My first birthday...

Today, I woke up to streamers, signs, and 100 balloons. Mommy and Daddy told me all about the day that I was born. I slowly tore the paper off of my first birthday present. It was a gumball machine. I got to put all the balls inside and then watch them come out of the bottom. I also got a vacuum, and a See N Say. Then, I played on my new rocking horse and castle. I love to go down the slide. Mommy and Daddy took me to Johnny's BBQ for lunch. I ate ham, beef, and french fries. I even had my very own little tiny birthday cake. I ate the icing first and then tried to share fistfuls of my cake. I am now 1 year old. Come Christmas, I will be ready to tear off wrapping paper like a pro.


Moriah Grace Hammett

The Show Goes On...

Well, another birthday has come and gone. Since my last birthday I have...

1. Been blessed with another beautiful daughter.

2. Watched Sydney and Marshall continue to mature and do great things.

3. Said goodbye forever to the evil & drama that for too long occupied my time and energy.

4. Supported Shauna through another school year.

5. Taken steps to rebuild myself and the things that are truly important to me.

6. Watched gas prices sky rocket, seen education funding be cut, and saw no job bills introduced to help the MILLIONS of people that are STILL out of work.

7. Encountered more disappointment from people that claim to be "family".

8. Managed to make it through another year without having knee surgery.

and much much more.

I suppose that the bottom line is, I am thankful that I was given another year. Through the years, I have learned to appreciate the good and the bad. Life is just that, good and bad! People are going to disappoint, anger, and fall short of your expectations. Things are not always going to go your way. Learning to take those things in stride, and in turn cherish every moment that you are given is the key.

In the words of Lupe Fiasco, "The Show Goes on!"

The Chorus of his song reminds us all that...

Alright, already the show goes on
all night, till the morning we dream so long
anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
just remember when you come up
the show goes on!

I'm happy to report that my "show" does indeed go on!

So I will leave you all with this...

So no matter what you been through
no matter what you into
no matter what you see when you look outside your window
brown grass or green grass
picket fence or barbed wire
Never ever put them down
you just lift your arms higher
raise em till, your arms tired
Let em, know you're there
That you struggling and survivin' that you gonna persevere
Yeah, ain't no body leavin, no body goin' home
even if they turn the lights out the show is goin' on!

Sterling

Bloody Brilliant

Today, we saw the new Harry Potter. Dad made sure that we were at the first showing of the day. The theatre was sold out and very crowded. The last few days we re-watched the whole Harry Potter saga. I really liked the character Dobby and was sad that he died in Part I of the Deathly Hallows. In my opinion, I think that Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part II was the best movie in the series.

I rate it 3 and a half stars. DAD rates it 3 stars. Sydney rates it 3 and a half stars.

I love seeing movies in the summer. We have seen Transformers, Super 8, and Potter. We will be seeing Captain America next week and then Cowboys & Aliens on July 29.

Summer ROCKS!

Marshall

Vacation

WATERMELON

Summer smiles look like this around here.

Air Conditioner Maintenance=Mini Vacation

SO, what do we do when the air conditioner needs maintenance in the month of July? We think fast and plan for fun. On Friday morning, the air conditioner was being replaced. High temperatures were in the forecast, so we made last minute plans for an overnight, in town.

The house was hot, time to start our adventure. First stop, Sydney's favorite place to eat in the city, Salty Iguana. Even Moriah enjoyed a Mexican treat or two. Next, we took the family to Charming Charlie's a fabulous jewelry and clothing boutique. Followed up by a tour through Crate & Barrel. It was a busy afternoon. We then went to check in to the local Holiday Inn. When I say local, I mean about mile from our house. We changed and proceeded directly to the pool. After a quick dip, we drove out to Jason's Deli for a healthy dinner(unheard of for us to eat-out twice in one day). Just because we got back to the hotel after eight, doesn't mean we didn't go right back to the pool. The kids loved swimming at night. Moriah was quite upset that I kept her out of the water this time. We swam until the pool closed and then fell asleep watching a movie in the hotel room. First thing in the morning, we were right back in the pool. Moriah demanded to get in first. It is hard to determine which kid loves the pool more.

