Owen's First Basketball Game

Basketball for the 1st and 2nd graders just began on Saturday. 

There are no try-outs, no practices and the only time you have to show up is on Saturdays for the games. 

Low commitment on my part and Owen gets to have some fun for his part. 

Win, Win!

The only downside is that the games are always at 8:00. 

That really cuts into my sleeping in time...

Owen is on the "Black Team". 

That is no testament of his skills, only the color of shirt he wears. 

However, Owen is one athletic little kid and he is confident enough at this age  that even though he has no basketball skills to speak of, he can certainly ball hog with the best of them!

Before the game, the kids quickly listened to a few "rules".

Then they were each given a colored band to wear on their wrist. The other team also wears colored bands and the goal is to have the kids guard the opposing player who is wearing the same color of band as you.

The system works at least 14% of the time...

Our team is sporting some real height... watch out!

Game time! All of the next photos are blurry. I was on the other side of the gym and when they were moving slow, my zoom lens did ok, but once the action sped up, no such luck. 

Owen was pretty good at dribbling down the court and he even managed to be fast enough about it that the other team wasn't always set up and ready for him. 

Here's his first shot! A jump shot of course and although the ball didn't even come close to going in, I still gave him an A for effort!

Some more mad dribbling skills being displayed. I think he's trying to juke the other team so they don't know which way he's going to go. Mark said it looked like Owen himself wasn't sure which way he wanted to go...

Another shot attempt...and another miss.

But just look at the height of that ball!

More dribbling...

More shooting... (I actually think this one might have been a pass).

More dribbling...

You get the idea. 

Owen is convinced he is the next big thing in basketball. 

His new goal for himself is to go outside and make 10 baskets every day on our hoop here at the house. That and eat some more birthday cake to boost his strength...

Meeting Some Goals!

Spiritual Goal #3: Facilitate a Dave Ramsey Class

This last Wednesday marked the beginning of the new Dave Ramsey class that Mark and I are co-teaching. We had 8 different couples come to class and it was so fun and exciting getting to know them and hear how they are excited to try Dave out!

Call me crazy but I love it when people tell me that they are having money problems and they want help solving them! I am just like Monica on friends when she gets to organize something (Sarah will totally know what I mean!)

Want to put more in savings? 

Let me tell you how!

Want to stop paying out all your money to debt?

Let me tell you how!

It goes on and on...

It's so much fun being helpful and bossy at the same time!

Spiritual Goal #2: Do a marriage devotional with Mark

Last night after playing a mad game of Monopoly (we had to put the game on hold until this morning) we watched the movie Courageous as a family. I cried several times, like always, and the boys now have a new favorite movie. 

Once the boys were in bed, Mark and I sat down to discuss our newest book that we are reading together. My friend Hailey recommended it to me, telling me that she and her husband Matt had read it with a small group at their church. They all loved it and she thought that Mark and I would enjoy it as well. 

                                                    

Our plan is to read a chapter a week and then either Friday or Saturday night (which ever Mark has off) we will sit down and discuss it after we put the boys to bed. I always love to talk books with Mark and last nights talk was fun. To start the conversation, Mark asked me what one thing stuck out to me in the first chapter. I instantly blurted out

"When he (the author) talked about how when his wife got her mommy haircut of convenience it made her less of a wife to him". 

That's not exactly how the author phrased it but that's how I took it. 

Without missing a beat, Mark said "That's exactly what stood out to me too! That's strange that we would both pick the same thing!". 

Our conversation went on like that for a while, just sharing things that we agreed with the author on and things we disagreed on. This book is written by a married couple and they both write from their points of views at different times which we both liked. I am excited to be doing this and I am looking forward to our talk next week already!

So, 2 goals from the New Year starting to be met (I can't cross them off until they are completed!) and I can't wait to work on some more!

Games

 

What is the game that has taken the Golter house by storm?

 

Monopoly.

 

Each year we get the boys a new game for Christmas.

Mark and I love games and we want to pass that love on to our children.

Luckily they have no problem being the recipients of games and they actually get all excited and want to play them as soon as they are opened.

 

As soon as Monopoly was sprung loose this year, the boys quickly abandoned their other games and wanted to learn this new one.

