Happy Birthday To My Bride.

Today is Steph's birthday and we celebrated by working at the Huron Bridal Show yesterday and this morning Maxim, Brecken and I gave her the card she bought for herself while we were getting groceries as a family...Kolby picked it out.
Steph is the glue that hold the family unit together...her scheduling abilities alone should be studied by the airline industries.  She is the day to day reason LakeHaus still functions and at the same time keeps every one's socks and underwear drawer folded and full.  She is sweet and loving, the best mom, wife, business partner and boat driver a guy could ask for.  I got the total package when I married her.

Speaking of our time together, isn't it funny even after 13 or so year of marriage you still learn new things about your spouse?  I have always known that she has a bit of a competitive side, but I didn't know how she treated our children's sporting events. 

During our children's hockey games I coach, so I am on the bench.  Therefore I get to not hear what the parents yell.  I have no idea if Steph yells or what happens.  Every once in a while we just find each other's eyes across the ice and laugh about something or give that "shoot that was close" gesture.

That is hockey...now with wrestling, I know what happens in the stands, because Steph tapes the matches for Grandma Clarice to breakdown from Ohio.  The first time we watched one of Brecken's wrestling matches at home we kind of giggled about it.  Now it is just a good family joke!

You see 99% of the time there is a Stephanie that is gentle and loving and caring, then there is Wrestling Mom Stephanie.  I don't know what happens when she gets into the gym for wrestling matches but she becomes, well, a little bit of a "WooooHoooo Girl!"

You know the girl that yells "WooooHooo" really loud when "Free Bird" comes on the radio or when anything fun happens ...pair that up with Steph's competitive side and you get a voice on the camera that sounds like a mom possessed. (I attached a video for you to listen to her coaching) Do not mess around with "Wrestling Mom" Stephanie.  She says things like, "Take him down, Brecken!"  "Smash his face in the mat!" "Maxim cheer for your brother!" "Fight, Brecken, Fight!" "Rip his ears off, and throw them to the dogs!"
OK the last one was made up, but that's our joke around the house now.  We say super nice things in a really mean voice, and then yell "WHOOOO HOOOO!"  Well, in my best crazy wrestling mom voice, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHANIE.....WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!"

(Note: if you watch this video at 4:03 watch the kid on that Brecken is pinning...his leg band comes off and the joy he finds in watching it wave on his leg is priceless.)

Go Away Daddy.

I knew the whole "too cool for dad" thing would happed sooner or later with my kids, but I expected it to be Maxim trying to ditch me for buddies in about 5 years...it seems that now Kolby is too cool for dad.

The other day she had a play day with Grandma Penny and I kind of crashed it mid-day.  They were playing a game on the floor and Kolby looked up at me and said, "Daddy, go away!  Just leave."

I said, "Where do you want me to go?"

"You get in your car and drive away!" she replied.

So I did, and then did again on Tuesday night to drive to Sioux Falls for work, and before I left she said, "you are getting in your car and driving away?"  I said "yes", and she got excited and said, "well, goodbye then give me a kiss."

My only saving grace after that much "push back" was that she was happy to see me when I got home the next day.

I guess I must be getting in my car and driving away too much?????  She thinks thats what daddy does.

I think Saturday there is gonna be a lot of daddy and Koko time.

Finally He Got The Snow He Asked For For Christmas.

Brecken's First Ever Wrestling Tourney

Brecken had his first ever wrestling tournament this weekend in Huron. He was a little inexperienced on what a real match would be like and I think it cost him his 2nd match. He was too used to practice where they break after each take down and back points...he could have smushed this kid.

He pinned this other guy in the bottom video and ended up 3rd with a cool trophy and he is excited to go to the next tournament.

Steph was in Heaven, but very uptight the whole time. Grandma Penny didn't like it when the other boy pushed Brecken's face into the mat. We explained that it was normal protocol for a wrestling match, but I still don't think she liked her little Brecken getting worked over!

Religion Not Your Thing? Mine Either.

This pretty much sums up my feelings on religion and also my life in Christ.

Happy Birthday LakeHaus Productions

Happy New Year.

Sub Zero

This is photography/video done by a farmer in SD...amazing stuff.

Luke2

1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Kolby @ The Capitol

Kolby and I had a great time at the State Capitol Building in Pierre on Friday.  We got to see the Christmas trees and chase the geese around.  We sang along to Relient K's Christmas album all the way to Pierre and she slept most of the way back.  I was going to take her out for one of Pierre's finest plates of Mac and Cheese, but she wanted Chicken Nuggets so I went with her on that.

