Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

It’s a SETTLERS OF CATAN giveaway!

December 8, 2009 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I associate board games with people. Othello reminds me of my former neighbor and longtime best friend. Cribbage is a game my other best friend and I used to play often. Euchre reminds me of college friends. My childhood friend and I used to leave games of Monopoly set up for days so we could actually finish them. My mom and I are usually competitive in Scrabble. Apples to Apples makes me think of hilarious moments with both friends and family. We know which friends like to play which card games. The Game of Things is the Game Night choice among my friends right now.

But my real board game obsession is Settlers of Catan.

Stay with me and you can win your own copy of my favorite game, courtesy Toys and Games Online, which has a great selection of online toys and games. [For the record, this is my first blog giveaway, and I’m really excited about it!]

It’s been three years since my aunt — who always knows the best games! — taught my husband and me to play, as if learning how to trade sheep for brick, convert settlements to cities and build the longest road through Catan was the best Christmas present ever. I bought the game for Greg for Valentine’s Day 2007 (Nothing says “I love you” like a new competition, right?) and we haven’t stopped playing since. Almost literally.

We play with another couple at least a couple times a month. (Although for awhile we were playing weekly …) We even have an on-going scoreboard to tally victories. I’m always white (See, I have the longest road in the picture above. That’s worth 2 points toward the 10-point goal.) when we play and we sit in the same order around the table, regardless of whose house is hosting. And, in case you’re wondering, I’m four tally marks behind Greg and Bryan. I’ve recently been making a run to catch the guys. Jaclyn is a few behind me, but given the fact we play at least two games every time we have a Settlers night, she can catch up in no time.

We like the expansions likes Seafarers as well as Cities and Knights, but when we play those we may only have time to play one. To feed our obsession, we usually play the original Settlers of Catan because the four of us have established such a rhythm.

If you’ve never played, the best explanation I can give to this German-made game that has won all sorts of awards is think about mixing Monopoly with Risk. But, really, that description doesn’t do Klaus Teuber’s invention justice. It’s a strategy game with lots of rules. But once you learn all the rules, you won’t be sorry. One of the reasons playing never gets old is the way the board changes each time it is set up. The strategy I used last time I played might not work to my advantage next time, depending on where the resources are and what numbers are associated with them.

In honor of the approaching three-year anniversary of the start to my obsession, you can win your own copy, courtesy Toys and Games Online, which offers a variety of online toys for all ages at reasonable prices.

All you have to do is post a comment about what your favorite game is and a memory you associate with that game. (Be sure to include an e-mail address so I can contact you, should you be the lucky winner!)

All of the comments will be placed in a bowl and one winner will be randomly chosen, probably by my 2 1/2-year-old daughter, who has witnessed many Settlers marathons but isn’t quite old enough to bargain her way with sheep and wheat to successfully settling Catan.

You have until 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 to enter this giveaway.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: family, friends, games, giveaway, Greg

Comments

  1. Andy & Courtney says

    December 8, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    I think my favorite game is Clue…although I haven't played it in forever! I just have memories of my brother, step-sister and step-brother and parents playing it together when we were young…it was so fun to pick our characters and look for the clues. 🙂 (BTW, I still want to try to play Settlers of Catan sometime!!)

    Reply
  2. LeeAnn says

    December 8, 2009 at 11:54 pm

    It is almost impossible to pick just one favorite game! I think one of my favorite board game memories involve my late cousin Neil. He loved board games. However, sometimes he had an unfair advantage, the truth was found out that he studied the Trivial Pursuit cards! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Devan says

    December 9, 2009 at 1:46 am

    I was a total tomboy growing up, so I had a secret love for the game "Pretty, Pretty Princess." I don't know if anyone even remembers that game, but you competed to collect all of the pieces of jewelry in your princess color from the box in the center, with the final, winning piece being a "bejeweled" crown. I used to play it with whoever would join me, and if I had no one to play with (since I was an only child), I would just play with all the jewelry.

