{29 years old . . . not so bad}

I've been looking forward to my 29th birthday for some time now. Not that I'm some kind of crazy woman that enjoys aging, because that couldn't be farther from the truth. But because of a little thing called . . .

We've had our tickets for almost 2 months now and I have literally been counting down the days.

My birthday started off with a bang when I woke up to a house FULL of love . . . (aka balloons!)

My husband blew up 216 balloons manually (the pump he bought wouldn't work) so I could have a fun and exciting birthday morning. We all had a blast dancing and playing in the balloons, and the kids continued to have a blast throughout the day as friend after friend stopped by to play at balloon land!

At 4:00 I headed off to wingers for a pre-movie meal with some of my good friends/twilight fans!

Because our movie was being played at 7 we weren't able to bring cameras into the theatre so we weren't able to get a shot of us all together there. But we all had a bast drooling, screaming, and swooning over Jacob!

I was one of the few women to enter the theatre part of "team Jacob" . . . but I left in good company!!

But my night didn't stop there. When I found out that our movie was playing at 7, I immediately called my sister (who goes with her inlaws) and asked if they had any extra tickets for their theater! They did, so I asked my "die hard" friend Texie, who I read all the books with, if she wanted to see it again! And so we did!

{sisters}

{die hards}

It was an incredible night and an incredible birthday! I was so touched by all the texts, phone calls, facebook comments, and gifts I recieved. Thanks for thinking of me.

Pepero day!

Happy Pepero Day!!

A special thanks to Nana and Papa for helping us celebrate eleven eleven! In Korea they call November 11th pepero day because one of their favorite treats look like 1's!

Hope you all have a very happy pepero day!

A little carried away . . .

A couple of weeks ago we had a "Super Saturday" with a few wards in our stake. It was so fun and there were so many cute things there I had to limit myself so I didn't go too crazy!

Since my daughter refuses to wear anything but skirts, I jumped at the opportunity to learn how to sew one. Well, once I learned, I got a little carried away and next thing I knew . . .

Ta da!

I made 7!

I even adjusted the pattern so I could make some for baby girl hammer!

I made 2 of this one for Abby and Sophie since the Buchanans will be here for Christmas!!

And here's my little model . . . the skirt lover herself! She keeps telling everyone I made skirts for her at the church!

Sometimes it is so fun to learn a new skill since we don't get to do that very often as moms.

Happy Birthday Logan . . .

At least I'm only 1 day late with this post!

Yesterday was my sweetheart's 29th birthday! I can't believe how old we are getting! Isn't it unfair that as men age they just become more handsome? Well, this is definitely the case for Logan.

Here's a list of some of the reasons I love this man:

*He is so kind to me and always puts my feelings first.

*He is an incredible Dad to our 2 (soon to be 3) children and they absolutely adore him.

*He is a hard worker and extremely motivated. He stays up late almost every night working so he can put the needs of our family first.

* He is so generous.

*He is a happy person and always keeps us laughing and playing. He makes our home a happy place.

*He has a good heart. He wants good for others.

*He is patient.

*He is so smart. I don't think he even knows how brilliant he is.

*He is the man of my dreams.

I love you, babe! I hope you had a very Happy Birthday!

Ayden is 5!

My baby boy is 5 years old!

5 years ago . . . on a cold October morning, after 21 hours of labor, our sweet little Ayden Sean came into the world.

He was an angel baby. Literally. I read a book that breaks it down into categories and he fit right in with the angels. He hardly ever cried. Although he wanted to eat every 2 hours, he would nurse on both sides in a matter of minutes, burp, and be on his way.

Around 8 months he really stared using his signs and by the time he was 1 he could communitcate with us pretty well. He loved watching the Signing Time videos.

As Ayden got older, he started becoming really independent and by the time he was 15 months he knew what he wanted. Since then he's always been very good at keeping himself occupied. He can turn anything into a toy with his incredible imagination.

Ayden loves making things. He loves coloring and cutting things out. I can't count the number of signs and pictures he has made for me. He is also very smart. He is already reading and he isn't even in kindergarden yet. He loves so sound out words and understand the world around him.

