Settlers of Catan Tournament

Susan and Jason (Phil's sister and brother in law) held a settlers of Catan tournament Saturday night.  I was a bit nervous about how it would go for me.  Miles has been super clingy and mostly freaks out when I walk out of the room and he crawls while crying after me.  I figured that I would have to jostle him the whole night until he cried himself to sleep amidst my apologies.  However, Grandma decided she was up to the task of trying to care for him (alongside our other three and two of our nephews, she's amazing!) with the promise that if he got too bad she'd call and put the screaming babe on and I'd come running.

I also wasn't sure if I'd even enjoy myself.  Catan is a strategy game of which I'm not a fan.  As a personal rule of thumb I don't tend to play strategy games because I am not gifted in the long haul.  I play Catan to interact with Phil and his family, because I love him and his family that much.  It helps that I'm not absolutely horrible as there is a margin of luck involved by how the die falls.

 I was apprehensive about going because the guest list was rather long.   As the days go by (yes I said days and not months or years), I struggle more and more with social awkwardness border-lining on anxiety.  Phil knows as much, and I asked him to stay close to help ease my nerves.  We got there early so Phil could finish helping Jason make the trophy.  Phil's handyman skills never cease to amaze me, he is gifted at almost everything he tries his hand at.

The teaching round for those who had never played before was at that same time so Phil encouraged me to join in and we'd be partners.  That lasted all of about 2 minutes and when the guests started arriving he went to help host and socialize as Susan and Jason were doing the teaching.

Once the tournament got underway I was better.  I placed second at my table of four for the first round and fourth out of four for the last round.  It was better than I had anticipated.  Shockingly my total score was high enough to put me in a three way tie for the last chair of the final round.  I bowed out as it was well past ten and I knew Miles would be waking soon.  Plus I'm well known for not being a night owl so it was just as well.  It was a lot of fun in the end and the Catan cake that I helped Phil make was laughed at and loved by all.

The Catan Cake!  (Little Debbies Frosted in appropriate colors)

The teaching round

2nd round we found humorous as it was Susan, Jason, Phil and myself

Guests at table two

Guests at table three

Final Round

Final round- substitution as one player had to get on the road due to weather

The Winner--Jason--the host who got the most!
Also the rockin trophy that Phil helped create

All pictures curtesy of Phil and his new 'fish eye' lens.