Baby Love! Abigail Anne Goettel

Welcome to God's world, Abigail Anne Goettel!!! Born Tuesday November 3, 2009 Abigail weighed 10lb 1 oz!!! She is the 7th daughter and 8th child of our dear friends, Brint and Marla Goettel. I had the great pleasure and privilege to visit with Abigail and Marla last night at the hospital. Oh, how I loved snuggling her!!! Below, here she is wrapped in the flannelette blanket I made for her....look at those cheeks!!! Isn't she beautiful?!

And my very dear friend , Marla, and Abigail. I kept telling her she was just glowing...Marla is truly an inspiration to me as a mother. No one is perfect, but she is truly a joyful mother of children...patient, gentle and cherishing each one. It is her oldest daughter, Courtney, who is getting married in December.

Newborn perfection! (the newborn diapers were too small, she needed a size 1)
OH, how I loved snuggling her! I got to change her diaper, and her little onesie, wrap her up and burp her.....I thought my baby craving days were over, but Abigail brought it all back again. I am so grateful that Marla asked me for the wedding to be in charge of Abigail...just to give her to her to nurse, and I'll take care of her the rest of the day. My arms and heart will be very full that day! God bless you, Abigail!!! We love you! ~Sue~

P.S....Mr. Fix It!

Well...today, he fixed the dryer completely, and the toilet...and rewired a plug in the livingroom...I am amazed at his abilities! I thank God for giving Ron these gifts! ~Sue~

When it rains...it pours...but he can fix it!

Well....seems like when something goes....lots of things start going! LOL I thank God everyday, that he gave Ron the mechanical mind to know how to fix things....I do NOT have that kind of mind, so it boggles me when he does it!

Our toilet is now running sporadically....he says he can fix it. Our 12 year old Chevy Suburban was leaking anti-freeze everywhere....he fixed it. Now, our 20 year old washer AND our 20 year old dryer are starting to bite the dust...and he can fix them!

He found the part he needs for the washer...only $29....lots less than a new washer! (But...since I wrote this...he fixed the washer himself...with stuff he had in his workbench...for FREE!!!) And....amazingly enough....he found a motor for our dryer for $100...and he can fix it....right now $129 dollars sounds like a lot...but compared to buying a new washer and dryer....it is saving us so much money!

I used to want those new washers and dryers....but now, am so grateful that I have a husband who can fix almost anything...and 3 long clotheslines in the basement for line drying inside! LOL

I guess this is another way to "go green"....or use some of the old fashioned depression wisdom ..."Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"....I do NOT want to go without my washer and dryer...but I do love hanging clothes to dry...so until the motor and/or parts come in...I'll keep doing what I am doing and counting my blessings!

Now...I have to run out, in my 22 year old car (which gets the best gas mileage out of any of our cars)....which Ron paid $300 for...and yes, he can fix it! ~Sue~

Lessons from Grandma...Haluski!

I have learned so many life lessons from my mother and grandmother...and not a day goes by that I don't wish I could still talk with my Gram...she was truly one of my very favorite people, and I miss her terribily. So, I decided that I would periodically post a lesson from my Gram, whom our children called "Baba"...Slovak for grandmother. Today is a lesson in practicality, tradition and frugality...called Haluski. Now, my Great-Grandmother had 8 living children...and her husband and 4 sons all worked in the steel mill, so they had very big appetites...and very little money. This was a staple in their home....cabbage and onions were very cheap as were potatoes....add a little butter and a little flour...and you can feed a lot of people. To me...this is comfort food! Here is Baba's Haluski recipe. (and for those of you who only think of cabbage and noodles...think again!) Sautee chopped cabbage and 1 onion in lots of butter until translucent and soft...add salt and pepper
In the meantime, here I peeled 3 large potatoes and added them to my food processor along with 4 eggs, salt & pepper, 2 tblsp oil...and processed until fairly smooth. Now Gram, never had a food processor...and as she taught me to cook since I was a little girl, I have many memories of scraped and bleeding knuckles, and sore muscles from grating the potatoes by hand and mixing the flour in until it felt as if my arm would fall off....technology is good for some things! LOL

