Thanks!

Mom and Dad, thanks so much for the camera you gave us for Michael’s graduation! We have both been learning how to use it, and we love it! Thanks!

Graduation Pictures

So, here are a few pictures from Michael’s graduation. It was really great that Michael’s parents, my parents, and my grandma were able to come for that special day. Thanks!

Daddy's Graduation Robes

When Michael brought his cap and gown home last week to try them on, the boys helped him out. We'll have more pictures from the big day up soon!

I'm graduated from medical school!!

Well, it’s official. After four long, busy, difficult, yet fun years, I graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin with a degree of doctor of medicine (MD) with honors in research. What a whirlwind week of activities and emotions. My mom and dad and grandma Faun arrived Wednesday afternoon and Steph’s parents came on Thursday. Not only have we been happy to have family here to be with us during this special week and to have fun playing with the kids, but also we are grateful for the wonderful weather that they brought with them.

Monday was my last day of classes in medical school. My final lecture was on bioterrorism, specifically on anthrax, the plague, and small pox – interesting note to end on. We had our pass/fail final test Tuesday morning (I had to score more than a 64% in order to pass), CPR recertification in the afternoon, and then I was done. Wow!!

Wednesday morning we went with the Lythgoes to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and probably the most active I have seen the animals. The jaguar and the cheetahs were the best, prowling back and forth in front of the glass; the elephants were playing in the water and with sticks; the monkeys were swinging back and forth and putting on a show; and even the black bear came out to say hi. The boys always like the fish and reptiles building. We met up with the Hymases a little later and had lunch by the new flamingo exhibit. The kids had so much fun playing together. On Wednesday night they got to see Kolby and Eli in their swim lessons and then grandpa Dick swam with Kolby, Eli, Camden, and me for a while afterwards.

Thursday morning I went over to the school to get some pictures taken with several of the other graduates in front of the school in our graduation robes. We took the family down to the lakefront to see Lake Michigan and play frisbee and throw balls in the grass. Then we went across the street to the Children’s Museum for a few hours. We are really going to miss this museum that has so many fun and varied activities for the kids. That night was the graduation awards dinner held at the Italian center in downtown Milwaukee. We were treated to a very nice dinner and then several faculty, residents, and people in the class received awards from various departments. It was fun to be there with all the family members and we received some good advice from those who got the teaching awards.

Then it was here – graduation day. The morning was spent around the apartment and just outside, playing with the kids and enjoying time together. My mom made me a really nice embroidered picture of a lighthouse with a really cool quote from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson: “The lighthouse of the Lord beckons to all as we sail the seas of life. Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost, but what its beacon light can rescue. It calls ‘this way to safety and this way to home.’” Steph’s parents got us a really nice new digital camera – a Canon G9 series with 12.1 mega pixels. It has so many buttons and gadgets on it that it will take me a while to learn just how to use it. And grandma Faun gave us some money to put towards a graduation present. Thanks to all of you for your generosity, and to everyone else that has called to wish us congratulations.

We headed to the Milwaukee Theatre just after lunch in order to take pictures with me in my graduation robes. Then I had to separate from the family to go to the graduate waiting area and to say goodbye to some people who I probably won’t see again. It was a blur of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. We were lined up and marched into the theatre. Our graduation ceremony is done in conjunction with those receiving a PhD, a MA, and an MS. The speaker focused on what a privilege it is to be a doctor – it is a blessing and honor that comes with a responsibility to always help and serve your patients in order to find true happiness in the profession. Then I was walking up to the stage, across the stage while they were saying my name, and receiving my diploma, signifying that I am now a doctor. There is no way that I could have got here without the help of my wonderful wife Stephanie and all the family and friends who have supported us over the past four years. Thanks to everyone who was able to come and participate – it was so nice to have family here. And again, thanks to all who have called or sent congratulations our way. It is still a little surreal to have the degree – I don’t think it has hit me yet that I am actually a doctor – hopefully that will happen as I start into my intern year.

