2017 Huffaker Family Reunion. Part 1

Family pretty much rocks!!

We always look forward to our reunions, and love seeing each other again. And, it's always an added bonus to do fun things together at the same time!

You might remember our Oregon Coast Huffaker Reunion from two years ago: Starting HERE, here (part 2), here (part 3), here (part 4), here (part 5), and finally, HERE. (Hopefully I won't be as long-winded this time. You also might remember the reunion that we hosted for my side of the family: Part 1, and Part 2.  But ... destinations are always fun!!

So for this year's Huffaker reunion, we "let" Kerry plan it again. (Poor girl! She works so hard to find a location, with things to do, and that everyone will [hopefully] enjoy. She does a great job, but I think she's also ready to hand off that job to someone else!!)

This year's reunion was a week-long camping trip at Lolo Hot Springs, located on Highway 12, near the Idaho-Montana border. Almost all of Todd's siblings were there for at least part of the reunion. We were missing some of the next generation from the different family groups -- well, they're not Pokemon: you can't get em' all, right? (I was recently informed that that game does still exist, and people still play it. Whatever!)

My story, actually begins a little before the reunion. We knew that to get the most fun out of camping, we'd want to take our four-wheelers (ATV's) to the reunion. But that would mean taking two trailers there -- the camp trailer, and the four-wheeler trailer. We didn't really want to do that, but couldn't see a good way around it either.

So we bit the bullet, and said goodbye to our old Espré camp trailer:

She's seen a lot of years with us, and she was in GREAT condition. (That photo's taken alongside the four-wheeler trailer, back in 2005.) But really --- we look like our own caravan when we drive down the highway together:

(2008)

And we welcome to the family, The Shockwave:

(Yes, Cameron's standing on the roof. Checking things out!)

This new camper is designed as a "toy hauler". It has a drop-down ramp on the back, and the interior has movable or removable furnishings, that allow the four-wheelers to be driven in, and tied down to secure them for transport.

In effect, it combines the functions of both trailers for us, and when we load 1 ATV in the bed of the pickup, with 2 in the toy hauler, we can bring three of the four ATV's camping with us, and only need to pull one trailer. IT'S A WIN!!!

It's listed as shorter than the Espré, but actual length (with tongue) is slightly longer. We really didn't want anything huge, and we didn't want anything extravagant. We did want a walk-around bed, which this gave us,. So, it suits our criteria, and we look forward to a lot of years of play with this new camper.

We had a week to prep everything, and then load up for the drive to the reunion. And wow, it's been a long time since we've really gone camping. And we had to figure out how to pack this new trailer, and how everything fits. Interesting process!

It's a beautiful drive!!

And being with family is the best!

More coming soon on our reunion adventures.

P.S. It should also be noted that on the very day that we signed papers on the new camper ..... the air conditioner at the Haven gave up the ghost.
Well, THAT was an unexpected jab in the pocketbook!

READ MORE:
2017 Family Reunion. Part 2
2017 Family Reunion, Part 3

17 Adventures!

I have to be careful. The last time I said that I wanted to make something "memorable", I ended up with a broken wrist.

And I don't often have original ideas. I usually find something that sounds good, then adapt it, and use it. Not this time. I can claim this one as my own idea.

So, our theme for this summer has been, "17 Adventures". I wanted to come up with some summer activities that would be fun for Emma, and different than everyday activities, so that at the end of the summer, we could say, "Look at all this fun stuff we did all summer long!"

I kind of picked, "17", because this is 2017. Not the best plan though, because I don't want to be upping our number of adventures each year after this! But 17 seemed like a nice, random, odd number, so I went with it.

To qualify for an "Adventure", it has to be something fun, something we don't do every day, and a lot of them are things that you would only do in the summertime. For example, one of Emma's adventures was going tubing on the river with some friends. Since we don't own a boat, this totally qualified for Emma. Because if we went boating every weekend, then that takes away some of the adventurous quality of it.

So, while we're not done yet, .... here are some of our 17 Adventures from this summer, and most of these are phone pictures -- that's what I tend to have with me.