Gram also didn't have this handy pot with holes in it and a handle. She would put the dough onto a dinner plate, and we would use the back of a spoon to scrape little bits into a pot of boiling water...hence, scalded fingers, too! But...I brought a large pot of water to boil, then dumped the dough into my handy dandy pot and simply turned, and got beautiful, all the same size potato dumplings. These are also delicious with butter as a side dish, and especially with pork, sauerkraut and gravy....yum! Then, after they cooked for just a minute, I drained them, rinsed with hot water, then added to the cabbage and onions....

Stirred them up...and DINNER! This will fill a lot of bellies....I love it with a glass of cold buttermilk! LOL I know...this is not the healthiest meal, but it is very, very cheap, filling and for me...traditional and comforting...we made sure we had a salad for lunch and lots of healthy foods thru out the day...including some raw apples before dinner.

Now...it is off once again to dance class! Last night, it was dance for Anna, then hockey for Ronnie...tonight it is dance for Sara, while Ron works his second job fixing cars...at least he will be fed well before he goes! Enjoy! ~Sue~

Traditional Sunday Dinners...

I grew up with the traditional Sunday dinner....either at our house or my Gram's. Sunday was always "family day"...usually the grandparents and/or aunts and uncles. Since Ron was raised the same way, we have chosen to carry on the tradition.

Last Sunday, we went to Ron's mom's house for chicken and potatoes. (Viv, I can hear you laughing!) My sister-in-law was there, we had 2 desserts...tea, and lots of laughter!

Today, after church, we were origionally only going to have my dad and step-mom...but then we added my sister and her new "beau"....then my other sister, brother-in-law and Ty came over for dessert. What fun we all had!

We had a wonderful traditional dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, carrots and rolls. Then....3 desserts tonight! Trifle, brownies and apple crisp! Yum!

The best part is my daughters and I all in the kitchen together preparing...then talking, reminiscing, laughing, sharing time together and making memories. I think that is my favorite part of Sunday dinners...the memories. Time with family, grandparents and cousins is precious. Sometimes, in today's society, everyone is so very busy and running around...some people work on Sundays, people living out of state...that I think it is nice to stop, slow down...and take time to spend with the people you love and make memories...time flies much too fast. My daughter has been playing a song called "Legacy"...and the words have been stuck in my mind...."I want to leave a legacy....how will they remember me?" There are so many 'legacies' I would like to leave my children, nieces and nephews....but the most important one is a Godly, biblical worldview...one with His word first...and of course...family and memories.

Hope you all have special family memories from your Sundays! God bless! ~Sue~

Friday night mystery...a "Clue" party!

First, I would like to say that I LOVE having my children's friends over! The laughter, the fun and conversations are great...and the memories are precious. Tonight was the girls "Clue" party! I think our friends the Hendersons created monsters by introducing us to "Clue"! LOL Origionally....our dear Gabrielle was going to be with us from Idaho, but she is currently serving her family at home, due to her brother's recent surgery...we miss you, Gabrielle! Ok....mystery #1....what is the mysterious 'blob' in the bowl above you ask? Beautifully risen pizza dough! All the girls as well as Ronnie, Anna and our little friend, Luke made their own calzones.
The prep work...before folding!

Our budding chefs....this was so funny watching them all make these...and trying to roll/fold them and get them onto the cookie sheet! I was laughing so hard!

Ronnie and Luke working on their dough...

The girls with their culinary creations! Meghan, Sara, Sarah and Alaina
Our Peony...after licking the spoon from mixing up the brownies! My "sweet" girl!
The boys playing outside in the dark....David, Ronnie and Luke
Ronnie and David....cool story....David's mom and I found out we were expecting the same day, had the same due date...and delivered same day, same hospital only hours apart. Her husband wheeled her and the baby down to visit us just a couple hours after Ronnie was born...and friends ever since.