Ayden is a good friend. He still loves to play with the neighbor kids, and in his preschool class he is constantly being fought over by the girls. He brings gifts and pictures home every day from his many admirers.

For Ayden's birthday he wanted to have a pizza party and go see the movie Astro Boy with his boy cousins! It was a crazy day but I think he had a good day!

{Brandt, Braden, Ayden, Brandon, Jacob, Josh, and Zack|}

Happy Birthday to my special boy!

{ Our Soccer boy }

Well, it was a great season! It started out a little rough, but it was amazing to watch these little guys improve so much in such a short amount of time.

When he started, Ayden was really timid. He was very concerned about his teammates and making sure he didn't push or kick anyone on his way to the ball. (meaning he didn't go for the ball at all) But by the end, he was stealing the ball and running down the field to score a goal!

In this league they play 3 on 3 which gives the boys more of a chance to get in and get the ball. It also helps them stay focused since there are so few of them on the field at a time.

Ayden's team

the Panthers

{Preston, Gabe, Ayden, Carter, and Ryland}

With Coach Jeff

It was a great experience and I can't wait for the spring league to start!

{ Lewis }

Our little Sophie girl has been talking so much lately. She got off to a much slower start then Ayden did, but man is she catching up fast! 

She loves to remind me of her nicknames. She says, "Hey Mom, you know you call me sis and Dad calls me Lewis . . . that's silly"! I wish I could explain how she adds a y to every word too, its so funny. For example: instead of saying more she says moyer. 

So the other day I got one of those Costco bags of swedish fish. She came and asked me for some and as we were walking to the kitchen together she said, "You sure do love me Mom. And I sure do love fishes." It was so funny, she's always cracking me up. 

She wants to have control over her world a little and so when you do something that upsets her she makes up some kind of comeback like, "Well then you can't come to my party" or "you can't come in my room" or her latest "well, then you can't have a polly pocket".

I think 3 years old is one of my favorite ages because they want so bad to be a big kid. She is always telling me how big she is. But truthfully, sometimes I'm blown away at how big she really is! I guess it's good that she won't be the baby of the family much longer!

( farewell to the cookster . . . }

We had a sad day today as we bid farewell to our pet turtle of over 2 years.

Cookie (as Ayden named him) was a good pet to us. Wether he was chomping on fish . . . dive bombing off his sun bathing rock . . . or  making various hills out of the rocks at the bottom of his tank, he always kept us entertained. Even neighbor kids would come over to see what funny things our little friend would do.

{retiring the tank and carrying cookie to his final resting place }

{watching Daddy dig the hole }

{putting him in the ground . . . and a sad little Sophie girl}

{placing flowers on the grave}

He was the most energetic turtle I've ever know, and we will miss him.

{ Number 6 }

That stinking cute number 6 is my little soccer boy. 

We have been excited to get him started with soccer since he was born. Logan played in high school and still plays here and there on city leagues. Hopefully he'll find a love for it like his daddy.

I sat there for a full hour with a smile on my face as I watched these little boys run after that ball. Half of the time I don' t think they even understand why they are doing it, except that when they look back, mom and dad have huge smiles on their faces. 

Unfortunately . . . . . he got his aggressiveness from his mother.

He did kept turning around and giving us the thumbs up. So precious.

{ Salsa day }

Not only was yesterday the first day of school . . . it was also Salsa Day! We started at 9 am and and here we are wrapping things up just a little after midnight!!

Last year Michelle and I made 4 batches of Salsa and they only lasted us about 3 quarters of the year . . . so this year we stepped it up a notch! We invited our other neighbor Nicole and between the 3 of us we made 10 batches!! That's right . . . 182 jars of Salsa!

I know what you're all thinking . . . that means there's plenty to share, right? But after the blood, sweat and tears we put into that stuff, good luck prying a bottle from our greedy little hands!!

It was a really fun day, and I'm glad I have fun friends to do it with!

{ First day of school }

My baby went to her first day of preschool yesterday! I can't believe how grown up she is! She had a great time, she loves her class, and is so excited about being a big girl! 

