Merry Christmas

Over the River and through the woods to Grandfathers house we go. We made the pilgrimage to Milwaukee to attend Christmas Eve service with Grandpa and Bonnie at their church. They both sang in the Choir. Following church, we spent the evening at their condo where we had a Delicious Ham dinner. Christmas Day was at my sister Julie's house. She had the day planned out like a true German, right down to the minute. One of the highlights for me was the Christmas Crawl, a one mile walk in the windy single digit temperatures. It was great to see all my brothers, sisters, nephew's and nieces. We had an opportunity to get a few group pictures. One of all my siblings and my Dad, as well as one with him and all the Grandchildren. I've posted some photos of the holiday on the family web site. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Grandpa and his Grandchildren

Dad and his Kids

Seasons Greetings 2008

Christmas greetings to all our family and friends. Our country has had a tough time in 2008. But it's important to remember that our country has seen tough economic times before. We as a people will always pull together and rise above these challenges. So, this year more than ever we need to pause during the craziness that the shopping season brings, and reflect on all that we have been blessed with. We live with freedom of speech, of choice and of action. I pray that we never take these for granted. We live with the knowledge that together we can accomplish more that as individuals apart. We live in a country free of religious persecution. In a country where all people are created equal. Where anything is possible. Yes, we have much to be thankful for.

For our family, 2008 has been a good year. The kids have all planted roots of strong friendship within their schools. We have had many opportunities to have family from Wisconsin visit us over long holiday weekends. We have also been able to travel back to Wisconsin ourselves to take part in family events that we would have missed were we still living in California. We even have new relatives close by as Rich and Sheryl Schwarzinger moved their family from Detroit to Excelsior and now live one mile away from us!

Our oldest son, Nik, is now in his second year at Transitions Plus. This specialty school trains young adults with minor and major disabilities, they prepare them for the real world and they help each student excel with what gifts they hold within. Nik will begin a Mac Genius training program in his second semester. He is passionate about computers and with the proper training, he is hopeful to work in a computer related field. In the meantime, he is working two days a week at a local high school coffee shop, where he makes smoothies and does prep work for the school kitchen. At home, he is my go to guy for mowing the lawn in summer and shoveling the driveway in the winter. If you asked him, he'd tell you he much prefers the lawn...it's not cold out when you do that! Nik still loves to travel and is always up for a road trip. It doesn't even matter where, he just likes to be on the move, exploring new places.

Alex, now a Senior at Minnetonka High School, has had a great year in 2008. He attended is first Prom and Homecoming dances. Has been working part time at a local pizza joint several days a week, a job he seems to enjoy much more that Subway. This past summer saw Alex doing college campus visits, studying for and taking the ACT test and finally the college application process. He has applied at around 15 colleges both in the Midwest and West coast. So far, he has received acceptance letters from Winona State and the University of Nebraska. We are so proud of all his accomplishments. It's an exciting time for AJ and he looks forward on deciding which school to attend. I'm trying not to think about my feelings the day we drop him off at campus. It will be heart breaking.


Our youngest, Catie, is in 8th grade at Minnetonka West Middle School. Like her brother, Alex, she is very social and has made lots of good friends. She is doing well in school, even though it's not her favorite place to be. She does however love to dance! She has been studying Ballroom since this past Spring. She is really doing well. In October she got a partner and they are now training for their first competition this coming February. It's so fun to watch her, she is so graceful and beautiful. I just know she will do well. Catie is also my kayaking buddy. She enjoys getting out on the local lakes. She is interested in joining me on my next adventure down Minnehaha Creek in the spring. It's good to always have things to look forward to!



Chris is still the rock of our family and the love of my life. She has made tremendous progress on her recovery from back surgery. She continues to focus her energy on keeping her back healthy and enjoys running our household like a well oiled machine. Earlier this year, she had gotten back into the culinary world working part time. Unfortunately the economy hits the caterers first and she is no longer with a company that had to close it doors of business this year. Chris is also excited to have my cousin, Sheryl, living in our neighborhood. They volunteer at Minnetonka High School together, besides volunteering, they also make time to go shopping and I believe many projects they want to complete are in the works. Lastly, she was introduced to Facebook by our sister-in-law Tracy, and she is now a junky just like the rest of the free world! If you are really nice to her, she may agree to be your friend.

As for me, I'm very grateful for the job security that I have with Quad. Even though the economy is tough all over, we have the long term vision and focus to come out of this recession in really great shape. Anyone that reads my blog is pretty up to speed on my daily life. If you're not signed up for my blog and would like access, please drop me an e-mail.

Thanks to all those who took time out of there busy lives to visit us. We are also thankful to those family and friends around the country that opened their homes to us during our travels this past year. We really enjoyed the opportunity to re-connect that these visits brought us. In closing, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year. God Bless You!

The Wunrow's, Jeff, Chris, Nik, Alex and Catie

PS: If you've made it all the way to the end, Thanks for handing in there. Your reward is the link to our Year in Pictures on our family web site. Happy Holidays!

