A Time for Reflection

As the year and the decade draw to a close, it's time to reflect on the decade that was the 00's. The decade started with a new President in George W Bush. Elected by the slimmest margin in our countries history. In effect, decided by a single vote by the Supreme Court. September 11 started for me as a clear cool Southern California Morning. This would all change moments later as terrorists seized control of 4 passenger jets and used them as weapons of mass destruction in New York and DC. Less than six months later the USA hosted the world athletes at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Utah. In 2008 we witness history as Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President. I'll never forget the scene in Chicago as he made his acceptance speech. We started the final year of the decade with the inauguration of President Obama on the steps of the nations capital.

Our family had many highlights over the decade. We had many wonderful family road trips. My Dad and I were blessed to be able to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake and it was an opportunity of a life time. 2002 trip that included many of the northern National Parks. 2003 was the Grand Circle tour of all the National Parks in Utah and Northern Arizona. 2004 hopped on Amtrak to the Pacific Northwest. 2005 was a tour of the northern California National Parks. 2006 saw us make the move from Santa Clarita to Excelsior Minnesota. We made the most of our drive and did quite a bit of sight seeing on the way. Our oldest son Nik graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2007. Two Years later, Alex graduated from MHS in 2009. Also in 2009, our little girl Catie started high school as a Freshman at Main Street School of Performing Arts and Alex began his Freshman year at the University of Nebraska.

It was an amazing an memorable decade. I look back on 2000's with fondness and the 2010's with hope and anticipation. Happy New Year to all!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I need to dream no longer. We actually had a white Christmas! Just like the ones I used to know! The tree are all weighed down with a heavy blanket of snow. They remind me of the Flocked trees they sell in California, only way whiter and way prettier. By my best guess, in the last 48 hours we had about 14 inches of the white stuff. The boys and I have been out shoveling 6 times, 3 with the snow blower to try to keep the driveway and side walk clear.

The kids all slept till 9 am then slowly started trickling up stairs. One by one they arrived in the kitchen, a little sleepy and asking when we where going to open the presents from Chris and I and Grandpa and Grandma Wunrow. It was very sweet, and reminded me of those Christmas' past when they were small. I guess it's true that Christmas does bring out the child in all of us.

After opening presents and getting the kitchen cleaned up from the night before, the boys and I headed out to clear the 4 inches of snow that had fallen the night before. This mornings snow as much wetter and therefore heavier than yesterdays, so we were really glad to have the snow blower to clear that away without breaking our backs.

At 11:30 we made the one mile drive over the river and through the woods to Rich and Sheryl's house for Christmas brunch. This is a tradition in their home that goes back to their many years living in Michigan. They served up an amazing spread of food including egg bake, french toast bake, breakfast sausage, bratwurst, hash browns, fresh fruit, mimosa's, and a wonderful selection of home made Christmas cookies. Missing, but not missed (my me since I've never had it) was the fresh Polish sausage that Rich explained was part of their tradition. However, after searching every butcher and specialty meat shop in the twin cities, they learned that the Norwegians and Swedes' that settled in the North Star state where not too fond of Polish sausage. Rich is now contemplating taking up sausage making to assure a reliable supply of this most central part of their holiday tradition!

After brunch we relaxed and chatted for a while. I myself made a trip or two the the cookie tray, they were just too yummy to pass up. And hey, I've been working hard shoveling snow, so I know I'm burning lots of calories! Later, we exchanges gifts between our two families and headed home around 2:00, with the idea (mine anyway) of taking a nap. Well, once we got home we noticed that the neighbors had built a snow man that was gazing intriguingly across the street to our house.

That was all it took to get Chris and Catie motivated to build one of their own. So they got bundled up and off they went. It wasn't long before they called Alex and I away from our basketball game to join them, which we did. Even Lola got geared up and joined us. We had snow ball fights, played with the doggie in the snow (which was over her head by the way!) and of course finished off the construction of Melody Frost, the intended mate of Jack Frost our snow man neighbor from across the street. What a fun and memorable Christmas Day. We are so happy that Alex was home from school to enjoy it with us!

Alex does the heavy lifting

Chris and Lola working the base

The crew that built Melody Frost

Merry Christmas!

Holiday greetings from my gang here in Minnesota. Thanksgiving is over and the leftover turkey is in the freezer. My birthday has come and gone and I am officially one year older. A look at the thermometer shows that is it 11 degree's outside. The Holiday decorations are all up. So, what's next on my list? Oh yeah, it's time to write the Christmas letter! I settle in next to the fire with the Packer game in the background I begin to recount another memorable year.