I'm so proud of the sweet girl Sophie is. She still loves to get into trouble, but you'll never find a sweeter girl. She is also very smart and I know she'll do a great job in school. She loves to learn. Sophie has lots of friends. She is very into playing pretend and Mommy. I'm a little nervous for the time when our baby comes, because I'm pretty sure she will think it's her baby!

And Ayden started, not his first . . . not his second . . . but his third year of preschool yesterday too! He's being a good sport about it. Ayden knows what he wants and doesn't give up easily on it. That makes for a challenging 4 year old but I think it will make for a successful adult. He loves to learn and even though we took the summer off from reading, he still loves to sound out words and is always impressing me with his knowledge.

Ayden is curious about everything. He always wants to know where things come from and how they work. And he doesn't accept his Mom's simple answers either. He is a good student and his teachers always adore him. 

There's nothing like the first day of school!

{ Labor Day '09 }

We just returned from an exciting Labor Day! We have made it a tradition to go to Riverside Country Club with my family down in Provo. Every year they do a big carnival and provide lunch for all their members. 

The kids couldn't get enough of the games and prizes. (especially since Ayden is obsessed with little toys) They especially love spending the day with Nana, Papa, and their aunts and uncles!

{riding the swings}

After lunch the girls needed a nap, so Logan and Ayden went to a new fun place called Pirate's Cove down by the mall. They played more games and had a great time!

It's been an especially fun Labor Day for the Hammers!

{ Day Farm }

Out in west Layton there is a great little family owned farm. We go there every year to get pumpkins and go for a hay ride. Last year we decided to make salsa and can it so went there to get all of our peppers.  

Well it's salsa time again and this time we decided to take the whole gang out to the farm to pick all of the tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, and anaheim peppers that we need to make 9

batches of salsa!

We had a great time with our neighbors, the Flittons and the Botts, and all the children out working in the field, harvesting our own fresh vegetables to make delicious Salsa!

{Sophie and Ashlee picking Big Jims}

It sounds kinda funny, but every time we go out there I have a semi spiritual experience. It is just so amazing to me that we have a Heavenly Father that created this beautiful world for us. It's an awesome experience to see what that world can do and how we can use it's resources in our lives. 

{ Back from . . . the Big Apple }

That's right . . . we are back from a great trip to New York City! It was a quick trip, but we had such a great time!

Logan found out a little over a month ago that he would be going to NY for a work conference. Well, as soon as he told me that the wheel started turning because I am ALWAYS looking for an excuse to go visit my sister! We have wanted to go out and visit them together ever since they moved there, and this was our chance! So I booked my flight and off we went!

Special thanks to my family for taking care of the kids. Mom, Jenny and Trevor, Michael, Todd, Gramps and Gram, and Ron and Judy . . . .you guys are the best!

I left on the red eye Monday night and my awesome sister didn't even complain about having to pick me up at the airport at the butt crack of dawn the next morning. We went back to her apartment and there was a warm welcome from her cute kids! Laura had told Connor the night before that we used to call each other "poopy" so while she was at the airport picking me up he made this sign and taped it on the door!

After I rested for a little while, we packed all the kiddos up and headed out for a little shopping! There is a store out there called H & M that I absolutely love! 

That evening Laura had arranged a babysitter so the adults could meet in the city and have a nice dinner. Since her husband, Alan, spends most of his time there we asked him to pick a restaurant. Boy were we in for a treat! He didn't pick 1 restaurant . . . he picked 8!! He wanted us to get a taste of the culture of the city so we made a bunch of stops at different restaurants that were famous for something specific. It was so fun! I don't remember the names of all the places, but I'll try my best!

{ Our first stop was for a delicious chocolate chip cookie }

{ Then we stopped her for some Crocquets } 

 

{ Here we are at Ruben's for some empanadas }

{ Next up was this bakery for an almond cookie }

{ And then a vietnamese place for a famous sandwich }

{ This is Laura's favorite place for a slice of pizza  }

{ Then we had the most delicious corn! I'm not sure what was on it . . . some kind of cheese and pepper. So Yummy! }

And our final destination was this delicious restaurant named Max Brenner that specializes in chocolate desserts. We were beat from all the walking, but it was all worth it!