1st Snowshoe of the Season

Today we had a small winter storm come through that brought us about 5 inches of very light, fluffy, almost powdered sugar looking snow. This finally gave us a good enough base to get out and play. So, I look advantage of a couple free hours late in the afternoon to head out the Lake Minnewashta. I was originally going to cross-country ski but the trails were not groomed yet, so I decided to snowshoe instead. The snow was perfect, even though there was a strong wind and the temp dropped from 17 to 6 while I was out. I had the whole park to my self. It was really peaceful to be floating along through a winter wonderland.

Warm clothes are the Best!

Mother Natures Handywork

George W. Bush Presidential Library

I got this list from a friend of mine in LA yesterday and thought it was funny enough to share.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages. The Library will include:

• The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.
• The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember a thing.
• The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.
• The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.
• The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.
• The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has yet been able to find.
• The National Debt room which is huge and has no ceiling.
• The 'Tax Cut' Room with entry only to the wealthy.
• The 'Economy Room' which is in the toilet.
• The Iraq War Room where after you complete your first tour, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tour.
• The Dick Cheney Room, i n the famous undisclosed location, complete with shotgun gallery.
• The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.
• The Supreme Court's Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.
• The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your Favorite Republican Senators.
• The 'Decider Room' complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

The museum will also have an electron microscope to help you locate the President's accomplishments.

Sorry to any Bush supporters, but you have to admit he is leaving quite a legacy.

Purple Pride (It's not mine)

I have a friend at work that is a HUGE Vikings fan. Her cubicle is covered with team memorabilia, photos, banners, pretty much anything you can think of. A local radio station ran a contest looking for the Viking fan with the most outrageous office decorations. I figured Leann would be a slam dunk to win this, I mean come on! Well she coordinated a photo with the Viking fans in our office to submit to the station. I think it's really well done and pretty funny. The amazing thing is...she DIDN'T win! I can't believe it. I can't imagine what the winners office must have looked it! Anyway, it was all in good fun and I really like the photo. Even though it is the Vikes and not the Pack. I'm happy the home town fans have something positive to cheer about. Especially when our Basketball team is horrible and our hockey team is struggling. As a gesture of friendship for Leann, I'll close out by saying "GO Vikings!" Now get back to your Christmas cookies!

Chili Cook-Off 2008

Last week was the annual Quad Graphics Chili Cook-Off in the Minneapolis office. I've been so busy, I have not had a chance to write about it. This was my third year entering. You may recall I won my first year and finished fourth last year. This year we had 10 chili's in the competition and more customer guests than we've had for years. The chili's were all good. Any one of them would have been enjoyable on a cold winter day. The entire office plus all the guests each cast a ballot for their 1st, 2nd and 3rd place choices. The scoring was pretty even. Every entry scored some points, a testament to the overall quality of the field. When all was calculated, I had 25 points, putting me in third place. 2nd place went to Ron Hoeschen from Photo who had 26 points and 1st went to Randy Rudolph from Northern Tool who had 28 points. Even though I didn't win, I was still happy with a podium finish and the $20 third place prize! I'll get 'em next year!

My Birthday, Take 2

Today I got an added secret bonus birthday gift. It turns out that Chris along with Rich Schwarzinger planned a night out for me and my cousin Sheryl since our birthdays are only only three days apart. We met at Rich and Sheryl's house at 2 pm. All I knew was that we needed to be "dressy casual". Once we were in the car Chris let us know we were on our way to a theatre show, followed by dinner at Maynard's. The show is called Church Basement Ladies and it is put on at the Plymouth playhouse. It's well know locally for it's humorous look at life in a small town Minnesota in the late 60's and early 70's as seen through the perspective of ladies who volunteer to run the kitchen in a Lutheran Church. The show was a sell out, and it was hilarious! I recommend this play to anyone, young or old. After the show we were off to Maynard's for a great meal. Thanks Chris and Rich for making this such a fun day!

Chris and I at Maynard's in Excelsior

Rich and Sheryl at Maynard's in Excelsior

Birthday Thanks

I celebrated my 48th birthday today. It was a hectic and busy day at work which at times made it hard to remember that it was my birthday. However, I received many birthday wishes throughout the day from Co-workers, Friends and Family. As is an indication of the times that we live in, these greetings came in many forms, Cards, phone calls, SMS texts, e-mails, Facebook posts and of course, good old fashioned face to face human contact...still my favorite! As I went through my day I knew I had the evening with my family to look forward to. We had a nice quiet evening at home. Chris prepared a delicious surf and turf dinner of Coconut Shrimp, grilled Steak Fillet, steamed broccoli and baked potato. Add as glass of red wine and it was better than any restaurant! It was really nice to have dinner together as a family. With all of us having such busy schedules these moments are rare, which makes them all the more precious when we can make them happen. That was probably the best birthday gift of them all. Thank you to everyone that reached out to make my day special and especially Chris and the kids for making it so perfect. I am truly blessed.