We had several big milestone events this year. Alex graduated from Minnetonka High School in June in a class of over 700 seniors. After a year of research, applications and campus visits he selected the University of Nebraska the home to his college career. Nik and I drove Alex and his good friend Ed to Lincoln in mid-August where they moved into Abel hall. Journalism is Alex's major. He also writes for two student run newspapers on campus, the campus paper the Daily Nebraskan and the student satirical paper the Daily-er Nebraskan. Between the two he has been published 6 times. We look forward to having him home for the holidays.

Catie finished up her middle school life at Minnetonka West Middle School in June. Her continued passion for dance led her to search for alternative opportunities for high school. In September she began class at the Main Street School of Performing Arts, a charter school in the Hopkins school district. Catie absolutely loves her new school and is doing well academically and is making lots of new friends. She continues to dance at Magic Ballroom and recently got a new dance partner who she will begin competing with in February.

Nik is in his final year at Transitions Plus in St. Louis Park. He is now starting to plan for the next phase of his education and is leaning towards Hennipen County Technical College. He's such a techie kid it only makes sense that there will be opportunities in the tech world. He is also working hard at getting his drivers license. I've been taking him out to practice quite a bit and he's doing a good job. He recently started to learn the daunting skill of parallel parking.

Chris is doing great. Her back is continuing to get stronger, with far more good days than bad. She continues to be the CEO of our little enterprise called, The Wunrow's on Melody Lane. Chris really enjoys having my cousin Sheryl live so close. The two of them enjoy spending time together and are very active doing volunteer work for a local food pantry. Chris and I recently met our weight loss goals with the help of Weight Watchers. Between the two of us we lost almost 30 pounds. Chris also used her immense powers of persuasion to convince me to buy her a dog! She is now the proud mama of a cute little rescue Pug named Lola. Boy that little dog sure does love Chris, and Chris in turn sure loves that little dog.

As for me, all of the events outlined above where highlights. My career highlight this year was the marking of my 25th year working at Quad. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I still am so grateful for the blessing that my job is in my life. I also had a really great year of paddling. I was able to extend the season with a wetsuit kayaking from late march all the way to mid November. I still love photography, however that is one passion that I have not been as focused on in the last year (no pun intended). Geocaching is still the activity that gives my brothers and I an excuse to spend time together searching for small boxes out in the woods, in the darkest night in the dead of winter...yeah it's an illness for sure!

We are proud of our children's many accomplishments. The obstacles they have all overcome to get where they are today. We are grateful for all the blessings we have received. We also thank all the family and friends that have spent time with us either at our home or on our travels. You are the fabric of our lives and we are happy to have you. We wish all of you a happy and Blessed Christmas and New Year.

God Bless You.

Jeff, Chris, Nik, Alex and Catie
(oh and Cookie the Cat and Lola the Pug too!)

PS: Our ink on paper news letter will be going out in the mail in the next few days. It will contain bonus photos and our annual Christmas Card. I just wanted to get this news part out before Christmas.

Let it Snow!

As most of you know, there is a pretty big winter storm rolling through the plains and upper Midwest this week. The snow started here in Minnesota around 7:00 pm tonight. It's not supposed to stop until sometime Saturday or Sunday this weekend! It's not only going to be a white Christmas, it may also end up being a White Out Christmas. Tonight we had one of those only in Minnesota moments that I had to share.

Our neighbors accross the street, live full time in CA and keep the house here as a vacation retreat. So, when Chris and I went out to take Lola for her evening walk, Less and Alice where outside shoveling their driveway and working out there two Golden Lab's. Now, Lola the and Labs are best friends from all the time they spent last summer playing together. When she saw the other dogs she imediately sprinted over and gave them a big Pug greating. So, while the dogs played and chased each other around in the fresh powdery snow, the four of us stood in the street catching up on all that had gone on in our lives in the last 5 months since we saw each other last. We stood around chatting for so long we all and mounds of snow on our hoods and shoulders. Just another living example that when you live in Minnesota you can't let the weather be the boss. You have to gear up and embrace it for the wonderous unique experience that it is.

Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I was a little bit bummed when I woke up on my birthday Friday morning, the last day of a business trip to Denver. Wishing I were home with my family I was looking forward to getting home that evening so I could celebrate with Chris and the kids. My mood soon changed though as I checked my phone and found several birthday greetings from some family and friends on Facebook. Then I got a e-mail from Chris, and a Tweet from Alex and and text from Dad and on and on and on it went all day. I received so many birthday wishes from so many people, it was truly moving. I was struck by how much technology is woven into our daily lives. And today it was technology that allowed family and friends of mine from all over the country to easily, and personally reach out to me and have meaningful communication with me. This was not possible even a few years ago and I am grateful for it.