We were able to drop the kids off at a babysitter (thank you Hedgecocks) and go to dinner at Bartolottas, and Italian restaurant in downtown Wauwatosa. Our reservation was for 8pm, but the party before us didn’t want to get up from the table, so we didn’t end up getting seated until almost 9pm. The owner came out and apologized, and we ended up getting 2 free antipastos (one a mix of meats, cheeses, and veggies; the other delicious calamari) and 5 free desserts. That was nice. The dinner was pretty good – I got a nice seafood mix with some swordfish, octopus, mussels, scallops, and prawns. And we just had a great time spending time together. Thanks mom and dad for dinner.

Saturday morning we took the boys over to the hotel to swim with the grandparents. Grandpa Dick taught Eli how to dive into the water and he did it right away with no fear. It was so cute to watch. Nana and Papa took the boys to the mall to Build a Bear and Camden got a puppy named Quinton; Eli got a bunny named Benjamin; and Kolby got an Elephant named Rutherford. You can squeeze the hand and the animal says, “Nana and Papa love…(and then the boys name).” They are really cute and the boys love them. Steph got a new skirt and shirt and I got some new Levis – thanks again moms and dads. We went to a BBQ for dinner at Enderis Park with several other recent graduates and their families. There was good food and fun times seeing some of these people probably for the last time. The Nielsens and Tysons gave us a really cute frame, with a picture of me and the boys and a whiteboard, along with this poem:
“When Daddy write his name, he always writes M.D. That’s so people all will know that he belongs to me. So, M.D. means My Daddy, or something just the same, and that is why he always puts those letters on his name. Some letters in his name are small but those are big, you see. He always makes them big like that because he’s proud of me.” Thanks you guys. After the BBQ, we rushed home to put the kids to bed, and with Tyce babysitting, we were able to run to the mall to see Prince Caspian. I really liked it, and what a fun and exciting weekend.

It is now Sunday morning and we are just about to head off for church. The roast is cooking and the potatoes and carrots are ready to be cooked; the rolls are rising; the cake is cooked; the kids are dressed; grandma Debbie is playing beautiful piano music; the boys are playing with the other grandparents; and it is just a wonderful Sabbath day that we get to celebrate as a family here at home and then at church. Both parents leave tonight and Grandma Faun tomorrow, which we are sad about, because it has been so much fun to spend the weekend with them. This just gets us so excited to come to Utah to be closer to all the family.

Trauma is Almost Done!!!

Well, I’m finally home on a Sunday this month, so I guess it is my turn to write and say hi. Trauma continues to be busy, busy, busy. I had my last overnight call for this rotation on Friday (yeah!!), and just like the other ones, we were busy all night long – lots of accidents and lots of sick people. It has been an interesting month, with things that I will probably never see or do again in the future, so that has been cool. But the hours are just so long that it begins to wear on you by the end of the month. I just have a few more days this next week and then my test on Thursday.

This month I have learned that those who end up in our trauma bay do so due to a lack of common sense in a few different areas: 1) wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle; 2) wear your seatbelt in the car; 3) don’t drink alcohol because it can lead to 4) knife wounds and 5) gunshot wounds.

Earlier this week we met with Kendra McMullin, a member from the ward that works with a financial company. She came to do a free financial needs assessment. Basically, they look over your current assets and your goals for the short and long term, and then they come back with things you can do to reach those goals. Some of their big messages are to pay yourself first, including life insurance, short term coverage (an emergency fund to cover up to a year), and then long term retirement savings. She had some really good things for us to think about as we will be getting into the salary stage of our life next year.

Steph took the boys to swim lessons this week and says they both continue to be little fish in the water. The boys also have an art class at a ward member’s house every Thursday morning where they do little crafts each week and have a fun time playing with the other kids.
Thursday night one of my home teaching families – the Stouffers – were moving to Ohio to start residency, so we helped them pack the truck. It is so weird to see all these recently graduated students leaving to start new adventures in residency, and then to realize that will be us just next year. Graduation is coming so fast – it is May 16, 2008, and anyone is invited to join us for that weekend.

