Season 1:
Foundations, Faith & The "Grandparent Loop"
2000 - Putting Down Roots
2000 - Significant life transitions, including a move to Minnesota, buying a new house and the start of new employment. This period was marked by establishing roots, by hosting Thanksgiving dinner for extended family in our new home and joining a family fantasy football league that continues through today (and now includes my son). Leisure activities included an anniversary cruise along the San Antonio Riverwalk, summer visits to Park Rapids which began a sixteen-year era of cabin life, and attending a performance of the Beauty and the Beast musical at The Orpheum. Additionally, the year included social gatherings such as poker parties with colleagues and marked the beginning of membership at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church.
2001 - Choosing Intention
In 2001, we leaned into travel and personal growth before the "kid era" began. We took a memorable 10-day "no kids" trip to Disney in June and celebrated our anniversary at Craguns Resort, alongside flying to destination weddings in Florida and New York including one the weekend before September 11th. At home, We hosted our three grandmas for Mother’s Day, celebrated the Fourth of July in Park Rapids, and caught incredible performances like My Fair Lady and the Billy Joel and Elton John "Face to Face" concert. This was also a foundational year as members of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, we dove into a program called the "Building Blocks of Success and Happiness" program, where I wrote a personal mission statement at age 28 that helped shape my future.
2002 - Building Quiet Freedom
2002 was officially the start of the "babies, babies, babies" era: not only did our friends and family start having kids, but our son Nathan was born that year. Before fully diving into parenthood, Jen and I managed a getaway to Key West in May, where we enjoyed a sunset catamaran cruise, and I had a reward work trip to La Jolla. Much of our other travel shifted toward visiting extended family in Chicago, Florida, and Park Rapids. It was also a year of setting strong foundations; We attended a Young Adults Retreat at LutherPark in April (thru our church) and we reached a major financial goal by paying off all our non-mortgage debt (car and student loans) before our first child was born.
2003 - Finding Our Rhythm
2003 was a year defined by "firsts" and some incredible travel perks. We headed to Hawaii in May for a Wells Fargo reward work trip, that included golf at Waikele, an authentic luau, and some catamaran sailing. Back home, the year was filled with "first birthdays" and friends visiting with their new babies, along with our trips to see family in Chicago and spend time at the cabin in Park Rapids, including a visit to Itasca State Park in July. This also kicked off what became a long tradition of family bike rides using the Burley trailer in April and starting to attend Children's Museums.
2004 - Stability Takes Hold
2004 was fully immersed in the "baby era," so the schedule was naturally packed with baptisms, showers, and birthdays. We focused heavily on local family fun, making regular rounds to the Zoo, the Children's Museum, and the Mall of America, before wrapping up the season at the State Fair. Summer meant time at the cabin in Park Rapids, which included the extended family and friends 4th of July party, riding wave runners, and visited Itasca State Park. Jen and I did manage a getaway to New York City in December where we took a carriage ride around Central Park and I also saw the Barenaked Ladies Christmas Show and the Movin' Out Musical at Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. This also coincided with us starting a new tradition of attending Advent festivals at our church.
2005 - Growing In Parallel
2005 was a huge year for milestones, headlined by the birth of our daughter Lauren and my graduation from the University of St. Thomas with an MBA. I also hit a major stride at work by establishing a foreign currency funding program, closing the very first deal in Australia on July 4th (while up north at a parade in Park Rapids, MN). While our travel was mostly focused on visiting extended family in Chicago, Florida, and Park Rapids during this "baby era," we still made time for fun outings like a January waterpark trip, fishing in May, and regular summer stops at the Zoo, Children's Museum, and apple orchards. We wrapped up the year by kicking off what would become a long-running family tradition: attending our first Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier in December.
Season 2:
The "Rockstar" Years, Waterparks & The Driving Trips
2006 - Opening The Circle
2006 was a year of big changes and new beginnings, marked by our move into a new house and the official start of the "CloverMaster" neighborhood group. We took our first major family vacation to Disney World in April with the Luukkonens, managing the parks with two kids ages four and one. Summer brought our usual cabin time in Park Rapids and 4th of July festivities. Between attending "Truck Night" in May, seeing Tom Petty and Pearl Jam in concert in June, and taking the kids to the circus in November, we stayed busy before closing out the year with a Halloween party and our holiday tradition of visiting the Museum of Science and Industry and Winter Wonderfest in Chicago.