Last night when I tucked her in she said, "Daddy, I love you...sing '5 Golden Rings' to me."  She MELTED me again.

Little girls own their daddys.

(By the way Grandmas, if you want to purchase the below photo of Kolby on the Capitol steps for hanging in your house it would be beautiful in a 10x30 Studio Mount...this and any other photos from Daddy/Daughter Day are available for purchase through your friendly representatives at LakeHaus Productions!  YES, you get the grandma discount!)

Out of the Comfort Zone.

I think it is good for kids and parents to get out of their comfort zone...like Maxim who usually would be happy to play Legos and Star Wars in the quiet of his room, but 3 or 4 times a week he straps on his hockey "armor" and works up a sweat with his teammates on the ice.  Steph has been pushing her comfort zone as well, she usually just verbally helps with the creative process at LakeHaus Productions and I would do the designing.  This Christmas season every card that is going out of the door is a Stephanie Glanzer original.  She designed all of them except one and that was a redesign of a card I built a few years ago.  Kolby's comfort zone is pushed by actually making her play with toys most girls play with and getting her out of pajamas by 11:30 a.m. every day.

Brecken is pretty much an All-Around...he is comfortable in a lot of situations and is able to adapt to what is going on and fits in almost instantly.  He has also been a bit on the naughty side lately...Maxim would say that Brecken is falling into the "ways of the Dark Side." (think Darth Vader voice there)  So with all that has been going on we decided to give Brecken a little one on one attention at least once a week...believe me he gets it way more than that, but this will be special...so from tonight on Brecken and I will go to wrestling practice on Tuesday nights, and every once in a while we will catch a Thursday night practice as well.

I will tell you that I only know wrestling from what I learned while covering it while I was a TV anchor.  I do remember the first ever wrestling match I went to I had no idea what was going on, how to score it or why there weren't any "turnbuckles" or "ropes" around the wrestling mats. 

So Brecken and I will be trying out a new venture together...way our of our comfort zones.  He is scared, he will be nervous and he will probably cling to my leg for 2 or 3 weeks, but I think it will fit him just right....I won't let him know, but I'll probably have a few of the same feelings he does the first few weeks.

Great Christmas Video

We Are The World....

Music is one thing that I probably don't go a day without. 

My iPod is on at least half the day at work, in the car, and when I edit for LakeHaus I tune into my favorite online radio station www.effectradio.com.  I even have this app for my iPod that is a drum machine, so sometimes in the car I let the boys make up beats and then we freestyle rap over the beats while driving down the road...we did it one day for over an hour...good times.  Maxim is pretty good.

I listen to every type of music, from Chris LeDoux to MXPX to JayZ and yes, Dad I even have some Roger Miller on my playlists.  Most of the stuff I listen to are bands nobody will probably ever hear of because independent labels don't spend money in the Midwest to get their music on the local radio you get in your car. 

I crave good music, not the kind you hear on most radio stations, but there are some exceptions...Kid Rock is one of those artists that continues to blow away the last album he did every time he puts out a new one...I attached his latest video for the song "Care".  It reminds me of less universal but better and current version of "We Are The World"...not to mention T.I. raps a few lines in this one.  Check it out.

On Frozen Pond.

The lake froze last night...I think there are some open spots around some edges and in the middle where about 30,000 geese sleep every night, but it is cold enough to put "skim ice" on the top.

That means winter is coming soon...like in the next couple days.  The water was very calm when it froze so if it stays frozen it should be good skating ice.  So here is what I am praying for...a cold but un-snowy 30 to 40 days...I would love to start a fire in the fire pit, turn the heat on in the boat house make a 5 gallon pot of hot cocoa and have a skating party around Christmas time.

Kind of gets me in the mood for the holidays.

Go Nebraska.

I'm not a Nebraska football fan, never have been...I have a couple of Cornhusker t-shirts and hats, but it is all been gifted to me by people who bleed red, I bleed blue and yellow, but not this weekend.

You see I have never liked Penn State, and I always thought the way the school made its self so pious was annoying, and on top of that they used to win all the time.  I like the underdog story.  Always liked the Edmonton Oilers, even before Gretzky and after he left, I followed the North Stars, the Cubs, the Seattle Supersonics.  I never liked the mainstream athletes that people loved like Micheal Jordan.  I loved to see Jordan lose, and still really don't care for him.

So you ask what does this have to do with Nebraska Football?  Well, the Huskers play Penn State this weekend, and I would love nothing more than for the Cornhuskers to "pile on" to the shattering of the pride that the university has.  If you are still confused go to ESPN.com and read about the child sexual abuse case that is unfolding inside their athletic department and inside their own locker room.

