Chai Sugar srub

In Between Laundry: Spiced Chai Sugar Scrub: Wow! Thank you for making this one of the top posts on In Between Laundry !  You must really love your scrubs! To better serve you, I am ...

Mini Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Mini Root Beer Float Cupcakes

How cute are these! I'm running to the store tomorrow for shot glasses!

December

Where did this year go? It went by way to fast for this family. Here's a great way to "slow" down December....

Keeping peace in December

{Cupcake ♥ Love} Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Cupcakes

{Cupcake ♥ Love} Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Yesterday was National Chocolate Cupcake Day. I wasn't going to make anything, but was inspired by all of the delicious chocolate cupcakes, I just couldn't resist. I know that pumpkin is the star of fall desserts and I wanted to try something a little different. These Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sweet Pototo Cupcakes were a total experiment and turned out absolutely delicous.

{Ingredients}

Makes 12 Cupcakes

1/2 Box chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food Cake)

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons vegtable oil

2 tablespoons water

1 Egg

1/2 can (7.5 oz) sweet potato puree

A handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips

{Directions}

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line your cupcake pan with your favorite fall liners.

2. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix all ingredients until just combined.

3. With a mini ice cream scoop, fill each of your cupcake liners with about 2 tablespoons of mix.

4. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top of your cupcake batter. You can also fold 1 cup of chocolate chips into your cupcake mix.

4. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes. You should be able to insert a toothpick and have it come out clean.

5. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

I could definitely eat these by themselves, but the frosting makes them to die for.

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Frosting

{Ingredients}

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sweet potato puree

1/4 cup tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablspoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups confectioner's sugar

{Directions}

1. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix cream cheese, sweet potato, butter, orange juice and vanilla until just combined.

2. Add confectioner's sugar 2 cups at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

3. My frosting was not stiff enough to pipe, so I just drizzled a little on top.

{Note}

The frosting recipe makes about 3-4 cups of ooey gooey goodness. You can cut the recipe in half, double your cupcake recipe or make some delicious cinnamon rolls and use the left overs!

THANKS TO TWEEDLE DEE DESIGNS!

Our 1st day of School 2010

We ended with cup cakes!

Blue can't wait to start.

Pink is beyond excited.

Fall Bible Study

If you're looking for a Bible Study, but can't get out of the house, this may be what you're looking for! Check it out:

Encouragement for Women

A New October...

A New October

Amy Grant - Better Than A Hallelujah

School Year 2009

This year we started Kindergarten for Dancer and Pre-K 4 for Auto.

To help me out, we are starting the “WorkBox System” in our schooling day.

We’ve been implementing it for 2 weeks now, and we love

it. Because both my children are so young, I’m making it very simple

for them. We just use the boxes and they’re labeled 1 - 6. We start with

#1 and when each child is finished they move on to #2.

In each box we have a subject, some Dancer and Auto can work by themselves,

if the subject needs my help, there’s a card in the box that

says “Work with Mommy”. Dancer & Auto, love looking into

each box to see if they work by themselves

or if they work with me. They get excited either way, I love it!

Also, in the box there is everything they'll need for that box.

Pencil, glue stick, whatever they will need. This cuts time

out of “picking” a pencil to use, or glue stick

(last year this was an issue, sometimes we were

stuck for about 10 minutes on picking or sharpening their pencil).

Now, no one even knows that they're not

picking their pencil, they are more into what they are doing in the box.

Here are some pictures of our learning room and our “Work

box system”. Enjoy!

This is Auto's set of boxes.

These are Dancer's boxes. Her box has a note "Work with Mommy".

The pile of empty boxes at the end of the school day.

Our school day is about 2 hours long. We start with group time. Then we do calendar, weather, review what letter, number and colors we'll be learning for that day and also pray & do our pledges. On the floor each child has a shape to sit on. If they sit still and nicely on their shape, they earn a “blessing”. Like, dressing the “weather bear” and being my helper. After group time, we start our boxes.

The hardest part (if you can call it hard) of the boxes is putting them together every night before school days which are Monday, Wednesday & Fridays. Right now, I’m putting lesson plans and curriculum together. In October we will order “My Father’s World” Kindergarten & Pre-K that will have this all done for me. I just have to put them in the box, and go.