2007 - A Full House
2007 was a headline year thanks to the birth of our daughter Emerson, but it also marked the start of several long-term family traditions. I kicked off the year with a work trip to London, while back home we launched our "waterpark era" with a January visit to the Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells, and tested the waters of camping with our first night at Itasca State Park in July. With Nathan starting t-ball and basketball, we kept busy with kid-focused fun like Sesame Street Live and KiddieLand, alongside our regular rotation of trips to the Zoo, Children's Museum, and the State Fair.
2008 - Childhood Everywhere
2008 was a year of high contrast, balancing a massive work trip to Singapore and Australia, seeing koalas and kangaroos, along with the intense pressure of managing bank liquidity during the financial crisis. On the home front, it was a big milestone year: Nathan started Kindergarten, we celebrated Emerson’s baptism in April, and noted the arrival of Fantaye. We managed to pull off a major family trip to Disney World and SeaWorld in April with the Luukkonens, with three kids ages six, three, and one. Socially, the neighborhood bond tightened as we kicked off our CloverMaster camping tradition in August and hosted a backyard Olympics celebration. We filled the rest of the calendar with local adventures like the Star Wars exhibit at Science Museum, trips to KiddieLand and Chicago waterparks with grandparents, and our usual summer cabin fun in Park Rapids and attending the Hubbard County Fair.
2009 - Joyful Chaos
2009 was a year where we really embraced the outdoors and started some new travel habits. We kicked off our tradition of “no kids” couples trips with a getaway to Mexico in February, but we also leaned hard into camping, including a trip to Whitewater with the Axelsons and a Clovermaster group outing to Jay Cooke State Park. Our family was even featured in a “We Can Camp” photo shoot for the MN DNR that September. Between managing the intense pressure of bank liquidity during the financial crisis, we still made time for fun like seeing Eric Clapton in concert, experiencing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, hitting up Lumberjack Days in Stillwater, and visiting Itasca State Park. The kids kept us moving too, with Nathan starting Boy Scouts and soccer, Lauren trying gymnastics, and our regular family rotation of the Zoo, State Fair, and hayrides.
2010 - Life In Motion
2010 was a year of expanding horizons and kicked off with a family trip to Florida in February and my own travels to London where I was able to catch a Chelsea soccer match and Toronto where I experienced the CN Tower's glass floor. We gained some more local fame in July as the featured family for the MN DNR's "I Can Camp" promotion, which fit perfectly alongside our regular outdoor adventures like camping with the CloverMaster group, fishing, and a summer trip to the North Shore to see the Tall Ships in Duluth. The social calendar was nonstop with neighborhood events like a Beach Party, Mardi Gras bash, and even a "Prom," while we made time for big entertainment like the U2 concert at TCF Bank Stadium and seeing Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre. Between celebrating Uncle Joey’s 90th birthday and keeping up with the kids' scout meetings, gymnastics, and swimming lessons, we still managed our regular visits to the cabin, the Zoo, and the State Fair.
2011 - Expanding the World
2011 was a year of hitting some major travel milestones. I started the year with a work trip to Malaysia, visiting the Batu Caves and dining atop the Petronas Towers, and later scored an incredible experience at Super Bowl 45, watching the game from a suite next to Green Bay legend Bart Starr. We leaned into the cold weather with snowmobiling, sledding, and a winter camping trip to Jay Cooke State Park, and we even learned how to curl at a friend's 40th birthday party. Summer featured our first big "Fam5" road trip to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Buffalo Safari in Custer State Park and hike Harney Peak, as well as the kickoff of our annual Family Camp tradition at Luther Park. The neighborhood social scene remained high-energy with an "Amazing Race" event, an 80s-themed party, and plenty of local adventures like biking and the State Fair.
