U2 3D-As Close As I'll Ever Get To Touching the Edge

Tis the Season...

Happy New Year to one and all. We hope you had a blessed holiday season with family, friends, food and drink.

The holiday season was a happy one for the Swansons. We spent Thanksgiving in Clarissa with my parents, John and Mikey. We hadn't been up north for a visit since Clarissa Days in June, so it was great to get away for a long weekend. We particularly enjoyed checking out the nearly final product of a mega-renovation project at my parents house, namely the conversion of the building formerly known as the old garage. The new space is called many things, but most importantly holds my parents' Wii and Dad's train, which now runs on a shelf along the perimeter of the ceiling. We also celebrated my uncle, Mikkel's, 60th birthday, with my cousins Andy & Rebecca, Aunt Annie and good friends Don & Bonnie McLelland.

Christmas seemed to come before we knew it. My brother and his girlfriend, Donna, joined us on December 23 (aka Christmas Eve Eve) for relaxation and to show us how to play Rock Band. My parents and Uncle Mikkel arrived on Christmas Eve for another semi-traditional Scandahoovian meal of Swedish Meatballs, lefse and fruit soup. We were again lutefisk deprived, but since I know my dad has attended at least one lutefisk supper this year, I think he'll survive. Christmas Day was spent in Eden Prairie with my cousins and Aunt Shelley. We are grateful to have family so close to spend the holidays with.

The definite hit of the holiday season in our house, aside from a variety of chew toys r eceived by Axel & Gracie that are in various stages of destruction, was the Wii. Mike has acheived professional status in bowling (Wii Sports), explores other galaxies (Super Mario Galaxy), and has also become both a professional race car driver and football player. In fairness, I have been known to play the Wii, but Mike will admit that the Wii is more frequently a source of frustration for me than amusement. Most commonlyheard is "I can't get this *#$@ing Wiimote to work right." Guess I'll have to keep my day job. My favorite games are Rapala Fishing and Trauma Center, where I can safely pursue my interest in medicine without my mathematic ineptitude killing anyone.

What will the new year bring for the Swansons? Whatever the good Lord sees fit. Nothing major has been planned for the moment. We are hoping to take a jaunt somewhere in early March, but just where has yet to be determined. Other than that, the home improvement projects continue. We recently swapped our living and dining rooms-photos to come. So there's no telling what we may take up next.

May 2008 bring joy and blessings into your home. We hope to see you for a visit soon.

Love,

Mike, Kristen, Axel & Gracie

In memory of Barney, a beloved Romstad family pet. Barney can be seen above (far right) wearing his Halloween costume, as an enterprising canine (aka Pimp). As Dad said, he's "ready for business."