I’m feeling very good, and I’m 36 weeks along, with only 4 weeks left. So far I’ve enjoyed being pregnant. Most of all, I love feeling the baby inside of me. It’s amazing!

We did reach all our goals for the summer. Thank you Jesus! Auto is potty trained and we finished our school year from last year. Dancer & Auto were amazing with me this summer. They really let me relax. God was so good to me allowing us to have cooler than normal temperatures.

We’ve not heard a word from the children in foster care, so far our family is growing by our baby boy due in October.

We are ready for our 3rd baby. Dancer & Auto were ready a few months ago, they surely can’t wait to meet their little brother.

Phone Call...

This morning we received a phone call we were not prepared for.  We are expecting a phone call about Chief's job, but not this call.

Our family will grow by 2 feet in Oct. or by 10 feet this year!  Yes, our adoption agency called this morning and told us that our daughter's bio mother had 4 children (after our daughter) that need a home.  Yes, 4! Three years old and under.  The youngest was born last week.  This case is new and at the very first steps in the foster care to adopt.  

Before Chief and I married in our pre-marriage counseling session we talked about children and starting a family.  We both agreed we wanted children, and how many is in God’s hands, and who are we to stop what He wanted us to have.  

With that said, we were childless for 10 years until Dancer came home to us.  17 months later Auto came home to us.  We thought our family was complete, and we said, “if God wants us to have more, He would drop them in our laps”.  Well, He has done that with our first pregnancy, and now this call.  Who are we to turn this group of young children that need a Mommy and Daddy away.  So, this is what we told our agency, “if this group of children are placed in a foster home that wants to adopt them, then we will not stand in their way, however if the children go from foster care home to foster care home, then we will take the next step to bring them into our family”.  So, if you could join in with us and pray this, “Please Lord, do what ever is best for these 4 children”.  Whatever that maybe, we will obey.

As far as me, I’m doing great and enjoying being pregnant.  I love feeling our baby moving inside me.  I think that’s the most amazing part of this.  We are over half way through already, it’s going by so fast.  We are having a boy, and Auto is SO excited!  

When we first started making room for the baby in Auto’s room, Auto didn’t like it.  I would put baby things in his room, and Auto would bring it out to me and say “This is not mine”.  But, now he’s liking the idea.  We still need to put the crib in his room.  I think for the most part he is ready for the baby.   

Every morning Dancer and Auto talk to the baby and give kisses.  It’s adorable.  When Dancer talks to my tummy, the baby moves.  She loves it.

Until next time, hopefully I will blog in the next few weeks....

Change is good...

I love this song by Lanisa Keith “Run”. It’s all about Change and how God sees the silver lining, and we can’t. And that's GOOD! You can look her up in iTunes... great singer/songwriter!

There are lots of changes going on here in Hecknville. Our biggest change will be in Oct. 2009 when we welcome our baby into this world. We are all so excited. Dancer wants a sister and Auto wants a brother. The neat thing is God already knows... makes me smile, He has known for a long time. Many of you out there that read this blog, don’t know this, but Dancer and Auto are adopted. Chief and I were told we would never get pregnant. That was fine with us. We knew the second Dancer & Auto entered our lives we were meant to be their Mommy and Daddy, thus being parents through adoption. In fact, in December, I was talking to one of my friends about it, and I said

“ I’m so happy that I never gave birth and that I will never give birth”. God winked and smiled at me! Now, I’m pregnant! We are all so happy. We LOVE how Dancer and Auto are ours, and now we get to experience the birth of a child to us. WOW! We are SO blessed. 

We have many goals to met before Oct. I think I’ve narrowed it down to 5:

1. Potty train Auto
   
2. Have Dancer and Auto helping me around the house
   
3. Finish up the school year
   
4. Get through Summer
   
5. Think of a new name for this blog
   

Number 1: Potty Train Auto. How do you potty train a 3 year old (he will be 3 in a few weeks) boy that is not interested at all. Our friends put their 3 year old in “Wee Ball” this year and wanted Auto to join. At first he wanted to. Then he found out he could not wear diapers, and he told me “That’s all right, I want to play soccer!" Then one day last week he wanted to wear underwear. I jumped at the idea. I put him in his “Lightning McQeen” underwear. I ask about every 15 minutes, “Let’s sit in the bathroom”. He did, but did nothing. As soon as we came out of the bathroom and in to the kitchen, he went. And didn’t care that he was wet! Ugh! Please PRAY!!!! 

Number 2: I’m on a mission to get my children to dress them self, brush their teeth and hair, and make their beds. We started last week. They did very good, and it looks like we will meet this goal!

Number 3: Finish up school this year. Seems like I can, but it is a struggle. I’m so tired right now. We do school, but it is very “light” school. However, I tested both Dancer and Auto on the ABCs and numbers. Dancer received a 100% on both. She knows what they are, their sounds and can write them. Auto knows about 15 of his ABCs, with their sounds. With his numbers he knows 1-5. They both know all their colors and shapes. With that said, I think we're doing good.

Number 4: Get through the summer. It’s going to be a LONG summer. I just pray I keep them busy, and still get rest.

Number 5: Think of a new name for the blog. “Heckn” is put together with all our names. With a new little one coming, we need to change it. Maybe I will take

“Newman: Party of Five...” ;-) The Williams will need a new name also, they are growing to Party of 6. 

That is Hecknville in a nutshell. Lot’s of changes and that is GOOD! Until next time...

On my Face Book page, I sat down and wrote a note about 25 Random Things about Me (this is going around on face book, so I thought I would give it a try).  

1. I love the Lord Jesus with all my mind soul and strength.

2. I want to serve Him (God) with everything I do every day.

3. I'm married to my best friend, and the best man that I know. I don't know any other man that would be a better husband & father to me and my children besides him. He is wonderful! I love him so much. I can't ever image life without him.

4. I had to wait 34 years for my 1st child, and I would not change that for the world. She was worth the wait.

5. I waited 35 years for my son, whom is growing and changing everyday! SO worth the wait!

6. I'm living my dream life. There is nothing I would change, however I would love family closer.

7. I LOVE Sushi. I would eat it every day if I could. However, living in the South, I've started to really enjoy BBQ.

8. I HATE hamburger. HATE IT!!

9. I LOVE in-and-out burger. I order a hamburger without the meat.

10. I need 2 cups of coffee in the morning to get my day started. If I don't we have a PJ day here at the Newman house.

11. I LOVE COFFEE.

12. I love summer but hate the heat, and I love winter but hate the cold. Spring and fall are my seasons.

13. I don't have a lot of pet peeves.

14. I have been to 47 states out of 50. I hope to get to the rest in my life time. I have HI, AK and ND to go.

15. I'm a long time fan of Amy Grant, and I got to met her and talk with her one time after her concert. It was great!

16. I love my life!

17. In 2001 I was living north of Boston, MA. I worked in Nashua, NH at a bible book store. One of our customers (that I helped) was the pilot on the 1st plane that flew into the Twin Towers on 9/11. I'll never forget that day.

18. I've lived in San Francisco(area), Boston(area), Seattle(area), Houston(area), and Knoxville. I can't tell you what city was the best. I grow up in SF and married there. I have best friends in the Boston area, bought my 1st house in the Seattle area, had children in the Houston area, and now here. I think I would return to Seattle in a heart beat. The others, I would have to think about. I LOVED Seattle. Everything about it I loved!

19. I've read the bible from cover to cover 8 times.

20. I'm a West Coast gal living in the South. Trying to adjust. God has us here for a reason. I'm open to what ever HE wants us to do here.

21. I love Football season.

22. I'm a SAHM, and can't wait to be a Hockey mom. Right now I'm a ballet mom.

23. My new favorite musician is Lanisa Keith. What a voice! I love her songs. I catch myself singing her songs all the time.

24. oh... one more...

25. I'm always on the look out for my next house.

Hope you enjoyed reading a little more about me.  Until next time....

Happy New Year

What a great New Year so far here at Hecknville!  The last part of last year was wonderful also!  Nana & Papa were here for Christmas.  We had a great time with them.  Dancer & Auto (new blog name for him) enjoyed every minute of them.  They miss them so much already.  Our guest room is now called Papa & Nana's room.  I miss them very much also.  They're my parents and it is very hard for me to have them so far away.  But, God has us here and them there.  However I'm "California Dreaming" right now!  