My flight home was smooth. I even got bumped up from a middle seat to an aisle with out even asking! Arriving home, I walked into the kitchen to a bouquet of delicious smells. After getting hugs from Chris and the kids, they sat me down for dinner. The surprise dinner that Chris had been taunting me with all day was laid out before me. Scrimp, steak, roasted veggies, baked potato, garlic bread and a glass of red wine. What a treat! We enjoyed dinner together, then took a break to open my gifts (as if I needed more than I'd already received today!) before enjoying my favorite birthday cake. What a great way to end up a memorable and special day.


Saturday morning started out nice and quite, having not been home for most of week, it was just what the doctor ordered. Just as I was finishing getting dressed, the doorbell rang. Chris called out that there was someone here to see me. "Who the heck is here to see Me?" I thought. I walk into the dining room and there stand my Dad and Bonnie! I was in complete shock. I gave Dad a huge hug that I just didn't want to end. What a blessing. I haven't spent a birthday with my Dad in forever. The surprises didn't stop there. They had tickets to the Plymouth Playhouse presentation of Away in the Basement a Church Basement Ladies Christmas. A very funny local musical. After the play we went to Kona Grill for dinner. Sushi for appetizers and a seared Ahi tuna entree were delicious. What a wonderful surprise ending to a perfect birthday. Thank you Chris, Dad, Bonnie and all my family and friends that where a part of this memorable celebration.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

It has been a busy lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday. It all began for me with a drive to Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. I had a new client visiting the plant in West Allis and needed to get in town in time for dinner Sunday evening and a plant tour on Monday morning. The drive down was uneventful. I was able to listen to the Packer game on the radio. I hadn't done that for a many years and it was kind of a nice change of pace, using my minds eye to paint the picture of the action on the field. The customer visit went really well too. Unfortunately it didn't wrap up until almost 4 pm which meant a long drive back to Minneapolis in the dark. I had my iPod full of podcasts so the drive wasn't too bad. I rolled into the driveway around 9:30 pm.

Tuesday, Nik and I woke up early and were on the road to Lincoln Nebraska at 6:30 am to retrieve my son Alex from school at University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). The seven hour drive was gray and rainy but still enjoyable thanks in equal parts to the yummy Trader Joe's coffee in my thermos, the music and podcasts on my iPod and of course the company of my oldest son Nik. He really enjoys road trips, it doesn't even matter where or for how long we go. He just loves to be on the road, just like his old man! We Picked up Alex and his room mate Ed around 2:00 pm and got right back on the road. Alex and I had a great time catching up on his life at college. He is doing really well in his classes and is also actively writing for the student newspaper (The Daily Nebraskan) and the campus satirical paper (The Daily-er Nebraskan). He has been published several times in each paper in his relatively short time on campus. Alex is a gifted writer and is truly passionate about his craft. All the way home we talked, laughed and listened to music. Finally around 9:30 pm (again!) we pulled into the driveway. I was, to say the least, tired and sick of driving!

Wednesday was the big preparation day for us. Our goal was to get as much of the food prepared ahead of time as possible. If we couldn't complete an item, we at least got the measuring, chopping etc done. My brother Dave, his wife Tracy and their two sons Cory and Jamie arrived at 2:00 pm and immediately jumped in to help with the preparations. It is such a blessing having them over for Thanksgiving. Not only do they give us so much help and support, they are also lots of fun to be with. Every time they come over, we pick right up where we left off the last time we saw them.

Now it's Thanksgiving day. We still have much to accomplish before the rest of our guests begin to arrive around 1:00 pm. While I have a bit of peace and quiet, its a good time to reflect on all that I'm thankful for. My wife and children are such a wonderful and constantly evolving source of joy and happiness. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table and love in our hearts. My family of Dad, Bonnie, all my brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts and cousins continue to be a meaningful part of my life. I have a great job at a company that I believe in, now just as I did over 25 years ago. Most of what me and my family have enjoyed in our lives has come through the fruits of my labor at Quad. I just know today will be a celebration of all we have to be thankful for. It will truly be a Happy Thanksgiving.

Podcasts are Podcastic!

I have been listening to Podcasts since before iTunes even existed. My podcast client of choice way back in 2004 was iPodder. It took quite a bit of doing to get my files transfered from my computer to my iPod. The thing I enjoy most is that there is a podcast covering virtually every topic under the sun. No matter how mainstream or obscure your interests run, there is sure to be a podcast that is right up your ally. My iPod stocked with podcasts helped me to keep my sanity during my 25 hours per week of commuting while I lived in Southern California. And I continue to listen to them to this day while at the gym, commuting and traveling on business. Here are a few of my all time favorite podcasts with links to their web pages. These can now all be subscribed to using iTunes.

