2010 and my new plan

Happy New Year!!

I hope 2010 has greeted you with open arms and happy hearts. We are all a little tired in the Hammes household this Jan 1. We actually stayed up till after midnight (RJ included). It was great ringing in the new year with great friends!!

I have been hesitant about updating my blog for several reasons, which I won't go into here. I would like to start a new blog and password protect it. So if you would like to continue to follow my family and my attempt to document it, email me at merryhammes@hotmail and I will give the info to you. I promise to be more faithful at updating it seeing how I can control who gets to see it.

Hope all is well in all of your homes and here's to a great New Year!!

Being Proud

I was so excited the other night when Mitch came to get me so I would see what RJ was doing. He said "Bring your camera".

RJ can ride his bike...without training wheels!!!

another quick video

In case you can't see the videos, here are some snap shots.

.

The best part is, he has crashed (lightly) and gotten right back up and rode again. I am so proud of him!!!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Halloween....

Every year, our church Mission Bell UMC sets up a pumpkin patch. To kick it off, we invite all church members, friends, family, boy/cub scouts & girl scouts to come help unload the truck...

We all work in a long line so no one has to carry a heavy pumpkin for too long...

"Many hands make for lite work"

If you stand opposite from each other there is less back twisting...

Sara taking a break with her friend all the adults do the heavy work (the kids set out all the tiny gourds earlier)

The grassy area in front of the church

Look at all those pumpkins...

When it was all said and done we off loaded 1132 regular to large size pumpkins. It took about 2 hrs with breaks for water and pizza. It was a lot of fun to talk to everyone while working.

If you are near 43rd Ave and Bell Road, stop buy and get your pumpkin!!!

Once we got home, the kids helped me finish decorating our house for Halloween

Now they want to know when is it time to go Trick or Treating...

Fun with Cousins

This summer I had the privilege of hanging out with 4 awesome kids!! Jordan and Miles came over for a week of fun!! Everyday we spent time in the sand (at home or at the park)

Swings were a bog hit for the big boys

And Sara

All four of them also spent time in the play house in the back yard. Can you see them through the door window....

Oh wait..there they are...

It was a great week! It went by too fast. I hope they can come over again to play!

A Little About RJ

Apparently I have been slacking on my blog...sorry about that...here is a quick update on RJ...

Following RJ's 6th birthday this summer, he decided he wanted to try karate. He loves it and is very good at it. We hope to move him up in January to the next category "Master Club"

Sara got to try class during July.


He has also learned about the Jr. Ranger Program. At all the National parks here in America he can answer some questions and then receive a badge for his Jr Ranger vest. He has 4 so far and he can't wait to earn more.

A piece of lava rock near Sunset Crater National Park

This summer we spent a lot of time doing science experiments (thanks Aunt Heidi). He loves to see how things work and to see if he can make other thins happen.

Every day RJ amazes me even more. He loves to read and tries to read anything you put in front of him. Sometimes he gets frustrated if the words are too big but he tries hard to sound them out. He has made some good friends here in the neighborhood and at school. Everyday he has something new to share. I can't believe he is growing up so fast!!

Walk for Hope

This past Saturday, Mitch, the kids and I ventured out on my 3rd annual (minus the year abroad) participation in the City of Hope "Walk for Hope Breast Cancer Walk". We left the house at 5:30am in hopes of getting there in time to fill our bags with all the free goodies the vendors give away. We got some bread, candy, ice cream, apples, water and office supplies. It was great fun.

Then we get ready to start the walk. It was a 5K walk which took us through the Phoenix Zoo.

The finish line! We were rewarded with tags at the finish line.

After the walk we hung around the vendors a bit more and the kids got to meet the Coyote's mascot.

After the walk, we headed back to the zoo to enjoy the animals.

Sara wanted to sing a song to her new frog...

Down at the wallaby walk about - trying to get the kids use to the idea of seeing kangaroos and wallabies...

Taking a break from the animals and enjoying a playground.

Then we headed down to Harmony Farm to enjoy the petting farm.

Sara was in heaven...She loved petting and brushing all the goats.

This one was rather tall...Almost as tall as RJ

This was my favorite picture of the day...Sara sat there stroking this goats goatee for quite some time. She often does this when anyone has a goatee....

Then off to some other hands on exhibits...Mitch was a good turtle (or sport)

RJ and Sara are "all clammed up"

Daddy was wrangling this crocodile to save Sara from his jaws....

Our last stop was the Giraffes. The kids talked dad into walking up the look out tower to get a better look.

It was a great morning!! Mitch and I were down for a nap by 2:30pm...the kids lasted all day but were out by 7pm.

All About Sara

Seeing how I am a bit behind, I thought I'd do a recap a few things we did this summer...staring Sara

Back in March, Sara turned 3 and I took her to have her pictures taken.

Isn't she fun in front of the camera

We welcomed a new member into our family and Sara took a liking to him immediately

Poor Buster never had a chance

The biggest amazement of the summer...Sara taught herself how to swim. She started out with a life vest back in April, but by the time RJ's birthday rolled around (June) she was swimming from one end of the pool to the other unassisted.

But she never ceases to amaze me...she loves to be a girl and dress up. She was so happy to get a pair of Hello Kitty sunglasses that she wore them all day even in the house.

I really enjoyed spending time with Sara this summer. I am already looking forward to Fall Break in October. It will just be the two of us as RJ will be in school that week. We will have a lot of fun.