Meet the Lund Family!
Family member names:
Ryan, Gina, William is 22 years old and is a senior at Florida State University. Andrew is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Carrollwood Day School. Ava is 4 years old and is in Pre-K.
Favorites:
Activities/Hobbies:
I like to play tennis, snow ski, water ski, play piano and travel. Ryan enjoys playing sports, especially golf (when he has time) and sharing some of his favorite wines with friends.
Park/Play area/Hang out:
Our 4-year-old daughter, Ava, loves to meet up with friends at the Avila park where she enjoys playing on the playground and riding her scooter around the walking path. We also like to venture outside the neighborhood to the beach as a family when we can. The kids love to swim! Andrew skimboards, William enjoys surfing and one of Ava’s favorite things to do is build sandcastles and collect seashells.
Restaurants in the area you enjoy:
Nearby, we enjoy having dinner at Sacred Pepper, and lunch at Samurai Blue Sushi, and when we are in South Tampa, our favorite restaurant is Bern’s Steak House.
Best Family Vacation destination:
We take an annual family snow skiing trip to Park City, Utah. William is a snowboarder and likes to do tricks at the terrain park. Andrew enjoys skiing, especially with friends. Ava started skiing last year when she was 3 years old and after her second season, she is already skiing down greens and easy blue slopes! Ryan and I have both skied since we were young and still enjoy doing some of the challenging runs, but these days we mostly take it easy and ski with the kids before ending the day at Après-Ski.
Sports teams:
Growing up in Tampa, Ryan is an avid Bucs, Rays and Lightning fan and although he played football at Harvard, he is a lifelong Gators football fan since he grew up going to games with his Dad who graduated from law school at the University of Florida.
I grew up a Miami Dolphins fan. One of my favorite childhood memories is going to games with my Dad when I was a kid. Many of the retired Dolphins players and the legendary coach, Don Shula, lived in my neighborhood so I had a special connection to the team. I also grew up a Seminole fan (and later graduated from FSU) which makes the annual FSU/UF rivalry game fun to watch at our house since we are definitely a “house-divided”. Now that I am a Tampa local, I have become a Bucs, Rays and Lightening fan, which are also Ryan's favorite teams. We have a great time going to the games, especially with our friends from the neighborhood.
TV show/Movie:
We really enjoy watching live sports on TV and movies at home. Some of our all-time favorite movies are Back to the Future, The Goonies, Old School, Wedding Crashers and Anchorman.
How did you meet?
Believe it or not, we were set up by our parents! Our Dads have known each other since junior high and went to the same high school in Miami. They were good friends and played on the same football team in high school. My Dad was the quarterback and Ryan’s Dad was a running back. They ran into each other almost 50 years later at a reunion. Their conversation turned into talking about their kids and decided it would be a good idea for Ryan and me to meet. My Dad gave Ryan’s Dad a photograph of me with our family dog that my Dad carried around with him and he wrote my phone number on the back. When my Dad told me about this, I was reluctant at first to be set up, but after giving it some thought and doing some due diligence (AKA Facebook research), I decided to reach out via Facebook Messenger to introduce myself. Ryan quickly responded and we set up a time to speak on the phone. Our first conversation was almost four hours long and after hanging up the phone that night, I knew this could turn into something special. We met in person one month later in Avila and have been together ever since! We’re celebrating eight years of marriage this year.
Do you have any family traditions?
We love our traditions and also enjoy making new ones. We watch National Lampoons Christmas Vacation every Christmas Eve and we have also purchased a special bottle of wine with the vintage of each of the kids' birth years that they can eventually open and drink at their weddings.
What college/university did you attend?
I attended Florida State University and following graduation from FSU, I moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California where I received my Masters's Degree in Communication Management. Ryan graduated from Harvard University.
Where are you originally from?
I am a Florida girl, born and raised in Miami Lakes. Ryan was born in Tampa and grew up in Avila. We now live a few houses down the street from his childhood home where his parents still live.
How long have you lived in this neighborhood?
Ryan grew up in Avila and moved back to the neighborhood as an adult. When we met and started dating, I was working as the weekday evening news anchor for the CBS and FOX affiliate news stations in Tallahassee, Florida. We dated long-distance for a year (he and I commuted back and forth between Tallahassee and Tampa every other weekend) before I eventually relocated in 2014 and made Avila and Tampa my home.
What do you like to do to relax?
Ryan and I enjoy opening a nice bottle of wine over dinner at home at the end of the day and relaxing by the outdoor fireplace by our pool (when it’s cool enough). We have also made some great friends in the neighborhood and enjoy spending time with them.
How are you involved in the community?
I am very proud of our community and love living here! Being involved is one of the ways I feel I can give back for the many benefits Avila has given us as a family. I have been a member of the Avila Women’s Club since I moved to the neighborhood in 2014. I served on the executive board and have volunteered to help plan and organize many of the annual events. I also hosted Mommy & Me playdates after our daughter was born for some of my friends in the neighborhood who had young children. Four years later, Ava and I are still good friends with many of the moms and kids from that playgroup.
If you have kids, what activities are they involved with?
William likes to play many different sports, but his passion is golf. He will start a PGA apprenticeship at Congressional Country Club in Maryland following graduation from FSU in May. Andrew ran on the school track team at Carrollwood Day School and is also involved with Tampa Bay Clays, a youth clay target shooting team. Ava enjoys gymnastics, loves to dance, sing, swim, ice skate, snow ski, ride her bike and does arts and crafts. She is also learning to roller skate.
What is your favorite part about living in Avila?
Avila is a special place with great people. The sense of community is truly unique and we feel blessed to live here. We love the family-friendly events, the friendships we have made and the privacy the neighborhood provides.
