Sarah and SafeWorldNexus

My daughter, Sarah,  has been in Bristol, TN at her new internship with SafeWorldNexus for just about a month now. The weekend after the 4th, we loaded up the van and her Honda and moved her into the over-the-garage studio apartment ( generously provided by a friend of the ministry) which she is sharing with Rachel and Katherine, two other interns.  Things are cozy, so they are getting to know each other fast! After spending the weekend acclimating, they dove right into work,  brainstorming ideas for a September missions conference at a nearby church which they are leading, volunteering at Jon Acuff's "Quitter" Conference in Nashville, and preparing for upcoming trips to Haiti and Uganda.  

This internship is unpaid, so Sarah has been working hard for the past 6 months, saving her money and raising support from family and friends.  She will also be working part-time at a cafe called Java J's in Bristol.  In additon to regular living expenses, she also needs to pay for her travel expenses.  Right now she only has about 3 months out of the 12 covered.  If you would like to contribute to her support, go to her blog and follow the instructions on the right side menu. My cupcake baking will be helping to support her as well.

I am extremely proud of her in taking this leap of faith and giving her heart to serving God through this organization.  Whether she is there for 3 months or 3 years, I know God is faithful to complete the work He has begun in her life. Philippians 1:4-6

Follow her adventures at her blog.  http://saraheherbert.wordpress.com/

 

End of Year Crunch

Life is a whirlwind around here right now.  Not only is it the end of the school year, but it is the end of the school year with a SENIOR!  whew!

We just spent Easter weekend in Boone. Sarah and Eric both had to stay on campus due to work duties, so we packed up all the Easter baskets and fixin's for Easter dinner and headed for the hills - literally. Friday night we had dinner at Woodlands BBQ in Blowing Rock. Saturday we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to a spot they knew for a short hike up to a scenic lookout.  Unfortunately, my knee couldn't handle anything more than a short hike, and I needed some help up and down the trail even at that. Darn worn out knee.  The knee didn't stop me from showing my kids I can still swing a plastic bat and be competitive in Home Run Derby though, and Mom tied for 2nd place.  I cooked dinner in Sarah's apartment on Sat. night, and then fell asleep on the couch watching "Voyage of the Dawn Treader".   I couldn't really hide the Easter baskets this year, since we were in a small apartment, so they were placed on the coffee table - but Jason felt gypped....sorry, buddy.   We worshipped our risen Saviour at Alliance Bible Fellowship, and then enjoyed a dinner of baked ham, Grandma's pineapple sauce, roasted potatoes, whole green beans, rolls, and strawberry shortcake. 

Carolina Capital Homeschool Prom is less than 2 weeks away now!  We have 131 registrations in, with quite a few still expected to arrive this week. Wristbands, candles, and candleholders have been ordered. We met with the caterer last week and decided on the menu for the buffet. The final confirmation emails are going out. Chaperones are lined up.  There are a whole lot of little details to still take care of over the next. If you would, please pray for good weather on May 6.

Our homeschool group has a graduation ceremony each year, and this June we have the largest number of seniors ever!  Thirty students will receive diplomas and congratulations from their parents in a lovely, personalized ceremony on June 4.  I've been helping the Graduation Committee with the plans this year, and am printing the diplomas for the ceremony.  Amanda, my 4th child and baby girl, is graduating this year.  I'll be homeschooling just one child for the next 5 years, until my baby boy finishes high school. Oh my.

Baseball season has arrived - J is playing little league  and also still doing a weekly  private coaching session for basketball.  He continues to love sports and excels in both of these. His favorite sport is basketball during basketball season,  and baseball during baseball season.

Last weekend, Mark and I flew to MA to attend the wedding of his nephew. It was a nice get-away! We haven't seen a good bit of his family in 8 years, since his dad's funeral, so it was a reunion as well.  Sitting around the table with Mark's brothers and sister, we marveled at the longevity of our marriages -  33 years, 29 years, 29 years, 24 years -  and commented that we hoped ( or prayed, in my case) that the bride and groom would carry on that legacy, rather than that of the bride's family, with its multiple broken marriages and relationships, evident even at this happy occasion.

Our cupcake fundraiser has gone extremely well. Amanda has almost reached her goal for the Uganda missions trip.  Since response has been so great, and my friends don't seem to be sick of cupcakes yet, I think I'll continue baking for a while longer, and contribute as much as I can towards Sarah's support for her internship with Safe World Nexus next year. 

I am passing along the reins of support group presidency with Lighthouse at the end of June, and am looking forward to a period of less responsibility in the group, although I do plan to stay active and support the new leaders. :-)  But I feel like I have neglected my house, my husband, our homeschool, and my relationship with the Lord, not giving them the attention they need, due to my other commitments recently.  I hope to rectify that situation.


There is some major cleaning that has to take place here before graduation.  Family is coming to visit, and we'll be having an Open House for friends after the ceremony.  Better go get started on that. 

Savor the moments.

Our Own Kind of March Madness

I can't believe I haven't posted here in a whole month! I didn't plan to be absent so long. I've just been chained to my Kitchen Aid, baking cupcakes all month!!!!

hahaha

No, really.

Truth be told, the Cupcakes on a Mission fundraiser is going quite well! We have baked well over 1000 cupcakes so far, with 2 weeks to go. My trusty Kitchen Aid mixer and my stove have gotten a good workout. I have found some great recipes, learned some tricks and tips to being a better baker, and thrown a few trays of cupcakes in the trash. Between cupcake money and other donations, Amanda has about 3/4 of the money she needs for her trip to Uganda in August. EXCITING! Thank you so much to everyone who has eaten too much sugar these past few weeks. It is for a good cause!
If you are interested, she is going to Uganda with our friends, the Wrights, and Ten Eighteen.

 Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cupcakes

So what else has been going on during the month of March? ( okay, Feb. too) Let's see.

Lighthouse Family Square Dance

We rented a school gym on a Sunday afternoon and had a great turnout at this event, and a wonderful caller made it fun for everyone, young and old alike! 

NCHEAC Regional & State Basketball Tournaments

In addition to coaching the Lighthouse Middle School Boys team, Mark is Tournament Director for the NCHEAC ( North Carolina Home Educators Athletic Conference) East Regional Basketball Tournament, held at SEBTS in Wake Forest. Things are busy in our household in the week or two leading up to that. Amanda's team advanced to the state tournament, which was the following weekend, but Jason's team finished early.  Amanda was chosen for the Varsity Girls All Conference Team and will play in the All Star Game in Winston-Salem during the Homeschool Conference weekend in May.  Jason was chosen to the All-Tournament team.

Oh, and the Lighthouse Eagles Varsity Girls Basketball Team went undefeated in pre-season, season, and tournament play, winning the NCHEAC championship trophy! 

Lighthouse Basketball Awards Night 

At the end of every sports season, the Lighthouse teams gather for a pot luck meal and awards presentations. Volunteers are recognized. All players receive a certificate and seniors receive special Senior Plaques. Coaches call up each player and give words of praise and encouragement.  And sometimes the players get in a word or two as well. ;-)

HSPN East Coast Homeschool Basketball Tournament at Liberty U.

Our favorite basketball week of the year!  The Liberty Tournament has become a much-anticipated week of fun and competition at the end of each basketball season for our varsity teams, and this year, our 2 JV teams entered for the first time, as well. The tournament features 80 homeschool basketball teams from all over the East - NC, SC, VA, GA, TN, OH, MD, NY.   All the Lighthouse teams did well, but our Varsity Girls really shined, earning top seed in the Championship game out of 20 girls teams, and losing to Charleston's Low Country Wildcats by 6 points in the final game. It was a heartbreaker, but the tears flowed freely afterwards mainly due to the fact that Amanda's entire team was made up of seniors - and now it was over.  Sadness.

 

Jason made it to the finals in the 13 & under 3-point contest, and competed against his friend, Chris.  They had to shoot 10 balls in 30 seconds, from points around the arc. They tied 3 times before Chris beat him by 1 basket. 

Lighthouse Geography Bee

I helped plan a Geography Bee for our homeschool group, and of course made my son participate.  He had fun, despite himself. :-)  We divided the kids by age group, and did Geography Games in addition to the Bee. Younger kids ( K-5th) competed first, while older kids ( 6th-12th) played games. Then they switched.  The whole thing took a LOT longer than we planned, but everyone had fun, and we moms learned a few things that we'll change for next time.

Basketball and Baking

Busy, busy, busy.  We've been baking up a storm around here for Cupcakes on a Mission, our fundraiser for Amanda's summer missions trip to Uganda.  Last week she and I made 14 dozen Chocolate Mint cupcakes, and tonight we are finishing off the 11 dozen Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes baked this week.  I should buy a cow for all the butter and cream we are going through!  And eggs, vanilla, sugar, cocoa ....  Our friends have been enjoying their treats, and between the cupcakes and the support checks that have come in, Amanda has raised half the amount she needs!  yay!