This Week in Tech (TWIT)
This Week in Google (TWIG)
Net@Night
Cranky Geeks
This American Life (PRI)
Packers Therapy
Checkered Flag

Social is as Social does

I was pondering my life and the ways that I am able to capture, comment and share about it with my family, friends and associates. We have so many tools at our disposal from e-mail, family web site and blogging to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. These tools have all been a part of my communication for quite some time. Starting with my first American Online e-mail account back in 1992 to my starting to use Facebook just 1 year ago. As I pondered, I realized that the tools I've been using the most, Facebook and Twitter are both super convenient and also very limiting. I mean, I'm not what I call a chatterbox, but 140 characters can cause me to be more brief that I sometimes would like to be. These tools also don't really encourage me to work at all on my writing style. I'm not what I would call a good writer, but I think that I can be and effective writer. Certainly not in the class of my middle son Alex who is truly gifted in this area.

So, what I realize is that my Blog is the one place were I can truly have the flexibility of form and function. If I have a lot to say or want to share it with pictures I have the latitude to do that here. I've noticed that the more I tweet and post, the less I have been blogging. I'm not saying that is bad, just that it has left a kind of hole in my creative world. So, I'm committing to try and be more diligent about blogging. I've also over time linked some of my other sites to my blog so that it can be a kind of hub to what I'm writing about, photographing and following.

One of my favorite Podcast is This Week in Google, a cloud computing show hosted by Leo Laporte with Gina Trapani and Jeff Jarvis. Mr. Jarvis is a Journalism professor is NY and one of his comments really stuck with me. He said that he too had found himself to be blogging less and this concerned him because his blog is a place where he not only documents his life, but also the links and information that are important to him at any given point. When he blogs less, less of his own personal history gets recorded. Twitter and Facebook are both great at near real time conversation, but I really not great at preserving the broader more in depth snapshot of who we are and what we are doing. I thank Jeff for helping me to realize that this was happening in my life as well.

So, in conclusion I am setting a goal to blog at least once per week. It will not always be a long rich entry, but I will do my best. I also need to find a better way of sharing my blog, while still keeping it private for the protection of my family. I don't have the answer to that one yet, but I'll find it along the way.

Parents Weekend - University of Nebraska

After nearly 6 weeks apart, we had the chance to visit Alex during University of Nebraska's parent weekend. Chris, Nik, Catie and I all made the 7 hour drive out to Lincoln on Friday, arriving in town just in time to pick up Alex and head off to our favorite Mexican Restaurant, El Potraro. It was so fun all being together for a delicious meal. We had a blast getting all caught up with what is going on in each of our lives. Hearing Alex's stories of life on campus were great. He is doing very well in all his classes and is now working for the Daily Nebraskan student news paper and the Daily-er Nebraskan which is kind of the UNL version of the Onion. After dinner we went back to AJ's dorm (Abel Hall) so he could show us is dorm room. Chris was relieved to see that he and his friend and room mate Ed kept a pretty organized room. The last time I had seen the room was Nik and I dropped Alex off way back in mid August and was impressed on how much more homey it is now.

Saturday we got Alex set up for a Flu shot at Wallgreens. We headed over to the Haymarket side of town to stroll around the Farmers Market. The weather was kind of cold and rainy but we still enjoyed exploring this unique part of town. The rest of the day was food wrapped around relaxation. Buffalo sandwich shop has amazing subs, soups and sandwiches. We all ate way too much, laughed way to much! We headed back to the hotel and soaked in the hot tub while Alex when back to his dorm to get some work done. We reconnected for dinner at Vincenzo's Italian Ristorante with Alex, his friend Ed and his Mom and Grandma. It was nice to meet some of Ed's family and share a meal with a bigger group. The food was really good too. After dinner we took Alex back to his dorm where we said our goodbye's before heading back to the hotel. On Sunday morning we grabbed a quite breakfast at the hotel before getting an early start for our drive home. It was a wonderful visit with Alex. We are very happy and proud to see him doing so well in this new chapter of his life. I've also done a photo album of the visit and posted it on the family website.

MSSPA Homecoming Dance 2009

Catie attended her first formal dance last night as Main Street School of Performing Arts hosted their 2009 Homecoming Dance. Catie and Chris spent the day getting her hair done, nails done, make-up done and fine tuned her outfit. She looked absolutely beautiful. Chris and I are very proud of her. For more pictures of the evening, please visit our family web site.