It was a fantastic impromptu get-a-way.
Shauna

Fourth of July

Travelin' to Jamesport

Our family loves to day trip to Jamesport, Missouri. We recently took our summer trip and we will be returning in the late fall. While in Jamesport, we love to shop at the numerous Amish bakeries and country grocery stores. Shauna fell in love with Countryside Bakery's cinnamon rolls while she was pregnant with Moriah. The kids agree that the sour cream cookies are to die for. We always purchase a loaf of Jalapeno Cheddar bread to eat that evening with our dinner. Mmmmm.

This trip we found many great money saving deals at Yoder's Store and the Jamesport Country Store. We were able to buy numerous things to fill the pantry and even bought some things to prepare for the kids' school lunches. By the time we were done shopping, and ready to leave, our trunk was filled with 4 huge boxes of food. The kids decided that the trip to Jamesport would be much better if they didn't have to spend an hour putting away all of our "goodies" once we returned home.

Yumm

First ice cream cone all by myself!

Gotta love Jason's Deli. Yummy!

Sent from my BlackBerry®

T-Bones

We all braved the heat and took in a T-Bones game this morning.



It was hot, but we had a great time.

Adventure Oasis

Today, we went to Adventure Oasis. Last year, we went in August before school started and promised the kids that we would return in 2011. The kids enjoyed the various slides, rock wall, and the dumping bucket playground. Shauna, Moriah, and I enjoyed relaxing on a tube in the lazy river.

A great day of fun for all!

Sterling

Father's Day 2011

Everyone knows that Sterling is an incredible father. He gives all three of his children time, attention, patience, and love. He plans quality time and encourages each of them to be the best that they can be. Most of all, he never misses an opportunity to goof around with them. He is a one-of-a-kind father.

Father's Day started with breakfast and the Sunday paper in bed. Marshall was excited to present him with a new KU coat and KU t-shirt. Sydney's gift included watching Glee-Season 2, part 1 with him this morning. After watching several episodes of Glee, we headed to the yard for backyard grilling. Sterling manned the grill and produced the most delicious house-burgers and sausages. In the afternoon hours, we enjoyed watching Gold Cup Soccer and a trip to the swimming pool. For dessert, we treated Dad to Sylas & Maddy's. (The world's greatest ice cream place.) Dad had a scoop of Butterfinger and a scoop of Snickers. After a busy day of activities, we headed home. Marshall and Sterling spent some quality time playing video games. Finally, Moriah honored her father, on her first Father's Day, by giving him a new watch.


Shauna

FOTZ

Our family has been Friends of the Zoo since Marshall was a toddler. Sydney and Marshall have always enjoyed going to the zoo. Marshall loves seeing the chimps and Sydney is amazed by the polar bear exhibit. Both of them love to play on the various slides and playgrounds. Moriah laughs, giggles, and claps when she sees the animals. There is no doubt that she is having a good time. I'm sure that Moriah will enjoy the zoo for many years to come. We have told the kids that we will commit to going to the zoo once a week this summer.




The Friends of the Zoo membership allows a family to attend the zoo as often as they want for $79 a year. This membership pays for itself in only 2 visits. With the FOTZ membership, we do not feel the need to stay at the zoo all day to get our moneys worth. Sometimes, it is nice to go and only stay for an hour. Needless to say, we all look forward to our weekly "zoo time".

Just Gotta Dance

I have been taking Dance and Gymnastics for about 9 months. My first recital was last night at Shawnee Mission South High School. In order to be ready for my recital, my class had extra practices, work rehearsals, and dress rehearsals. All of the hard work paid off. I had so much fun and loved being on stage.

My gymnastics class routine was performed to the song Centerfield, by John Fogerty. During this performance, I was able to showcase my one handed cartwheels and back bends. This is what I wore for my gymnastics routine.


My dance/tap routine was performed to the song Down in New Orleans. I love to tap and dance. Our routine ended with a "kick-line" and I heard someone say that we looked like the Rockettes. My tap costume is pictured below.


I loved getting flowers at the end of my performance. Mom and Dad even took me to Sheridan's for a fruit smoothie. I had so much fun!

