Hauck Family Photos 2023

Back in January when I received my breast cancer diagnosis, my friend Tawnee, who is also an amazing photographer, offered to do a family photoshoot before I lost my hair. I really wish we had had time for me to take her up on that offer, but there was so much going on....so many appointments and such....we were unable to make that happen. 

I knew I wasn't going to be up for doing our own family photos this year. It was difficult as it was to do the kids' birthday photoshoots. I knew I didn't have it in me to do our family photos. 

When I wrote to Tawnee in September asking if she had space in her schedule to do our family photos this year, I didn't expect the offer of a free photoshoot to still be on the table....but it was. However, knowing how much she normally chargers, and knowing how much work goes into doing a family photoshoot, I really didn't want her to do it completely for free. She insisted, but I wanted to at least be able to pay her half, which is what I wound up doing and felt good about that. 

We did the shoot mid October and it turned out AMAZING. Far better than anything I have ever been able to do myself. In a time in my life when my confidence is lacking and I am still dealing with so many adverse side affects from chemo, Tawnee was able to help make me feel beautiful and provide my family with some incredible photos. Sam and the kids loved her too, which was a plus. She is so down to earth and very easy to get along with. I am thankful to know her. 

I really feel like my time doing our family photos has come to an end, and I'm ready to relinquish that control to Tawnee who thus far, after doing two personal shoots of myself, and then my family photos, has never disappointed. 

Please enjoy these gorgeous photos! I'm VERY excited to share them with you and to design our Christmas card this year! 

 

 

With love,                                                                                                           Mama Hauck

The Giving Tree Festival

About a month back I received a phone call from Mrs. Marlow, a local retired teacher and amazing member of our community. She called to tell me about her upcoming annual Giving Tree Festival. She started it last year with a friend as a way to give to someone in need in the community, and this would be their second year. She wanted to know if I would accept her invitation to be the recipient this year. 

I felt really awkward, but she insisted, and so I humbly accepted. Sometimes it's been hard for me to ask for and to receive help from others, but as a family, we have been very thankful for all the help we have received this past year, whether it be in the form of meals or financial donations. In truth, we couldn't have made it through without the financial help. 

The Giving Tree Festival consists of people or businesses in the community donating a fully decorated, 6 foot Christmas Tree. Those trees are then raffled off and all the proceeds go to the recipient.  People could also just donate a sum of money without bidding on a tree if they wanted as well. 

The Giving Tree Festival was held on Friday and Saturday, November 3rd and 4th at the Goldendale Grange. The Grange not only provided the venue, but the Ladies of the Grange also cooked and supplied the meal for both nights. 

I wasn't feeling well enough to go on Friday, but we did go Saturday. I was nervous, as I don't like being the center of any attention, but I wound up having a lot of fun, and I did feel that it was important to be present and allow people to meet me and see where their donation was going. I also feel very strongly about sharing my story with others, so it allowed me the opportunity to do so. 

My Mom, as well as my Dad who was still up visiting from NY, came as well (though I failed to get photos of them there, darn it). My best friends Mary and Molly came to support the event too, which made me super happy. 

We had a lot of fun! So many people donated incredibly beautifully decorated trees. And a lot of people showed up! We stayed the whole evening, long enough to enjoy a delicious chili dinner and be there when Mrs. Marlow read the winning raffle ticket of each tree. Much to my family's disappointment, we didn't win a tree, hahaha, but clearly we were the real winners that evening....seeing as we were the recipients of the whole shebang! 

I feel an incredibly deep gratitude to Mrs. Marlow and the community as a whole. A lot of money was raised, way more money than I could have ever anticipated, and that money will be such a huge help to us as me move into the new year and our health deductible resets. I really hope I am able to donate a tree next year. I'm not sure we'll have the finances to do so, but maybe. 

I also wanted to share two other friends who have helped our family this past year. 

Back in July, my friend and tattoo artist, Jacob, held a grand opening for his new location here in Goldendale. All proceeds from the people he tattooed that day he set aside for me.  

My friend Heather, who owns and operates The Human Bean coffee shop in Yakima also donated proceeds from their Coffee For A Cure to myself and another cancer fighter.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank these friends enough for their thoughtfulness and help. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. I am just at a loss of words to express my gratitude towards these people who didn't have to help, yet went above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined for us. I'm still in shock and awe over this outpouring of love. 

With love,

Mama Hauck