Catie gave me a new aluminum water bottle

Alex, the reader in our family gave me Barak's New Book

Chris and Nik combined to give me a new Packer Jersey

Zen Bowling

Today was a fun day. Dave and I went Geocaching in the morning for about 3 hours, adding 11 finds to our totals. All the caches were within 4 miles of my house. I'm always amazed at how many caches there are out there, right under the noses of the unsuspecting public. The average citizen drives or walks within 500 feet of a cache everyday. In the afternoon, the girls (Chris, Tracy and Catie) went to go see a movie, while the boys (Me, Alex, Nik, Dave, Cory and Jamie) went to our local bowling alley. I am most definitely not a bowler, I've probably played 5 times in the last 15 years. I don't throw a powerful ball, no break to it. It just rolls along straight down the lane. At best I get 1 strike per game. That has been my experience with this sport. So, when I scored a strike in the 1st frame, I was excited, but at the same time thought, well it's all down hill from here. The 2nd frame I collected a spare. In the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th frames....strike, strike, strike, strike, strike, STRIKE! Wow!!! Well, I came back down to reality in the 8th and 9th leaving pins standing in each frame. I did rally in the 10th picking up my final spare to end the game with a 201! My best game up to this point in my life was a 125 so I was completely shocked. Dave said I reminded him of the way my Mom bowled. Nothing flashy powerful, just the same every time. I think Mom would have enjoyed watching me today. Who knows, maybe she did.

Giving Thanks

We hosted Thanksgiving today. We had a total of 25 people join us, including my brother Dave and his family, My Dad and Bonnie, Uncle Gary and Aunt Roseanna, My cousin Aaron and his family, My cousin Dan and his family and my cousin Sheryl and her family. We prepared two birds, one oven roasted and one deep fried, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, my Mom's famous Candied Carrots and Green Beans, along with Chris' famous homemade Pumpkin pie. The meal preparation was very much a group effort. Dave and Tracy were a huge help the entire day, and our friend Poul was awesome at crunch time getting the gravy made and the birds ready for serving. Thanks to my Dad for providing the turkeys (2 beautiful 19 pound free range birds), Aunt Roseanna for her cranberry surprise and Poul for the fabulous platter of organic artisan cheeses. The food was awesome!

After a our feast, it was time for the annual Turkey Bowl football game with the Uncles battling the cousins for the years bragging rights. This years MVP was my cousin Aaron Wunrow. He not only was a difference maker on both sides of the ball he also gets the award for sacrificing his body on a layed our catch for a touchdown. The Uncles beat the cousins 35-21. It was a much more closely fought game that last years. It's just a matter of time before the tide will turn. The youngest player on the Uncles team was 40. But, hey it's all in good fun and it keeps us from falling asleep on the couch after dinner!

We finished up the evening at my cousin Sheryl's house for desert. We spent the evening socializing, watching bad pro football (man the Seahawks stink!) and eventually playing Wii sports. That was by far the highlight of the evening. My favorite memory was my Dad and brother Dave boxing. It was a fight for the ages, each fighter going down only to pop back up just before the 10 count. The fight went the full 3 rounds and in a decision, Dave was declared the winner. Dad gets points for not giving up, huffing and puffing all the while trading blows with his middle son. What he lacked in technique he made up for in heart. I've also updated the family website with new photo's from this weekends fun. Thanks again to all our guests for making this such a great Thanksgiving.

How Tired do you Have to Be?

I had a very busy work week. I was in Colorado on Monday and Tuesday. I flew back into town Tuesday night at 10:30pm, got home at 11:00pm, unpacked and repacked my suitcase, finish my presentation and get some shut eye. I woke a 3:30 am the following morning for a trip to the office to print out my presentation, and a 90 mile drive to Mankato to deliver my presentation. Delivered the presentation (nailed it!) and drove directly from Mankato to Milwaukee for press OK with a new client. Had a good nights sleep on Wednesday night before the client arrived, and got up a 5:00 to workout and then meet the client for breakfast. Spent the entire day waiting for press to start, they were delayed by numerous mechanical and scheduling delays.

We got a chance to see our first press run at 11:00 pm, then were called in for following forms every 2 1/2 hours. Killed time in between watching movies in the conference room on the projection system (a big hit with clients) and eating popcorn. We were able to break away for a for a couple hours of sleep at the hotel then back at the plant by 7am. Several more press checks then a break to run the client back the hotel to freshen up. I was sitting in a hard back chair in the breakfast area waiting for the cleint and was soo tired I dozed off. My coworker Jay took a picture of me with his camera phone and sent it to me with the caption of "This about sums it up..." This eventually came to represent the trip as a whole. After this photo was taken at 1:30 pm we worked through the day, not finishing the last form until 11:30pm on Friday night. We took the client out for a glass of wine and ultimately retired to our hotel at 2am! We got up a 7 am on Saturday and drove back home, 6 hours later rolling into the driveway. What a week! Ultimately a successfull one, but I'm really looking forward to a long 5 day weekend next week.