First Day of School

Our little girl started High School today. I can't believe she's 14 already! Catie is attending the Main Street School of Performing Arts, a Charter school specializing in Dance, Music and Theater. She is majoring in Dance, with a minor in Theater. This is such a great opportunity for Catie. A small school with a total population of 350, smaller class size, a block schedule with only four, 90 minute classes per day. She is very excited and can't wait to get started.

Happy Birthday My Dear!

My lovely bride Christina turned @#$% years old today. And I have to say, she doesn't look a day over 29...again! The kids and I took her out for a nice dinner. It was a mild evening so we ate outside. Have to enjoy the warm weather while it lasts. Afterward we returned home for gifts and cake. Over all she had a very nice day. Tons of birthday wishes from family and friends on Facebook. Also got mentioned on the local news (WCCO) because she is a Facebook friend of the anchor person. Even got a call from her Mom which is always nice. She did mention that it doesn't quite feel the same without Alex. We all sure do miss him. He did send him Mamma birthday wishes from across the miles though. Happy Birthday sweetheart. I love you.

Posing outside the restaurant, beautiful flowers!

Nik and Catie each bought Chris a new pair of sunglasses

Chris and Lola

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary

I can't help but think of my Mom today. Where she still alive, she and my Dad would be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Their Golden Anniversary. It's days like this that a spectrum of feelings wash over me. There is that empty ache, that only her limitless love and endless hugs can fill. There is the gratefulness that I was blessed with such a great example of how to live a loving, caring, selfless life. Everyone that ever met my Mom would without hesitation agree that they had experienced my Mom's best qualities, regardless of whether they knew her for a day, a year or a lifetime. I live each day, trying to embody the examples that Mom modeled for me. I know I fall short, but I do my best to honor her memory through my daily actions. God Bless you Mom, I love you.

Dad, I know this is a hard day for you too. Just remember that we love you and care about you. Mom is a part of our lives but her memories are fixed in the past. Our memories of you are not only of the past, but also the present and future. That is a blessing I will not take for granted. God Bless you Dad.

Vacation Day 3 - Nicolet Beach

Today was our first full day in the park. Our goal was to spend a little time at the Nicolet Bay beach. In the end, we had so much fun that we spent the entire day there! Nicolet Bay is on the northeastern shore of the park. It has a nice big sandy beach within a large sheltered bay which keeps the shallow waters calm and warm enough for swimming (well warm is a relative term here!) We brought the bikes and kayaks down along with water toys and picnic stuff. I got out kayaking twice today. In the morning I tied a large towing tube to the back of my boat and gave Emmy and Mathew a ride out into the bay. We spent about an hour paddling around, looking at the other boats, birds and whatever else they found interesting.

After lunch, Jenny Mathew and I loaded up our gear for the 1 mile paddle out the Horseshoe Island. This island is part of the park, and has a few landing areas for kayaks and sailboats as well as a couple miles of hiking trails. Also part of the goal in reaching this island is that there is a Geocache called Horseshoe Hideaway that I've been wanting to do every since my brother Dave told me about it. The paddle out was a lot farther than it looked from shore, but the conditions were perfect with very calm water and a nice breeze to keep us comfortable. Once on the island it took us quite a while to find the cache. The coordinates were pretty far off and the hint was not at all helpful. but, after about 45 minutes of searching we did find it. On the paddle back Mathew alternately insisted that he could paddle back by himself and that if we'd just let him jump in the water he could swim back to the beach. I should point out the he is THREE! Ah to have that level of naive confidence again. Later in the day Catie and her friend Sarah took the kayaks out for a bit and had a great time enjoying the water and the beautiful scenery. Dad and Bonnie also joined us at the beach for a while and then later joined us back at camp for a delicious dinner of fried Walleye, Wild Rice and Fettuccine Alfredo. What a great day.

Vacation Day 2 - Door County

We spent the better part of the day today cleaning up from yesterdays Family Fest and getting our camping gear organized and packed. We finally got on the road around 2:30, our destination Peninsula State Park in Door County Wisconsin. We arrived at the campground at 6:00 pm, unpacked my car and headed over to Grandpa and Bonnie Wunrows trailer home in Sister Bay for dinner. This was our first visit to the trailer and we were very impressed. It's the perfect size for a retired couple to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Door County Peninsula. Grandpa prepared burgers and dogs over an open campfire. We had a great time and it was a nice way to kick off the week. Following dinner we had a chance for the kids to go swimming the the camp pool. After sunset, we headed back to Peninsula State Park to finish unpacking and get the younger kids to bed.

Catie, Emmy and Sarah

Bonnie, put the knive down you're scaring me!