Sydney

Splish Splash

Moriah loves to splash in the pool.




We have a summer pool pass for the Overland Park pools. This pass allows us access to 6 different pools. The kids love to use the diving boards and ride down the numerous water slides. Going to the pool has become a daily activity for our family and an activity that we all enjoy!

Soccer on Saturday...

Everyone knows that I love to play soccer. Well, I also love to watch soccer on TV. My favorite team is Barcelona. My favorite player is Messi. Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. This season he scored 53 goals in 54 games! I only scored 4 this season. I think that it will be a long time before I score 53 goals in a season!

On Saturday, we watched the UEFA Champions League Final. Manchester United versus Barcelona. No one in our house likes Manchester United, so we were all rooting for a Barcelona victory. Mom made loaded nachos and Dad made fresh homemade salsa. I was very happy when Messi scored a goal. Barcelona won the game 3 - 1 and are the champions of the league.

Perhaps, my straight A's from 4th Quarter will earn me a Messi jersey.

Marshall

A goal achieved...

Marshall's hard work has paid off. He spent the first three quarters of the school year on the Buffalo Honor Roll. 4th quarter, Marshall met his goal and made the Principal's Honor Roll. He finished the year with STRAIGHT A's. Marshall also was recognized, during the end of year assembly, for his scores in the district math Pentathlon. Marshall received a medal for scoring in the top 20% of the district.

His mother and I are very proud of the effort that he put forth this school year.

Way to go, Marshall!

Sterling

I'm 9 months old...

I weigh 18lbs.

I am 28 inches in height.

I have one tooth and more on the way.

I love to crawl, swing, splash in my water table, and eat!

I will be walking soon.

Moriah

"Situation Room Photo" - from Sunday

Are they watching the Bin Laden raid or is Obama and his administration watching a U.S. citizen retrieve their gas receipt after filling up?

For those of you keeping track...

1. People are still out of work. 120 Days and counting since House Republicans have had the Speaker's gavel. Zero (0) job creation bills. ZERO!

2. Healthcare is still a total mess.

3. Gas is currently $3.89 a gallon (KS price on 5/5/11).


Still waiting for Republicans and Democrats to address/fix the real issues.


Sterling

Rent and Pass

RENT - The King's Speech. Super acting, and a great story. Good movie!

PASS - Little Fockers. Uninspired, unoriginal, and unfunny.
Watched exactly 20 minutes of this movie before shutting it off. Awful! Worst movie that I have seen in a long time.

Sterling

4 day Birthday Celebration

This year, Sydney did lots of celebrating for her birthday. In addition to getting her ears pierced, she had a 4 day long celebration.


On Friday, we celebrated Sydney's birthday with a meal of her choosing. This year, the menu was popcorn shrimp, broccoli cheddar rice, and ice cream cake.

On Saturday, we started the morning with soccer pictures and Sydney's soccer game. She played her heart out and hustled as usual. Then, we were off to her Birthday Party. This year, Sydney invited of few of her closest friends to a private Hip Hop Dance Lesson. We then shared a sugar cookie cake,sang, and opened presents. Finally, to conclude the day, Sydney and Marshall went to her grandparent's to continue the celebration. There they had cake, opened gifts, and played at the Foam Factory.

On Sunday, the fun continued. She opened family birthday gifts. She immediately chose to wear her new Dwyane Wade jersey, as the Heat played the Celtics.

Finally, on Monday, she celebrated with her classmates. Sydney brought, the family classic, cake in cone to share with her friends.

WHAT AN AWESOME 7th BIRTHDAY!

Shauna

Talent Show

B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Slash, Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Marshall Hammett? Well, maybe someday.

Marshall had his first public performance last night at the school talent show. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. Not only was this his first time to play in public, but he was listed as the first performer on the program. He had to kick off the talent show by going first. Marshall played "Ode to Joy" and was very happy to receive a round of applause by the audience.

We are proud of Marshall. Way to go!

One Wedding and a Funeral

Our family attended a wedding this weekend. Oddly enough, what marked the "Beginning" for two also marked the "End" for others. See, some people fail to realize that "Family" is more than just a word. Family is more than just a poem, a song, a lei, or a paddle. Family is a way of life, an action! You either are part of a family or you aren't.

