Sleds and Snow

I can't believe the snow! Amazing how just one week ago (last friday) the snow was melting and we were bummed because we couldn't go sledding. Well, that changed! Today for about an hour it snowed non-stop, like a white out, then it kind of mellowed out. Due to the gorgeous snow, we have been sledding alot and today we went sledding up at our neighbors house. I also, being the best sister I am (Just kidding of course), pulled Ronnie and Anna (total weight being 100+ lbs) up the hill. Man, I never knew just how steep that hill was till I pulled someone up it :) LOL


The ride down was fun, even though I was still pulling! Since the road was too dangerous to pull them down, I pulled them on the edge of people's yards... ruining the perfect snowfall, but I was being cautious. Anyway, since downhill was easier than uphill by a long shot, I was the horse and they were my passengers. I spared no snow mound or little hill, and down we went! Here is an script of our ride down:

Ronnie: Can you pull us?

Anna: Yeah! Pull the sled, pull the sled!

Sara: Sure, hop on... not literally! Hold on TIGHT!

(Sara starts galloping wildly,

stopping periodically to make sure they're not drifting towards the road)

ANNA AND RONNIE: WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

That's the extent of the ride... now I have to go to sleep because tomorrow is the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at 8 AM, so Meghan and I will be watching Anna while Mum takes Ronnie. I should probably hit the hay now... bye!

Quote for today...

"For whatever life holds for you and your family in the coming days, weave the unfailing fabric of God's Word through your heart and mind. It will hold strong, even if the rest of life unravels. ~Gigi Graham Tchividjian~

Happy Birthday Danielle!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday, dear Dani!

Happy birthday to you!

God's blessings on you!

God's blessings on you!

God's blessings on Dani,

God's blessings on you!----

---So went Mum, Sara and I singing into the telephone this afternoon. :)

Today our beautiful and wonderful friend Danielle turned seventeen!!!!

She is such a wonderful friend to all of us and we've been friends since 1999-TEN YEARS!!!

It has been such a pleasure getting to know her, making memories together and watching her grow in the Lord. I am so blessed to know her and be her friend all these years. I hope we have many more years to come, Dani, and that we'll look back on our girlhood years and laugh. :) At our **ahem** 'lists,' giggling, teasing, memorable birthdays, our worries, eating half a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough while laughing and talking that one afternoon... :)

We can look back and thank the Lord for the hard times in our lives, the good times, the sad times. You are a wonderful friend, Dani and I love you so much! Happy bithday my dear!

Here are just a few pictures:

She and I went to our first formal together-that will always be a memory. :)

Here she is getting ready for the formal. :) She looked gorgeous!

Our 'Christine Daae' from the costume party this past fall

Friends Forever! :) L to R: Laina, Sarah, Danielle, Sara and Me

Love you!

~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!~~~~

Winner of the Giveaway

Okay: so I went on random.org and made a list of all the names of the people who entered. Before I announce the winner, I'd like to thank you all for liking the jewelry I made. It means alot to me, so thank you for your entries. Don't worry, I won't do this everytime there's a giveaway, but for my first one, bear with me :) SSo without any further adeiu, I would like to announce the winner of the giveaway.

AND THE WINNER IS....BELLA!

She will be winning the tangerine blossom bracelet and pierced earrings. Congratulations Bella!

Thanks to all who entered, and watch out for more giveaways soon!

God's peace, preparedness...and the coming economic storm

First, let me say that I've always, since a little girl been fascinated with old-fashioned ways and time periods. I've had many people jokingly tell me that I was born in the wrong time period. I love cooking and baking from scratch...I love hanging my clothes on clotheslines, I love a garden, I love fires in the fireplace...I love, love, love fiber arts! Quilting, crocheting...now I'm learning to sew and spin. I love "Little Women", "Little House on the Prairie" and I love the "Waltons"....wish I lived at the foot of Walton's mountain! LOL I'm fascinated with the Amish way of life as well. So...all this to say that I love studying how they lived during these time periods, and wonder if I could as well.

Many years ago, when I stopped working outside the home when my first daughter was born, I discovered "enforced frugality"...then, after having my second daughter 2 years later....I discovered the Lord....and what living life trusting in His provision was like. I could give example after example of God's provision in our lives then...and since. I also discovered what I found to be very interesting...God wants us to trust Him for our needs, but He wants us to do it joyfully...and creatively...using the gifts that He has given us. I've learned a lot over the years, and still love learning as much as I can.