Former coach Jerry Sandusky abused young boys who were a part of his charity program at Penn State, employees and fellow coaches actually witnessed "inappropriate acts" going on in the shower area of the locker room and reported to the higher ups, which never seemed to go to the police with the info, they handled it "internally" which means they failed these young men and every person who ever attended Penn State or gave to Penn State or wore a Penn State logo.

When did our society become so messed up that a college football program's success or failure and public image was more important than the well being of another human...especially a child.

With that said...for the weekend I say, "GO BIG RED".

AND CONGRATS TO THE JVC Vikings volleyball team, good luck at the state tournament.

Catching You Up On Photos.

I had a random person from the community ask why I haven't posted any client pictures to my blog lately.  I was suprised that this person knew LakeHaus Productions existed and I was even more suprised he knew I had a blog and cared to see our work....so here it is a little catch up on what we have been up to.

I am a "Bone Collector"

I'm not a deer hunter...I have watched it on TV, but I don't hunt deer.
I would like to at some point in my life try to shoot a deer with a bow and maybe even get one with a rifle...but my dad never took me deer hunting so I really don't feel like I am missing anything when everyone goes out in November and freezes to death looking for a big buck.

Maybe that is why I don't understand when a guy has a pick-up with stickers all over the back window that say, "Bone Collector", Easton Hunting, Hoyt Bows, Rack Attack...etc.  I understand you like to hunt deer, but really...deer hunting, the way it is done around here, only takes one morning and for the most part the "hunters" don't leave the truck.

Well, last night I got my very first deer.  I AM A "BONE COLLECTOR"...it was a fat doe, and the bad news is...I hit it with Steph's Expedition, and the boat.  She asked how the boat was first!  I love her!

My cousin Eric and I winterized our boats at his shop most the the afternoon on Sunday and I was headed home with the boat in tow ready for the winter.  Then out of the ditch came one of the dumbest animals next to sheep.  A doe, in a full sprint.

God gave deer an incredible sense of smell, great hearing and pretty good eyesight, but I think he must have sub-contracted the work on their fight or flight senses.  Because their flight senses tend to run them into things that kill them.

The doe hit the front of the truck, whipped around and tagged the door for good luck, then on the way by the boat she left a couple of hoof prints in my Moomba logo and some fur on my trailer.

So, for the record, I saved about $300 by winterizing my boat myself, but it will cost me a $500 deductible to fix my wife's truck.

No School Gets Boys Out Of Bed Earlier.

So Thursday was a no school day at our house and that means I can get up about 15 minutes later than I usually do, and Steph gets to not wake up with an alarm clock.

Out boys HATE getting out of bed for school, so one would think that if you hated getting up every morning for school on the day you don't have school you would sleep in and make the most of "sleepy time".

Around 6:30 a.m. I heard Maxim's "quiet" feet slamming through the house, and then Brecken's feet slowly followed...but Brecken was smart and he jumped into bed with me to watch a little TV.  Then around 7:15 a.m. Grandpa Roger knocked on the door to pick up Brecken to go to the farm for the day.

Brecken sprung out of bed like it was on fire...."Grandpa, I only got on a shirt and underpants!  I gotta get my jeans and boots on....just wait!!!!"  And like that....he was gone, only to slow down at the door to get his bag of snacks and books for a long day in a combine.

I am starting to think the time I spent on Wednesday night resetting my alarm from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. was a waste of time...next time I'll just hit snooze for 30 minutes, which is what I pretty much do anyway.

Brothers Praying For Each Other.

When our boys say their prayers, sometimes there is a bit of parent directive in the prayers...like, "Dear Jesus, please help me to get that big Star Wars Lego Space Ship that I want for my birthday."

That kind of thing is understandable, but the other day when they were saying their prayers they were a bit....vindictive.  Both boys prayed short and sweetly. 

Maxim said, "Dear Jesus, please help Brecken not to be naughty and to not be mean to me or bother me."

Brecken prayed, "Dear Jesus, please help Maxim not to be bossy and not to be mean and naughty."

Steph and I got a good laugh out of their prayers for each other so Monday after school I asked Maxim if God answered his prayers...he said, "God answered Brecken's prayers, I was really good, but God didn't answer my prayers...Brecken hit another boy today at school on the playground, AND I SAW IT!"

I think we may put an "only pray for your own behavior" caveat into night time prayers.

Ba-da-be Bop-a BLOG.