It has been so nice to be home with the family today and to be able to go to church together – I missed that last weekend. In sacrament meeting we learned about the importance of fasting and fast offerings and keeping the Sabbath day holy – it is so nice to have one day a week set aside to escape from the normal routine and spend time at church feeling the spirit and being with the family. In Sunday school we discussed Matthew 25 that talks about the parable of the 10 virgins, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and the goats. Basically, we have to endure to the end and constantly strive to do what is right and develop the gifts we have been given, and then use those gifts and abilities to help others. I missed most of the priesthood meeting because Camden decided he wanted to be loud and talk. So he and I walked around outside for a little to calm him down. Luckily the weather is so nice right now – I love it. This afternoon I went and visited with Steve and Kara Pothier for home teaching, and then our home teachers just left from visiting with us. We are cooking a roast and are having a new family, the Townsends, over for dinner.

Congratulations to Mel and Christian for finding out that they are having another boy – that is so exciting. And we love hearing from all of you and how your lives are going.

The Perfect Schedule

Well, about a month ago Michael got his schedule of rotations for his 4th year, but some changes had to be made because one of the required classes was missing from his schedule. He had to wait until this week, when they opened up the website for students to make schedule changes, and we were a little worried that the only time that required class might be available was during the months when we were planning on being out of town for an away-rotation and a vacation month, and that would have messed everything up. But Michael said that someone must have been praying for us, because when he got onto the computer, all the rotations he needed/wanted happened to be available in the exact months that he was hoping for. So, he rearranged the schedule a bit, and we were very pleased with how it turned out. He could always make changes later, if he decides to choose a different rotation one month, but we were glad that for now we got everything worked out.

So, he’ll start with Dermatology in July. We are glad that he got Derm his first month, because that way he can decide for sure if that’s what he wants to go into or not. And they will need to be decided on a specialty in the next couple months because applications for residency interviews will begin. In August he has Ambulatory Medicine. And in September he has his Medicine Sub I – a sub-internship is when a 4th-year student takes on the responsibilities of a 1st-year resident (intern). So for his two Sub I months 4th year he will have a more demanding schedule. In October he has one called, Family and Community Medicine: Promoting Health in Urban Underserved Communities. In November Michael has tried to get a rotation with an easier schedule since we will have a new baby at home, and he signed up for one that he heard wasn’t too bad: Pediatric Radiology. We will be going to Boise for the month of December and Michael will be doing another Dermatology rotation there with a Dermatologist who is a family friend of theirs, who Michael has shadowed in the past. We will be staying with Michael’s family and then we will be there for Christmas. We have heard that the months of December and January will be the busiest for Michael with his interviews, so he will be flying/driving to interviews a lot those two months. In January we are taking one of our two vacation months, and will be staying with my family in San Diego. It will be nice to avoid some of the long winter months of Milwaukee. In February Michael has a rotation in Infectious Diseases. And in March he will be doing Plastic Surgery for his Surgery Sub I. In mid-March we will find out where Michael has matched for his residency. In April we will take our second month of vacation so that we will have time to go look for housing wherever we may be moving. And in May Michael has signed up for an easy course that everyone takes, called Preparing for Internship.

So, we are very excited for this upcoming year and all the new experiences it will bring for our family. And we can’t believe that medical school has gone by so quickly – although, I assure you that there were times when it did not seem to be going by very quickly at all. But as we have been watching lots of our friends who just graduated make preparations and move away, it has been amazing to us that we will know where we will be going for the next four years in less than a year now. Michael will be graduating, and he will officially be a doctor. And our little family is starting to grow up too. With the next place we move to, we will not only need to consider finding a nice house and it’s location relating to the hospital where Michael works, but we will also need to look into the reputations of the local school districts for the boys. Wow. I remember moving here, and seeing the 4th years moving out and thinking how much they knew and how long they had been in medical school, and now we are almost there. And now we are looking forward to residency – a whole new adventure.