2012 - Saying Yes Often
2012 was a year of serious mileage, balancing tropical adventures with European business and epic family road trips. We started strong in February with a couples' trip to Puerto Rico with the Gilbertsons, where we hiked the El Yunque rainforest, swam with giant sea turtles, explored the forts in San Juan and kayaked in a bioluminescent bay (at night). I also headed overseas for work in June, hitting London, Paris, and Frankfurt just in time to catch the Queen’s Jubilee and host investor events. On the family front, we packed the schedule with a Spring Break run to the Wilderness waterpark, our annual Family Camp at Luther Park, and a major summer expedition to Washington State to explore Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainier. We really packed it in out West, watching the famous fish throwing at Pike Place Market, hiking to the world's largest Spruce tree in the Quinault Rain Forest, soaking in the Sol Duc Hot Springs, hiking around Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park and even catching the Blue Angels performing maneuvers in Seattle. Back home, the "CloverMaster" crew kept things lively with neighborhood Olympics and Easter egg hunts, while we juggled the kids' karate, piano, and tennis schedules alongside our usual trips to the cabin and the State Fair.
2013 - Marking the Moments
2013 was a year of big celebrations and outdoor firsts, headlined by treating my parents to join us on a All-Inclusive Disney World trip in April and celebrating Jen’s 40th birthday with a big bash in August. We really leaned into lake life by joining "Your Boat Club" and I took a float plane for a fishing trip in Canada, while still making time for our annual Family Camp at Luther Park and neighborhood camping with the CloverMaster crew. The kids kept us running with karate, swim team, and piano, but we balanced the schedule with fun outings like Disney on Ice, snow tobogganing, and a visit to the "3 Bears" waterpark. We wrapped up the year’s memories with a new puppy in November and a memorable Halloween where Jen and I dressed up as the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes host/winner.
Season 3:
Career Advancing, Adventure Travel & The Lake Legacy Begins
2014 - Memory-Making Years
2014 was a year defined by outdoor adventures and big trips, headlined by a summer RV expedition to Estes Park, Colorado where we explored Rocky Mountain National Park and went horseback riding. We escaped the cold early in the year with a work trip to San Diego and a family Spring Break in Florida, where we caught a Twins training camp game and took a thrilling airboat ride through the Everglades to see Alligators. I also managed to fit in some unique travels, including a float plane fishing trip in Canada, a visit to Sutton Bay, South Dakota, and a NYC getaway with Jen to see A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway. Back home, we kept the traditions alive with the Daddy/Daughter dance, our annual Family Camp at Luther Park, and a CloverMaster camping trip to Baker Park Reserve. Between juggling the kids' karate, skating, and band schedules, we made time for fun outings like the Boat Show, MOCA events, and the State Fair before closing out the year with a Halloween Party and Christmas Celebrations.
2015 - Everything Working
2015 was an epic year for travel, highlighted by a two-week family road trip through Utah and Wyoming where we went extreme jeeping in Moab, white water rafting on the Colorado River, hiked the Fiery Furnance & Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, watched Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park and went horseback riding in Jackson Hole. We kept the suitcases handy for plenty of other trips too, including a getaway to Palm Springs, a Spring Break run to the Wilderness Resort, and a visit to Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway 50th anniversary shareholder meeting. I had a memorable experience with my own dad by getting "hot passes" to watch a NASCAR race from the pits at the Chicagoland Speedway. Back home, we stayed active with "Your Boat Club" outings, catching a Luke Bryan concert at TCF Bank Stadium, and cheering on the local teams with MN Wild playoffs and MN Twins games. The "CloverMaster" crew kept the neighborhood lively with a "Ponies" event and a front-row outing to a Wild game, while the kids hit their own milestones, with Nathan earning his black belt in karate and the girls busy with skating and the annual daddy/daughter dance.
2016 - An Abundant Season
2016 was a year of "embracing the big events" and closing a significant chapter on our cabin life. We kicked things off with a couples' getaway to Cabo San Lucas and a high-adventure Spring Break in Arizona with the Camerons, where we hiked Camelback, Pistewa Peak and rode horses to a deserted town to shoot guns and throw hatchets. While we kept active locally with downhill mountain biking, river tubing with friends, and daddy date to Valleyfair, we also said a bittersweet goodbye to the Luukkonen's Park Rapids cabin with our final visit in September. The fall was massive, featuring a family trip to Disney and Universal, plus a front-row seat to sports history as we watched Team USA win the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. We capped off the year’s memories with a Mumford and Sons concert and a festive New Year's Eve bash at Cragun's with the neighbors.