    Hmm… I wonder if they still make that game…

    Reply
  4. Peggy says

    December 9, 2009 at 1:57 am

    The game I remember most playing with our family was "The farming Game". It is a combination of Settlers and Monopoly. You win, inherit or buy land and then put livestock or crops or orchards on it. Depending on what you roll and where you land you could reap a big harvest or be wiped out. The label on the box reads "The game invented on the seat of a tractor". Years later on a trip out through Washington state with the boys we came upon a lush valley with row after row of produce and low and behold there was "Toppinsh Ridge", "Rattlesnake Ridge" "Wapato Willies" and the Yakima River running close by. We had found the actual valley that inspired the game. We stopped to buy produce of course and Greg, Charles and John climbed one of those ridges over and over again. Board games and family trips are some of the sweetest memories. I'm glad to see the next generation enjoying it too.

    Reply
  5. Peggy says

    December 9, 2009 at 2:03 am

    Footnote to my last comment – Follow the link and you will find the map to all the places on the gameboard.
    http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?wip=2&v=2&style=r&rtp=~&cp=46.29278~-1

    Reply
  6. Teaque says

    December 9, 2009 at 2:05 am

    Now you KNOW I want this game! Choose me Cate – Choose me! LOL! My favorite game with a special memory attached is Enchanted Forest. I remember playing as a kid with my parents. We had so much fun even though I used to sneak peaks under the trees when no- one was looking. We have now taught Cade how to play (minus the cheating of course).

    Reply
  7. Tabitha says

    December 9, 2009 at 3:00 am

    Settlers of Catan sounds like a fun game – especially since you mention it so much! My favorite game is Risk, because we learned to play it soon after we were married from some close friends that we don't see anymore. It was so much fun to compete for countries. I really wish we had some game playing friends close by now to play it again. Now that the kids are getting bigger we play a lot of Phase Ten because they like to play that with me. There have been many fun family game nights with many games though:)

    Reply
  8. Ann Dempsey says

    December 9, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    I've been dying to try Settlers of Catan. I have a few friends that are huge fans…so I would love to get a copy of the game. Along the same lines, my favorite game is Carcassone. Ryan & I have had many weekends in the winter where we play game after game and listen to podcasts of This American Life or Radiolab.
    Ann Dempsey

    Reply
  9. Bill says

    December 9, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    While Cribbage is not my favorite game in the world, the one I have been playing with my father is. He taught me to play when I was 12 years old and we have been playing on the same board since then. I am now 46 years old and everytime I go home to visit, we play at least three games. We have been keeping track of the wins and losses since we started (blue or black mark for a win, red mark for a skunk, green mark for a double skunk). The pges are almost broken and the board is a bit battered, but every time I see that board, it makes me smile.

    Reply
  10. A Glimpse Inside My Mind says

    December 9, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Settlers is my favorite game right now. When we started playing 3 years ago I don't think we knew how much we'd love it. I love how we've had to adjust the way we play and the time it takes as our families have grown.

    Reply
  11. Kristin says

    December 9, 2009 at 8:36 pm

    DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, although, so far, I know how to contact everyone except Bill.

    Thanks for sharing your memories!

    And, Ann, we like Carcassone too. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Laura Brown says

    December 9, 2009 at 10:05 pm

    It's Winter–game season!!! Nearly any game is fun for David & me to play. Recently, we have been playing a lot of Farkle, a dice game introduced by my favorite sister-in-law by way of Aunt Jane. 🙂 We even carry dice with us–just in case we stop by a Starbucks for coffee & a quick game. In the past though, David & I have enjoyed Scrabble, Rummy & Golf (another card game.) We were introduced to Golf on a weekend getaway in Brown County,IN. Another family at the bed & breakfast we were staying at showed us how to play & we were hooked. For our marriage, Monopoly is never a good idea. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Emily says

    December 11, 2009 at 8:47 pm

    Canasta is our favorite game(as if you didn't know)… No it's not a board game but it is definitely a game of strategy!! This game has been passed down four Generations in our family and even includes two old reliable rule books… As far as board games go though… I'm always a sucker for scrabble!!

