Hamm Family Gathers in McCall '09

We celebrated Hailey's birthday along with Uncle Jeffs. They both share birthday's with President Monson!

When the cousins get together...good times

T

There was some friendly competition with the game of ladder-ball. The kids kept us informed on the ups and downs of play. It was a yeah and clapping with successes, and oohs with downcast looks when a play went sour. What a fun bunch of kids!

Opa and some young ladies loving life!

The water feels ooooh so good! Emma with Opa

Oma Jane with Baby Jane, 16 months old

Jane at her post. She did not love the sand this year. We made a discovery. Give her a bucket of water with a sand shovel, and she can forgot how much she dislikes the sand. There she sat, for a couple of hours, content drinking the water we would bring down from the cabin.

Carson and Dad in the sand


Doesn't this boy look like he is on a mission? You are right! Carson was busy getting water from the lake with his shovel weapon.

He was quite satisfied with his mothers and others squeals of delight as he soaked them with yet another shovel full!

Alice and Sarah are busy in their world of sand play, as the waves roll in.

Looks like Hailey is a little mermaid created by Sarah

Claire and Ruby getting sandy so they could jump off the dock together for a quick clean off

Here we have some 2nd cousins, Jessica and Amayah making Trae into a beautiful beach girl... not the muscle man he asked for.















Opa, Jeff and Robb took these darling rascals on a fishing excursion to Browns Pond

Next we have Nathan who absolutely loved the trout that was caught. While most kids had tastes, Nathan was a true conneseuir of the white meat. He ate three trout!
Okay so a little out of order, but you see here that we have some grandchildren beginning a treasure hunt!

Another clue, another adventure











Where now?! Oh do hurry!

Whoa, whoa there is no stopping us now!

To the beach! I am there! What has Opa been doing down here?

Could it be here? It appears that the excitement is a little overwhelming for these darlings!

Yes, the flag marked the spot. A little dig and we found our goods. The little treasure was pretty sweet!

We enjoyed a little smore time after FHE around the campfire. Here are the grandchildren of Bob and Jane minus our youngest, Mason who was unable to be here for this week. We missed Jordan, Chris, Braden and Amanda
Chris did come later in the week! Next year we will all be there at the same time...right?

It is HOT in Seattle over 100 today

For many of you who live in other parts of the world, 100 degrees does not sound unusual, but for the Seattle area, it has never been this hot since they kept the statistics. Let me put it in perspective... our normal is 74 for this time of year for the high with our low temps at night at a comfortable, windows closed and the covers on as we sleep at night. So lets add 26 plus degrees to your normal we would put Phoenix at about 130 or more. Now because our normal is only 74 degrees, why would you have air conditioning in your home, which 90% of the homes do not have in this area. So when we went to bed last night at 11:30 and it was 85 degrees outside and warmer in the home covers were not to be found or needed.

This morning when I went to my air conditioned office at 9 a.m. it was 90 degrees with the expected high over 100 degrees for the day. Seattle has only had one day that reached 100 degrees in the last 50 years and they are predicting we will set a record of going over 100 degrees today. So if you want an investment tip... invest in anything that will have to do with selling air conditioning in homes, regardless of the price, in the Seattle area. If you want a good weather station that is right in Mill Creek, our home and 100 yds. from my office, go to www.centralmarketweather.com/MillCreek/ and you will see where I get my vast knowledge on the conditions of weather and the latest sales at the market. Tomorrow I think I will go and jump in a lake!!

Gone now is the Seattle PI and I will miss her!

There is much sadness in the greater Seattle area as the Seattle Post Intelligencer, or the PI as it was known as here, shut down and published its last edition. This paper meant a lot to our family as my father worked there for many years and was part of the union that distributed the paper. It was the only daily morning newspaper that was the only source of news for us growing up. My brother Ken, delivered the PI for a year or two and when I was fortunate to be able to take it over for him. As I remember, we had about 70 houses that we delivered to each morning and my mother would take us on Sundays and holidays because the papers were too heavy to carry. I think I even talked Ken into letting me go with him to deliver when I was 9 or 10 and he let me carry the papers... that was the deal and I loved it.

I would wake up at 2:30 a.m. each morning and it would take me about 1.5 hours to do the route. When I got back home, I would crawl back in bed and sleep a couple of hours before getting up for school. Oh believe me the money was sweet, we would make about $25 for the months work and we had to go around and collect the money from our customers. That was the worst part. I loved getting up and doing the route and fell in love with the early morning walking and riding my bike delivering papers in the rain, snow and beautiful dry weather of North Seattle. I don't know how far we walked exactly every morning, but it was probably five miles or more.

When in high school my dad helped me get a job at the PI on Saturday nights where I would help prepare the Sunday paper to be taken out for delivery. It was dirty and dusty, but I would drive down with my dad, or take the family car, and start work about 9 p.m. and finish work anywhere from 4 to 7 on Sunday morning, depending on the how the presses were working. So when I heard they were going out of business, I was sad. I will miss the PI, not because I loved the news, which I do, but it was an institution in Seattle for 164 years and I spent many a fond morning delivering her and eating Fruitloops or Cocoa Puffs while reading her sports pages.

Banishment

I was reading Molly's blog and some of the comments attached to her post on her recent illness. I really feel her pain and fully empathize with her when death seems to be possible reality any minute. The hardest part about getting ill is I am banished to find another place to sleep and rattle the walls in one breath and then wait for a couple minutes for the next GASP of air. Like that isn't normal for a 55 year old overweight guy with a terrible head cold? Are you with me Molly? Our secretary at the office asked me when I came in one morning when I was going to leave? However, I am over it now... the illness anyway, but I am still banished to the other bedroom as the echos down the hall that Jane hears still give her some justification to keep me banished and all may not be well...

Watch this Youtube video and you will understand why I have placed 999 on my speed-dial and am investing in a good bell.  I am almost sure it will help our marital relationship and Jane will understand even more how much I need her!    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeyZHsqC9AM

Now that you have watched the video, you will know why the banishment may be for a long time. I am just kidding sweetie!

Easy way to find best GAS PRICES

I wanted to blog about this excellent website on gas prices. Here is the URL: 

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/GasStationsBeta.aspx

This allows you to put in your zip code, or one where you are going, and see who has the cheapest gas on any certain day. I just thought I would share it with you... try it out!

I was viewing the blogs of the family today and I think I saw a record... Rebecca had not blogged for 5 days! What is happening down there in Puyallup that I don't know about. I am in total withdrawals. Just kidding... we love all of the blogs.

Ashley: I do want to know how Brig can sleep like that? Nice form Brigham!!

I love my family

To the world I will announce how much I love my wife, children and now our grandchildren. Believe me, it is just as exciting to know what is going on in their lives and to be a little part of it, than it was for us to be with them when we were all growing up together. I say we were growing up together because that is really what happens. I will be the first to admit, and everyone will agree, that I had no idea of what it meant to be a man, let alone Jane's man, when I was 24 and became a father. Sure, I thought I knew it all... but that was not the case. But they showed me day after day what it meant to be a father and a friend. So as our family is growing so am I with them. I guess you could say it takes me a little longer to learn things. In fact, when I look at our children interacting with each other and our grandchildren, I think, "Why are they so good?" Each of them help me feel needed, loved and young. So I continue to learn and grow-up with the next generation of children and I hope I can be as good and smart as they are. Ruby, Hailey, Sarah, Emma, Alice, Nathan, Carson, Jane and Mason are now the ones I will get to watch as I continue to learn from Jane, my greatest blessing, and my children -- Rebecca, Jeff, Robb, Jordan and Braden. Thank you for being my family and Jane my dearest friend and wife.