Christmas Greetings to Family and Friends

Seasons Greetings from Minnesota! As I begin to write this years letter the mercury has already dropped to zero. It really helps you to appreciate sitting by the fireplace in a toasty warm house. For those of you that may not know, our family relocated from sunny Southern California to the heart of the great white north. We have experienced a wide spectrum of weather in our first four months here. August had temperatures in the 100’s. The fall leaves were at there glorious peak colors in late September. We had our first measurable snow fall on October 11th and our first zero temperature on December 7th. The kids are now hoping for their first ever white Christmas.

Our new home is in Excelsior, located about 1 mile south of Lake Minnetonka, one of the largest lakes in the state. Excelsior has a very nice small resort town type of feel. Downtown has quaint little shops and a beautiful lake front park and beach. Minnetonka cruise boats also dock there along with several lake side restaurants. To say we love the town would be an understatement! The house has a nice big yard that backs up against the soccer fields of Minnetonka West Middle School where Catie goes to school. After living an So Cal in houses that are short on storage, we really like the less cramped feel of our new place. And last but not least, we are 20 miles from my office in downtown Minneapolis, a 30 minute drive in traffic. 30 minutes!!! I spend less time commuting in a week that I would spend on a bad DAY in California. Wow, what a wonderful difference.

Being closer to home has been a real blessing. We traveled to Milwaukee for my cousin Aaron’s wedding in September. Also that month My sister Debra and her family came and spend a nice weekend with us here. The leaves were turning the temps were in the 70’s. Chris and Catie made a trip to Milwaukee in October during teacher convention weekend. And, we had a awesome Thanksgiving weekend with the majority of my family coming to town. Including my Uncles, Aunts and cousins from the Twin Cities, we had 35 people for Thanksgiving dinner. Highlights of the day were the 1st annual Uncles vs. Nephews touch football Turkey Bowl. A fun and hard fought game that saw experience prevail over youth. Also, the flexibility challenge call the Bag Game that involved picking up a paper grocery bag with your teeth with only your feet touching the floor. The evening closed out with a rousing game of Pictionary and dessert. Thanks to everyone that made the trip both near and far to join in making this one of the most special holidays we have ever experienced.

Catie is now 11 years old and in sixth grade. She attends Minnetonka West Middle School. She is fortunate that the school is literally right behind or house, so she has a 5 minute walk to school in the morning. She is making friends and is active in the knitting club. Catie is still maintaining her relationships with her best friends in California, cell phones and Internet chat help them to bring the miles. She also is enjoying the chances she has to spend more time with her Wisconsin cousins.

Alex is 15 and a Sophomore at Minnetonka High School. He is a huge NFL fan, so the first thing he convinced his dad to do upon arriving in MN was to get Vikings season tickets. We have had a lot of fun going to the games. The highlight was watching Brett Favre and the Packers beat the Vikings in a very exciting game. Alex’s beloved Jacksonville Jaguars are having a tough year, but if things go well they will still end up in the playoffs. Alex is making friends at his new school and adjusting to the new climate. Like his sister he is also staying close to his CA friends through Texting and Chat. He will be spending a week of his Christmas break visiting his second family, the Herbst’s, in Santa Clarita.

Nik is going to turn 18 this coming January. Can you believe our little Nik (well, big Nik now) is a senior in High School?! He has had his senior portrait taken and his getting ready for his final semester in High School. Nik reminded me that he will be able to vote in the next presidential election, something he is really looking forward to. Nik is not such a fan of the cold weather just yet, but he is looking forward to the snow. On the weekends, you will still find Nik lounging around the house in his t-shirt and shorts.

My lovely bride is absolutely loving being back in the Midwest. She loves being close to family again. She really missed the changing of the seasons in California, so that is bringing her lots of joy as well. As many of you know, several years ago Chris completed a degree in Culinary Arts. Well, now that we have settled into our new home she has started to apply her knowledge at a local chef owned catering company, that specializes in 4 star culinary cuisine. She really enjoys the work environment and loves her flexible part-time schedule. The owner is understanding to her back issues and allows her to work around them.

We are all looking forward to spending Christmas with our family in Wisconsin. We are hoping for a white Christmas which the kids have not yet experienced. From our family to yours we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.