Real families love, support, encourage, listen, laugh, cry, and learn together. Shauna and I are a REAL family. We do not have to pretend, be fake, plot, sneak, embarrass, or intentionally hurt others in order to feel better about ourselves. Shauna and I will continue to be our own family. We will ensure that our children understand the TRUE meaning of the word family.

As this weekend comes to a close, we offer our sincere congratulations to the Bride & Groom, and we say goodbye to those that will never EVER understand the true meaning of the word FAMILY.

Sterling

Off and running...

Soccer is off and running.

Last Saturday's games where cancelled due to soggy field conditions. Needless to say, we are all ready for Spring weather! Marshall played his first game last night and helped his team secure a victory. The final score was 2-1 and Marshall had the game winning goal.

Sydney has a game scheduled on Wednesday. She is very excited to start her season. Sydney's coach (Dad) is expecting good things from her and her team this Spring.

Stay tuned for pictures, game updates, and to find out who is leading the house in scoring.

Jalapeno Boats and Headbandz

I love to eat stuffed jalapenos. I used to not like them. I thought that they were slimy and gross. I tried them when they were made like a boat, and found out that I love them. I like them stuffed with sausage, cream cheese, and Velveeta. I even like them wrapped in bacon. I can't believe that everyone in our family now likes jalapenos. My dad used to eat them all by himself, but now he has to share.


Yesterday, I ate jalapeno boats and played Headbandz. Headbandz is a game where you pick a card and place it on your head without looking. The person who is wearing the card has to ask yes or no questions to try and guess what they "are". The other players get to see what your card is and answer your questions. It is a really fun game and we all laughed a lot.



Sydney

Mo's first Royals game...

Here are pictures from Moriah's first Royals game.




We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and tailgate before the game. The kids played catch and I fired up the grill.



After we ate, we made our way inside the stadium and snapped more pictures.



We all enjoyed our day at beautiful Kauffman Stadium and we even got to see our "boys in blue" capture another win!

Sterling

The Lemon...

Three swings, three misses...

Memo to MIZZOU fan:

Time to fire Mike Alden!

Your university & athletic department has become a JOKE.

1. You got played by Jim Delany and the Big Ten.

2. You got played by Mike Anderson.

3. You got played by Matt Painter.

Who is running the Athletic Department at Missouri? What a mess!



I'm sure you alumni and fans will figure it out.

Until then, stay classy!


Sterling

The Friday Suprise...

In 1994, Shauna was still in high school. I was working at night and attending college during the day. I had Friday’s off, so Friday was a planned “date night”. One Friday, I stopped by The Jones Store and purchased Shauna an outfit. I bought her jeans and a shirt, wrapped them, and went to pick her up from school. I told her that I had a “Friday Surprise” for her. She opened the packages and the “Friday Surprise” was born. The “Friday Surprise” was not a weekly occurrence, and wasn’t always clothes. The “Friday Surprise” was anything from a card, concert tickets, a cd, stuffed animal, snow globe, ice cream, flowers, and etc. The “Friday Surprise” is a memory that we both cherish. Several times a year the “Friday Surprise” returns and it always puts a huge smile on Shauna’s face. Last Friday was one of those occasions.
I love to buy Shauna purses and have personally picked out the last 4 in her collection. I surprised Shauna with a beautiful Latico bowler bag style purse. Those of you that know me, know that I found a great deal on this bag and did not pay anywhere close to the $269 MSRP.



Shauna rarely does anything for herself. A “Friday Surprise” is a unique way to thank her for all that she does for me and our children.

Sterling

Shopping at Sam's Club...

Way to go...

Marshall once again made the Honor Roll. Marshall brought home 5 A's and 2 B+'s. Marshall was disappointed that he did not have all A's. Nevertheless, Shauna and I are very proud of his academic achievements this year. Marshall will be working extra hard this quarter to achieve his goal of straight A's. When he succeeds, he will receive the Adidas F50 soccer shoes that he has had his eyes on.


Sterling

Life...