Usually, and I can't explain it any other way...before some "storm of life" happens in our family, I can sense an impending " storm"....I truly believe that God prepares us for impending "storms of life"....and yes, He wants us to trust Him completely...but He will also lead us to prepare in ways according to His will.

I feel a "storm" coming. I feel, after much prayer ( and will continue to seek His will) that He is calling me, as the Keeper of our home, to prepare for a "storm". My husbands contract with work is up in 1 year...it looks like the company is leaning toward selling or contracting out the work...as for many, the job situation is tenuous, at best. But, God is faithful! He is showing me ways to preserve food the "old-fashioned" way....to culture it, to can and dehydrate more. To little by little, put away a few extra cans each time we go to the grocery store...a few extra bags of rice or lentils or beans. And to give more of these same items to the foodbanks who are hurting more and more lately...with no relief in sight. I've been reading more of natural nutrition so we dont' HAVE to depend on supplements...although buying a little extra of these and putting them away. Paying down/off debt...a little at a time. Making gifts and cards rather than buying them. Even having extra wood for the fireplace and an extra tank of propane for the grill ( that has a burner on the side) I've discovered very inexpensive, but healthy ways to make laundry soap and not use fabric softeners...and if necessary (if no electricity) how to do laundry by hand for 6 people.

This morning, in my devotions, I was reading this in 'Streams in the Desert'...."God is in the midst of her. She will not be moved.God will help her when morning dawns." Psalm 46:5 Here are portions of the devotion: 'Will not be moved. Is it possible for us who are so easily moved by earthly things to come to a point where nothing can upset us or disturb our peace?! The answer is yes..and the apostle Paul knew it. When he was on his way to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit warned him that trials and prison awaited him. But he could still say " But none of these things move me." (acts 20:24) If we only allow God to have His way with us ( not our will, Lord, but yours be done) then, like Paul, neither the stress and strain of little things,nor the great and heavy trials of life will have enough power to move us from "the peace of God , which transcends all understanding" (phil.4:7) God declares this peace the inheritance of those who learn to rest only on Him. When God is the center of a soul, although disasters may crowd in on all sides and roar like the waves of the sea, there is a constant calm within. The world can neither give nor take away this kind of peace." " What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger? It is simply the lack of God living in their souls, and having the world in their hearts instead." R. Leighton ~ This is such a wonderful, comforting, encouraging, exhorting devotional! I encourage everyone, if you can to get a copy. You can get them really inexpensively on CBD or amazon.

The church that we go to is a part of Sovereign Grace ministries and produces a lot of their own music. Yesterday, was 1 year since our son, Ronnie, had his first major surgery...another storm over. It will be 2 months since his last surgery...again, another storm done. When he was in the hospital and again when he came home, when the pain would be so bad, he would start to panic and would ask me to sing..."Jesus Loves Me" was one of his favorites, but 2 more that really blessed me that he would ask for went like this " The Lord is...the Lord is my shephard. I shall not want"...and "So God, we trust in You...when fears are great and comforts few, we hope in mercies ever new, we trust in You."....Oh, how faithful He is to comfort and calm us! His love, provision and comfort are constant....He IS faithful, He IS merciful....and He WILL provide for our needs.

As our family prepares for the coming "storm"....we don't know if it will be a little, short storm or a long, devestating storm....but we rest in the knowledge that our God ALWAYS provides. We will continue to pray for His leading...and quietly go about obeying and preparing as He leads. May you all be blessed, calmed and comforted in the knowledge of His love and care over you! How mighty is our God!!! I want to leave you with some encouraging lyrics from a Chris Tomlin song. (I'm sure you can listen to it somewhere on the internet...but I don't know how to do that!) LOL Have a blessed day! ~Sue~

Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross lyrics

What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness

[Chorus:]
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome

[Chorus]

It's a miracle to me [2x]
And It's still a mystery [2x]
It's a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is .......
Mighty is.......
Mighty is the power of the cross

Thank You for the cross [2x]
Love the cross [2x]
So Powerful...... ohhhhh yeahhh
What can take a dying man?
And raise him up to life again?

Worship You Jesus
By your wounds we are healed
By your wounds we are saved
Mighty is the power of the cross [2x]
Thank You Jesus for the Holy cross

Giveaway!

