Last week I directed VBS at our church, and I needed a box to keep props for our "photo booth" in. We have an old, gold colored trunk that belonged to my grandma that I thought would be perfect, so I cleaned everything out of it. It's where we keep all of our treasures from our childhood, which, for me means a few porcelain dolls and a pretty hefty stack of notebooks. I started to go through the notebooks, some of which date back to 1996.
Scott and I were laughing about how my handwriting hasn't changed at all, and about some of the things I said (when I first started going through puberty I logged how I felt every day for about a year, and drew corresponding pictures, LOL!) Also, I didn't realize what a list-maker I was then... have I changed at all? In a notebook from early 2001 I found some entries that I wanted to share. As a young teen, if I was being gloomy my mom would tell me to do things like "write down everything good that's going on" or, "write down everything you like about the person you're mad at"...etc. Well, I gave her such a hard time about things like that, and I never let her know that I secretly thought it was a very good idea... Why was I like that? I wish that I would have openly accepted her guidance. But I did take her advice. This is what was said in one entry:
Things I like about my dad:
* How he laughs like me
* How his ears move
* How he praises me
* How he is always eager to show me something new he learned
* How he speaks to me as an equal
* His leniency
* How he gets me special things
* His willingness to change
* How he asks for advice
Things I like about my mom:
* How she plays with us
* How she makes a joke about herself
* How she tells stories
* How she never gets mad over something ruined or broken because she knows it will hurt our feelings more
* How she teases my dad
* How she cares about her looks, but is not a conformist
* How she is never ashamed
* How she overlooks my flaws and sees only good in me
* How she shops
Things I like about Lance:
* How he laughs
* His sensitivity
* How he is willing to change for the better
* How he often understands how I'm feeling
* How he treats my sisters and I with gentleness
* How he's not afraid to ask for help
* How he wants to follow God
Things I like about Noelle:
* How she sings
* How she talks to me about things that are important to her
* How she wants to spend time with me
* Her energy
* The way she conquers tasks
* Her giving nature
Things I like about Natalie:
* Her sunshine
* How she knows when I need a hug
* How she will apologize
* How she is forgiving
* Her cute personality
* The way she remembers EVERYTHING
* How she tries to keep up with the older ones
Scott and I were laughing about how my handwriting hasn't changed at all, and about some of the things I said (when I first started going through puberty I logged how I felt every day for about a year, and drew corresponding pictures, LOL!) Also, I didn't realize what a list-maker I was then... have I changed at all? In a notebook from early 2001 I found some entries that I wanted to share. As a young teen, if I was being gloomy my mom would tell me to do things like "write down everything good that's going on" or, "write down everything you like about the person you're mad at"...etc. Well, I gave her such a hard time about things like that, and I never let her know that I secretly thought it was a very good idea... Why was I like that? I wish that I would have openly accepted her guidance. But I did take her advice. This is what was said in one entry:
Things I like about my dad:
* How he laughs like me
* How his ears move
* How he praises me
* How he is always eager to show me something new he learned
* How he speaks to me as an equal
* His leniency
* How he gets me special things
* His willingness to change
* How he asks for advice
Things I like about my mom:
* How she plays with us
* How she makes a joke about herself
* How she tells stories
* How she never gets mad over something ruined or broken because she knows it will hurt our feelings more
* How she teases my dad
* How she cares about her looks, but is not a conformist
* How she is never ashamed
* How she overlooks my flaws and sees only good in me
* How she shops
Things I like about Lance:
* How he laughs
* His sensitivity
* How he is willing to change for the better
* How he often understands how I'm feeling
* How he treats my sisters and I with gentleness
* How he's not afraid to ask for help
* How he wants to follow God
Things I like about Noelle:
* How she sings
* How she talks to me about things that are important to her
* How she wants to spend time with me
* Her energy
* The way she conquers tasks
* Her giving nature
Things I like about Natalie:
* Her sunshine
* How she knows when I need a hug
* How she will apologize
* How she is forgiving
* Her cute personality
* The way she remembers EVERYTHING
* How she tries to keep up with the older ones
My little brother is 19. Shoot me in the head.
Ready, Set, GO!
Noe's starting to fall behind...
