What we did, read, watched and thought about this month.

Todd R.: Caught Iron Claw over the holiday break and it was extremely good although depressing. As a kid growing up, the Von Erich family members were legends that you only read about in monthly wrestling magazines. Thrilled that The Morning Show on Apple TV is still quite good, as we work our way through the third season, and Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup continue to provide great performances. On the reading side, John Grisham’s latest The Exchange: After the Firm is fun because it shows where Grisham thinks the McDeere family ended up after the Memphis firm collapsed due to the RICO investigation. After five days in the Fort Myers area, I can recommend going back to a few of the old haunts that were damaged in the hurricane: Doc Ford’s and Parrot Key (with the incomparable Frank Torino on Thursday and Saturday nights). But the highlight may have been Captain Mike and Val from Nautical Tiki Cruises, because the only way to tour Fort Myers Beach is from the water while guided by two Minnesotans.

Rich: The New Year is off to a good start. January has been a month for focusing on goals for the year. Work has brought some new, exciting projects. The charity (Crescent Cove) I am involved with had a very successful Annual Fundraising Gala and we are planning expansion of our services. Kari and I have been planning some vacation time and our son, David, announced that he and Olive got married in September.

We are planning a wedding celebration for David and Olive in Minnesota in September of this year. Like our daughter, Katie, and her husband, Nick, they got married in a very private ceremony. I never imagined our kids “eloping,” but there seems to be a trend developing. Our son, Zach, and his wife, Ava, had a more traditional ceremony and reception. We have concluded that all that matters is happy couples, and they certainly all meet the test.

Finally, Zach and Ava are expecting the birth of a baby girl around March 2. This is our first grandchild, and we couldn’t be more excited! The new year is here, and it certainly looks like a fun year.

Todd S.: The most exciting news for me is that our son Dalton won the spelling bee at Burroughs Elementary in Minneapolis. This was our first experience going to a spelling bee, so we really didn’t know what to expect. But this kid kept his cool and survived eight rounds. After spelling “fiendishly,” he was the last one standing. Now, it’s on to district competition where more complicated and terrifying words await!

Jodi: January was a month of celebrations! We celebrated the 30th birthday of our oldest daughter with a lovely dinner at ACQUA and said a bittersweet bon voyage to our youngest and her husband as they embarked on an incredible adventure with their move to Manhattan. Jim and I took our annual vacation to Puerto Vallarta for our 19th wedding anniversary. It’s one of our favorite places to travel, with incredible people, food and weather. Snorkeling, street tacos, exploring the city and countryside, and Sunday night on the Malecon did not disappoint…until the morning of our departure when I was struck with a sudden illness and a fall that resulted in quite the ankle injury. Jim’s college-level Spanish classes definitely paid off as we navigated the healthcare system in Mexico. This delayed our departure by one day (which was rewarded by an amazing sunset) and led to a multiple-stage journey home. Customer service at Delta did not disappoint, as we received incredible assistance from gate to gate to aid our safe arrival back to Saint Paul, which I then celebrated with a grilled cheese sandwich, my Mom’s spritz cookies and a binge watch of season three of Only Murders in the Building.

Sean: Never easy to get back in the swing of things after the holiday break, but we were able to keep busy enough this January to distract from the usual holiday-withdrawal. Rosie and I were able to spend our New Year at the cabin with James and our dog, Franklin, which made for a restful start to 2024.

James is edging ever closer to walking while we’re excited for this new phase I’d be lying if I said the concept of keeping up with him isn’t a little bit intimidating.

The biggest news for the Oyaas family this month was the retirement of our rock, my mom, Joanie. After 42 years at Dorsey and Whitney, she finally hung up the keyboard and called it a career. Hard to express how proud of her I am and how grateful I am for all the work she put in to support our family. If it seems like I’m sucking up, it’s because I am… I need a babysitter!

Anna: It was a month of post-holiday sickness for the Shays, but even amid fevers and colds, it was good to slow down and spend time as a family. Owen is "talking" more, teething, moving constantly and making us laugh. It's been a notable month of reading for me, including the World War II epistolary novel Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green, the 1700's page-turner The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz, the gold rush rom-com The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers and now onto the Pulitzer-winning saga The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Has the laundry suffered as a result? Yes. Has it been worth it? Also yes. Finally, Ike and I made the viral browned butter toffee chocolate chip cookie recipe, and deemed it 100% worth the hype.

Meredith: Broomball is one of my absolute favorite winter activities. Despite the uncertainty of winter weather and temperatures, Cory and I have both played in a local park league on Wednesday nights for the last two years. Heading into this year, season 3, episode 1, I geared up. I bought new broomball shoes, a back-up broom to play with, and a bigger, waterproof duffle to carry my extra layers, water, change of clothes, etc. – the whole shebang. Unfortunately for me, the first three weeks of our eight-week schedule were cancelled because this winter wasn’t cold enough or snowy enough for there to be a frozen outdoor rink for us to play on. Finally, in week four, I got the chance to play! It got up to 36 degrees during the day, so it was like running around on a slick pool deck with a layer of water covering the ice. Still, it was a blast! I ran nearly 2 miles between the two back-to-back games I played and was soaked through from all my falls by the end. I even scored a goal! (Never mind that it was on my own goalie on accident… I scored on a good goalie!) Looking forward at the weather forecasts, I am willing to bet that is the only night we will play this season. At least I am ready for next year with all my basically new gear.

Cullen: The new year kicked off with a foot of snow and a brutal cold snap, so I had no choice other than to cozy up and tackle my mountain of unread and unwatched. In January, I finished Know My Name (essential reading), A Conjuring of Light (disappointing), American Gods (timeless), and began The Priory of the Orange Tree (a marathon). I started the new Percy Jackson adaptation, season three of Only Murders in the Building and sprinted through the final season of Letterkenny.

When the weather warmed, I made it outside for visits to Sultan, Crystal Corner Bar and Matchstick – all fantastic. In my free time, Lauren and I have been wedding planning, making delicious Tom Kha and planning which trips we want to take in 2024.

Colette: While post-holiday bugs seemed to eat up much of January, I still found time to gather with friends and loved ones. A delicious dinner at the Copperfield in Mendota Heights with long-time friends and a trip to visit Dylan in Rapid City made the month special. When in Rapid City one must do as the locals, so a visit to Deadwood, including Saloon#10, where Old West legend Wild Bill Hickock met his fateful end was in order. We also attended the Black Hills Stock Show bronc riding event, where cowboys from across the country showcased their skills. To unwind, we spent an afternoon at Moccasin Springs, a historic naturally heated outdoor mineral pool dating back to 1881 but cherished by Indigenous communities long before.

Alex: I got to enjoy some well-spent time with friends who have moved out of state while they stayed around post-holidays. I celebrated a friend’s birthday at Jimmy’s Pro Billiards, I’ve never been to a pool hall before, but it was a good reminder of how poor I am at playing pool.

I began watching Donald Glover’s Atlanta, which I have put off for far too long. Not sure why I ever waited to watch it as I’ve binged 3 seasons in 3 weeks. It has the perfect mix of comedy and drama to keep me enthralled episode after episode. Watching both the Packers, Lions, Cowboys and Eagles lose their playoff games grandly is always a wonderful time as a wallowing Vikings fan. At this point, it is just unfair that Green Bay gets to enjoy yet another impressive quarterback.