Long Time No Blog..........

Hello everyone,

I am sorry to the 4 or so people that are reading our blog.  We have had an extremely busy summer and I just haven't got around to updating the site. 

Where to begin????

Well, we all made it back safe and sound from Washington DC.  I had read and been told that it is a very unsafe city and to be very careful. We of course were careful, but I don't think it was that bad at all. We actually spent a good majority of our time riding the subway (DC Metro).  It would be so nice if the Twin Cities had a public transportation system that nice.

Below I have highlighted a few of our favorite things in DC:

The Washington Nationals Baseball Game-

We had a blast going to the game on a warm summer night.  They have a brand new outdoor stadium that was gorgeous.  We didn't even really watch much of the game and spent our time exploring the stadium and taking pictures.  

Arlington National Cemetery-

This was a very touching place to visit.  It was especially sad to see families of the soldiers that died in the Iraq war visiting their family members graves.  I am not sure if this is entirely true; but the tour guide said that within a year grave sites for troops in the Iraq war will outnumber those of any other war in Arlington National Cemetery.  I don't really want to have a political debate blog; but I wonder how often President Bush visits the grave sites of fallen soldiers from the Iraq war?

Chinatown-

It took us until our last day in DC to discover China Town. We wish we would have found it sooner.  It was only a few blocks from our hotel and had lots to offer.  This area has been totally revamped with shopping and restaurants; I think we actually liked it better than Georgetown.

Swimming-

Our hotel in DC (Marriott Metro Center) had a very nice pool.  It was Max's first time swimming.  He was a little scared at first but it was really fun.  It was especially nice after walking around in the 100 degree heat all day.

Overall-

We had a very nice time.  It was a lot of work to travel across the country with a 9 month old but Max did great.  His worst moment of the trip was the plane ride home. We flew on FF miles and Megan and Max sat in first class.  Luckily they sat by a nice doctor who didn't mind the screaming and crying while sitting on the runway.  

I am glad we went to DC as I have never been before.  It was nice to actually see all of the Monuments and Government Buildings in person.  We must have walked about 5 miles each day and the weather was extremely hot and humid.  I think if we ever go back we will try going in the fall.

Here is a quick slideshow from our trip.............
Max Goes to DC!! from Nathan Rucker on Vimeo.

I have a few more things to update; but I will hopefully have that done this weekend.  Thanks for sticking with me!!

Nathan

Meet The Gunderson's

Hello,

Last Sunday night we had the privilege of having a BBQ dinner with our friends Chris and Aira. We usually try and do this a few times a year as Chris and I are both obsessed with spice rubs and marinades. Chris is an old college friend of mine who lives in Woodbury; just a little south of us. Also, like us, they have a new baby boy........named.........Max!!

This is the first time Max (ours) had a chance to play with someone his own age. I know they have no idea what they are doing; but it was really fun to watch. I think these two will be friends for many years to come.

Here are a few pictures from the night:

We had a really fun time and are looking forward to doing it again.

Nathan

One Heck of a Golf Weekend

Greetings,

Last weekend I embarked on a long awaited journey to Breezy Point Minnesota. Last year my friend Steele and I talked about this "All Inclusive" golf trip that included everything. Sign me up!! Throughout the next year we were able to persuade 6 others to join us. It was going to be a great trip.

We departed Minneapolis around 8AM Friday morning and made the three hour trek (actually it was closer to 3 1/2 hours because Brandt got lost twice) up north. Golf that Friday was great, even though my game wasn't. We all had a good time. On to the evening.........

Please keep in mind that I told you this trip was "All Inclusive" and included everything. That being said, we enjoyed a few adult beverages that day/evening and that is when the real fun started.

The Scene of the Crime!!

After a rousing game of Texas Hold Em' a few of us were getting a few bumps from some up north townies. I am not sure if it was the goofy look on Marquardt's face or my Pink shirt that seemed to stir things up???? Long story short; my friend Steele pushed over a 60 year old, 350 pound guy that was bumping into us. That lead to two of my other friends getting kicked out and later ARRESTED!!

The two gentleman were cuffed, stuffed and booked into the local Breezy Point Jail for the night. At that point I look over at Steele's dad Rod and say "I'm too old for this stuff"!! In their defense; they did absolutely nothing wrong. The situation was overblown by the "Breezy Point Security Team" and the local police. Do they really need to send 8 squad cars to a bar for a little pushing match? I have witnessed much worse than this on Black Friday or that once a year wedding dress sale in NYC!!

The next day we got up and golfed while the jailbirds enjoyed a nice breakfast and shower in jail. They were released to make our afternoon tee-time; so thats good. We decided to take it a little easier that night.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful except for:

1. Brandt playing some insane golf.

2. An older gentleman a few holes ahead of us having a heart attack and passing away (at least he went doing something he loved).

All in all; just another weekend away with the BOYS!! Good times were had by all (most of the time).

Take care,

Nathan

Memorial Day Zoo Trip

Happy Memorial Day!!

On Monday we took Max to the Como Zoo in St. Paul to celebrate his first ever Memorial Day. We had taken him once before when he was just a few weeks old.  Luckily on this trip he didn't sleep the whole time.

Here are some pictures from our day........

His favorite part of the day was riding on the fake giraffe and watching the sea lions.  It is fun to see the expressions on his face when he sees new things.

Until next time.........

Nathan

All About Max

In honor of Max's eight month birthday last weekend; I put together a 5 minute slideshow chronicling his first eight months of life.

The majority of these moments consisted of the following:

-Walks to downtown Stillwater and Starbucks

-Meeting all of his relatives

-Having lots of hair; losing all his hair; and re-growing it back again

-Going to the Como Zoo

-Mom and Dad doing everything they can to get him to smile

-Trying to keep Buster away from his food

-Watching Vikings games with the boys

This is my first attempt at importing a video to Vimeo. Hopefully I will get a little bit better at editing and the quality will improve.

All About Max from Nathan Rucker on Vimeo.

I thought it would be a nice video to post since a lot of you haven't seen him since he has gotten bigger. Enjoy!!

Nathan

Our First Blog Entry

Hello friends and family,

We wanted to create a blog to share information, pictures, videos and other updates about our family...........

As everyone knows we found out we are having another baby. This one will be born sometime in December; sex is still unknown. I think its a girl and Megan thinks its another boy. We will hopefully know in about 9 weeks.

Another exciting piece of news is that we are going on our first family vacation next month. Megan, Max and I are heading to our Nations Capital for a long weekend away.

We are a little nervous about flying with a 9 month old baby. Instead of being that guy who is staring at the family of a crying baby; I am going to be the guy getting stared at. Oh well, I guess it saves me the hassle of putting together a detailed "trip-tic"........

It will also be nice to avoid any situations like this.............(not work appropriate)

I am really excited as this is my first trip to DC. Megan went once with her family when she was little. My family was more interested in going to Florida for a 332nd time!! I am not really sure what to expect; my dad said its really fun and one of his favorite places. My good friend Aaron Steele said he was bored after one day. I guess I will just have to wait and see for myself.

Big props to my bosses for giving us an awesome camera (Nikon D40X) for Christmas last year. We will be sure to take plenty of pictures of Max and the Monuments (sounds like a movie?!?!).

Until next time.......................

Nathan