The "clue" party! The cast of characters.....left to right....Miss Scarlett (Alaina), Colonel Mustard (Sarah Elaine), Miss White (Meghan), Miss Green (Michaela), Miss Peacock (Morgan) and Professor Plum (our Sara).

~What a fun evening! The laughter, the fun...all the kids having fun at all the same time. What better way to spend a Friday night than with your friends, have fun. I love having them here! Almost time for bed...tomorrow....bonfire and/or game night with friends! Another memory to make. God bless! ~Sue~

Gratitude...and Contentment

I had a "mini meltdown" this week...I felt so overwhelmed with "things"...driving to activities a lot, homeschooling 4 children, babysitting my 15 month old nephew....not sleeping....not to mention being behind in laundry, cleaning...you name it. One day of feeling like my head was going to pop off and spin around....of feeling sorry for myself and wishing my life were different. I guess, if I could, I would just stay home, take care of my family and home and rarely go anywhere or do anything outside of my family....I'm not one to enjoy running around. I don't know how most of the moms I know do it! LOL

But...God is SO good to me...He didn't allow me to be in that place for very long, He had me counting my blessings and He kept putting reminders in my path about self-sacrificing love...and that is just what I needed to remind me to die to self, care for my family...and look for ways to cultivate gratitude. The roses above were a surprise from my wonderful husband...he took my 2 little ones to the store for a couple of things, and they wanted to 'cheer me up'. Aren't they beautiful? And yes....they make me smile whenever I look at them.
Our little Anna "Peony"...she was so excited to get to go bowling with Ronnie and the cubscouts this week....they all had such a good time...I'm grateful for good friends, and the fun activities our family is involved in thru Cub Scouts.

I am extremely grateful today, because we took Anna to have her hips x-rayed today. The orthopedist wants to check her yearly to make sure the angles don't change in her hips, like Ronnie's did. With the history with Meghan and Ronnie...we are especially watchful...and today....grateful...Anna's x-rays were perfect!

Had to put this in...homemade french onion soup! I was VERY grateful for this yesterday, when it was very chilly and rainy...the bread was homemade zucchini onion bread....homemade beef broth and melted swiss cheese....Oh, it was so warm and comforting!

This is what we came home to tonight! How cute is that?! I was grateful that Ron and I had a "date" tonight. We met our friends, the Calano's, at Eat N park for coffee tonight...just to talk, catch up and to see how we could pray for each other. I am grateful for the time with my husband...and for good, caring friends. When we came home, Ronnie and Anna had helped Sara make oatmeal bars and had mugs of hot cocoa, while Meghan straightened up the house.....I am so grateful that my children are healthy AND for what helpful, caring daughters I have! I am also very grateful to have 2 teenage daughters to babysit when needed! LOL

Now....I am off to bed. I will leave you all with a quote from my favorite devotional "Streams in the Desert"...this spoke to me so powerfully recently....what am I willing to give up, to be more like Him? : (speaking of Jesus' disciples) "Their life from that moment on was one of inexpressible fellowship solely with Him above. They were willing to live without possesions that others owned and that they could have had, in order to be unlike others...so they could be more like Him."

God bless! ~Sue~

Michaela's Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party

This past Friday, Sara, Mum and I attended the sweet 16 birthday party for Michaela! It was such fun-and yummy! The theme was 'Coffee-Bar'-in essence, YUM!! Mrs. W, Michaela's great mom, opted for decaf coffee, though. :) Such wise women we have as our mothers! :) It was so special to celebrate Michaela's upcoming 16th birthday since we've been friends for almost ten years now. Love you, Michaela!

The colors were very pretty-red, white and black. I had a vanilla latte-and Michaela had mocha. Just one of the ways where we differ-though I do still love chocolate. Michaela had some of her closest friends around her as you can see in the picture below:

Back row: Sarah, Me, Sara, Michaela's sister Arianna,

Middle Row: Michaela's sister Morgan, Michaela and Bella

Front row: (Two of my favorite little girls) Michaela's sister Tess and Rachel, Sarah's sister

Michaela got so many neat, and pretty gifts! Sarah C made her a homemade bowl out of an old record-she's going to teach us how to make them soon. It was SO cute. :) We played a very fun game where we all had to write down answers to questions on slips of paper, toss them together and Mrs. W read them aloud. Then we all had to guess who gave each answer-it was a blast! Even Mum, Mrs. W and Mrs. P (Michaela and Bella's moms, respectively) participated.

