A nice lunch on 4/19 at Old Chicago in downtown Minneapolis with my Mom, my brother Thom, and my sister Kris. We didn't sit this close for the entire lunch. 

Fantasy baseball

Tonight I have my fantasy baseball draft. I have been playing in a league with other stay-at-home dads for about 5 years now. Some of the team owners have changed over time, but most are the same. I have never won in this league but I enjoy it every year.

Our draft tonight will take place online, and we have guys participating from coast to coast. I already have 8 players, 7 that I kept from last season and one I picked up in our pre-draft since I didn't keep our max of eight players. I have Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau of my hometown Twins and six others. I hope to do much better this year as I finished second to last last season.

Fantasy sports are a fun diversion. I participate in a football league during the NFL season, and am currently involved in fantasy golf (PGA), racing (NASCAR), and the NCAA basketball tournament.

Me and my beautiful daughter, Abigail Lee. 

Winter...bring it on!

This winter has been quite mediocre so far. We have had some snow, which is nice but with stretches of temperatures above freezing we have lost most of it.

Winter here in Minnesota is always better with a lot of snow and temperatures just below freezing. All the fun stuff you can do here depends on the snow, otherwise it is just dreary and brown. The kids like to go sliding, and there hasn't been much good snow for that. They did get out with Krista during the last snowfall and made a snowman in the front yard.

Minnesota is a great place to live, but sometimes winter can drag on. There is so little daylight with so many overcast days, and the days of light are short to begin with. We need our snow to make it fun.

Merry Christmas!

We had a couple of days of really nice Christmas celebrations around here. Christmas Eve we were at church for a nice service with some great music by the choir and orchestra at Grace. We then gathered at my mother-in-law's home in Hopkins with some family and had a nice time and a good dinner. The kids opened up some gifts and ate too much suger.

Christmas morning is just the four of us at home, opening gifts to and from each other. The kids seemed pleased with their gifts. We give each of them three gifts, a tradition we started when Abby was young, remembering the three recorded gifts that were brought to the baby Jesus that first Christmas.

After attending the lone Christmas Day service at church, we had Krista's mom, Grandma Lee, and her brother Scott at our house. We opened gifts, watched some football, some had naps and then dinner and dessert.

It was a good Christmas for my family. I thank God for his care this year. As we near the end of 2005, I am thankful for the health and prosperity we enjoy. I look forward to 2006 and all the new experiences life will bring.