2017 - Feeling the Shift
2017 was a year of travel pivots and big entertainment, shifting from our usual cabin routine to a series of "up north" getaways in Nisswa, the North Shore, and a VRBO rental. We still found plenty of warmth with a family Spring Break in Florida that including a Key West detour for the 2 of us, and other family waterpark trips to Sheboygan and Great Wolf Lodge. We halso had some couples' trips with some real highlights: a Charleston adventure with the Gilbertsons featuring dolphin kayaking and ghost tours and a classic December escape to NYC for Christmas markets, a Gospel Brunch at the Red Rooster and a Broadway marathon including Come From Away, Hello, Dolly! and Dear Evan Hansen. Back home, we filled the calendar with big concerts like U2, Ed Sheeran, and Imagine Dragons and took the kids to see Cirque De Soleil. Family milestones kept us grounded too, with Emerson’s First Communion, Nathan’s Confirmation, and my final Daddy/Daughter dance all squeezed in alongside our regular rotation of MOCA events, boat show, and Vikings games.
2018 - The Fullest Year
2018 was a huge year for starting new lake traditions and witnessing some memeborable sports history, headlined by buying our lake home in Annandale. The travel schedule was non-stop, ranging from a Spring Break trip to San Diego and a family beach vacation in Rehoboth, Delaware, to a summer vacation with extended family in Chicago for a Cubs game and Hamilton. Back in Minneapolis, we saw the legendary "Minneapolis Miracle" Vikings playoff game in person and also soaked up the Pre-Super Bowl LII festivities downtown. The social calendar was packed with concerts like Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Toby Keith, The Bodeans, Def Leopard/Journey and Luke Bryan, plus quirky adventures like axe throwing, kayaking Minnehaha Creek with the Gilbertsons, and a bizarre work dinner in Palm Beach, FL where a pig named Mona Lisa joined us at the table, all before wrapping up the year with our traditional christmas time NYC trip seeing The Lion King and Mean Girls on Broadway and watching the Rockettes Christmas Show in Radio City Music Hall.
2019 - Living at Scale
2019 was the year we officially became "lake people" again, enjoying our first full summer at the Annandale home with the arrival of our pontoon and Sea-Doos to host friends and family. We balanced the lake life with plenty of travel, including a Spring Break trip to Florida with segway tours and kayaking, a couples' getaway to Nashville with the Gilbertsons, and a family celebration in Galena for my mom’s birthday. On the work front, I had a surreal "New York moment" seeing my face on the Nasdaq tower in Times Square and playing in an LPGA Pro-Am, while the social calendar was packed with concerts ranging from P!NK and Kelly Clarkson to Thomas Rhett and Toad the Wet Sprocket. We wrapped up the year’s memories with Clovermaster outings to Schram Vineyards and a pop-up holiday bar, plus cheering on the Chaska Hawks at US Bank Stadium.
Season 4:
The Pivot, Big Travel Returns & The Golden Fam5 Era
2020 - Life Slows Down
2020 was the year of the "Pandemic Pivot," starting with normal winter vibes like snowmobiling at the cabin and a February work trip to Florida before everything shifted. We adapted to the lockdown life by splitting time between home and the cabin and setting up Zoom offices for work. Socializing got creative with virtual happy hours, virtual game nights, "State Fair by car", and outdoor gatherings and confirmation but we still managed to close out the year in style with a massive two-week Christmas escape to Key West, treating ourselves to first-class flights and a Tesla rental to make up for the lost travel time.
2021 - Creating Space
2021 was a massive year of transition and new beginnings, officially marking my retirement from the corporate world in June. We wasted no time enjoying the freedom, hitting the road for a Spring Break trip to Branson that included spelunking and ziplining, spending ten days with extended family on the beach in Ocean City, NJ, and celebrating Julie’s 50th with a friends' getaway to Stillwater. It was a milestone year for the kids as well, with Nathan graduating and heading off to NDSU in Fargo, while we cheered on the girls in lacrosse and tennis and watched them enjoy homecoming and prom. The social calendar stayed packed with "CloverMaster" events ranging from a private movie theater rental, 50th birthday parties to running a "Monster Dash" 5k in costume and hitting up Oktoberfest and the Bonfire at Schram.