Not a pretty picture is it?

Gourmet Memories

Chris and I have been members of a local gourmet club in our community since Fall of 2007. Last night was our turn to host three other couples in preparing a French themed dinner. We had a delicious meal and a fun evening of conversation. I've built a simple web site for our group the Near Mountain Gourmet Club. Please feel free to visit if you are interested in our menu from last night. One thing I wanted to share with my Dad, this dinner was the first time we used the silverware that Chris and I inherited from my Mom. It brought back memories of all the wonderful Holiday dinners we enjoyed at Mom and Dad's house over my lifetime. I'm so grateful for the gift of entertaining that she blessed us with. Thank you Mom, I love you.

Place setting with Mom's Silverware

Match Made in Heaven

One of the joys of being back in the midwest and close to family is the opportunity to take part in family events. My Cousin Dan Wunrow's youngest daughter Jenny recently announced her engagement. She is living in Germany doing missionary work and met and fell in love with a fellow mission member Peter Fisher. Peter was born and raised in a small town in southern Germany near the Swiss border. Sunday evening Dan and his wife Kathy hosted an Engagement Party/Wedding Reception for the happy couple. Chris, Catie and I were able to attend, while both the guys had to work. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know Peter. He is a really nice, responsible young man and I'm sure Dan and Kathy are proud to have him joining their family.
Congratulations Peter and Jenny! We wish you many blessing in your life together.

Jenny and Peter

Jenny and Peter with Proud Grandparents Gary and Roseanna

Parents Dan and Kathy join in the celebration

My two lovey girls.

It's doing WHAT Outside?!

I woke up this morning to go to the gym only to be greeted by a coating of snow on the ground. My first thought was, I must be seeing things! After blinking and rubbing my eyes it was clear that there was in fact an inch of fresh snow on the ground with more falling. It's funny, just last night I made a comment to Chris that I either wanted it to be 70 degrees outside, or I wanted it to snow. Nothing in between would do! Well I guess I should be careful what I wish for. Actually, I'm looking forward to winter. It's one of my favorite seasons. The sight of that beautiful white snow put a smile on my face.

Shot with my phone, sorry for the bad quality!

Hope Won!

I have always strived to not be preachy in my blog postings. How ever, I was moved to tears last night as I watched a sea of humanity gather at Grant Park in Chicago to bear witness to the most historic event of our time. Last night, we elected a president that did not use a divisive strategy of hate and fear, but one of hope, unity and the idea that we can all either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. More that 150 years after Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation and 40 years after the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, America elected a man of color to the highest office in the land. Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States. Just typing those words gives me goose bumps and brings tears of pride to my eyes. On this day in history, we Americans put our petty differences aside and came together to do the right thing.

I was born in December of 1960. One month after John F. Kennedy was elected as President and one month before his swearing in on January 20th. I was only two years old when he was assassinated in Dallas Texas. So, I don't have any memories of him. But I have many friends and relative that were and I clearly remember them sharing with me the feeling of hope that he inspired in them. I have not personally had that feeling about an elected official...Until last night! I am including a YouTube link to Barack's acceptance speech. It is something that every American should watch and re-watch in the weeks leading up to the inauguration in January. It is a clear and powerful reminder that we as a people can accomplish great things. God Bless Barack Obama.

We Voted!

Just got home from work. It was a proud day for me. I had the opportunity to share with my son Nik, his first experience in voting for President. This is a moment that Nik has been talking and dreaming about for over 8 years. After our trip to the polls, I gave him a ride to school. He was simply gushing with pride in himself for achieving this milestone. I too was extremely proud of him. I can only pray that other young people have been similarly inspired to exercise there right to vote. So, the 3 voters in our house paused for a photo with our I Voted stickers before settling in watch the election coverage.

We Voted!

Rock the Vote!

I just wanted to send out a quick note urging all of my friends and family to get out and vote today. Our right to vote is a privilege that people in other countries are quite literally dying to have. Please take advantage of this huge blessing and exercise your right. Who you vote for is less important to me than whether you vote.

Be sure to follow the election coverage on Twitters Election page. Be a front row witness to history in the making. Also, if you don't know where your polling location is, use this link to Vote411.org to search for it.

No excuses, just DO IT!

Twitter's Election Dialog

With this years election just a few days away, I wanted to share a really cool site that I have been visiting. I've been using Twitter for the past year. The site now has a special election section that has a live scrolling feed of Twitter updates (or Tweets) from users. It's a great way of hearing other peoples opinions. And since there is a 140 character limit, nobody can get too long winded.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to all! The holiday takes on a different tone the older our kids get. Nik has gone from the cute little boy that couldn't wait to go collect candy, to our full grown adult that is now in charge of handing out the candy. Alex has gone from the little peanut that would literally Trick our Treat until he couldn't carry his bag of candy any more. He is now a senior going to a string of Halloween parties with his friends. Then there is Catie, who for her first Halloween was a cute little chili pepper but last night went to a party at her dance studio and went Trick or Treating with all her dance friends before returning to the studio for a pizza party.

