Category: Activities

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Activities

Laura and Russ Get Married

A bit of sunshine, a bit of rain, and a beautiful Basilica make for a great wedding. Laura and Russ tired the knot on October 14th at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. With Henry and William as ring bearers, Jacob reading the intercessions, and Elise as the Best Matron, it was a family affair. The reception afterward was at the Marriott Southwest where Elise and I had ours 8 years prior! The weekend was a blast with the chance to visit with the Degens and Kelly’s, the boys grooving on the dance floor, and the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool the next morning prior to brunch at Mary and Larry’s house.

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Activities

St. Jude Walk (Vikings Stadium)

On Saturday, we joined Fred and Cathy in the St. Jude Walk for Children’s Cancer. The highlight of this walk was that it started on the pavilion of the new Vikings Stadium and, after walking around it, you ended on the 50 yard line! The boys (and I) enjoyed getting a chance to see this amazing stadium and be right on the field!

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Activities

Henry’s 5th Birthday

This past week we celebrated Henry’s fifth birthday. Elise delivered on his request for a ninja turtle birthday cake and we enjoyed a grand outing to a Twins game with all of our family members. Prior to the game, the boys received some autographs which was followed by a post game running of the bases. It was pretty awesome to walk right onto the field and get a while new view of the stadium. Most importantly, Henry absolutely loved it!

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Activities

First Day of School (2017)

The fall has arrived and on September 5th, Henry started preschool at Tiger Kids Club! Jacob returned to the elementary school (1st grade) while William is with Wendy. Here’s the crew on the first day:

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Activities

Enjoying the Outdoors

As the summer draws to an end, we thought it was the perfect time to get in some last-minute outings. We packed the van and headed down the road to Baker Park. While there’s no privacy, the campground is layed out nicely and has great facilities. We enjoyed cruising the paved bike paths, playing on the playground, and fishing. Grandma and Grandpa even stopped in for some smores!

A few weeks later we tossed the bikes in the van and drive to St. Boni. where we hopped on the Dakota Regional trail. Destination: Big Stone Mini Golf! The mini golf course is right on the trail and you can enjoy the golf, sculpture park, or just relax around the campfire. It’s a fun spot and some good golfing.

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Activities

State Capitol

At long last, the Minnesota Capitol renovations have been completed. To celebrate the occasion, a weekend of events and tours was held for the public to come and see the changes. It was a great opportunity to bring the boys and have them learn a little about our state government. The highlight for them was the tunnel between buildings and the Lego replica. 

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Activities Professional Life

Las Vegas

For a work conference, I had the enjoyment of traveling to Las Vegas and was able to get in a full day of sight seeing. After seeing the strip (Fountains at the Bellagio) and the Stratosphere, I rented a car and drove to Hoover Dam followed by Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The sites were amazing and despite the heat it was a peaceful and awe-inspiring day.

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Activities

Henry turns 4

Ninja Turtle Cake!

On Saturday morning, we headed to the local bowling alley for two games of fun.  Both sets of grandparents and aunts met us there, and we had lots of fun rolling balls down the lane.  Afterward, we headed home to enjoy some delicious pizza and Henry’s choice birthday cake: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

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Activities

Jacob’s First Triathlon

Final curve of the bike

After a morning visit to the Walker Art Center, the family traveled to Hudson.  Normally, we would be cheering on one of the aunts in a race, but today was a bit different.  Instead, today we would cheer on Jacob in his first triathlon!

After a picnic lunch, Jacob got his gear checked in to the transition area with guidance from TT.  After some instructions, the kids were off!  A 40 foot swim was followed by a 1 mile bike and a 1/2 mile run.  The entire time, there was a nice, big perma-grin on his face.  He had a blast!

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Activities

Vacation to Fox River

After heading up north to the wedding of Caitlin Kennedy (now Royce), Elise and I swung through Eden Prairie to pick up the boys and start off on the road trip of the summer.  While the boys did great, we hit some pretty awful traffic and didn’t arrive at our destination until late at night.  The destination? Holiday Inn Fox River Resort.

Over the next 6 days, we enjoyed hanging out, golfing, and lots of swimming.  The boys also had a great time hunting down the 10 foxes hidden throughout the resort, finding them near the horse stables, pools, or while using a paddle-boat.

During our down-time, we also enjoyed watching the summer Olympics, with Jacob and Henry’s favorite swimmer: La-Ducky. After a great week, we hit the road to head back home, making a scenic detour and pit-stop in our old haunt: Iowa City.