AZ 30

Moving day!!  (27 August 1986)

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the date upon which we moved from Roseville, Minnesota (St. Paul suburb) to Phoenix.  Though the Twin Cities metro area is pretty hard to beat, we've liked being here in Phoenix from the moment our plane landed that evening - immediately comfortable with the desert even though we'd never lived anywhere similar.  Only downside, and sometimes it's felt rather heavy, has been distance.

K wore herself out helping
load boxes, or something.

The move itself was quite an adventure - four children (ages 5, 4, 3 and Patrick at exactly four weeks old).  We wanted to (and did) get settled in AZ prior to Nicole starting kindergarten (with kids ready to start school, the timing seemed right).  After a few days at the Embassy Suites (Thomas Road version), we moved into our temporary residence in a townhouse at 42nd Street and Thunderbird.

One of the motivations for the move:  climate.  Between South Bend, Chicago and Minneapolis - the city in which we resided had broken its all-time snow record five times in the prior nine winters.  Several law school friends had located in Phoenix, and the recent history of winter-struggles definitely made us more receptive to their relocation pitches.  We also had a "go west" urge more generally for whatever reason, as once attempted per here.

Sure enough on our last day in Roseville, the wind went around to the north - as can happen in the last days of August in that part of the world - online I see that the temp dropped to 66 degrees with 18+ mph north winds at 4p when we would have been wrapping up with the packers and heading to the airport.  Doors were open for the movers and the house was getting to feel a little chilly after months of summer weather; all jackets packed away so we dressed the kids in adult polo shirts and the like.

One might have expected these three to be a little fatigued upon arrival in Phoenix - after all, it
was a long, and pretty action-packed, moving day.  But not these three.  (EPG, on the other hand . . . )

Jetway not used in those days as we landed in Phoenix at now-long-demolished Terminal 1 - instead, we walked down the stairs and across the tarmac with our little crew.  About 90 degrees when we landed, and PJ and I recall how good that felt.

On a much-more somber note, today also is the first anniversary of losing Mom.  Lots of nice remembrances via email etc. among the family members.

First exposure to swimming pool fun,
Phoenix-style