Celebrations of late!

Celebration 1,

A Birthday party for my friend Jessica.

She is tall, beautiful, kind, good at almost everything she attempts, and in spite of her 25 years she will laugh harder than anyone when it comes to bathroom humor!

Tess & I were able to use our outside patio area for most of the evening, since our living space is small & our friends are many.


The weather was cool, but comfortable, and we were able to linger over our meal before moving inside to avoid the raindrops that blessed our gathering.

Don't we squeeze into small spaces nicely?


Celebration 2,

Jude's 2nd Birthday Bash at the Beach!

Which beach? you may ask.

Well, not the first one I went to that day, I may respond.

For some reason I was picturing Avila beach when in fact the party was at Cayucos.

So I arrived an hour-ish late to find this delicious fun...


He picked out the "boo" cupcake, and then proceeded to gobble it.

Once gobbled, he then asked for another "boo" cupcake.

I approve.

Obsessed with food.

Obsessed with blue food.

Maybe it is in our genes.

Eli is beginning to show signs of carrying the "blue" genes...

Eli's "blue steel" gaze...


Eli modelling my sun glasses...


Tim & Jude spent a lot of birthday time playing in & near the water...


we tried to keep Jude warm enough & yet "free" to play...


I think he would say it was a success!

Celebration 3,

Grandpa's 90th Birthday was celebrated with friends visiting & hymn singing


Grandpa really seemed to enjoy it, and sang along even when he decided to close his eyes...

Celebration 4,

The idea of fall has arrived before the weather, but we celebrated in little ways anyways.

Jack Creek Farms is always a fun place to enjoy pumpkins, tractors & animals.

Jude spent a lot of time exploring the tractor...


He also took his time picking out pumpkins, and pumpkins, and more pumpkins.

Some of my favorite "pumpkins" were part of

Celebration 5,

Jina & Andrew's wedding gathered a bunch of fun worker bees.


We painted & planned & pumped up our kicks.

Mumsy folded a bazillion origami lilies & figured out how to transport them to the wedding without getting them irrevocably tangled.


The celebrations continued with a few bridal showers,

including a Bunny themed one in honor of Jina


I decorated my place with colorful bunting with fun sayings like
"Hoppy Marriage" & "We Heart Bunny".

One of Jina's surprises was an enlarged photo of Jina that I transformed into a bunny & taped to the bathroom mirror and then added a "thought bubble" that said "I love Mr. Bun-to-be (sigh)".

My shirt also was part of the decor...


If you look close, you can see two pins that say "I" and "heart".

Some of the things we gathered & created in preparation for the wedding were mustaches for the dress up photo booth.


Laura, Tess & I had fun with the 'staches even after the wedding.


After all the wedding festivities I was able to head up to Fresno
& see the Wilkins & catch up with some of the ladies from my old church.

Smeedekins & me

Monster & me

Being a niecester

I don't know exactly how to spell this made up word., but I should.

It means so much to me.

Today is my mostly aunts birthday.

It is she & her man who made up the word and told it to me quietly in a goodbye hug one day.

"You're our Niece-ster", they said.
A niece who lived at their house like a daughter, and has been treated as such.


Aunt Alyce, me & Aunt Joyce

It seems to be a tradition in my family.
My own Mumsy was a niece-ster in this beloved aunts family at the age of 15.
My sister was a niece-ster of sorts to another dear adopted family (see Aunt Alyce above) during her college years.
& now I am one too.

There is this theme in my story, my life, of people who have faithfully stood in the gaps. Loving, teaching, & inviting me into relationship, before I even knew how much I needed it.

My U.B. & A.J. have been gap-standers for me.

But not the kind of gap-standers that have it all together & are going to show you how it's done. The kind of gap standers who have been open about their own struggles & keep pointing me to the only adequate gap stander, Jesus.

And on this their almost OLD birthdays I celebrate all that they mean to me!

one of many gatherings at the Hawk home.

the small group that U.B. & A.J. facilitate

I call my Uncle Bill U.B., but he is a lot more. Captain, fisherman, handyman, dog whisperer (tee-hee), facebooker, teacher, southerner, instigator, adviser, farmer, risk taker, jokester, simplifier, leader, prayer warrior, & friend. Happy belated Birthday U.B.!

I called my A.J. my "mostly" aunt because she is mostly my aunt, but also a zillion things more.
Friend, confidant, prankster, chef, hostess, playmate, connoseur of all things little & tasty, teacher, organizer, musician, photographer, fellow pilgrim, gardener, counselor, actress, & explorer. Happy Birthday Aunt Joyce!