*Updated: This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be picked Friday January 30th 2009,Thanks to all who entered!*

*Trumpet Blast* Hear me, hear me: My Simple Blessed Life is hosting it's very first give-away! I am so excited! This is the very first thing we ourselves are giving away to a random commenter who comments on this post. What we are giving away: a tangerine bracelet (L, XL), a pair of orange earrings, and a pair of clip-on orange earrings. These are completely original, made my me especially for you readers! One lucky commenter will win this homemade, "Tangerine Blossom Set" so hurry and comment! Giveaway ends January 3oth, 2009 which gives you 5 days to comment. Here are the pictures of what you could win:The bracelet is slightly large, but if you're careful it won't fall off... I love the color!These are the clip-on earrings. They remind me of Gatorade somehow... these turned out awesome!
These are the earrings I made out of normal earring posts. They aren't very big and are quite nice.

So if you're interested, comment and email me at: sara(dot)gorecki(at)gmail(dot)com with your address so we can ship it to you. By the way, select your preference: pierced or clip-on. Have fun, and I hope people comment!

Cancelled....

Looks like God cancelled all activities over here! No one is going anywhere tonight due to snow/ice/snow. So...we are actually very happy to be all staying home, hubby decided on chicken and dumplings since he got called into work tomorrow and will miss dinner....we'll light a fire, pop some popcorn...and enjoy the warmth of our home, our fire and our family. Hope you all are warm and peaceful! ~Sue~

Award!

Over at Tia's blog, she was awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award. Well, since she said anyone who checks her blog regularly (I was her first follower) could steal the button, I wanted to put it on our blog. So, indirectly, we were awarded! Here is the beautiful first award!The directions are, link to the person who gave you the award, then give it to 10 readers of your blog. Well, if you click on the link at the begining of the post, you can go to Tia's blog. So here are my ten bloggie friends I think deserve this award:

1. Ella
2. Dani (I Move)
3. Lydia
4. Bekah
5. Mrs. Gardner
6. Lane

Well, I have run out of bloggie friends to award, so enjoy!

Busy day....and presents waiting!

Whoo! What a busy day! But...a good one! This morning, I drove Meghan over to my sisters to be a 'mothers helper' today as our little Ty seems to have caught my cold and Lori didn't want to take him out in the cold...poor little guy! Then, close friends of ours are flying home from vacation tonight and I knew their little guy had the stomach bug and wasn't sure if anyone else got it...so after I called, ( and everyone has it), I ran to the grocery store to pick up some things and drop them at their home so they would have them tonight...and wouldn't have to go out in the snow tomorrow or Wednesday! After that, a quick stop at the health food store for some more Elderberry syrup...nothin else in it, but elderberry...and I've been out. Seems to quickly help us feel better...I got 2 bottles! Stopped after that to pick up some baby cereal and teething biscuits for Ty at 'Babys R Us'...they have wonderful baby cereal that is organic, and has probiotics right in it....recommended by Dr. Sears...and gluten free teething biscuits with all natural ingredients...Ty loves them! Below is a picture of what Sara and my little ones were doing while I was gone....'Gym class'! They had so much fun!

Doesn't Sara look like an aerobics instructor from the 80's?!

Then it was home to make some gluten free pizza. I love Carol Fenster's books! As you can probably tell by the stained pages, this is a favorite. As we try not to do a lot of yeast, this makes a yummy GF pizza crust that everyone likes.

What does Rachel Ray say? " Need it twice, make it once" ...I need a GF crust for this weekend, so will freeze one of these.

Here are my talented assistants!

Doesn't this look good?! It tasted even better than it looked!

I had a wonderful present waiting for me when I got home. My friend, Patti, in Idaho sent this package up...I've been waiting anxiously for it! Her son,Garrett, works with wood and has a business. These are their black walnut salad tongs. I love them! You flip them over and that engages the spring action....only 1 hand needed! Every mom should have a pair!

They included this really cool toothpaste squeezer....Sara tried it right away (sceptically, I might add) and was excited to exclaim how well it works! ( I need 3 more!)

But this....this is what I have been waiting for! A size R crochet hook that Garrett made from zebra wood! I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to hold and work with! This size seems rather large, but for the 2 afghans that I have planned, it will be perfect to work up quickly. It is also the recommended size to crochet strips of fabric together...to make tote bags or rag rugs...especially from old cotton sheets from the thrift stores. I love it! I want to order a couple more in slightly smaller sizes...then I'll have all the sizes I'll need! The wood is so beautiful, smooth and warm!