 

Chess - so last spring...

 

Risk - so last summer and fall...

 

The four of us played our first game together this last weekend and since then there has been a daily Monopoly game going on at our house.

 

 

 

The boys are learning great lessons from the game also!

 

*It is better to own a property than to pay rent to someone else.

 

*When you develope your property or put some money into it, your reward will be greater later on.

 

*Life has unexpected surprises that can cost you money! Be prepared!

 

*The bank will not give you money for free and when they loan you money, it is never a good deal.

 

The lessons just go on and on! Not to mention all the practice they are getting with money. It is awesome!

 

 

If you stop by anytime soon, be prepared to sit down for a game or two!

The boys are anxious to play (and take all your money too!)

Family Dinners

 

 

 

 

When Mark and I lived at our old house, we had started to do "family dinner nights" with his parents, his grandparents and his brother Bill's family. Once we sold our house and were roving around until our house was built, family dinners were put on the back burner.

 

Finally, we are getting back to them again and I am so glad.

 

We all went to church this morning and then headed over to Hermiston to Bill and Molly's house. We even forgoed watching the Seattle football game so that we could go hang out. (We did DVR it though so we could watch as soon as we got home! Go Seahawks!)

 

While we were there I got to visit with my niece Ailsa for a while. She is totally into sewing now and has created quite a few projects. She showed me each and every one of her sewing accessories as well as her new fabric for future projects. Then she let me take a picture of her.

 

 

 

I couldn't decide between light or dark version so I put them both on here.

We got to visit around the table and I snapped a picture of Mark with his grandma.

 

 

Molly and I ended up outside watching the boys pretend to kill each other in a thousand and three different ways. Sheesh. At first we were embarrassed that our own children were so bloodthirsty but then we looked at each other and shrugged. Oh well. Kill each other as peacefully as you can was what we told them.

 

 

After much bribing (and threatening!) we got all five of them up to the top of Gabriel's new tree house for a quick picture. 

 

I tried to get a picture of Gabriel but as soon as I pointed the camera in his direction he got all shy on me.

 

 

Brody posed as soon as I asked him (sweet boy!) and it is official - he is taller than me. Much taller than me. He is going to go to Israel with Mark's parents next month and he is so excited. I can't wait until they get back so I can hear his stories of his adventure there.

 

 

In the spirit of using my camera more, I asked Molly and Ailsa to pose for me some more and they so sweetly obliged me.

 

 

 

I got the whole tour of Aunt McMolly's farm. I saw the chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, bunnies, and horses. And a few dogs and a cat too!

This pretty horse is named Sunshine and Ailsa is a big fan!

 

 

 

 I am so excited that we are doing family dinners again and I look forward to many more photo shoots of these awesome children too!

Mad Libs with Caleb...Hilarious!

A quick disclaimer before you read this:

1. Yes, Caleb is getting braces.

2. No, he does not have armpit hair. 

Just don't let on that you know!

Phew, now that that's out of the way, we can move on. 

Caleb as a 3rd grader has been so interesting to observe.

He is lanky all of sudden. Seriously. All legs and skinny limbs and big feet too! He is starting to develop a personality that includes a sense of humor and is actually really witty at times. Shocker!

He makes Mark and I crack up all the time. 

For Christmas, I thought it was time to give him some things that might tickle his funny bone so I put some Mad-Libs in his stocking (Star Wars ones of course!). He was puzzled at first but then the other night he started looking through them and quickly saw the potential. He sought me out in the library and started firing orders my way. 

Mom! Give me a Verb!

Now I need 2 nouns!

Another Verb!

Now an adjective!

In the middle of asking he would sometimes start to snort with laughter. 

Then he'd shake his head, wipe a tear or two from his eyes and say 

"Just wait Mom, just wait. This is going to be epic."

When he was finished filling in all the blanks he would clear his voice and then start to read what we had created together. He had to often start over because he was laughing so hard. I was laughing at how he was laughing and Owen came in to find out what all the laughing was about. Then Caleb would read our story all over again and laugh just as hard with Owen and I chorusing in. 

Epic Indeed.

We did a few stories and then Caleb had to take a break because his stomach hurt (from all the laughing no doubt). 