But when they stopped, she kept going!
Natalie - dead from exhaustion.
aww, I love this picture. Robbie spending time with Anahi (Yasi's baby sister, who Yasi and Lance take care of every day) Anahi bossed that big kid around all day...
Ready, Set, GO! Noe's starting to fall behind...
But when they stopped, she kept going! Natalie - dead from exhaustion.
aww, I love this picture. Robbie spending time with Anahi (Yasi's baby sister, who Yasi and Lance take care of every day) Anahi bossed that big kid around all day... Here are pictures from our own Christmas at Uncle Dave's house. It was evening, so the lighting in them is horrible.
It was a usual family event... Everyone was there:
My Dad, Auntie Laurie
Geo, Noelle
Degan
Jacob and Adrianne
Lance and Yasi....
Natalie, Allan
Robbie, Dad, Mom
Me and Scott (not flattering, I know, but I think it was the only shot with both of us in the frame)
Uncle Marshall, and of course, Aubrey. (i LOVE this picture!)I don't know how we had any fun without her chubby, bubbly presence, and each time we get together, she is even more fun...
Uncle Dave is ALWAYS Santa Clause...
...Except... after surveying him with a critical eye, Aubrey decided that someone else was much more suited for the job. To no one's surprise, she wanted Scott to wear the hat.
True, in this case he might've just LOOKED more like Santa to her than Grandpa did, but we all know the real truth. She likes him best. Try as we might to win her affection, NO ONE rivals "Unca Scott." No one.
His reign as Santa was short-lived, however. She decided it looked much better on Grandpa after all.
Santa's job is to pass out presents, but he also got coersed into passing out cookies to small elves that have him wrapped around their pinky.
The food was awesome, and everyone eats WAY too much...
She wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She ended up opening it with me after I showed her how, then left it alone. 
Mom is sporting her new red sweater.... also... fuzzy slippers that she couldn't help bringing.
Everyone got nice presents, but the ones that were - hands down- the highlight of Christmas, were the ones Uncle Marshall brought. He showed me up in totally hand-making all of his, as I failed to do (I tried! I give in - next year, I'm going commercial!) he even "went green" with his wrapping paper, utilizing newspaper and decorating with fresh flowers...
The one he made for Auntie Laurie was in a mysterious box that she needed help opening. Aubrey thought it looked promising, and had to "help" too...
She was Really disappointed when she found out that it was 'just' a beautiful wooden knick-knack shelf... she looked back and forth at the box several times.
Here I am holding what Marshall made for mom - a black coral vase. It was so pretty.
After presents and food, we just sat back and played with Aubrey. She only wanted to play with one person that night though... Unca Scott!
She was SO wound up - she had already been to 2 other Christmasses before she joined us. She shrieked and giggled, and went after him over and over and over....
He didn't seem to mind all the attention from her...
This is the man I want kids with.
Here are some pictures from our Christmas play I put on at church this year, it was a blast!
Here they are dying sheets to make costumes...
Poor Nata is always the grunt, even if she's "in charge"... here they are transporting stuff to the stage.
Adorable wise men gave them a new perspective: one where they should be focusing on what they are giving to Jesus, as they did. As Joshua (the one on the left) said "You should give Him your heart, and your life - He deserves it!"
These Shepherdess Sisters gave the perspective that we should be excited to tell about what Jesus has done with our life...
And Beautiful Mary showed them that even young people can be used by God to do amazing things if they will submit to Him.
This is the only shot I got of the actual play as it was going on, I was too nervous for them to keep taking pictures. My friend Allan got a lot, but I haven't seen those yet.
Natalie was in charge of sets, and she and her "crew" of Jenina and Noelle had fun putting it all together:
Here they are dying sheets to make costumes...
Poor Nata is always the grunt, even if she's "in charge"... here they are transporting stuff to the stage. Our play was called "Christmas perspective" - it started out with three kids who had a wrong, if normal, idea about Christmas (and all the things they should get from it)
Adorable wise men gave them a new perspective: one where they should be focusing on what they are giving to Jesus, as they did. As Joshua (the one on the left) said "You should give Him your heart, and your life - He deserves it!"These Shepherdess Sisters gave the perspective that we should be excited to tell about what Jesus has done with our life...