Here is Garrett's website: www.3gwoodworks.com I encourage you to take a look at the other things that he makes. ( I'm not sure if any other crochet hooks are pictured or not) A certain someone who lives here...actually a couple of certain someones would love to have needle cases and seamrippers....will be placing an order in the near future! Again....I really wish everyone I knew (especially if you have children!) had a pair of these salad tongs...they are the coolest things I've tried! Now...if I only had a wooden salad bowl to go with them?! Hmmm....Garrett, do you make bowls, too?!

Now....after I go make some strawberry kefir smoothies....I'm off to REST for just a little while, enjoying my crochet hook before starting my chili for dinner! Tonight, after dinner, I'm going to our local homeschool group meeting. Haven't seen these ladies in a while...I'm looking forward to the encouragement and fellowship! Have a blessed day! ~Sue~

Menu plan Monday!

I'm finally posting this menu plan on time! LOL We have a particularly busy week this week, so I'm glad I was able to plan this ahead of time...nice, too, to know what to make on the days when we have obligations in the evenings. Here's this weeks menus!

Monday
Hot millet with apples and cinnamon
gluten free pizza, cucumbers
chili, cornbread and salad

Tuesday
gluten free pancakes with blueberry syrup
chicken and rice soup
gluten free veggie lasagna and gluten free parmesean breadsticks

Wednesday
Veggie omelets and potatoes
taco salads
deer chops, sweet/sour red cabbage, brown rice

Thursday
cereal and bananas (out the door early)
gluten free macaroni and cheese, salad
chicken and GF dumplings, green beans

Friday
GF pancakes with strawberry syrup
veggie omelets, potatoes
minestrone soup, cheddar garlic GF biscuits

Saturday
cereal, bananas ( out the door early again!)
GF banana nut bread, pineapple
GF philly cheesesteak pizza
(we have my sisters birthday party!)

Super Bowl Sunday! (Go Steelers!)
Oatmeal and fruit
'Good Sunday' soup
GF pizza and salad
parmesean popcorn (for the big game!)

I just wanted to mention something for a moment. While trying to save money, and eat healthy...like I mentioned before, we are trying to culture a lot of food...drinking kefir smoothies everyday and juicing. Along with that, we usually only used stevia, pure maple syrup and/or raw honey for sweetening. Well...after going to Costco on Friday, we discovered that pure maple syrup there went from 1/2 gallon at around $18 to only 1 quart for the same price...we couldn't justify it. But...as homemade GF pancakes are a staple here for breakfasts ( and to put peanutbutter and jam on for sandwiches) I was stumped as to what we could do. After looking thru some old 'Great Depression' cookbooks, I realized that I could make fruit syrups to put on without any sugar! Aldi's (my favorite store) sells bags of frozen strawberries that have no sugar...simply strawberries. If I thaw them, puree them and thicken with some water and cornstarch....I'll have a syrup....maybe a little stevia to sweeten. Well...the kids were so excited! ANd...I'll do the same with blueberries. So much cheaper...and actually healthier! Just thought I'd mention that. Have a blessed day!~Sue~

Duggar wedding

Ok...I had to do a quick post! The girls and I just finished watching the 'Duggar wedding' on TLC. I praise God for the courage that He gave this family to not be afraid to live their lives according to His word and His guidance...and to be on national television. The fact that Josh and Anna Duggar followed a chaperoned courtship, and their first kiss was at their wedding was inspiring. Not that they themselves were inspiring, but the fact that they obeyed God's leading in their lives and their famililes was inspiring. They are an example of so many families all across the U.S. who are conservative, Bible believing, homeschooling families...obeying God for the size of their families and not ashamed of the gospel.

Based on some conversations that I've had with different people, watching this family on t.v. has allowed a better understanding to friends and family members of ours as to why we live our lives the way we do...according to His leading. Seeking to simply obey Him...out of love and gratitude for His saving grace! Praise you, Lord! Thank you for saving us, guiding us, teaching and correcting us...and for your word...your letter of love to us...your guide for life for us.

And....thank you to the Duggar family for putting your family out there...and for not being ashamed of the Gospel! Goodnight! ~Sue~

"jewish penicillian" and God's blessings....

I'm sick. I seem to have caught what others in my family had...a bad chest cold that just drains you to exhaustion, makes your muscles and head ache....and gives you a nasty cough! As the day progressed yesterday, I just felt worse....some ibuprophen and a hot shower helped...but I caught it anyway. I've spent the past 3 days resting.