Emma and I went to the grand opening of the new 2nd floor of the library. I have an abundance of opinions about the library that I will withhold. These photos will suffice for now:

(Original, restored, freight elevator in the old downtown building where the "new" library is located.)

Checking out the 3D printers. It was a lot of fun, ....

But THIS was our Adventure:

Virtual Reality.

What you see on the TV screen is what Emma saw in the goggles.

She had a lot of fun with that!!

We also signed her up for some classes at "Kids' College" at our local State College. She had a couple of favorite classes, .... one was Archery:

At home, she requested to have some "cooking classes" with Mom. Who am I to disagree with that?

This first is a glazed lemon loaf, a recipe that came from her cookbook. (Not a winner, but she chose it, and she loved the process.)

Emma helped again this year with the raspberry jam ...

(I'm kind of nostalgic about those two old Pyrex bowls. They were my mom's, and it feels so comfortable to use them!!)

Our trip to Utah to meet Baby Myra was at the top of her list. While we were there we went to the park with the grandkids:

Darcie planned the next Adventure, which was also during our Utah trip. I asked her to come up with a good, family hike that we could take the little kids & they would enjoy. Darcie definitely knocked this one out of the park!!

And to top it off, she & I went to a little place in downtown Provo, where they make kolaches -- a Polish filled pastry. We picked up a dozen, met the rest of the family at the trailhead, and had a really yummy breakfast of warm kolaches!! So GOOD!!

Fast forward a few weeks .....

We did a mother-daughter excursion to an antiques show/vintage market: 

And her other favorite Kids' College class was Fantasy Face Paint:

(That was the final day, when she painted my face, and I put the finishing touches on her face.)

Which brings us to this weekend.

We thought we'd have to miss out on our Shooting Star Sleepout for the Perseids meteor shower, but the weather worked out enough that we slept out last night and got to see a few meteors. It wasn't a lot this year -- just too much smoke from wildfires. But there was one brilliant streak that was way impressive.

At about 5 am, we had to make a dash for the camper when it started to spit rain on us.

But it TOTALLY counted for our Adventure!

There's more Adventures to show, but they're part of our 2017 Huffaker Family Reunion, so I'll save them for later.

17 Adventures might just be another name for a Summer Bucket List. I think by calling them, "Adventures", that it reminds Miss Emma that there's fun to be had all the time, and in a variety of ways.

I have a feeling that she's going to want to do this from now on, every summer. This could get challenging,  .... but it will definitely be FUN!!!

because life. happens.

In a perfect world, this blog would be updated every 3 days, filled with adventures and commentary and stunning photos, and you'd be anticipating every entry.

My world is not perfect.

But since you're wondering what the HECK is going on with those Huffakers, --- well, here's one snippet of life at the Haven --- which is not even technically at the Haven:


The biggest, latest, greatest news comes in a little 8-pound package:

Introducing little Myra Marilyn Huffaker!

She's almost a month old, now and we think she's pretty awesome already! (And yes, they named her after family members, and I'm the second one. Lucky girl won't have to be "Marilyn"!! Ha!)

Here's their sweet family:

(Ever been pregnant in the summer? You can appreciate how wonderful it is to NOT be pregnant anymore! Well done, Cecilia!!)

And some of the men in that little girl's life:

Glad Cameron was able to travel down for the blessing day!

The ladies in her life are a little crazy ....

Emma loved being around the little ones -- it's her chance to be a "big sister".

A sad point-of fact ...... was that halfway through the photo session, my camera decided it was done.

I couldn't figure out what happened until I popped the lens off the camera body, and the mirror inside FELL OUT.

Like out.

OUT.

Out of the camera and on the grass.

This is bad.

Now I'm at the point that I'm not sure if it's better to try to repair it, or if repairs are cost prohibitive, and I should give up and just replace the camera body. And if I do --- will my other lens fit, work, and auto-focus with a new camera body??? This inquiring mind wants to know.

Etiquette. Please.

Sometimes I rant about things. This is one of those times. As Shrek says -- better out than in!!