{ yum }

Special thanks to Al for all the preparation he put in to this fun evening! It was a great adventure that we will always remember!

We got a good nights sleep that night and woke up to some delicious breakfast sandwiches that Laura and Alan got us from a deli up the street from their house. So good! Then we headed into the city again, this time with all the kids! Alan had to work but he joined us for lunch at the Shake Shack before he headed in. Then we took the kids to the Museum of Natural History.

{Logan and Abby making a magnet mountain }

{ the Logan shuttle }

{ Learning about evolution }

{ Logan getting eaten by a dino }

{ Goofballs }

{ Diggin for fossils }

{ There was an ice cream cart outside the museum and the kids and I just had to grab a sponge bob popsicle!}

After the museum we went for a walk through central park and apparently the kids were quite pooped:

We walked over to the Apple Store because I just think it's so cool and I wanted Logan to see it since he was the one who introduced me to the apple electronics I can't live without.

Laura and I needed a rest, so Logan went to look for a snack for us when all of a sudden I get this crazy phone call . . . "MAR, YOU GOTTA GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!!"

So we grab the stroller and head in that direction. As we roll up on this huge crowd of people  . . . I realize what it is. (I should preface this by saying that I  have been obessesed with the movie The Time Traveler's Wife ever since I saw the previews a few months ago and ran out to get the book.) I knew the movie was coming out this weekend but never imagined that we'd actually come across the red carpet premiere! Right as we turned the corner we heard a huge crowd start screaming and yelling "Rachel, Rachel"!! I look up and there she is . . . 3 feet in front of me!

 { I snapped a couple shots before she headed across the street to the red carpet}

Then, oh you better believe it . . . the gorgeous Eric Bana steps out of a limo and heads right over to where we were standing!

I was too big of a chicken to ask for a picture with him so this was my sorry attempt at sneaking in on someone else's picture! Ha ha! Yup, thats my scary face and his eye . . .

Oh yeah, don't let me forget to mention . . . a few minutes after the Eric Bana madness who do you think steps out of a limo? None other than Brad Pitt! Apparently he is the Executive Producer of the film. He didn't come to our side of the street so the only picture I have is from pretty far away . . .

 

{that's him in the white suit }

{ I'm surprised that Laura and Logan didn't completely disown me . . . I was so totally embarassing!}

I was completely spent after that so we headed towards Time Square so we could get something to eat and meet up with Alan. We had a delicious dinner at The Olive Garden. Afterwards, Laura and Alan took their kids home and we headed to a comedy show. 

They have them all over time square and we were a little worried that it would be very inappropriate but it was actually really funny!

The next day we got up late and spent the morning playing with the kids since this was our last day with them.

{Logan and Connor playing Star Wars! }

Then we grabbed our luggage and took the train into the city. We stayed at a hotel called Excelcior right by Central Park. After we dropped off our stuff, we got dressed up and headed out to the city for some shopping. We went to a bunch of stores and just wandered around. 

{Logan with the fat bearded lady}

{ Crazy face guy }

We thought about going to a play, but decided in honor of the red carpet premiere the day before, that we would go the the midnight showing of The Time Traveler's Wife instead! 

(Grabbing some pizza before the show }

{ In the theater, I'm so excited I can hardly stand it }

The next day we had yet another breakfast sandwich and headed out for our final few hours in the big city. We stopped by the Waldorf Astoria, a beautiful hotel I had the opportunity to stay at twice in my life while in town for New York City Dance Alliance . . . a fairly popular convention and competition.

Then we walked a ways to see St. Patricks Cathedral, and Rockefeller Center.

After that we did a little shopping for the kids and headed back to the hotel to catch a ride to the airport. It was a wonderful trip and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to go!

{1...2...3...}

Kids will do the darndest things. I snapped this cute picture of my kids today . . . . I guess they just want to be like Mommy and Daddy!