Dad and I catching up, while the burgers cook

Vacation Day 1 - Family Fest

My sister Jenny and her husband Jack host an annual family get together at their home on the north shore of Lake Winnebago. Because of fortunate scheduling, we were able to participate in this years even. There was a great turn out of 45 people evenly split between Jacks family and Jenny's family. There was lots of good food and great water fun. I had my kayak with us since we are heading up to Door County with Jenny's family for a week of camping starting tomorrow. I was able to get out for about an hour of paddling. There was a 15-20 mph wind blowing from the west that whipped up the lake with swells of 2-3 feet. Paddling into the wind was fun. Waves crashing over the bow, wind whipped spray in my face, what a blast! It's really fun to be on big water. There was also plenty of water fun for the kids with several rafts anchored near shore for them to float on and dive from. Jack brought his ski boat out too so the kids could do some tubing. We all had a blast.

Chris' Mom was able to join the fun

Yours Truly on the rope swing

Hooray for the Fourth!

On July 4th 1995, while living in Corona, California, I wrote this note in memory of my Grandfather. My Dad was kind enough to forward this to me and I thought on this 4th of July 15 years later it was appropriate to post in my blog. -Jeff

In honor of Grandpa Wunrow (my Grandpa) I’d like to lead all of you a great big rousing Hooray for the Fourth !!!

I think of Grandpa Wunrow every year on the 4th of July. Sitting in his green plaid Bermuda shorts, blue Badger Boys State golf shirt, black socks, brown dress shoes and red Wunrow Racing cap, smoking the butt of a goopy old cigar held together with toothpicks, watching the fireworks at State Fair Park from the front of his house. Telling stories about his time in Uncle Sam's Navy. Our country could learn a thing or two about patriotism from ol' Alfred Jon Wunrow, I know I sure did. God bless you Grandpa, and Thank You…. In closing all of us in the Wunrow West clan want to wish you all a terrific 4th of July holiday. We pray that you all end up home safely at days end. Take care everyone. Jeff

Taylors Falls Paddle

I had some vacation time I needed to use and as this is a holiday weekend anyhow, it seemed like a good time to take a long weekend. So, Nik and I decided to get out for a bit of river paddling today. I have always heard that the stretch of the St. Croix River National Recreation area that runs from Taylor's Falls in Interstate State park is a good day trip. It's only about 90 minutes from my house. The best part is that a canoe outfitter rents both canoe's and kayaks right at the boat landing in the park and as a benefit for me, they also run a shuttle service from two take out points so we could leave our car at Interstate Park and them get a ride back once we were off the river. Chris really appreciated this as she is usually the one that has to drive me out and drop me off at the launch site and then try to find me at the take out site. Not always an easy task.

We put in around 1:45 on a mostly cloudy, cool summer day. Temperature was 75 with a 10 mph wind from the north. The current was a slow but steady 1-2 mph. Not fast by any means but nice enough to allow us to drift through some of the more scenic parts of the trip. I was amazed at how may people rent boats and do this trip. There were always at least 3 other canoe's in view, although usually not close enough to feel as though you were being crowded . The geography we paddled through was heavily wooded, with gentle hills rolling outward to form the St. Croix River Valley. There were several small islands with nice sandy beaches where many people landed and picnicked or just relaxed in this beautify setting.

We went through one gorge that had 30 foot granite cliffs on the Wisconsin (eastern) side of the river. We even saw a guy dive off one of these large cliffs into the river! Not something I would have done, but when asked he swore he didn't hit the bottom. Nik and I did land once on a sandy beach once to stretch our legs, take a few pictures and cool off in the water. This time of year, the water is not quite warm enough for swimming, but by the end of the month it will be. Our final destination of the Osceola landing was reached after about 2 hours and 40 minutes of padding. There we cleaned up the boat and waited for the ride back to Interstate Park were I retrieved the car and drove back to pick up Nik and our gear. What a fun day on the water, I'll be back soon!

Alex's Graduation Tribute Video

Our son Alex graduted from High School on June 9th, 2009. In keeping with our family tradition, we honor Alex's life the achievement with a video tribute. We are proud of him and love him very much.

Alex HS Graduation Tribute from Jeff Wunrow on Vimeo.

Congratulations to our Graduate!!!

Tonight at 9:30 pm, out son Alexander Jon walked across the stage at Grace Church in Eden Prairie to accept his diploma and become a graduate of Minnetonka High School. These last three years have not been easy for Alex. After moving here from Southern California there have been many challenges for him to overcome. Through blood, sweat and some tears he has risen to the challenges and over come them one by one. He is now a young man who is confident and poised to take his future by the scruff of the neck and make it his own. Sitting in the audience watching him accept the fruit of his accomplishment I was hit with a wave of various emotions. Pride for his success, sadness for the end of this chapter of his life with us and hope full for all the wonderful opportunities his college years at Nebraska will hold for him. Chris and I are so proud there are really no words to accurately describe it. I just know that he is our son, we are proud of him and we love him. God Bless you Alex!

