The Escape Artist

We've entered a whole new realm in parenting. Quinn learned that he can climb out of his crib. A few nights ago we put him to bed, then went about putting the twins to sleep. A few minutes later we hear a soft thump and Quinn comes walking out of his room with a smile on his face. When we asked him what he was doing he said "I wake up". We asked him how he got out and he described it as "I fall down". He was very cute and it was hard to keep from smiling. With this newfound skill, it took us three or four more tries before he was tired enough to fall asleep.

Quinn had the time of his life a few days ago when the Mayo hangar at the airport was open to the public and he got to see all the planes, see them land and take off, walk around inside them and sit in the front seat of the helicopter. Maybe we have another family pilot on our hands.

Fourth of July

Out in front of our house after a long walk around the neighborhood.

Quinn swimming with the sharks in the backyard.


A few friends in the Rochester ward invited us to their home in Stewartville (south of Rochester) to come over for the Fourth. We had a great time eating hot dogs, drinking lemonade and sampling various red, white and blue desserts. Molly made a great jello salad with red and white stripes and blueberries...mmmm.

Quinn at the parade with a decidedly patriotic look on his face.

Stewartville has a great parade with clowns, fire trucks, tractors, beauty queens, giant fiberglass cows and trick-riding shriners on motorcycles. Quinn was mesmerized while mom and dad skimmed their favorite candy out of his bag.


We already knew Quinn would be alarmed by the fireworks so when the neighbors started setting things off and Quinn was hiding in the garage, we knew it was time to go. According to him, the fourth of July was "too yowd". The Gassins, our friends from Milwaukee, had us over for a barbecue on the third with some fireworks afterward. The sparklers and snap pops were a big hit with Quinn but the racing car with the erupting engine pushed him over the edge. The rest of the fireworks went back in the bag for next year.

Settling into life

As we settle into life in Rochester, we've come to enjoy a few favorite places. We're just a few minute's walk from the mighty Zumbro river. Quinn's a big fan of throwing rocks into the river and Mike and Quinn go exploring up and down the river in the canoe. It's beautiful and quiet and peaceful if you can block out the fact that the mall is about 50 feet behind us.

Another favorite - the playground at the end of our street.

And, the bike trail takes us along the river to downtown Rochester. It's become the perfect way to calm everyone down at the end of the day and Mike's no-stoplight, no-traffic route to work on his bike. He starts work for real tomorrow (after finishing two weeks of orientation) and we all look forward to a predictable schedule and a reliable paycheck.

Molly's familiy, Ralph, LeAnn and Ty came to visit and put in some hard work repainting the more creatively colored walls of our house. They were a great help. Don't let this discourage you from visiting. Room and board comes free of charge, no hard labor required.

Pictures from Graduation

Mike and Molly just after the Medical College of Wisconsin graduation at the Milwaukee Theater.












The people who made the graduation possible.













We all took a day and went to the Milwaukee Zoo before moving to Rochester. Quinn couldn't get enough of the fish.










And, he couldn't get enough of the zoo train. He's talked about it ever since.

Rochester!

We've officially become Minnesotans and made the move to Rochester. Mike's mom and dad flew out to graduation two weeks ago in Milwaukee with Molly, Quinn and the twins and were a great help in packing up our two bedroom apartment and getting us on our way. Dad came along and drove the Echo with Molly and the kids while Mike drove the truck. We had some great help from members of our new ward and are gradually working our way through the remaining boxes. Our new home (our first house!) is on a shady street that dead-ends on a park and playground, is a five minute walk from a nearby river and bike trail and the grocery store. We're spoiled to be so close to so many good things. Quinn loves watching the squirrels climb the trees and he's always asking to go play at the 'pork'. Mike has been taking quick trips to the grocery store by way of the bike path and even had a little time to take his canoe out on the river a few days ago, bringing it back with a few new scratches. Molly loves having a house to ourselves with counter space in the kitchen and a dedicated laundry room. So far we've found the farmer's market, a few great playgrounds for Quinn, some great friends in the ward and the local library. We're sure there are many more things to discover here in Rochester.

Trip to Loew's lake

Took a trip in mid-May to a small, secluded lake just a few miles outside Milwaukee. Dennis Klingman (next door neighbor and fellow canoe-builder) guided us there. We paddled for about an hour up a slow-moving meandering river and came out onto a beautiful 30 acre lake in the middle of the State Forest. Jared and Dennis tried their luck at fishing and we saw a lot of wildlife. There were geese nesting along the river, snapping turtles hiding in the reeds and hawks overhead.


Jared Tyson brought along his family in their beautiful canoe. Their son Sam is sitting in Leslie's lap, their daughter Ella is sleeping in the shade behind the seat and their dog was doing the same.

Dennis and I both built small, one-man canoes. Both were built off plans by Mac Macarthy. We both get a lot of use out of them, mostly because they're so easy to handle (approx. 25 lbs) and paddle in shallow water.

First Blog Post Ever

Ever slow to catch up with the parade of technology, we're finally getting around to using the internet for all it's worth. Since this if the first time any of you will be reading about us on this blog, a little recap of our recent life is in order. Molly gave birth to a set of beautiful twins six weeks ago on March 28th. Because of the demands of a twin pregnancy, a freshly minted 2-year-old and Mike busy traveling for residency interviews, Molly and Quinn have spent the last few (over six!) months in the capable care of her parents in Logan, UT. Mike was able to come back and forth and spent March and April there. The birth of two healthy and thriving twins was a welcome blessing. While Mike has been scouting out a house, Molly, Quinn, Max and Mae have been preparing to fly out to Milwaukee this Wednesday with Mike's parents. Mike is set to graduate from the Medical College of Wisconsin this Friday, complete with velvet cap and striped gown and Hippocratic oaths. With that, we pack up and move to our new home in Rochester, Minnesota where Mike will start a residency in pediatrics at the Mayo clinic, Molly will have free reign of our very first house (we're especially looking forward to a dishwasher), Quinn will have a yard all his own and the twins will have their own bedroom. We're looking forward to this new chapter in life.