Friday, August 29, 2008

Oregon!


Both flights went really well. Little Abraham was so good, especially considering the adventure of almost missing both flights! Here he is quietly sitting in the airplane, wearing his airplane suit.



We saw some awesome sea life when the tide was low.

Baby Abey at the beach with his sunscreen and sun hat


At least take off your shirt and towel first!




Little Hammie knows what's good for him. He said it was too cold to swim. He was kept warm and happy by Papa.


Andrew found this poor drowning man, and decided to pose for a picture with him, instead of help him.


The first and last full day we had were warm. The rest were cold. For the cold days, whenever we went to the beach, Abraham would fall asleep in his sling, and stay there asleep for hours until we left.


Here we are, eating Tillamook cheese sandwiches!


We always knew Abe was a puffin! Here we are at the Seaside aquarium.


Portugal narrowly won the 25m dash, followed closely by Venezuela at our family olympics.


Andrew felt a little sick after this rainy dip, and he was the only one in the ocean, but he could never fight the impulse to jump in. All the Oregonians watched from the beach.


Andrew scaling the knife edge at his favorite beach...


where he later broke off his big toenail trying to fly this kite!





It was a great vacation!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Is there no dignity?


"Do you really have to take pictures of me in my dipe? Show a little respect for a man who can't control what he wears or when he wears it!"

More beach pics from Oregon to come . . .

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Happy Birthday Love!

It's sweet Ariel's birthday today. If only I could pen the deep, indelible feelings of love, admiration, and fondness I have for Ariel. She really does complete me. I can't think of an unhappy day in my life since I married her. Really. I'm not one to hyperbolize about things that mean a lot. I live to see and be with my lovely wife, and my obligation to bring home the bacon is becoming increasingly difficult, tearing me from her and the little Ham.

One day, when Ariel and I were engaged, my future father-in-law sent me this picture of Ariel with her cousin, Catherine.

When I saw it, I fell more in love with Ariel than ever. There was something so natural and beautiful about her holding a baby. It just made me happy. I realized when I saw it that she was going to be a wonderful, wise, enthusiastic, loving mother, and I became more excited than ever to marry her. Up to that point I had thought about her more as a future wife than as a future mother. Now I'm seeing her innate ability to mother she is more wonderful, wiser, more enthusiastic, and more loving than I ever could have imagined. Baby Hammer, and any other little Marshalls to arrive down the road, are the luckiest tikes in the world.

I love you Beautious Maximus! Para-bens!