    KandECunningham@hotmail.com

    Reply
  14. Mary says

    December 11, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    I am such a game lover but if I can only pick one game as my favorite then I will gave to say Cranium. I love Cranium because my parents are hilarious when they play it and it makes us laugh so hard that we cry!

    Mary Jost
    maryhill07@gmail.com

    Reply
  15. Christi says

    December 11, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    My favorite game for nostalgic reasons would be Sorry. My father and I used to play it when I was little while watching sports. We created our own version, and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever because I could actually win (which my Dad would make a big deal about). I have now even tried to revive it by playing it with Brad. He is very wonderful and actually humors me by playing (although I'm a little sad to say, I still get really excited when I win). 🙂

    christimjennings@yahoo.com

    Reply
  16. Christine Taylor says

    December 12, 2009 at 12:11 am

    Well, I'm hoping that Cate will pick me too! We already have our own Settlers game but we recently introduced a friend here to the game and I'm hoping to win it for her and her family! Anyways, we played Uno and Checkers when I was a kid. Sometimes we would get games for gifts. My sister got Hungry Hungry Hippos and Pizza Party. I just remember the HHH being SO loud! 🙂 John and I started playing Canasta when we started dating. It's kind of "our" game together. I originally bought it because John was so into games and I wanted a game that was new to both of us. It was a success!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • From snow to sand
  • Books of 2022
  • How to enjoy winter days at home
  • How to cook new recipes
  • How to have fun as a family

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

I’ve worn a favorite sweatshirt that says “Let I’ve worn a favorite sweatshirt that says “Let heaven and nature sing” twice this week. I may not be singing Christmas carols anymore, but I still felt the depths of winter this week. The sweatshirt seemed right. 

The sun didn’t shine much this week, although seeing on Friday as we wrap up the work and school week was welcomed. It’s mostly been cold and gray. It’s felt like winter. 

A lingering tension needs resolution and understanding, but honestly the gap between seems so vast. I crave slow time at home and meals around our table. I miss some friends and was reminded of the heartache that can come with community, but I also felt the deep appreciation of friendship and remembered the beauty of sharing this life with others. I was excited for an invitation and easily accepted it. I started a new habit (hopefully) walking with a friend. 

While driving through my days, I remember how uncertainty is what makes me look up. I remember my Creator when I am slapped in the face with the reality I’m not actually in control. I remember (again) to surrender. 

Goodness happens in the gray of winter. Life may look and feel different, but new life is always preparing to break through the cracks of the ground. The gloom that tempts us to look down doesn’t last long when we believe the sun will break through the icy trees and the fog will lift. 

This is hope. Even in winter. Thank God for it all. Let’s let heaven and nature sing. 

#countryliving #latergram #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #reallife #weekending
I heard mixed reactions about this book from two d I heard mixed reactions about this book from two different friends, but I enjoyed it! 

I liked the backward timeline, although I was uncertain about how it would work until the end. Some of the twists and connections were so good! 

I also liked the bigger ideas Gillian McAllister tackles: We miss things when we are living our life at our normal pace. What if we could go back? What would be notice that would change our reality? And, of course, perhaps, there would be unintended consequences. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It did get a little slow in the middle, but the end and beginning are quite good! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #kindlebooks #kindleoasis #readersofinstagram
This about sums up motherhood: My teenage girl in This about sums up motherhood: My teenage girl in the middle rebounding and playing hard and little sister photobombing the moment! 

Honestly, parenting has been hard lately. Nothing major. But so constant and always adjusting. 

Even so, I love watching them on the court and in life. There is so much excitement and goodness among the repetition and exhaustion. 