So, gone are the days of us walking through the neighborhood with our cute little goblins, watching them race from door to door to see what new treat awaited them. It was still fun though to watch the kids get ready with their costumes. Alex went as some kind of clown and Catie went as Little Red Riding Hood. I've also done a photo album with a few more pictures from the evening on the Family Web Site.

Ben and Alex

Little Miss Catie Hood

Web Site Update

I had some time today so I was able to work on the family web site for a bit. I added a photo album for the Minnetonka High School Homecoming. I hope you enjoy them.
Wunrow Family Web Site

The Peak of Fall

The middle of October can be a challenging time. The warm days of summer and early fall are behind us. It gets dark earlier with each passing day. And you know that the first of many days of sub freezing temperatures is just around the corner. All the More reason why this weekend was so special. We had two beautiful sunny days, with temperatures in the low 60's. The leaves are just past peak so there is still plenty of color everywhere, even though with a wind more and more of it is ending up on the ground. It's still very scenic and I remind myself daily to take a moment from the hustle of daily life to look around and appreciate the blessing that are all around. Chris and I got out for a little couple time both yesterday and today.

Saturday was a day if getting things done around the house. In the late afternoon we went out for a drive to enjoy the fall colors. Heading out to the west we stopped in at the Mudd Lake Furniture Company. It's a rustic shop out in the farm country located in an old barn. They have very unique style and Chris has been wanting to visit for a while. One thing I noticed were several huge New England Patriots banners hanging from the rafters, including one for Super Bowl 31. That one got me excited, being the most recent Super Bowl win for the Packers. We struck up a conversation with the owner Bob Kratch and learned that he played offensive line in the NFL for 8 years, with his last game being Super Bowl 31 against the Packers! Pretty cool. to say the least.

Sunday Chris and I got out to run a few errands. While we were out I suggested we visit a little city park I have been wanting to check out since we moved here. Minnehaha Park is located just a few miles north of the Airport and is the spot were Minnehaha Creek cascades over a 50 limestone ledge to form Minnehaha Falls. From there the creek winds it's way through a small ravine, eventually emptying into the Mississippi River. The weather was perfect, cool but not cold, a beautiful blue sky with just a few wisps of cloud. We took a leisurely stroll through the park, I shot a few photo's which I'm including in this post. Finally, we took a break at the Sea Salt cafe located just a short walk from the falls. It was a fun casual atmosphere, delicious sea food, beer and wine, the Vikings game on a big screen TV and floor to ceiling windows offering gorgeous views of the park. What a fun way to end our visit.

Another sign of getting old...

When the children of freinds you have had for over 26 years get married it is a major reminder that you have collected quite a few life experiences. Our friends Vince and Vivian Balestrari's oldest daughter Nina was married today at St. Robert Parish in Milwaukee. We were so happy to live close enough to be able to be a part of this special moment. Chris was remembering us as a young married couple having Vivian visit us with baby Nina. She may have been one of the first new born's that Chris ever held. Now she is a beautiful young women walking down the aisle, arm in arm with her new husband. I couldn't help be think about the emotions that Vince was feeling and about what that will be like for me and Catie in the future.

Father of the Bride and his lovely Daughter

The Happy Couple, Nina and Dan

MHS Homecoming Dance

Today was the Minnetonka High School Homecoming dance. This year a large group of Alex's friends, some with dates but most without, decided to go together and experience the event together. The group of 7 guys and 11 girls met at our house to have pictures taken. As always it was a bit of a mad house, but lots of fun. Following the photo session, the gang all went out for Chinese and then to the Dance. We also hosted the after party as we did for Prom. I like having the kids over because I know they are safe and having fun. Most of the 18 kids from the photo shoot came back after the dance with the last few leaving for home around 4 am. Alex's good friends Jessie and Ben ended up spending the night. Well I'm not sure going to bed at 5:00 am qualifies as spending the night, but I think you get the idea!

The Buddies, Alex, Jessie, Ed and Ben

The Girls, too many to name!

The Boy and his Momma

Nik Joins the working World

Nik started his first job this week! He has done quite a bit of volunteer work the last couple of years, which has been great in getting him work experience while also giving back to our local community. His new paying gig is at Byerly's a local gourmet grocery. The store he works at in Chanhassen has a resturant called the Minnesota Grill where Nik is a dish washer. It's hard work and he comes home tired, but it's a great opportunity to develope is work ethic and he loves getting paid for is effort. Nik, we are very proud of you! Keep up the great work.

