Tadpoles for pets

Ruby loves frogs. She and Chris have always been successful catching them. She takes care of them for a week, then she lets them go and catches others. With the progression of Spring, we have more and more daylight. This poses a problem for frog hunting, as it is best done in the dark. This trip, they came home with six little tadpoles. Ruby has been learning about how they turn into frogs and she can't wait! It has been two weeks or so and they still look the same...but we know nature is at work.

Babes loves to be included in everything Ruby and Chris do. Chris usually walks in the door from work with a plan for the evening that is packed with fun and adventure. Ruby and Alice just hate it when he has to go off for church responsibilities or other things. Even if it is a trip to Lowes, they won't miss the chance to be with Dad! Who can blame them!?

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

We went to Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo earlier this month. I think it was the first nice day all year, and we jumped on the chance to be outdoors. We had a nice time. The zoo isn't the greatest, but it is improving.

Ruby and her new friend Jensen (notice Ruby is still carrying Piggy around).

We got to see the walrus eat!

Cool...a SHARK! Jensen, Ruby and Ellie were amazed by the shark exhibit.

Going down a slide at the new park at the zoo.

She can SWIM!

Ruby loves to swim! She and her dad try to go once a week, and this month she learned to swim all by herself! She can swim with her face in the water, come up real quick for air and put her face back down for more swimming. The time that Alice and I went, she easily swam fifteen feet or so before she was through.

The goggles are her favorite. She loves to "see" under the water. Chris decided that if you can buy "princess" goggles, you can officially buy "princess" anything. Thank goodness!

Popcicle Please?!

Ruby has some really great friends. Here she is with Kiley and Ella.

Sisters

Product Plug and Pool Party...

Usually when I look forward all year to another summer, my twenty-four years of summer memories with out kids tend to take over. Then, when we are at the beach and I spend the entire day rubbing sunscreen on the kids with sandy hands and running them to the bathroom...and my romantic memory of summer is quickly replaced by the reality of the next ten or more summers...as a mother. While I love my role as a mom, in all honesty, it does take the joy out of the beach.

You might say, "don't go to the beach", but that is not an option. I spend a few weeks every summer in McCall, ID at my family's cabin at the beach. With a few trusty PFDs and a grandma on hand, I tend to get by just fine. That said, I was thrilled this year when I came across a new product that will take the sand out of sunscreening! It is rumored that it will sell out fast, so I stocked up--now I am passing the good news to you. CONTINUOUS SPRAY sunscreen. Don't be confused by any of the pump sprays, they have eluded me for a few summers, but they still require rubbing in the lotion, so the spray feature does little more than jam itself or spray off the target. To avoid any confusion...here's the official picture of the product line:

Ruby RIDES!

Ruby has a great imagination and she loves

being creative, but ever since she waited to crawl at fourteen months and to walk at nineteen months, she has been less interested in pursuing physical skills. She's not lazy, or inactive...she runs and jumps and swings and chases, but she isn't that kid that is dying to get on a bike or push a scooter. So it is usually after some encouraging and bribing that we interest her in trying new things physically. Here she is, riding her bike (with the training wheels, of course)!

Alice loves the park!

We used to go to the park in our last neighborhood several times a day...sometimes even when it was freezing cold. If it wasn't raining, we went. Now, we have such a nice play area in our backyard, I take advantage of their playing outside while I get things done. We go maybe twice a week now and Alice gets really excited.

More of baby Aksel

I took some more newborn pictures of little Aksel last week. It took us a long time to get him to sleep well enough to get some of the tummy shots, but I think they turned out cute! I find that my monitor settings are off, so often the coloring and contrast that looks good on my monitor will look funny on other monitors...so they may look dark or bright to you.

Leaving the Temple

Bride with neices...

Again, Alice and this time Hailey wanted nothing to do with a picture.

Daddy and Daughter

All the girl cousins

We should have had Nathan in this picture, but the girls were wearing matching dresses, so I guess that is why we did only girls. Anyway, Alice was NOT having it. From left to right: Ruby, Hailey, Sarah, Alice and Emma.

Best Friends--or so Ruby would say...

Ruby is always anxious for any excuse to mother and kiss Alice. Alice is just beginning to initiate some kisses from Ruby, but she is a bigger fan of cuddles and hugs.

The "other" Hamms

Here are some pictures of the other Hamms in the family.

First, (or on the bottom) Robb, Heather, Hailey and Emma Hamm. Heather is expecting baby #3 in October!

Second, (or on top) Jeff, Mary, Sarah and Nathan Hamm.

The grandchildren have thus far been born in waves...the eldest, Ruby, Sarah and Hailey will all be in the same grade in school, and the second batch, Emma, Alice and Nathan will be in the same grade as well.

April 28th, 2007 Braden and Amanda got Married!

Soon after walking out the temple doors as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hamm were ready for hugs from anxious neices.