This is real life. And those are our 10-0 Lady Lions out there. 🦁💛

@ncca.lions #momlife #reallife #basketballseason #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #girlmom #firstborn #thirdchild
I finished studying Colossians today with my Prece I finished studying Colossians today with my Precept group. Paul wrote this letter to an established church that was still growing and learning and maturing in the faith — like us all.  I really loved this study because it spoke right into my life with encouragement for knowing Christ, walking in wisdom and truth, praying continually, letting peace rule, and giving grace. Plus Paul deeply loved his people. 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” — Colossians 2:6-7

Too often I step out of God’s presence for two minutes while are loading up the van in the morning or I’m rushing kids to bed. Too often I don’t surrender my fleshy desires and feelings to the One who holds this whole wide world in His hands. Too often I think my plans are worth holding onto tightly. Too often I think I can bring peace to my household, minivan, or dinner table. 

But real peace passes all my understanding. It rests in God’s wisdom and knowledge alone. How amazing we have access to that, thanks to Jesus. How easily I forget where I’m rooted. 

I want to let peace rule — in my home, in my head, and in my heart. 

Today while I was driving, I noticed how lovely the road, land, and sky looked. But today was really windy, like feel-it-move-my-vehicle and knock-over-trash-cans windy. It almost felt deceptive with the beauty before me, but, really, that’s like life. 

Sometimes it seems I have it together. People know my gifts of organizing information and people. I show up on time and am responsible. But so many thoughts and feelings are swirling in my mind. I replay conversations and fight against the same insecurities from the previous day. 

I feel both lovely and like my swirling mind could knock me over at any moment. And that’s why I needed God, particularly through His words through Paul to the Colossians. 

#livingfaithfully #faithlife #churchlife #reallife #countryliving
This girl has been complaining of a sore throat th This girl has been complaining of a sore throat the last couple of days, but she hasn’t had a fever or any other symptoms so I kept telling her she was fine. Truth be told, she a bit of a hypochondriac and generally happy, so it’s hard to tell if she sick sometimes. 

The folks at Aligned Health took care of her this afternoon and are treating her for strep or whatever bacteria is making her throat look and feel rough. 

I’m thankful for access to medical care and an unexpected night at home.

#momlife #thirdchild #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #sickday
I really loved this book! “Life is the stuff th I really loved this book!

“Life is the stuff that happens in the cracks between your plans and expectations.” — from “One Night on the Island” by @josiesilverauthor 

The writing is excellent, the setting works well, and the story unfolds in some predictable but sweet ways. I also think it was the right book at the right time for me. 

#KHTreads #romcom #romcombooks #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #readersofinstagram
What a fun night at the Racers’ game! Welcome to What a fun night at the Racers’ game! Welcome to the rafters, @campayne! 💛 

#racernation #basketballseason #momlife #boymom #girlmom #weekending #choosingJOY #MurrayState
We are four years into basketball at New Covenant We are four years into basketball at New Covenant Christian Academy and I’m not sure when games and wins and teamwork are going to stop making me emotional. I’m just so proud of these girls. They’re building something together — yes, it’s a basketball program, but it’s the bigger picture of a school and a community. 

These girls are going first — in the classroom and on the court — so other kids can come behind them and build on what they’re building. In 2012, when I enrolled my oldest child at a school that was just a couple of years old, I had no idea these were the blessings we’d get to experience. 

And having these Lady Lions sitting at 8-0 is just icing on the cake. 

#momlife #basketballseason #girlmom #firstborn #livingfaithfully #classicalschool #privateschool #choosingJOY #teamwork @ncca.lions
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The first book of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

The first book of the year for me gets all the stars! “Everything Sad is Untrue” by Daniel Nayeri is beautiful and heartbreaking. But it’s a story meant to be heard. (I’m sure it’s lovely to read, but good audiobook for this one!)

My story is so different than Daniel’s, but this is what I took away: Stories are counting memories in the parlor of our minds. I’m thankful he counted his memoirs aloud for me. 

#KHTreads #audiobook #booklover #bookstagram #Audible #memoirs #bookreview
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM