in #3 you  say… Overwrite the updated theme files to the older theme files.

how do i do this?  do i  switch to another theme like twenty eleven, delete humanity, install new version of humanity?  if i do this, I loose all the theme settings.

and please answer this question – am I going to have to do these steps you have mentioned #’s 1 thru 6 every time you have a new version of your theme/new version of WP?

thanks

Nancy