The Summa Haps

My Grammy Fern turned 85!



This is me with Rachel, Amber, & Aubrey #2. Rachel & Aubrey#2 just graduated High School. Wahoo, you guys! These beautiful girls let me hang with them & make me feel like a queen! I think the technical term is mentoring but it is more like a charity self-esteem boosting service they provide me with.



My friend Luke, (we go way back to North Junior High School days!) & his wife Stephenie adopted the most beautiful little girl, Mackenzee. Luke had a fun birthday bash he invited me to & I got to check her out in person. Wowsers, baby girls are so pretty & the Grandmas will not let go of them! I settled for a picture, I am not sure I would have let her go either.


Matts Dad had a Birthday BBQ, Happy Birthday Grandpa Mitch!

This is Matts half brother Taylor & step brother Michael. I interrupted a sweet game of football to take this pic, silly camera woman.

Lindsay has a Mercedes! Yep, high roller, that one is. We have hit the town together a few times in sister shenanigans & tomfoolery.






Collin almost always has socks on his hands. He calls them his "punching gloves." This would be a little socially awkward but I just say, "he's three," & everybody seems to roll with it. *sigh*

My cousin, Kayla, graduated from Kuna High School. You go girl!

They have antlers in the landscaping at Kayla's, so this was my brain child. It was almost believable but Kaleb has a sensitive head & he started to whine. Who does this silly camera woman think she is?

Super Dad!

I love this man. With my whole heart I adore him. I am blessed to have stumbled upon him at 14 years old, not knowing the treasure I had found. His integrity, joy, stubbornness, & passion have carried our family through dark times. His laughter & smile have lifted us to the best days I have known. I love you Matty, thanks for being the leader of our three ring circus.

What's Up Cupcake?

My name is Aubrey, & I like to bake. A LOT. It all started with this little number:

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. They were so simple, made straight from a store bought cake mix. Everyone loved them & praised my domestic prowess.

Then Andrea got in on it. Introducing Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes. These were not so simple. Usually requiring two attempts, but with much more payoff.

I started buying shiny equipment to support my habit.

I was even willing to shed my own blood. (Not, really)

This Sour Cream Strawberry Cupcake was made with the fruit of our labor. I am now asking, "How can that be made into a cupcake?" of everything.

I even turned to booze. The Mojito Cupcake.

Also, Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

And the Game Changer, the Bacon Cupcake with Maple Butter Frosting.

What's next? Not sure yet. I do know that I was destined to be a 400 lb. woman. Yum!

Re-do

Remember our berry reconnaissance mission from last summer? Yea well, we went back for more. This time it was strawberry season & Andrea joined the whole fam. (Minus Parker who, even though there are not wasps this time of year, decided to stay home.) Kaleb & Aden ate more than their body weight in berries & threw about the same amount off the back of the world's slowest tractor ride. Kids, easy to entertain. Collin played in the mud & rocked his superhero cape.




After bringing home almost 30lbs., Andrea & I got straight to whipping up something berry-tastic. We made Strawberry Sour Cream Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting. They were interesting, most tasters thought they were more like pancakes than cupcakes. Something tells me there will be a re-do on these.

Success!

After half a dozen trips home empty-handed, the boys caught a fish! Three in fact. Thanks to Mr. Koenig, Andrea's other half. Wahoo! A bit of perserverance & a dash of know-how equals two happy boys. Collin went fishing too, he was mostly interested in swimming in the nude though. Maybe the fish were biting that day because the hook seemed a better fate than the naked three year old? WHATEVER WORKS.

Pomp & Circumstance

Our sassy Kindergarten graduate out on the town at Cafe Vicino's. This has been our tradition with each boy so far. A fancy dinner out with just Mom & Dad. You can imagine how the waitresses swooned over this little man in his sport-coat. It was epic.


Aden with his teacher, Mrs. Rich.


Both Grandmas to celebrate with on his big day. Congratulations Aden!

Summer Photo Shoot, Take One

You just try not to smile

Not possible. Kids light up the whole world.

When they are not smearing peanut butter all over the couch, that is.

From Henri Nouwen's book "Reaching Out

" Without the solitude of heart, the intimacy of friendship, marriage and community life cannot be creative. Without the solitude of heart, our relationships with others easily become needy and greedy, sticky and clinging, dependent and sentimental, exploitative and parasitic, because without the solitude of heart we cannot experience the others as different from ourselves but only as people who can be used for the fulfillment of our own, often hidden, needs....."

Whoa. That is some deep stuff. I like deep waters, to be in over my head. Glutton for punishment, some call it.

I have not read this book, nor any of Nouwen's. I read the authors who read him and then try to explain it to me. And even then, I only understand a small slice.

But when I do, oh man! Good stuff. That this loneliness could be God breathed solitude creeping in? Bring it on. A perspective shift is always welcome from above. And by welcome I mean after the tantrums & screaming fits are ceased.

Sad monkey photo from Aden's field trip in April. I have always felt the zoo was a lonely place.

Give it a whirl

Back when I offered a feedback giveaway, my dear Kylee asked for more words. I have been trying since to do a post with no pics. Really focus on my words. Because that Kylee, she is a smart cookie.

As long as we are being vulnerable here & trying something new, I thought I would go with this:

10 things I would like to change about myself

1. I listen to movie critics, rather than judge for myself.
2. Keeping it safe in the kitchen. I stay away from new recipes.
3. People pleasing. Is it okay with you if I change this? ;)
4. Harshness. I value honesty but you know what they say about a spoonful of sugar...
5. Discomfort with silence.
6. I am addicted to stuff & it is suffocating.
7. Cynicism.
8. I don't wear pink near enough.
9. Too much emphasis on results. Need to find joy in the journey.
10. My bizarre penchant for lists.

Yea, I did it!