2022 - Life Opens Wide Again
2022 was a massive year for "post-COVID rebound" travel and big family milestones, headlined by an epic summer trip to British Columbia with the Luukkonens where we explored the big three: Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria. We went whale watching and e-biking around Whistler, but the real adrenaline kick was climbing the mountain via Ferrata to reach the summit of Whistler Mountain. We kept the passports busy with a family Spring Break in the Dominican Republic, while Nathan and I took a memorable "boys trip" to the Southwest where we stayed in a Yurt, went canyoneering in slot canyons near Zion, and hiked a little around the Grand Canyon before hitting a Mecum auction in Scottsdale, AZ. Back home, we celebrated major achievements like Jennifer graduating from St. Thomas wtih her Masters Degree and Emerson’s Confirmation. The social calendar was absolutely stacked with quirky events like a "Wig Party" at the Jones’, a group outing for Top Gun: Maverick, and a "Bach Fest" at Schram Haus. We packed the schedule with entertainment, seeing SIX at the Ordway, and catching concerts ranging from Marcus Mumford, Smashing Pumpkins, Imagine Dragons and The Wallflowers to Jim Gaffigan's Comedy Show at the MN State Fair Grandstand. Between cheering at a Wild playoff game, hitting the Excelsior Art Festival, I still found time to dive headfirst into a new pickleball obsession.
2023 - Enjoying the Midlife Shift
2023 was a landmark year defined by turning the big 5-0 and taking the trip of a lifetime to Africa with Jen and friends, where we trekked into the "Impenetrable Forest" to see silverback gorillas in Uganda, took a tour to find the elusive "shoebill", took a hippo cruise down the Kazinga River, watched the sunset over the Seregeti, and witnessed the "Big 5" on a photo safari in Tanzania. We rounded out the travel log with a stop in Amsterdam, a family Spring Break in Florida, and trips to Chicago and Indiana for board work and family visits. Back home, the entertainment schedule was top-tier, featuring the girls hitting the massive Taylor Swift concert, while we caught legends like Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, and attended the Symphony Ball at MN Orchestra Hall. Daily life stayed active with my pickleball obsession growing into new leagues and groups, occasional curling with friends, and enjoying watching the Vikings in the playoffs. It was also a year of new ventures, as I joined a Bank Board, launched a consulting business and started some personal projects. We also celebrated family milestones like Emerson getting her driver’s permit.
Season 5:
Resilience, Faith & The "Sandwich Generation"
2024 - Living in Alignment
2024 was a year of big moves and new horizons, kicking off with an epic "Maass Vegas" casino party where we went all out with decorations and prizes. The travel itinerary was packed, featuring a father-son Spring Break to Arizona with Nathan for hiking and desert activites, a relaxing Spring Break in the Dominican Republic with friends, and a fall family getaway to NYC where we caught Hamilton and The Outsiders on Broadway. The year's emotional anchor was Lauren graduating high school and heading off to Creighton. Back home, we entertained family and friends at the lake and at the AutoMotorPlex. We rounded out the fun with a summer trip to Grand View Lodge, seeing Semisonic at the State Fair, and even getting on the field at halftime during a Vikings game as first year Vikings season ticket holders.
2025 - Stability During Change
2025 was a year of emotional extremes, balancing the heartbreak of losing Tom (father-in-law) and navigating Jen’s cancer diagnosis and chemo with some truly epic adventures earlier in the year. We escaped the cold by renting a house in Arizona for a month, which served as the ultimate base camp for ATV riding and tackling rugged hikes like Camelback, Piestewa Peak, and the Wave Cave. Summer brought a bucket-list getaway with Jen to Colorado, where we attended an unforgettable Mumford & Sons show at Red Rocks before exploring Breckenridge and Vail. Back in Minnesota, our lake home in Annandale was the summer hub, where we hosted various friends and family for boating, games, meals and many shared experiences. I also logged (both air and road) miles with Emerson for college tours, visiting campuses across Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, and Iowa to help her try and find the perfect fit. Between a transformative family mission trip to Guatemala (with our church), cheering on Nathan’s NDSU graduation, and rallying around Jen, we focused heavily on shared experiences, closing out the year with a cozy family Christmas in Wisconsin.