I managed yesterday to make 20 quarts of chicken stock....I think I put in at least 13 large cloves of garlic! I had heard that a Jewish grandmothers chicken soup would cure anything that ails you...and I've been making it for years! I only got up from resting to strain the broth, cook the rice and finish the soup. Delicious!

One huge blessing today, was that I was reunited with an old friend from my childhood, Jolyn. She and her family lived behind us when we were growing up, then they moved to Ohio. The last time I saw her, was in 1992 when Ron and I met she and her husband, Mike, for dinner. Then, we lost touch. I was overjoyed to hear that she found my sister thru the internet, then she and I emailed. When I saw her email address, I was thrilled...and immediately thought "She's a believer!"

Yesterday, she called me. She, also, was sick with a bad sinus cold...so we both climbed into our beds to rest and talked....and talked and talked! We talked for almost 2 1/2 hours! And probably could have talked much longer! We told each other our testimonies, the things the Lord has done in our lives, our struggles, all about our children, our churches...we laughed! We can't wait to get together! I found out that she is only about 40 minutes away from another friend of mine in Ohio! What a wonderful coincidence. I will be visiting both of them this summer.

How the Lord cares for me!!!! He provides the means for hot, healthy soup, He has blessed me with a wonderful, hardworking, caring husband and children who love and care for me when I'm sick(the girls helped with the Littles, and Meghan made yummy coffee bars that both girls brought to me in bed)...and He has been bringing me fellow 'sisters in Christ' as new friends a lot lately...as well as deepening and strengthening old friendships. He is so good to me!!! I am abundantly blessed! Now...to rest with my little ones and enjoy His blessings! Have a blessed Sabbath rest! ~Sue~

Movie Review: Kit Kittredge An American Girl

This highly anticipated movie came out July 2nd, 2008. Starring Abigail Breslin, Julia Ormond, Chris O' Donnel, and Joan Cusack; this movie is packed with a star studded cast. Loosely based on the six books in the Kit Kittredge series, this movie is beauiful, telling the story of nine year old Kit who dreams of being published in the Cincinnati Register. So when her father leaves to find a job, her mother takes in boarders, and hobos come to work for them; she finds a bunch of things to write about. But when a thief comes around, will Kit and her friends, Ruthie and Sterling, figure out the criminal before it's too late? And why won't her father write? These questions and more are answered in this phenomenal movie, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

Good Parts:

It's terribly important to Kit that she solve the case and get back her mom's money, because if she doesn't, they'll lose their house and maybe their family. Family unity is a huge deal to Kit—and this movie. When her dad tells her he can't find work in Ohio and must go to Chicago for a while, Kit cries, "You said we were going to be OK. We're not OK if we're not together!" Indeed, it's not OK until Dad comes back home.
Kit struggles with embarrassment and shame when she and her family join the ranks of those who have to raise chickens and sell eggs to make ends meet. But by film's end, she's come fully to grips with her situation, and has found lots of ways to make sweet lemonade out of the sour lemons the economy has handed her and her neighbors. For his part, Dad becomes an object lesson in never giving up when times get tough. "Don't let it beat you," he tells Kit. "We can't let it beat us, sweetheart." Then he takes his own advice.

Bad Parts:

Very few. The thieves chase the children through the woods, finally trapping them in the hobo camp. There's a brief scuffle and then someone clangs the flat part of a shovel against a baddie's head. That dissuades any further confrontation. A "darn," a "holy cow," a "golly" and three exclamations of "oh my gosh." Name-calling is limited to one "moron" and accusations of "good for nothing" and "freeloader."

Summary:

I loved this movie and it is one of my favorites! The acting was great, the story line was very intriguing, and the message was good. I highly recommend this movie to anyone!

*Parts of Review taken from Plugged In Online. No Copyright Infringment Intended; for entertainment use only. I do not own anything*

Some Wonderful Friends

"A true friend shares your heart, your dreams and your faith-" Unknown.

Today was so much fun! While Ronnie and Anna saw a movie with our grandparents, Dad dropped Sara and I off at Michaela and Morgan's house. Our families have been friends for almost ten years. :) Sara and I have been especially close with Michaela and Morgan-who are, like us, the oldest and second-oldest children/daughters in their household. :)

Sara and Me

Michaela and Morgan

It all started in Keeper's at Home, a monthly mother-daughter Bible study run by Mum and our friend Mrs. Mckee. It was held in Pleasant Hills at a small church right next to the library. There were many moms and daughters who attended and to this day most of us are all still friends.