Shauna and I talk. I mean really talk! We always have and always will. Our ability and willingness to talk has gotten us through good times and bad times. Talking has allowed us to openly and honestly communicate our expectations, wants, needs, and desires. Shauna and I are almost always on the same page. We have talked about our expectations for our relationship, for our family, for how we treat others, and for how we allow others to treat us.

Through the years, Shauna and I have realized that we can only count on each other. Unfortunately, both of our so called “families” have been one disappointment after another. It truly does take more than blood to be a family. Shauna and I do not have unreasonable expectations. In fact our expectations are pretty much common sense.

1. Do not lie.
2. Do not hide things (sneak).
3. Communicate openly and honestly.
4. Treat us like more than just an option.
5. Do not talk badly about us to other people.
6. Share with us your love, support, laughter, and strength.

A relationship is a two-way street. Simply, do not expect things from us that you are not willing to do. How can you expect us to not always be mad when you refuse to treat us how we deserve to be treated?



A person can only and should only take so much…

Relationships are not easy, they take work. At some point you find yourself asking these questions…

1. What am I getting out of this relationship?
2. Does the good outweigh the bad?
3. Does this person value me?
4. Does this person ultimately value our relationship?

At the end of the day,life is about choices. Choices about what you do and who you choose to do it with. As I frequently tell our kids, make a decision and then live with that decision.

Shauna and I talk. We make decisions together regarding the people that we have relationships with. As time goes by, many more relationships will be evaluated and decisions will be made.

One thing I can say for sure is, that when it is all said and done, we are at peace with our decisions, and that my friends, is all that matters.

Sterling

My new swing...

I recently discovered that I like to swing. My brother and sister have a trampoline, basketball goal, and sandbox for outside. This time, it was my turn to get a toy. So here I am, using my new swing. Now, all I need to do is get a pair of sunglasses.


Moriah

Memories...

The Big 12 Tournament is in Kansas City this week. The Big 12 tournament brings back memories and provides the opportunity to make new ones. I remember when Shauna was a senior in high school, the tournament (Big 8, back then) was held at Kemper Arena. Shauna's mom released her from school early so that we could attend the early session games. Shauna and I drove down to the Kemper, bought tickets from scalpers, and spent the day watching basketball together. To this day, at tourney time, we still reflect back on the fun that we had that day.

The first year the Big 12 tournament was brought to the Sprint Center, I pulled Marshall out of school so that we could go together. We spent the morning in the Power and Light District attending the fan-fest. Marshall chose to eat at Famous Dave's BBQ. I remember sitting down and having "lunch" at 10am so that we could be done in time to see tip-off at 11:30am. Marshall and I talked, ate kettle corn, drank slushies, and watched some great basketball.

This year, Marshall had testing on Wednesday and Thursday, I was unable to pull him out of school to attend the morning games. When he got home from school on Thursday, I surprised him with tickets to the evening games. After walking around the Power & Light District, taking in all the fan activities, we made our way inside the arena to our seats. Our seats were located in the last row of the upper level.

During warm-ups, a representative from Phillips 66 came and told us that we had been chosen as the Move of the Game. The representative upgraded our seats to center court, 6 rows off of the floor.

We were given a backpack with special shirts, hats, and lanyards. During the under 16 minute time out, we stood up and were recognized on the JUMBO TRON.


The seats were incredible and the whole experience was absolutely amazing. I told Marshall that I am 35 years old and have never had seats that were at center-court, and 6 rows back. It truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What more could a dad ask for? Special time with his son, and center court seats to MIZZOU getting drilled by Texas A&M. What a perfect evening!

Sterling


Special thanks to Phillips 66 for upgrading our seats!

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

Marshall competed in the Shawnee Mission Regional Mathletic's Competition today. The best three students in each grade level were invited to compete with eight other area elementary schools. Marshall was so excited to be chosen to represent the fourth grade from Comanche. Sterling, Sydney, Moriah, and I were all there to cheer him on.

Marshall's Team received third place honors. He received a mathletics medal and will present the principal with a trophy for the school tomorrow. We are so proud of of our son's hard work, teamwork, and determination.

WAY TO GO, MARSHALL!

Shauna