Here's one of our creations (in 2 parts because I had a certain lens on and I couldn't switch it out because Mark was sleeping in our bedroom and now that he is graveyard we try to let him sleep as much as we can or he gets to be the "graveyard grouch".)

If you are looking for an evening of cheap entertainment just pick up this book! It was worth it's weight in gold.

Just ask my lanky, funny 3rd grade boy.

The gift of glasses!

Today Owen and I spent the afternoon together running errands and practicing lighting with my camera. 

We started by going downtown to the eye doctor. They had called me earlier and informed me that Owen's glasses were in. 

A couple weeks ago we took him in to have his eyes checked after the school had suggested we do so and sure enough, my baby needed glasses. Owen picked out his own pair (camouflage) and they ordered them. He has been asking about them since that day and once I told him that today was the day we could get them, he was over the moon. 

From the second he put them on, he has been convinced that he looks taller, smarter, older and even more handsome than normal (this is everything he told the lady who helped us). 

I have to admit I agree!

I felt a little bad for him because I personally have always hated to wear glasses and thought contacts were much easier. Then my lasic surgery took those away also and my vision has been the best ever without any hassle of glasses or contacts. But the journey is just beginning for Owen. 

When we got home again, I asked Owen if I could take some pictures of him to practice shooting indoors with my camera again. 

Some are darker than others as I played around but I think you'll get a good look at how much bigger, taller, smarter, and better looking Owen is now that he has glasses. ;)

New Year's Eve

In the spirit of trying to use my camera more this year, I dusted it off and packed it in the car with me as I drove over to my cousin Johanna's house for some (tame) New Year's Eve fun. 

Over at Hannah's house (we actually, rarely call her Johanna), it was an interesting mix of people. And what made it so, is how I was related to each and every person there - in more than one way. Try and keep up. There will be a quiz when your done reading this.  

This is Matt and Hannah. They are brother and sister and they are my cousins by marriage through my biological father who I haven't seen since I was 3ish. I had no idea who they were until 5th grade when Hannah marched up to me on the playground and told me we were related. It went something like this:

Hannah: "Hey! My name's Johanna and you and I are related!"

Me: What? We are? Wait... do you know Grandma Nancy?"

Hannah: No.

Me: Oh. Well we're not related then. But let's play anyway!"

Hannah: "Ok!"

And since she moved shortly after, that was that. 

 Years later when we ran into each other after high school, she explained the whole thing and it turned out she was right. Who knew!

This is Harley and Hannah. Harley is Hannah's brother-in-law and my pastor and also my best friend's husband. Everyone thinks my best friend is actually my sister so I actually usually call Harley my brother-in-law when really he would be my cousin-in-law because his wife is Mark's cousin.

 My children call him Uncle Harley. 

Confusing right? Hannah is also related to Mark in another way than by me. 

Wait for it...

This is Hannah and Wade. Wade is Mark's blood cousin which means they are legit when it comes to being related. So Hannah is also Mark's cousin-in-law through Wade. 

We often have to explain to people how my cousin married Mark's cousin.

They think we are weird but it works, I promise!

This is Dawn. My best friend who people often think is my sister but is actually Mark's cousin (and Wade's sister). She is normally very normal but I swear every time I pointed the camera in her direction, she did something weird. Also, this wasn't her beverage and she is going to kill me for putting this picture on here but I just had to, right? 

Dawn is my best friend in the world and if I ever had a sister, I would have wanted her to be just like Dawn. 

Even if she does weird things like this...

Sheesh! Looking a little scary there sis!

I love these 2 and every single time we are together we have a great time. New Year's Eve was no exception. 

So for the night we sat around, ate food, visited and played a lot of pinochle. 

It was perfect except for one thing. 

Mark wasn't there. 

Poor guy finally caught the flu that had been going around and he was home feeling miserable. He was supposed to work and I was going to ride with him but it started hitting him that morning and he is still laying on the couch thinking he is dying right now. 

I felt bad for him though on New Year's Eve and came home at 11:40 just to see if he was up. He was and we did watch the ball drop together. Not the most exciting way to welcome the year but we were together so it was still perfect for me!

Happy New Year!