Although I am very behind on getting things updated here (hello -- outstanding, memorable family vacation!?) --- one other thing is uppermost on my mind at the moment. I'd put together a Facebook post about it, but my thoughts are way too long for that, and I'd probably offend people, and I thought here would be better.

Last week, Alyssa and I threw a party -- it was a bridal shower for one of her friends, and we had fun doing it. Alyssa made the trip home for it, and spent about 3 days here -- which was heavenly -- especially for Emma. The shower went off without a hitch.

Today, I am doing some hand-lettering on a small stack of envelopes that are for graduation cards for some of my former Seminary students.

I know that seems unrelated, but here's the connection: Social Media and Social Events.

I'm on social media just as much as the next person. Probably more. I totally understand how easy it is to create an event on Facebook, and invite people that way. Saves postage. Easy to add photos. Easy to message people. Everybody checks it. (Well, most people who have a Facebook account, seem to at least check it fairly regularly.) Easy for them to RSVP, and ask questions, too. A few clicks, and you're done. Woo hoo.

And I know I'm very old-fashioned. I admit that. For being fairly "up" on technology, I'm old-fashioned, too.

Here's my beef:

I have a problem with how people use social media for social events. It's rude. It's thoughtless.

I cringe when I see posts that look something like this:

"Hey everyone!! I'm getting ready to send out my wedding invitations!! Message me your address if you want one!!"  [ I always imagine a high-pitched voice, and a little cutesy giggle going along with that]

The same thing happens with graduation invitations. Sometimes, the  thoughtful, tech-savvy poster will set up a Google Docs situation, where people can "safely" message their addresses, without it showing up on a public Facebook feed.

Doesn't matter.

The whole premise is wrong.

If you and I are friends, please don't ask me to message you because **I** want a paper-invitation to **your** event. You're putting that burden on the guests. Stop it!!! If we're THAT good of friends, ....

1. I should already be ON your list. 
2. You should already have my address. Or at the least, you have a way to contact me PERSONALLY and individually,to ask me for it. Email me. Text me. Call me. Don't put out a social media cattle call for addresses.
3. You look like you're begging for friends. We're already friends. And you know what else? If we're NOT that close -- if I'm only an acquaintance that has accepted your Facebook friend request -- then I sure as heck am NOT close enough to be invited to your event. But that shouldn't be put on me to decide how close you feel.
4. If you're not sending out paper invitations, that's ok, if that's how you choose to do it. (It's definitely not MY style, but whatever floats your boat.) But please, please, PLEASE -- when you make your social media announcement about an event that usually has a paper announcement --- let people know that you're not doing paper announcements. That way, I'm not waiting for one. Plus, social media stuff tends to get buried in the feed, and I may not see your event again, after your initial post. Sorry -- but I'll miss your event.

So, for the recent bridal shower we put on, I asked the bride and her mother for a guest list of who they would like to invite. I prepared and printed paper invitations. I did this mostly because I like paper invitations, and I think they're better in every way. I did paper partly because some of the people to be invited are either not on social media, or rarely check their accounts.

A few days after I snail-mailed out invitations, (we had our vacation in the middle of that) I followed it up by creating a Facebook event, and inviting the SAME people on the guest list. Some of the guests were not my own Facebook friends, so I asked the bride-to-be to add the other friends to the event. This gave everyone another way to RSVP, and gave me a way to get messages to people, if needed.

THIS WORKED, people!! Yes, it's easy for the guests. And no one felt they weren't "special" enough to not receive a paper invitation, either.


Back to my graduation cards I'm preparing. (These also constitute our gift, since we will add a monetary amount to them.)

Parents of these graduates are wisely doing as we did for Darcie, and having a joint graduation party for these kids. Several of these young graduates sent us a snail-mailed announcement that includes their joint party invitation. I also received a Facebook Event invitation to the same party. Some of the graduates who are participating in the joint party did not send paper invitations to us.