This is the only shot I got of the actual play as it was going on, I was too nervous for them to keep taking pictures. My friend Allan got a lot, but I haven't seen those yet.
I have never been this scared and unsure in my life. I have decided to start a diary for the new year and so thought to my self...... hey self, i replied 'what', you should start a digital diary. I said WOW , what a fresh idea (those who know me well understand that my written script can only be interpreted and not read). I should have kept these thoughts to myself, but alas, I did not. (I would have been happy in my ignorance) Ebby gently and methodically assured me that my idea wasn't new and what i was imagining was something named Blogger. Surely she didn't mean me to share the inner sanctums of my head with others around the world... did she? (inner sanctum includes atrocious spelling and grammar mistakes that would leave an English prof. tied up for weeks) So here i am sharing... it is a new feeling and i will have to try it for some time before emphatically condemning it.
Things i did with my wife on Saturday:
Made breakfast together - Mozzarella and shrimp quiche
Devotions in exodus 20
Movie - 4th Indiana Jones......Aliens?
Dinner - Homemade pizza and baked apples with brown sugar and craisens for dessert
WARNING WARNING WARNING
You are now entering the small, serious portion of my brain. You may still turn around. You still have a chance to leave.
What? You're still here?
OK, If you call yourself a Christian, it is important to stand on the building blocks that make the strong and firm foundation that we have so endearingly come to know and understand. We know that it is important to read our Bibles and pray. We say this, but why is it important? We and others say that God will protect and provide for the believe. Why will He? Are you sure He will? What i am doing is cutting through cliches' and drawing all to make the truth known at a personal level so it becomes endearing and powerful. I know that my Lord and Savior will provide for my needs, but do you know this? Here is my challenge for you.
Game: Destroying curt christian expression's and meaningless christian cliches' meant to make one seem spiritual (I know i have to work on my game titles)
Books, references, Bibles, programs, and friends need to be closed at this point.
When one is asked how will you get to heaven. Often the question is answered, Doing good things or, sometimes you'll even get a following the Ten Commandments. The Non-Christian even knows about these commandment and has a certain respect to follow them, but you, Christian person, do you know them....
Blog the ten commandments to me without looking them up. I will share how i did later..
-Scott Matovich P.S. I did misspell grammar , but thank God for spell check.
Things i did with my wife on Saturday:
Made breakfast together - Mozzarella and shrimp quiche
Devotions in exodus 20
Movie - 4th Indiana Jones......Aliens?
Dinner - Homemade pizza and baked apples with brown sugar and craisens for dessert
WARNING WARNING WARNING
You are now entering the small, serious portion of my brain. You may still turn around. You still have a chance to leave.
What? You're still here?
OK, If you call yourself a Christian, it is important to stand on the building blocks that make the strong and firm foundation that we have so endearingly come to know and understand. We know that it is important to read our Bibles and pray. We say this, but why is it important? We and others say that God will protect and provide for the believe. Why will He? Are you sure He will? What i am doing is cutting through cliches' and drawing all to make the truth known at a personal level so it becomes endearing and powerful. I know that my Lord and Savior will provide for my needs, but do you know this? Here is my challenge for you.
Game: Destroying curt christian expression's and meaningless christian cliches' meant to make one seem spiritual (I know i have to work on my game titles)
Books, references, Bibles, programs, and friends need to be closed at this point.
When one is asked how will you get to heaven. Often the question is answered, Doing good things or, sometimes you'll even get a following the Ten Commandments. The Non-Christian even knows about these commandment and has a certain respect to follow them, but you, Christian person, do you know them....
Blog the ten commandments to me without looking them up. I will share how i did later..
-Scott Matovich P.S. I did misspell grammar , but thank God for spell check.
Noe plays violin for the Maui Youth Phillharmonic Orchestra, and this year she had 2 winter concerts - the first at the Ka'ahumanu Mall:
And this second set was taken by our photographer friend Allan at the usual concert hall:
Yasi, Lance, Robbie, Mom, Dad, Me, Scott
Yasi, Lance, Robbie, Mom, Dad, Me, Scott