Ryan, Gina, William is 22 years old and is a senior at Florida State University. Andrew is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Carrollwood Day School. Ava is 4 years old and is in Pre-K.
Favorites:
Activities/Hobbies:
I like to play tennis, snow ski, water ski, play piano and travel. Ryan enjoys playing sports, especially golf (when he has time) and sharing some of his favorite wines with friends.
Park/Play area/Hang out:
Our 4-year-old daughter, Ava, loves to meet up with friends at the Avila park where she enjoys playing on the playground and riding her scooter around the walking path. We also like to venture outside the neighborhood to the beach as a family when we can. The kids love to swim! Andrew skimboards, William enjoys surfing and one of Ava’s favorite things to do is build sandcastles and collect seashells.
Restaurants in the area you enjoy:
Nearby, we enjoy having dinner at Sacred Pepper, and lunch at Samurai Blue Sushi, and when we are in South Tampa, our favorite restaurant is Bern’s Steak House.
Best Family Vacation destination:
We take an annual family snow skiing trip to Park City, Utah. William is a snowboarder and likes to do tricks at the terrain park. Andrew enjoys skiing, especially with friends. Ava started skiing last year when she was 3 years old and after her second season, she is already skiing down greens and easy blue slopes! Ryan and I have both skied since we were young and still enjoy doing some of the challenging runs, but these days we mostly take it easy and ski with the kids before ending the day at Après-Ski.
Sports teams:
Growing up in Tampa, Ryan is an avid Bucs, Rays and Lightning fan and although he played football at Harvard, he is a lifelong Gators football fan since he grew up going to games with his Dad who graduated from law school at the University of Florida.
I grew up a Miami Dolphins fan. One of my favorite childhood memories is going to games with my Dad when I was a kid. Many of the retired Dolphins players and the legendary coach, Don Shula, lived in my neighborhood so I had a special connection to the team. I also grew up a Seminole fan (and later graduated from FSU) which makes the annual FSU/UF rivalry game fun to watch at our house since we are definitely a “house-divided”. Now that I am a Tampa local, I have become a Bucs, Rays and Lightening fan, which are also Ryan's favorite teams. We have a great time going to the games, especially with our friends from the neighborhood.
TV show/Movie:
We really enjoy watching live sports on TV and movies at home. Some of our all-time favorite movies are Back to the Future, The Goonies, Old School, Wedding Crashers and Anchorman.
How did you meet?
Believe it or not, we were set up by our parents! Our Dads have known each other since junior high and went to the same high school in Miami. They were good friends and played on the same football team in high school. My Dad was the quarterback and Ryan’s Dad was a running back. They ran into each other almost 50 years later at a reunion. Their conversation turned into talking about their kids and decided it would be a good idea for Ryan and me to meet. My Dad gave Ryan’s Dad a photograph of me with our family dog that my Dad carried around with him and he wrote my phone number on the back. When my Dad told me about this, I was reluctant at first to be set up, but after giving it some thought and doing some due diligence (AKA Facebook research), I decided to reach out via Facebook Messenger to introduce myself. Ryan quickly responded and we set up a time to speak on the phone. Our first conversation was almost four hours long and after hanging up the phone that night, I knew this could turn into something special. We met in person one month later in Avila and have been together ever since! We’re celebrating eight years of marriage this year.
Do you have any family traditions?
We love our traditions and also enjoy making new ones. We watch National Lampoons Christmas Vacation every Christmas Eve and we have also purchased a special bottle of wine with the vintage of each of the kids' birth years that they can eventually open and drink at their weddings.
What college/university did you attend?
I attended Florida State University and following graduation from FSU, I moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California where I received my Masters's Degree in Communication Management. Ryan graduated from Harvard University.
Where are you originally from?
I am a Florida girl, born and raised in Miami Lakes. Ryan was born in Tampa and grew up in Avila. We now live a few houses down the street from his childhood home where his parents still live.
How long have you lived in this neighborhood?
Ryan grew up in Avila and moved back to the neighborhood as an adult. When we met and started dating, I was working as the weekday evening news anchor for the CBS and FOX affiliate news stations in Tallahassee, Florida. We dated long-distance for a year (he and I commuted back and forth between Tallahassee and Tampa every other weekend) before I eventually relocated in 2014 and made Avila and Tampa my home.
What do you like to do to relax?
Ryan and I enjoy opening a nice bottle of wine over dinner at home at the end of the day and relaxing by the outdoor fireplace by our pool (when it’s cool enough). We have also made some great friends in the neighborhood and enjoy spending time with them.
How are you involved in the community?
I am very proud of our community and love living here! Being involved is one of the ways I feel I can give back for the many benefits Avila has given us as a family. I have been a member of the Avila Women’s Club since I moved to the neighborhood in 2014. I served on the executive board and have volunteered to help plan and organize many of the annual events. I also hosted Mommy & Me playdates after our daughter was born for some of my friends in the neighborhood who had young children. Four years later, Ava and I are still good friends with many of the moms and kids from that playgroup.
If you have kids, what activities are they involved with?
William likes to play many different sports, but his passion is golf. He will start a PGA apprenticeship at Congressional Country Club in Maryland following graduation from FSU in May. Andrew ran on the school track team at Carrollwood Day School and is also involved with Tampa Bay Clays, a youth clay target shooting team. Ava enjoys gymnastics, loves to dance, sing, swim, ice skate, snow ski, ride her bike and does arts and crafts. She is also learning to roller skate.
What is your favorite part about living in Avila?
Avila is a special place with great people. The sense of community is truly unique and we feel blessed to live here. We love the family-friendly events, the friendships we have made and the privacy the neighborhood provides.