With the "New Year", we started a few new things for our Homeschooling.  We started "Before Five in a Row" curriculum.  We LOVE it, and we are hooked!  Dancer loves school, but with this new curriculum, she loves learning with books!  It is great.  Before we started BFIAR, she really could care less about reading.  Now, she loves to "read" me books.  Auto has always loved sitting down with a book.  In fact, if he saw you sitting, he thought it meant you wanted to read to him.  BFIAR is perfect for him!  Every night Dancer gets to ready in her bed for 15 minutes until lights out.  Tonight she wanted to "read" me a book.  So I sat with her, and she "read" (she can't read yet, she makes it up) to me.  At the end of the book she "read" "and for more refreshments go to pbskids.org".  It is was SO adorable!

Auto is growing & talking so much.  He is so caring, and loves his family.  Yesterday I was walking in the hall way, and I tripped and fell.  It hurt really bad.  As soon as I fell, Auto was on top of me kissing me and asking if I was ok.  Sweet soul he is!  

Right now Dancer loves her Ballet.  She will be in a Ballet at the end of March.  She's VERY excited about being on stage.  She is a performer, and loves to please us.  She tries so hard to do the right things.  She enjoys being loved and loving back.  

 

That is "us" in a nutshell.  Chief & I are doing great.  Chief's job is going wonderfully, and is very happy with where he is right now.  Besides being at home with my family, I love my MOPs group.  I've meant some really wonderful ladies.  

A blog I like to read is:

Party of Five

On her blog she has posted 5 things she is thankful for.  So I thought I might try that.  

1. My God.  He frees me from being me.  I love who I am in Him.  He makes me be a better wife, mom, daughter & friend.

2.  My husband.  I'm married to a wonderful husband that loves to have cereal night for dinner, and if the wash is not done, and all over the front room, it is ok.  He loves me in the mornings when I wake up.  He works hard for our family, and takes great care of us.  I love living life with him.  

3.  My daughter.  I waited 10 years to see her smiling face.  She has lighted my life up so much.  She can light up any room the minute she walks in.  She really knows how to make you feel so special.  

4.  My son.  When I need a hug, he is there!  He is a love bug.  He has the kindest heart that I know.  My life would not be complete if he was not in our family.  He's my baby!   

5.  My mom & dad.  They are the best parents ever.  As a child I was so loved and cared for.  They worked so hard for me and my brothers.  Not just for money, but to show us love and how to love, and be loved.  Now as I'm grown, I love them even more.  They are so fun to just be around, and talk with.  I pray Chief and I are as good as they are as parents.  

There, I did it!  Now that I'm crying and can't see what I'm typing.  I need to sign off.  Until next time...

FW 

  

Christmas

Here's a great website for a unit study leading up to Christmas!  

Home Schooling in the Woods

Enjoy this week.

today we say...

Happy Thanksgiving !

Jelly Telly

Just found this site.  I've checked it out, and I love it so far.  I think Dancer and Minty will love it, maybe more than Veggie Tales.  

I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let me tell you a little about Jelly Telly.  The man that gave us Veggie Tales Phil Vischer, has created a new company.  He has launched the new web site this month.  On the web site is all the info you need.  Very cool!  It's primarily for younger children. But check it out, you may be surprised:

Jelly Telly 

Pass on the news...   

  

You can do this

I love reading this blog.  I thought I would share it with you.  I'm going to try this, and I know you can also!

A Soft Place to Land

Dinner in a Pumpkin

To celebrate the season, we made dinner in a pumpkin.  What a fun time we had. Dancer loved taking all the inside out of the pumpkin.  She said it was "yuck!"  However, she laughed the whole time.   Minty was taking a nap.  I even baked homemade bread for our dinner.  

The dinner turned out very tasty.  It was a meat casserole.  You could bake anything you want in it.  The pumpkin turns into the baking pan.  I would highly recommend trying this dinner, and have fun setting the table!

4 years ago.....

My little girl was born!  

Happy Birthday Dancer!  

I'm so proud of you & love you more than you will ever know!

Thanks & Giving

Free Thanks & Giving  unit study for November.  

Thanks & Giving by First Fruits Publishers Holiday edition features Wisdom Stretchers, Coloring Pages, Challenge Pages, Puzzles and a Certificate of Completion! 

Check it out....