Do you start to see the difference? Am I as important to those who didn't snail-mail an invitation? Or am I only invited by those who did snail mail it? Do I bring a gift for ALL those that I know? Did the other graduates NOT print announcements, or did they just not send a printed one to me? Did they forget about me?

As a guest, it can get confusing, and it could even potentially create hurt feelings.

Except, this is ME, and I'm pretty thick-skinned. Plus, I love these kids, so ..... Graduation Gifts for Everyone!!! Yay!!!!!

(I'm certainly not going to leave any one of them out.)


And, as long as I'm on this etiquette kick ...... a couple of last sticking points.

I don't care WHAT some random person says on the internet about "out-dated traditions"  ......
A bridal shower is an event that should NOT be given by a family member. This is NOT outdated, it still stands!!! (And hence, why Alys and I threw the shower -- we are not members of the bride-to-be's family.)

Bridal showers are to be hosted by friends. Or by co-workers. The very concept of a "shower" is saying, "Oh, look! Our dear friend is getting married (or having a baby), and we think she's awesome, and she could use some help getting her home set up (or nursery) --- so we want to have a party for her, and you're invited!!"

Because the premise of a shower is to **give gifts to the bride**, if it is hosted by a mother or a sister, it's the same as flat-out ASKING for presents. And since the family is presumably already hosting a wedding reception or open house, if you host the shower too -- you're asking for gifts TWICE.

Can you see the problem with this????

Mothers (and future mothers-in-law) and sisters should not host a bridal shower!!
The closest relative who could host a shower, could be an aunt. She is not immediate family.

If the people who want to throw a shower do not have a practical or adequate location to host it, it's fine for the mother of the bride to step forward and offer her own home as a location. This is okay. The shower still should be HOSTED by the friends.

And finally...... (I know, you couldn't wait for me to get to the end, right?!)


Here's the super puzzling one that still baffles me ...... this is from the daughter of an acquaintance. Please, please, PLEASE do not do what this bride-to-be did:


I saw a post in one of my Facebook groups ..... it happened to be a church-group, but it could easily have been ANY group. The bride-to-be, who was living out of town at the time, announced to the group that she was able to come to town on a certain weekend, and asked -- if she has her shower on that date, how many people would be able to attend?


Are you kidding me???? First --- as I think I've made clear, .... if it's wrong for a mother or sister to throw a shower, then you certainly don't throw your *own* shower. Second -- you are blatantly and arrogantly asking for people to give you stuff. Third -- you're also implying that if not enough people can show up TO GIVE YOU GIFTS, that you're not going to be bothered with even arriving in town. I still shudder when I think about this one.

And since this is still me talking ---- one more plug for Snail Mail.

If you take the time to write my name and address BY HAND on real paper, and spend the current postage rate of 49 cents ----- then the message you're sending to me is that you care about me enough to want me at your event, in person. I'd love to come, and bring you a beautiful gift that day. Thank you so much for inviting me!!!!




P.S. Your thank-you note is greatly appreciated! If you hand it to me because you want to hand-deliver your notes, then that's great! But if you tell me that you didn't want to spend the 49 cents for postage as you hand me the note ---- then it takes a little of the pleasure out of it. Your message is now that I'm not worth 49 cents. Thankfully, my self esteem can handle it.

It's all about the FROSTING.

This weekend, we had our church's local missionaries over for dinner. It's always fun to have those young men with us, and we enjoy cooking up a big meal for appreciative diners!! So we fed our guys some steak fajitas, with all the trimmings....  and they definitely went away full.

Dessert was brownies, (always a fave) which brings me to the point of this post: F-R-O-S-T-I-N-G!!
I posted my brownies-from-scratch recipe back HERE, with an accompanying glossy chocolate frosting recipe. This time, I did my basic butter frosting instead. So once again, for my kids, here's the recipe.

Actually here is THREE (+1) recipes. Because the variations are so good, and always a good thing to have a good frosting recipe in your pocket.