Alex accepts his diploma

Alex and the rest of our clan

Alex with Grandpa and Bonnie

Graduation Day

In a little more than 14 hours from now, our middle son Alexander will be walking across the stage to accept his High School Diploma from Minnetonka High. It has been a long hard road for Alex since we moved here from Southern California. Being the new kid from a strange state, he had many challenges in getting used to the academic standards, the weather, the kids, and the pull to want to go back to California. A lot to deal with for a 14 year old. But, from adversity comes opportunity. I have to say that Alex never gave up, even in the darkest of moments. This certainly could have gone far differently, with grave and unfortunate consistences. He worked extremely hard to find his own voice, make friends that love and accept him for who he is and make a future that is bright with opportunity. I am from the bottom of my heart proud of him. He is my son, and I love him very much. God bless you AJ, enjoy the day as the momentum builds to the ceremony tonight!

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers day to all the Mom's out there, but especially to my lovely wife Christina. You have been the mother of our children, my partner in business, my partner in life and the love of my life. I would not be half the man I am today without you. Thank you. I love you very much.

Happy Mothers day to my Mom, in Heaven. You loved me and my siblings unconditionally. You showed us how to be a loving, caring and compassionate parent, spouse and citizen of the word. You made everyone you touched in your life better for the experience. Thank you.

Minnehaha Creak Kayaking

Took the day off today for a little paddling adventure. Since it's early Spring I thought it would be a good day to do another section of Minnehaha Creek. Chris dropped me off with my kayak at the Taco Bell where Nik and I ended our paddle trip last summer. As I launched the water seemed to be moving pretty well and I was looking forward to a great day on the water. It was cool and mostly cloudy, but there was not much wind and with my wet suite and a layer of poly, I was very comfortable.

It wasn't more that a few hundred yards down stream that I got hung up on a sand bar. It was in a slow moving wetland, and I had to get out of my boat and walk 20 feet our so to get back to deeper water. Little did I know that this was going to be the theme of the day! Even though the dam at Grays Bay opened up on Lake Minnetonka on May 1st, the amount of snow this winter and rain this Spring has been far below average. So the water level on the creek was at least 6 inches lower than optimal. In the the 6 miles that I paddled over the next 3 hours I probably had to climb out of my kayak and walk at least 50 times. There were stretches where over the course of a quarter mile I walked 80% of the time. The cycle was, walk 150 feet, find deeper water, climb in the boat, paddle around a bend and get stuck, climb out walk 50 feet, climb back in, paddle and get stuck. Arg!

Well, I was reminded of an old golf saying that I've converted for this trip. A bad day kayaking is still better than a good day at work! I did my best to make the most of the situation. I am now really good and quickly and gracefully getting in and out of my kayak in very shallow water. Something I got to practice more on this trip and in my entire experience as a kayaker! So, I've got that going for me. The other interesting part is this stretch of the creek actually had two portages. In the 1800's before the dam at Grays Bay was build, there were a string of grain mills on Minnehaha creek. Two of these dams still exist and you have to portage around them. Pretty unique for an urban padding setting.

I finally ran out of time and had to call Chris for a pick up somewhere in Edina. I pulled out at a cool little spot near a 5 foot waterfall. There I waited until Chris eventually found me. It was a fun trip and I look forward to the next section, with hopefully a bit more water!

MN Star Ballroom Competition

Tonight Catie competed with her partner Aaron in the Minnesota Star Ballroom Competition. After last weeks pressure cooker, this one was much less stressful. Catie and Aaron danced in a group of 6 couples, but were the only ones in their category. Without the pressure, they were able to dance for fun. It was a fun evening. Since I was unable to be able to make the trip to Wisconsin last week, it was fun to be able to watch Catie perform tonight.

Catie and Aaron Dance the Rumba

Catie and Aaron Dance the Cha-Cha

Wisconsin Dancesport Championships

On the competition front, Catie will be very busy the next two weeks. She and Chris were in Milwaukee this weekend competing at the Wisconsin Dancesport State Championships. This was her first major competition with a field of 9 couples in her age group and ability level. She also added a fourth dance, the Jive to the mix. Actually Catie and Aaron found our an hour before the competition that they would be doing Jive, and pretty much learned it on the fly. Since the competition was in Milwaukee at the Pfister Hotel, Caties Grandma and her Aunt Julie were also able to attend and cheer her on. Catie and Aaron danced really well in Cha-Cha, Rumba and Samba. Then came the time for the dreaded Jive. They actually did well in the Jive except one part were they lost their way. That break was a costly one. Even with this penalty they took third place in the field of nine. Congratulations Catie!