 

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

based on Martha Stewart's Devil's Food recipe

3/4 c. Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. instant coffee

3/4 c. boiling water

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter, melted

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 1/4 c. sugar

4 lg. eggs, room temperature

4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. sour cream, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Whisk together cocoa, coffee, and boiling water until smooth. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 

4. Place melted butter, oil, and sugar in mixing bowl. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat until mixture is cooled, about 5 minutes.  

5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. 

6. Add vanilla and cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. 

7. With mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture and mix until combined. Then add half the sour cream, mixing until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, and repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. 

8. Divide batter between the 24 lined cups.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean - about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes and place on wire racks and cool completely.

Tomorrow we head to Greensboro for the state homeschool basketball tournament - Amanda's final time, since she's a senior.  :-(    Jason's middle school team got knocked out in the regional tourney last weekend, so he gets to be a spectator this weekend. Amanda's varsity girls team is undefeated this season, and is hoping to continue that streak through this weekend and claim the state championship.  Here's hoping!  It still isn't all over, though, until after "Liberty" in mid-March!  "Liberty" is the HSPN East Coast Homeschool Basketball Championships, an open tournament for homeschool teams from all over the eastern US, held at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.  

Amanda was chosen to the All-Conference All Star Team!

Jason won an All-Tournament Award for his great play during the tournament

Cupcakes On a Mission

Amanda has been wanting to go on an international missions trip for quite a while.  Sarah, Eric, and I went to Bris Bris, Costa Rica with a group from our church for 10 days in 2005 (?), and and Alex and Eric went back the following summer.  Sarah spent a month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the summer of 2009,  volunteering in a school for orphaned and destitute  5-7 yr olds.  These experiences expose us to cultures and living conditions very unfamiliar to us as Americans, and help to develop in us a heart of compassion for God's children all over the world, not just in our little piece of it.  This August, Amanda has an opportunity to go to Uganda for 10 days with a group being led by a friend of ours, who has a ministry called Ten Eighteen. www.10eighteen.org  

They will be conducting a sports camp for street kids from the slums of Kampala, as well as distributing clothing and shoes and also going on a one day safari to see the African wildlife around Lake Mburo.

In order to go on this trip, she will need to raise about $2700 ( depending on the final cost of the airline tickets )  This number seems insurmountable, but we KNOW, because we have seen with our own eyes, that God is in the miracle business and provides for us in ways far beyond what we can ask or imagine.  So we are trusting and making plans in faith that the funds will come.

She and I have come up with a fundraiser that is already getting some interest from our friends. We are both devotees of the Food Channel, and lately I have had an obsession with "Cupcake Wars" and baking gourmet cupcakes!  So we came up with "Cupcakes On a Mission"!  We are offering a different flavor cupcake each week. which friends can order in exchange for a donation of $12 for a dozen or $6 for a half dozen.
These are the flavors:

Jan.31–Feb.5                                                                                           
Mexican Hot Chocolate -  chocolate cake with a kick of spice topped with a mound of cinnamon buttercream and a dusting of cocoa

Feb.7-12                                                                                                          
Carrot Cake -  dense moist carrot cake studded with walnuts and pineapple, topped with a decadent  cream cheese frosting

Feb.14-19                                                                                                     
Chocolate Mint-   rich devils food cake filled with chocolate mint cream and frosted with a mound of smooth pink peppermint buttercream

Feb.21-26                                                                                              
Chocolate Peanut Butter  -  moist chocolate cake filled with peanut butter cream, dipped in silky chocolate ganache and topped with a swirl of peanut butter frosting

Feb.28 –Mar.5                                                                                                     Pumpkin -   moist pumpkin spice cupcake topped with out-of-this-world maple cream cheese frosting

Mar. 7- 12                                                                                                            Boston Cream -  golden sponge cake filled with smooth vanilla cream and double-dipped in dark chocolate ganache

Mar.21 -26                                                                                                          Chocolate Chip Cannoli -  vanilla cupcake  filled with chocolate chip-ricotta cannoli filling and topped with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls 

Mar. 28 – Apr.2                                                                                              

Mocha Cappuccino  - mocha chocolate chip cake  topped with a coffee meringue buttercream

Apr. 4 -9                                                                                                   

 Sweet Coconut -  moist coconut cake topped with a mound of vanilla buttercream sprinkled with more coconut

Apr. 11 -16                                                                                                            Strawberry Lemonade -  tart lemon cake with chunks of fresh strawberries topped with a swirl of sweet strawberry buttercream

 Boston Cream

Pumpkin - Maple

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Mexican Hot Chocolate