Nik in his Byerly's Uniform

Election Issues

Many Americans are looking to take part in the presidential election this November. In spite of the polarizing issues that have divided our nation there are many people who want to make an informed decision. It's hard when you don't always get deep background from the media. I ran across a web site called GlassBooth that offers a simple way to get a read on which candidate lines up more with your personal beliefs. It's not a silver bullet, but it is a way to see how the candidates stack up.

New School Year

Catie started her new school year today. She is beginning 8th grade at Minnetonka Middle School West, or as the locals call it MMW. She is excited to see all her friends again. I can't believe summer break is over for the kids. It seems like just the other day Catie was cleaning out her locker. It was a great summer, but she is now ready for fall and the change of seasons.

St. Croix River State Park

Ever since I bought my canoe last fall, I've been wanting to so some river paddling. Nik and I got a small taste of this in our Minnehaha Creek paddle. We started talking about this with Alex's girlfriend Claire's family as they have done quite a bit of padding in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the northern part of the state. The more we talked, we kinda thought that for Chris, this might be a bit too aggressive for a first attempt. So, we decided instead to spend four days in St. Croix River State Park. Our plan was to base camp in the group camping area and then do day trips through two separate stretches of the river.

Sadly the physical stress of the week leading up to the trip and getting organized and packed, by the time we arrived at the camp site, Chris' back was really in bad shape. Our hope was that if she took it easy she would be able to make it though the trip. By 9 pm on our first evening, it was clear to me that to subject her to nights of sleeping on an air mattrise and days on a camp chair, would be too painful. So against her initial wishes, I urged Chris to let me take her home. So as not to ruin the weekend for the Johnson's, Nik volunteered to some home with her to nurse her back to health while I would return back to the Camp early Sunday morning to join up with Alex and Catie who would stay in camp.

The rest of the trip was fun, but just not the same without Chris and Nik with us. We did a 15 mile paddle on Sunday and an 8 mile paddle on Monday. We packed up after breakfast on Tuesday and headed home, arriving back around 3 pm. Chris' back was doing better, having had a few days of rest. I have posted a few photos of our 15 mile paddle trip on the Family Web Site. Please feel free to visit.

Back to School...Almost

It was registration night at Minnetonka Middle School (MMW) tonight. So, since Chris' Back was feeling a bit stiff she stayed home and Catie and I headed over to MMW to get her locker assigned, move in her supplies, and have her school picture taken. She and her good friend Matti are looking forward to the start of school.

A Three Hour Tour

As many of you know, I love to spend time paddling on Lake Minnetonka. It's close to home and is a very interesting and diverse body of water. One that is also rich in local history. It's rare that I get a chance to explore large parts at once due the limits of my kayaks range. So, when I was invited to join a group of guys from work to do a evening of motor boating on Tonka, I jumped at the chance. Our Photo sales rep Ron met us at the dock at 5:30 on a sunny 90 degree mid August day. Joining Cap'n Ron for the evening was the fearless crew of Daryl Yau, John Pischke, his brother Mike and myself. We spend the next 3 plus hours exploring many of the bays and inlets that make Lake Minnetonka so unique. As the sun set, the weather cooled and we were treated to some beautiful sunset colors. This experience really makes me want to someday get what Catie calls a REAL BOAT, a reference to all the paddle boats we have now. Someday kiddo, someday. Thanks to Cap'n Ron and his good ship and crew for a great evening on the water!

Cap'n Ron and Crew (L to R Ron, Daryl, Mike and JP)

Sunset on Lake Minnetonka

Beijing Olympics Week One

I can't believe the Olympics are half way done already! It's been and amazing week with so many memorable moments. Leading into the games, the media hype machine was working overtime to promote Michael Phelps pursuit of Mark Spitz 36 year old record of 7 Gold medals in swimming. From my perspective, the 1972 Olympics in Munich were the first games I really watched from start to finish. The two big headlines where Mark Spitz in the first week and the Terrorist attack the second week. So I was cautiously optimistic about Phelps chances of tying, let alone breaking Spitz' record. Looking back over the week I would have to say that actual events surpassed the hype which is almost impossible in this era of the 24 hour news cycle. I was glued to my TV, not just for the finals, but the qualifying swims as well. There are three races in particular that stand out as seared into my memory forever. Each of the following events have links to the NBC Olympics web site video. You will need to download Silverlight, but the quality of the video is worth it.

The Men's Swimming 4 x 100 Swimming Relay was the second final of Michael's quest. Quite frankly after his opening leg the other swimmers had me convinced that he was already doomed to failure. Then and amazing anchor leg by Jason Lezak brought the USA men back from a non-medal finish to a solid gold world record. Amazing!

Second the Men's Swimming 100 Butterfly was the most exciting, swim race I've ever witnessed. The entire audience, me included thought that Michael had touched the wall second to a very strong Croatian swimmer. Only when the graphic flashed up on the screen did the world know that Phelps had won by the amazing margin of 0.01 second. Only video slowed down to 1/10,000 of a second was able to confirm the win.