The beginning of the Cha-Cha

The Samba Pose

Catie and Grandma Olga

The Decision of a Lifetime

It was in fall of 2007 that Alex attended the College fair at Minnetonka High School. Over the next 18 months there have been many ups and downs in his quest for higher education. What should his major be? Big school or small school? In state or out of state? Live at home or on campus? Many, many questions. All of which ran through many cycles before the picture started to come into focus. Alex was leaning more toward a big urban campus setting. The school needed to have a top NCAA sports program (especially football and basketball). Writing has become not only a passion for Alex, but the more he wrote the more obvious it become that it is also a gift. So, Journalism it is. Something he loves and is gifted at.

Now, the applications went out last fall, 10 schools in all. Going into the last couple of weeks the field had been narrowed down to two, Nebraska and Arizona State both of which have very good Journalism schools. He scheduled a campus visit for the University of Nebraska over spring break. So yesterday Alex, his good friend Ed, Ed's father Mark and I hoped in the car for the 7 hour drive to Lincoln NE. Upon arriving in Lincoln we drove past the UNL (University of Nebraska - Lincoln) football stadium which seats 100,000 crazy Cornhusker fans. I swear at that moment, the table in Alex's head started to tilt toward Nebraska. We spend this morning driving around both the campus and the city of Lincoln which is also the state capital. The more Alex and Ed saw, the more they liked.

In the afternoon, we had a wonderful campus visit. Various representatives of the admissions team spent 4 hours with the boys, meeting, touring and answering questions. In the end it was time to go. We had about a 4 block walk from the Admissions building to our car. In the time it took us to walk that distance, both Alex and Ed were in agreement that the University of Nebraska was where they wanted to go to college. In the end it met all the requirements of an urban centered, big campus, strongs sports program and a top 5 Journalism school. Alex is so excited and relieved to have closure on this. It is a decision that we pray will bare fruit for the rest of his life. I'm so proud of Alex for all he has accomplished getting to this point. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Persistance Pays Off

Today was a big day for our oldest son Nik. He has been studying for his DMV learners permit written test for several months and today was the big day. I received a phone call around noon from Nik. "Hey Dad, I passed!" Yahoo! Way to go Nik. All his hard work and studying have payed off for him. I'll be starting him off with a little parking lot practice next weekend when he comes back from his trip to Tucson AZ. Congratulations Nik, Mom and I are very proud of you!

Happy Anniversary

Today is a big milestone for me. On March 12, 1984 I started my career at Quad/Graphics. The very first hour of my very first day was spent in an orientation class taught by Harry Quadracci himself. I'll Never forget his opening statement. "I welcome you all to the first day, of the rest of your lives." And with that the adventure began. Along the way I have been so blessed to live out many of Harry's dreams, to create a company were we could all dare to dream big, that we could accomplish more are a team than we could individually apart, and that we were building the company that day, that generations not yet born would be inheriting from us.

Well, Here I sit today, 25 years later and my reality is even bigger than I ever dared dream on the cold March Day in Pewaukee. As a team we have accomplished so many amazing things. And true to his word, the trainee's that I have worked with the last year were in fact, born after I started working for Quad. It's been an amazing journey so far, but this is really just a road side marker on a much bigger journey that we are all a part of. There is so much growth still to accomplish, so many opportunities to create for that next future generation. I am proud and humbled to have been giving this opportunity by a man that next to my Father has left the biggest fingerprint on who I am. God Bless you Harry.

X-C Ski

With the fresh snowfall we received on Thursday I decided to take a vacation day today so I could get out and enjoy some cross-country skiing. There is a large regional park about 8 miles west of my house called Carver Park Reserve that has a large complex of long and nicely groomed ski trails. When I got there mid afternoon, the sky was the kind of clear blue you only get on days that are too cold to hold any moisture in the air. As I put on my ski's the temperature was 10 above with a strong breeze dropping the wind chill to around zero. Judging from the condition of the track only two other skiers had been there before me. The track was so clean and crisp it looked like something from the Olympics. The loop I did was 7.6 K over rolling hills and alternating between prairie and woods. The temperature varied greatly between sun, shade and wind so I ended up stopping several times to add or remove layers, but overall I was comfortable the whole time. I also stopped along the way to take a some pictures. I've posted a few of them here and will add more to the Family web site and to my Facebook account. It's going to be cold again today so hopefully the snow will be around a few more days so I can get out again.

The track was gorgeous!

Enjoying the light during Happy Hour