The whole evening was a blast-full of sugar, games, laughs, but best of all, great friends all celebrating Michaela's 16th birthday together. So here are a few pictures of the evening with accompanying captions. :)

The lovely birthday girl opening a gift

Isn't that smile precious? This is the huge project I've been working on for awhile-for Michaela to keep in her hope chest, on her bed, and use in her future home. :)

Two peas in a white pod. :) This picture was Michaela's idea. :) Isn't it cute?

I am SO getting this picture framed!!! I am so blessed and privileged to know and love Michaela! I thank the Lord He saw fit to bring each other into our lives for so many years and many more years to come. Love you!

Autumn Apple Picking!

Our family FINALLY had a sunny day....to go apple picking! We went to Simmon's Farm and had a wonderful time in their orchards and doing their nature challenge, as well! (Steph...I'm sure you and the boys remember that!)Ronnie and Anna amidst the apples....what fun we had! Ronnie was so serious...and Anna was so excited, she practically danced thru the rows of apple trees!

My beautiful older daughters...we had a fun time with a family photoshoot at nearby South Park as well!

Anna insisted that Raggedy Anne and Andy had to come apple picking with us...

My sweetie and I...leaning on a wooden bridge and laughing at the kids!

Dad made a great ladder to pick Anna up to reach the "perfect" apple!
Ron, Sara, Ronnie and Anna did the "Nature Challenge" trail...Meghan and I cheer them on! Here they are at the end...climbing the rope up the side of the hill. Anna kept yelling "Look at me, Mom...Look at me! I'm Nim!!!" (she loves the movie "Nim's Island"!)
The Rope bridge....
Enjoying a little hike thru the fall leaves...
Our Peony climbing thru the tube...

They also had a petting zoo...while the older girls chatted, Ron & I took the little ones to see the animals...Ron made friends with a goat!
Anna made friends with a bunny!
Ronnie liked the ducks!
We ended the day at South Park, where Ronnie and Anna enjoyed rock climbing. What a special, memorable family day we had! We are so blessed to be able to be together, to live, and work, worship and praise, serve and have fun together as a family! What a blessing! This was a day that will give us wonderful memories thru the long, cold winter ahead! ~Sue~

Our 300th Post!!! Why I blog...

I have been thinking of this all week....why do I blog? I knew this would be our 300th post...since last December. I had no idea we would be so prolific with our writing...but God had other plans. I blog first and foremost....for my family.

I blog because I have discovered, that I love to write...it is a great creative outlet for me! Mostly, I blog as a sort of family journal/scrapbook of our everyday life. We have many family members and friends who keep up with what is going on in our lives...and it is a good way to keep in touch. I would like to have it printed, year by year and have as a keepsake...still looking into how cost effective that would be, but I would love it. But, I also know that it is out here in "cyberspace"...that if our computer crashes, it would all still be there....that as my hands hurt more and more and writing by hand becomes much more difficult than typing....this is also how I like to journal. (I still have my hand written journal...but, sadly, I don't keep up with it as much as I would like)

Blogging is a great 'homeschooling' tool for creative writing for my girls as well. They have distinctive writing styles, personalities...and I have always encouraged them to write. I like the pieces that they have done, and Sara is turning into quite the computer artist! (Is that the correct term?! I'm not sure...but I think you all know what I mean!)

After scrolling back thru the blog, thru the past year....I wonder what this coming year holds for us...of course, the holidays are coming up...many, many family birthdays...2 weddings...vacations....and of course, just everyday life in our home.

