Category Archives: Owen
Post-birthday sleepover family cuddle movie day.
They are always bugging us to watch movies so I thought having a movie day would be a special treat. They barely lasted through one… Oh well.
Owen’s 9th birthday sleepover!
We decided to do a big summer party again so Owen invited two friends to spend the night.
Katie was thrilled to be able to play Xbox with the boys.
Pizza!
Katie helping get the cake ready. (Owen picked it out at Sam’s Club yesterday.)
Oliver and Brandon
Everything went really well. They were crazy loud at times but they were all really well-behaved and were in bed by 11 and had stopped chatting by 11:30…
Happy 9th birthday, Owen!
Today is the anniversary of one of my most favorite pictures of Owen.
This pic never fails to make me chuckle.
Polar Bear Plunge!
Guess which one of us is doing this crazy thing this morning?!
Free s’mores? Yes, please.
Staying warm by the fire.
Waiting…
Watching!
Proof!
It was actually a really nice day for it as opposed to what it could have been this time of year…but it was still REALLY cold. It took about five groups before someone popped up and said HOLY SHIT THAT’S COLD loud enough for the spectators to hear. 🤣
Owen said he’d been in cold water before—swimming with Papa. We told him yes, Lake Superior is cold, but that’s still like 65° and it was in the summer. We looked up the water temp for today and it was about 38°.
Morning snuggle v2
Family night at primary!
Katie’s school had a family night with lots of fun games and activities.
Glow-in-the-dark mini golf:
Pictures with Wiley, the district mascot:
An attempted family selfie:
Revealing their magic notes (after drawing pictures with white crayon):
When kids make their own fun!
I love what they come up with when I won’t let them use their devices or watch TV. This is our Christmas tree storage bag.
Fun at Nerf combat
Owen is taking a 5-week Nerf Combat class. They bring their own guns, bullets are provided, and they run around playing games for 45 minutes.
Owen’s holiday penguin
This was the project the class mom brought for the holiday party. I’m not that mom. 🙂
Katie’s soccer camp
She thinks she wants to play soccer again but she really has no idea what she’s doing. (She did play one season but never really had any good instruction.) So we enrolled her in a five-week beginning level class at the rec center and we’ll see how it goes.
This is how she played goalie—she had NO idea. She’d just watch the ball roll by into the goal.
Trying to prolong bedtime.
Owen’s first friend birthday party!
Sports at the rec center was a great party!
Uncontrollable giggling
After the movie the kids were playing downstairs. First they came up to show us some dance moves they’d been working on. Later we heard them giggling and laughing uncontrollably and we wondered what on Earth could possibly be happening. And then they came crashing upstairs, giggling all the way.
Oh. My.
They were dressed in each other’s clothes—Owen in Katie’s new pink jacket, pink kitty hat, and her Beauty and the Beast Belle heels…
And Katie in his hat and oversized coat.
But the sight of Owen in those shoes hobbling across the floor (obviously only his toes fit in so it was nearly impossible for him to walk!) and listening to them giggle made Tom and I both lose it.
Pony movie night!
Apparently it takes popcorn and a movie to get them cuddling today. (Owen hasn’t wanted to watch this—My Little Pony—said it was a girl movie. But he’s really into it.)
Traitor!
Well that didn’t take long.
Trying to edge in
Pokémon puzzle complete.
Bringing in 2018 with bingo and the fam!
Katie has been obsessed with bingo lately so we all played tonight. She knows all the numbers so it’s good practice!
Kissing the bear 2017
Then and now—GJ and the kids
2013 and 2017
Christmas with the Schwalms
Red and green lights to sleep by.
The kids were sleeping with us in the basement for the last two nights. We tried to put them to bed around 9:30 but Katie was still awake when we came down around 11. And she was excited to tell us she put on red and green lights for us. 🙂
Santa found us in Grayling!
As is tradition, we set the kids’ phones outside their rooms so when they get up in the morning they have something to do until we get up and are ready (which is always by 7). This morning Katie was still sleeping at 7 and Owen had already had enough of his phone and was laying by the door just waiting… So Tom woke Katie up!
Katie got a note from Santa telling her he left a big present at home since he knew she was at Gramma’s—a Barbie power wheels!!
Then the kids opened their gifts from each other… Owen loved his sword, yoyo, and Lego Ninjago stuff and Katie was happy he was happy. Awwwww.
And then it was her turn to open and she LOVED what Owen got her (a Belle doll and matching Belle dress)!
And Gramma’s picture of the same scene from a different angle! So cute and so thrilled! 🙂
And then they put together their Lego figures they got each other.
Tom said Katie saw this wine key when they were out and about and she had to get it for me. So now whenever I want wine, I show her the key and she will bring me some. 🙂
And she also picked out this painted stone at a favorite store of mine in Grayling—Tip’n the Mitten!
The one thing she repeatedly asked for—a Sparty cheerleader outfit. She used to have a hand-me-down from the Besons but it is too small. This one should fit for a few years (Gramma had to take in the skirt because she’s so tiny).
Gramma Marsha had all these Barbies packed away so we held on to them until this Christmas. She loved them.
We’re ready Santa!
I’ve wanted family PJs but just never did it…so was happily surprised when Grannie Lin got them for us. And tonight was the night!!
Land’s End might need to hear about this.
I had this coat when I was in high school—I think maybe my junior/senior years. Then I gave it to my Aunt Marge and she wore it forever. She just gave it back to us for Owen…and it’s a bit big but he doesn’t care. He LOVES it. I might need to write Land’s End about this one. (I also know I have one picture of me in it, but it’s black and white in a yearbook…and I have to find it. Stay tuned.)
Decorating Christmas cookies at the gallery!
Playing in the snow at Gramma’s!
Owen wanted to be buried!
The look of a sister.
We stopped to eat dinner at Culver’s. I simply asked for a pic and this is what I got. I love it.
A boy and his dog.
Owen’s holiday party!
The room mom had a game prepared for me so all I had to do was show up and run the game!