Basic Butter Frosting

Part of the beauty of this recipe, is that it's simple. Four or five ingredients, and that's it.
Butter
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla extract
Milk
Cocoa Powder

This is the Chocolate Frosting (with cocoa powder) version.
Usually, the base recipe starts with one stick of butter, but this time,because I was making this for a small batch of brownies, I cut the recipe in half.

It's best to let the butter soften before starting.

(Hey, did you catch that GIANT can of Ghirardelli cocoa powder in the photos?? A gift from my brother & sis-in-law, straight from San Francisco --- MMMMmmmmmmm!!!!!)

I usually use my hand mixer, but a stand mixer is fine, too. Get the butter stirred up, and then start adding the powdered sugar in stages. Try not to let the powdered sugar poof up and float all over the room. Ha!

Because this is the cocoa powder version, I add the cocoa powder with the first additions of powdered sugar. And start mixing!

Once the first addition is incorporated, add the next installment of sugar (& cocoa)....

Come to think of it, most of the time I make this frosting, I do this cocoa powder version.

You may get to the point where the whole thing becomes way too thick and cumbersome for the mixer. That's pretty common. You can add the vanilla extract, and even the first part of the milk (or other liquid -- see variations below) to counter that.

You can see in this picture that the mixture is very thick, and in chunks. I had not added any liquid in yet. The reason you wait until the end to add the milk, is because that really controls how spreadable the frosting ends up, and a little bit of milk really goes a long way.

So when you add the milk, add it in increments, too. Do not assume that you will need all of the milk, and just dump it in. Many times, I put in less than the total amount. It can get too runny very quickly on you.

Your end result should be very spreadable, but not runny. It should generally hold soft peaks, but not be stiff. If it's too thick, it doesn't leave the knife/spatula easily, and can sometimes "pull" crumbs from the cake (or brownies!), rather than playing nice and staying on the surface.

This is actually a touch on the thick side. I could have added a bit more milk to it.
Also, the more you mix it, the more air will be incorporated, and the fluffier the frosting is. This is neither "good" or "bad", it's just good to know, based on what you want for your results. It's the difference between creamy and fluffy -- either one us really good!!

My kids will recognize my typical swirly diagonal frosting pattern -- you can do whatever you want. Just make it look good!!

And don't forget to lick the beaters!!

(I told her she's spoiled, because she got to lick both beaters! When I was a kid, I had to share with my brother!)

Oh, and add some sprinkles on top of the brownies, too. For good measure!
(I forgot to take pictures with the sprinkles. And, the sprinkles didn't stick well this time, because the frosting was so thick. But it was sooo good!!)

So here's the actual recipe variations..... the method is the same for all of them.

Vanilla Butter Frosting

1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
3 T. milk  ..... about.

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla extract and milk (in stages!!). Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. Remember, you can add the extract a little early if the mixture is too thick and cumbersome. You can totally add food coloring for variety -- especially when frosting cupcakes or cookies. This is not meant to be a super-white, or royal icing-type of frosting.


Orange Butter Frosting

1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. orange juice  ..... about.
2 t. grated orange peel -- if you're feeling gourmet about it.

I tint this with orange food coloring, and use it for frosting sugar cookies in the fall (leaf and pumpkin shapes). This version omits the vanilla, but I bet you could also totally include it, for a creamsicle-type flavor.


Chocolate Butter Frosting
(using baking chocolate)

1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)
3 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (baking chocolate)
3 c. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
3 T. milk ..... about.


Chocolate Butter Frosting 
(using cocoa powder)

1 stick, + 3 T. butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
9 T. cocoa powder
2 t. vanilla extract
3 T. milk ...... about.

(This is the version shown in the photos of this post.)
 Add cocoa powder when adding the powdered sugar. Can be borderline dry, so pay attention to the consistency as you mix.
The reason I make this one more than the other chocolate version, is because I always have cocoa powder in the pantry, and don't necessarily stock baking chocolate.

If you're paying attention, and doing the math, the cocoa powder version simply uses the standard substitution for baking chocolate:

1 square (1 ounce) of baking chocolate = 1 T. butter + 3 T. cocoa powder.


So there you have it!!

Love you guys!! Mwah!

--mom