So to all of our family and friends....thanks so much for caring about us and reading this little piece of our lives! God bless you all today! ~Sue~

A Beautiful Bridal Shower

We've just arrived home from our dear friend Courtney's bridal shower. It was so much fun and Mum and I had a great time. Regrettably the littles both still had icky colds and Sara volunteered to babysit them....thank you Sara!! Courtney greeted us at the door-glowing, as usual. :) The fellowship hall of her church was decorated beautifully and the tables were very pretty. :) Courtney's mom, sister Hannah, and three aunts all set up, cooked for and set up this beautiful shower for their dear Courtney. She received so many beautiful gifts for her and Dan's future home! My gift to Court is going to be a wedding gift, as it isn't done yet. :) Mum got her the Betty Crocker Cookie book and made her an adorable apron, as was pictured in the last post. After a delicious lunch of warm chicken salad, pasta and salad, the games began. The first was tricky but very creative. The second was the traditional bridal 'bingo' as the bride-to-be opens her gifts. The centerpieces were so beautiful and quite a few women there were very happy to go home with them as prizes.

All in all, the shower was beautiful and so much fun. It was fun to gab with friends we don't see very often and to celebrate with Courtney her impending marriage. I was just thinking the other day...each of my friends one day will get married and I'll have the joy to walk with them during this precious season...laugh with them and cry as I witness each of their weddings.

Anyway, here are a few pictures taken of the bridal shower! I didn't take any of the decorations-I could kick myself for not taking any, but oh well. Courtney's mom informed me I would get to wear black flats with my bridesmaid's dress-WOOHOO! I'm pretty excited about my feet not hurting. :)

Here is Hannah, Courtney's sister, who announced and explained all of the games and is such a huge help to her mom and sister.

Miss Bride-to Be, opening a never-ending gift, it seemed. She kept pulling things out! :)

Friends forever. Back row: Hannah, Michaela, Me....front row, Morgs and Bella. :)

Best friends...sisters...maid of honor and the bride

Hannah and Courtney

Our two moms. :) Both of them are such wonderful mothers and examples of Godly wives, mothers and homemakers!

Me and Courtney. :) Isn't she just glowing?

I am off to do some resting and spend some time with the family....Maidens is tomorrow so expect a blog post for that, too!

Ce la vie!

Cold, dark, wet...what do you do?

Below is a picture of our dark, rainy sky....(and a beautiful autumn tree I couldn't resist adding)...It is cold, dark and dreary here in Pittsburgh, Pa....the way it has been for the past few days....so on this Saturday, what did we do...we got creative!

Meghan....crocheting a gift for a friend....I love the rich, red color of this cotton yarn.

Tent "forts" were built in the livingroom....


A WONDERFUL play was performed for Meghan and I...costume changes, lighting and curtains....above you see Isabella (Anna), Odette, (Sara) and the "Prince"...(Ronnie)... Job well done, everyone! (Sara...thanks for doing this with them...my creative genius!)
Crocheting slippers from warm , soft wool...

Sewing an apron for a new bride...with cherries on it!

Teaching the cat to"walk"...Anna's idea of fun! Chloe doesn't mind, either.

Spending most of the day in the kitchen...above, homemade bleu cheese salad dressing for the bridal shower tomorrow...
While all day....homemade molasses baked beans simmered on the stove. Yum! (the story behind this old family recipe will have to be another blog post!)
Crocheting another bridal afghan...this one in soft, soft yarn...in rich, warm fall colors....I am loving my wooden hooks...so smooth. Crocheting instantly relaxes me...and helps me focus. Plus...I feel good that when I sit down to rest ( and I have to rest often lately), I am being creative and productive.

~So now....little ones are bathed and in warm pajamas....hot bowls of beans are cooling for supper...will make some popcorn later on for a snack in front of the fire. I have one more salad dressing to make, and will finish sewing the apron after Ron gets up ... Ron will wake up in time to watch the Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightnings at hockey...and it will be a warm, cozy time here tonight.

I'll leave you all with this quote from Max Lucado:

"Constructing something engages only the hands, while creating something engages the heart and soul that our Creator gave us."

~Sue~