Through the ages

Some childhood pictures of me.

The early years

First year of my life (1965) being held by my dad and by my mom .

And who knows, maybe my first ball.

I had the house and my parents to myself for exactly 15 months until my sister Suzie was born in 1967. And for a while it was just the two of us.

More and more kids

After Suzie the kids started coming faster and faster. In 1968 it was my brother Steve. Then there were four in 1969 with my sister Nancy. Forever more we were known as the "four big kids" as we hung out with our Dad.

And my fifth birthday in St. Louis in 1970.

The school years

My first day of kindergarten in St. Louis my dad took a picture of me and Suzie in front of the school.

First grade in Stevens Point WI I wore a tie for some reason.

And Christmas 1971 saw an even larger family dressed in strange pajamas hand-made by my Mom. That's Peter, the newest addition in my Mom's lap.

Plus an embarrassing picture of me in the buff in 1971.

The arrival of my first bike was in 1972.

The family got larger with Sarah in 1972. That's me on the left. Then Peter in front. Dad and Mom with Sarah on her lap. Then Suzie, Steve and Nancy kneeling.

I was quite a skinny kid in elementary school, with knobby knees.

I had my only birthday party on my 8th birthday in 1973 -- I don't think I can name the kids there anymore.

Another kid arrived in 1977 -- Katy. In that picture from the left it's Sarah, me (holding Katy), Nancy, Betsy, Suzie, Peter and Steve. We are all dressed up! It must have been the baptism.

And inevitable school pictures -- I'll just show two from grade 6 and grade 7

Summers

My dad was a university professor, so summers were great. Almost every day we went to the beach. Let's see, from the left that's Suzie, me, Nancy, Sarah (in Dad's arm), Peter and Steve.

Summer also saw us take trips to see our grandparents. On my father's side that meant going to Iowa and staying on a farm house with a large porch and swing. On my mother's side that meant going to Indianapolis every summer. We always stopped in Chicago on the way there for a picnic (notice how my brother Steve is holding the root bear can!) and a few hours in a museum.

And my birthday was always in the summer -- here's my 12th.

Oh, and one more kid was born in the summer of 1979 -- Tony. Bringing the total to nine. In that picture it's (from the left): Sarah (strutting a pose), me, Steve, Suzie, Katy, Nancy, Peter and Betsy. Tony in the baby thing.

Significant events

There was my high school graduation in 1983 (picture with my parents and grandparents from my father's side). Which necessitated a cake with sparklers (picture with my brother Peter).

My second passport in 1995 -- I'm still looking for my first one in 1985.

Then my college graduation from the University of Minnesota in 1988. This picture taken after the ceremony in Minneapolis shows (from left) Sarah, Tony, Betsy, Katy, me, Mom and Peter.

And returning to Minnesota to see Sarah start her first year there.

First car in 1989, a Ford Escort!

And finally my PhD graduation from the University of Michigan. Picture with my advisor Terry Weymouth.

Running

We run as a family -- from my earliest memories, to long runs in the rain (from left, me, Nancy, Peter, Suzie, Steve) to the Twin Cities marathon where several kids ran and we got a family picture with Frank Shorter (from left, Peter, Sarah, Suzie, Tony, Betsy, Frank Shorter, me, Katy, Dad and Mom).