Finally the Men's Swimming 4 x 100 Medley was the race that allowed Micheal Phelps to actually break Mark Spitz Olympic Record. The race technically didn't have much drama, if you are board with world records performances! The shear magnitude of the 8th gold metal was stunning.

The other week one highlight for me was gymnastics. The USA men entered the competition without their two best gymnasts, Paul Hamm and Morgan Hamm. As a result they were considered a long shot for a medal. The team came together and performed way over their heads. Almost as if they didn't know they didn't have a shot. At the end of the Men's Team Competition, our American men were standing on the third step of the podium, bronze medals draped around their necks. Great job guys!

The USA Women were favorites for team gold, but due to some injuries and a few critical mistakes they finished a distant Silver to the Chinese. This all changed in the Women's Gymnastics Individual All-Around when Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson take the gold and silver respectively. The outcome came down to the final event. The ladies were truly amazing.

I'm now looking forward to week two. It's going to be pretty tough to top what we've witnessed so far, but it's the Olympics and I know it will be amazing!

Magic Ballroom

Inspired by watching Dancing with the Stars, Catie took up Ballroom dancing this past Spring. Practicing three times per week has really helped her to pick it up quickly. Seven years of Ballet didn't hurt either! Today she had her first performance. I did a quick little video of the event. At the end of the video is the schools best couple so you can see where she is headed. Great job Catie, you are amazing!

Beijing Olympics - Opening Ceremony

Anyone that has known me for any length of time, knows what a huge fan of the Olympics I am. I've been waiting for 08.08.08 for a long time. The Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics was everything you come to expect in an opening and so much more! Rather than have me try to describe the visuals, I'll just let the visuals from NBC do the talking for me.
Opening Ceremony Act 1: Pageantry
Opening Ceremony Act 2: Parade of Nations
Opening Ceremony Act 3: Lighting the Olympic Torch

Family Vacation - Home Sweet Home!

Our original trip plan called for us to leave Holland on Saturday morning and drive north 7 hours over the Mackinac bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were we would visit Pictured Rocks National Park, spending the night in nearby Munising and then driving 9 plus hours today to get home. While Nik and I where still very much up for the adventure, Chris, Alex and Catie were not too thrilled at the prospects of 16 hours in the car to spend a few hours at Pictured Rocks. So, being the flexible cat that I am, I agree to cut that part of our trip short, spend more time in Holland on Saturday and then drive the few short hours to Chicago. We spent the night at an Embassy Suites hotel which is how the family got Nik to buy in. We had a nice evening relaxing in the hot tub and watching movies. It was then a relatively painless 7 hours from Chicago to home, with us pulling into the driveway around 4pm. The trip allowed us to touch base with 3 of our long time family friends from our life in California, visit 8 new states for the kids, Geocache in 4 new states for me, visit a cool National Park (Mammoth Cave) and visit the home of a one time King (Elvis' Graceland). We are grateful for the hospitality we received along the way from our Friends Dan McMaster in Omaha, Jeff & Anita Porter in Ozark and Tom and Debbie Ayres in Holland. I took quite a few pictures on the trip, if you would like to see them, please feel free to visit our family web site.

I love the road trip, the feeling of being out on the open road, seeing and experiencing new things. Spending uninterrupted time with Chris and the kids, being reminded what a blessing my family is. I also love the feeling of coming home, tired from the road. It really makes me appreciate all that I have been blessed with. Thanks for sharing our adventure with us.

Family Vacation - Holland, Michigan

Holland Michigan is the home of our friends Tom and Debbie Ayres and their son Austin. We met Tom and Debbie early in our life in California. In fact, Deb was Chris' first friend after our families, unbeknowst to each other, both moved to Southern California from Waukesha WI in 1991. Tom and I attended his first auto race, the Long Beach Grand Prix the following year and we have been friends ever since. Tom moves quite a bit for his job and we have remained close friends, through 5 moves on there part and 3 moves on ours. Tom and I usually meet up for a race at least once a year, with the US Grand Prix at Indy our meeting spot from 2000 through 2007. With no US F1 race this year, we took advantage of our family vacation to connect.

It seems as though Tom & Debbie and Chris & I are pretty much the same as when we met. This however is some seriously wishful thinking on my part, just look at a photo of me 17 years ago for proof. It's really the most noticeable when you look at our children. Nik was 2 years old when we met, Austin was 1 year old and Chris was pregnant with Alex. Now, Nik and Austin are both High School graduates, Austin is getting ready to head off to Michigan State and Alex is entering his senior year of high school! Don't even get me started on the fact that Catie wasn't born until 2 Ayres moves after we met!

Tom and Debbie have lived in Holland for 4 years. This was not only our first visit to their home here, but our first time visiting the state of Michigan. Holland is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan about 2 hours up the shore from Gary Indiana. However, it is nothing like Gary. Holland has beautiful, clean sandy beaches and a very nicely managed shoreline. Nik kept commenting on how much the Holland beach reminded him of California. Of course the sand here is cleaner that the beaches in LA, and much less crowded. Being summer vacation there where still quite a few students and families hanging out, but is was a very tame and relaxing atmosphere.

