two of her classes!  (flashbacks for them!!)  I got so nervous last week when Keelin kept letting go of the rings while upside down.  My parents just chuckled and said, "Paybacks!"  (They sat through much more nerve racking practices and gymnastics meets for me for 13 years!") I don't know if I am ready for that with Keelin!!!! I secretly hope she picks SOCCER!

New Camera

Drew surprised me this Christmas! He bought me a new camera! A Canon Rebel! I am still trying to figure it out and play with it. I will post some test shots soon.



Slobber Monkey!





Emmy learned to drink through a straw yesterday!



 I love those eyelashes!



She was so excited when chocolate shake actually reached her mouth!



Christmas at Bickmeier

After spending Christmas morning at home with my parents, we headed out to have Christmas with Drew's mom's side of the family. 

 Emmy got "stickered" by her Aunt Kristin! 

 We had a wonderful lunch together.

 Santa's littlest reindeer!

Jenny played Santa and Jamie was her helper!

I didn't take too many pictures.  After opening gifts we spent hours playing "Apples to Apples".  It was a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Morning



Santa brought Keelin and Emmy presents!



The girls were so excited about their new Jeep!



Keelin picked out this Princess book/music player at our school's book fair.  Everyday for about a week she kept asking me where her book was.  I finally told her I sent it to Santa and that he was going to keep it until Christmas.  She never asked again where her book was.  She was so excited to see it on Christmas morning!



 My parents got the girls this Garden playhouse.

 Keelin loved her Rapunzel hair.

 "Wow...this present is taller than me!"

Christmas Eve

When you have a 15 month old living in your house your presents are not under the tree!

 On Christmas Eve we let Keelin and Emmy open presents from their great grandma Planck because we knew she sent them new Christmas dresses and we wanted them to be able to wear them to church.

 Emmy was so excited to be ALLOWED to open presents!

 Keelin had the paper ripped off before I could take a picture!

 She LOVED her dress!

(and I panicked because she did not have pink or brown tights or shoes!  I made a trip to Target...yes...on Christmas EVE!!! I got pink tights and some very cute brown shoes that were on clearance!!)

 Keelin quickly ran to her room and reappeared wearing her new dress!

 Emmy's dress was just beautiful too!

 After attending the children's Mass, we went over to Clay and Jamie's house to have dinner and gift opening with Drew's dad.

 Emmy got new luggage!!!!

When we got home we put a cookie and milk out for Santa!