It was really nice being with Tom and Debbie for a couple days. we enjoyed being in a home and able to spread out. The home cooked meals were a treat after several days of restaurant food. The kids also enjoyed getting reacquainted with Tom, Debbie and Austin. In the end we had a really nice visit and are grateful for our friendship. Thank you Tom and Debbie for your hospitality. We will definitely be back!

Family Vacation -Louisville, KY

Our destination today was Louisville Kentucky. Starting our day in Memphis we would be driving the length of Tennessee and all the way through Kentucky to it's northern most city, and home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville. The drive was mostly trough gently rolling hills the was heavily wooded. Traffic on Interstates 40 and 65 was thick with truck traffic, what with Memphis being a major shipping hub with is large Federal Express presence there. It made for a slightly more stressful drive, but not too bad.

The highlight of the day was a visit to Mammoth Cave National Park, located about halfway between Nashville, TN and Louisville, KY. The park is in about 10 miles off the interstate, heavily wooded and very hilly. After a stop at the visitor center we were encouraged to take a cave tour to really get the full experience of the park. We took the shortest tour which was about 2 hours, all underground. It was a very interesting little adventure. Lot's of narrow stairs, and skinny short little passageways. Catie was initially a little scarred. So I told her to pretend it was a ride and Disneyland (the rock almost looked fake like that) and surprisingly that seemed to help. There were also several large chambers that we visited. One section called Frozen Niagara was a 50 foot rock formation that looked like a frozen waterfall. Very cool. I tried taking some pictures but with the low light they didn't turn out too well.

After leaving the park, we drove into a very strong Thunder storm. The rain was really pouring down, so much so that the wipers could not keep up. So, with huge flashes of lightning and loud booming claps of thunder we slowly made our way north. To make things even more exciting, we were running low on gas. So after about 15 minutes of crawling along, we came to a gas station. Even though Chris and the kids cautioned against it, I stopped and got out to fill up. Just as I was putting the nozzle in the tank a huge bolt of lightning crashed, so close that the flash and boom were simultaneous. The power to the gas pump went out and the hair on the back of my neck stood up! In the blink of an eye, I put away the nozzle and hustled back into the car. OK Lord, I get it! Not the right time to be pumping gas!! So we drove further north, eventually getting out ahead of the storm. We were then able to make our way to the small town of Munfordville Kentucky. After filling up the tank we stopped in at the local Pizza Hut for dinner. The restaurant was decorated with photos commemorating the civil war Battle for Munfordwille including a photo of the "Captor of Munfordville" General Braxton Bragg. I very powerful reminder that we are in the south!

Family Vacation - Memphis, Tennessee

Today we bid a fond farewell to our friends the Porters. Our two full days as guests in there home were fun and relaxing. It's so nice to be able to keep our friendship strong even though we no longer live across the street from each other. We felt right at home with them. The kids had a hard time saying goodbye to their childhood friends, but with texting and Facebook I'm sure they will be able to keep in touch. Thank you Jeff and Anita for making us feel so welcome!

Our journey to Memphis took us through the southeastern part of Missouri, the North Eastern part of Arkansas to the mighty Mississippi River and finally to Memphis. The drive was very scenic through the Ozark mountain plateau. The drive was on mostly two lane highways. As we crossed over the Arkansas border and entered the town of Mammoth Springs, I pulled into a small state park so I could do a geocache and get my find for Arkansas. We did the Mammoth Springs ParkCache. A very pretty spot, and a nice excuse to get out of the car and stretch our legs.

Upon arrival in Memphis, we headed straight to the mecca of all Elvis Fans everywhere, Graceland. I was never a huge Elvis fan, but Chris' Mom and Dad where big time fans. Chris still remembers the day her Dad came home from work and tearfully shared the news with her and her Mom that the King was dead. So, visiting Graceland had some definite meaning to her. The experience was definitely more than I expected. The tour was very in depth and interesting, with personal audio players giving each of us a walking tour of the mansion. The kids got a kick out of all the crazy 70's era decor and fashion. In the end it opened their eye's to an entertainer that clearly touched and continues to touch millions of fans around the world. This point was brought home by the many people at the grave site that sat in silent, tearful mourning. Over 30 years ago, and still making an impact on people. That's a legacy.

From Graceland we headed to downtown Memphis and Beale Street. There we found the blues club owned by legendary blues guitarist B.B. King. We were treated to a delicious dinner of southern food. Alex and I had BBQ chicken and ribs, Chris had fried catfish and Catie and Nik had burgers. While we ate, we were entertained by local blues musician Blind Mississippi Morris. Morris and his guitar player put on a good show for the 100 or so club patrons. Just another example of the cool stuff we get exposed to as we travel about the country. Another first for our family.