Morgan and Sara

To my memory, the first time I met Michaela was when we were studying the 'Friendship' chapter in our Keeper's at Home books. To mix things up a little bit, Mum decided to 'assign' each girl to sit and talk to another girl who they really hadn't met yet. I had initially wanted to sit and talk with my oldest friend, Alaina (so I wouldn't have to get out of my comfort zone) but since we were such good friends, Mum had me sit next to Michaela. I'm so glad she did!!!!! We have a picture, somewhere, of Michaela and I sitting there and talking. :) We both had the same hairdo. That infamous late nineties bowl-cut. :) I was incredibly shy when I was younger and still am sort of shy around new people today. Michaela and I, after sitting there for a few awkward minutes, began talking. About (what else!?) books we enjoyed, movies, etc. She brought up Sound of Music and I went, "OH! I LOVE that movie!" I told her my favorite character was Lisle and my favorite part was the 'Sixteen, Going on Seventeen' song. I really haven't changed much have I? :)

Michaela, in a little book she made me called, "The Fun/Friendship Files of Meghan and Michaela," had a slightly different version to how we met: We were in VBS class at the little church next to the library. (the same where Keeper's was held) The older group was so crowded full that Morgan and I got put in the younger group. On the other side! It turns out we were sitting right next to Sara. I don't remember who said, "Hi" first, but soon we were all chattering in quiet whispers. I remember Sara was telling me about you and even pointed you out. Being the unobservant 7 year old, I couldn't spot you, but pretended to politely. After classes we went home and told Mom all about Sara. (I still hadn't spoke to you!) Then, lo and behold, that next day after classes, our Moms were talking! I believe your mom invited Mom to some kind of Fish meeting, but I'm not sure. It was at your old house, though! When we arrived, I was so shy tomeet you, since I had only known Sara. Then your mom pointed you out; you had on a blue smock and were painting a picture on a pastic easel. I can remember the scene vividly. However, after the first "Hi's" I can't clearly remember what happened next. I just know that it was one of those friendships that just clicked.

It certainly did!

To sum it all up...the rest is history! Since then, we've been pen-pals and for about three-four years now, we've been saving each other's letters. :) Today, Michaela and I looked through my old letters and laughed uproariously about my many 'worries' and 'obsessions.' What made me want to cry was when after I asked jokingly, "How did you ever put up with my silly ramblings about High School Musical and my 'youth group woes'?" She just smiled her beautifully dazzling smile and said, "Meghan! You're my friend! I don't have to put up with you!"

Today, when we got together, we exchanged Christmas gifts. Albeit belatedly. Sara got an adorable picture and picture frame with a picture of her and Morgan inside of it. Morgan decopauged it herself and it looks wonderful! There will be a post by Sara a little later about her and Morg's adventure. :) Hee hee!!

Michaela's Christmas gift to me was a beautiful writing binder. She made it and designed it to suit all my writing needs. :) It was specially made for books and stories I write. I told her all about a plan for a series of books and sent her all the information about each girl, her life, time-period, etc. Unbeknownst to me Michaela used this information for the binder cover. Each book is going to be mainly about one young woman who has struggles and unique trials in a unique time period. And they are all going to be related. Each woman will have a daughter and then the next book will be about that daughter, etc. I'll let the pictures speak for the beautiful binder:

The beeee-U-tiful cover.

A wonderful surprise on the back! :)

The really cool character outlines Michaela put in the binder for me to write about any new characters in my stories. :)

An adorable folder where I can put all my stories, outlines and chapters. :)

A lovely 'character sketches' and notes. I am FOREVER losing my jotted notes or outlines about my characters so this is SO helpful. :)



A list of all the books in my series with the main character, ages, time period, etc.

Michaela is one of my dearest friends. I think it's safe to say that next to my family, she's my closest friend. I hope to be as good a friend to her as she is to me. She is such a wonderful person, sister-in-Christ, encourager and friend.

Love you always, Michaela!

Mercy, contentment...and quiet trust

This is not a 'political' blog....not that I may never share my thoughts, but it is a family blog...with an emphasis ( I hope!) on simple things, gratefulness and contentment....grounded in love and gratitude for what Christ, my savior, has done!

That said...I, along with many people, I'm sure...have been thinking about what the next 4 years may look like in our country under the new leadership of President Obama. I pray that he be led by our Lord....that his advisors also be guided by the Holy Spirit...and decisions are made prayerfully and biblically.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I seldom worry much. I used to worry about everything...but over the years, God has filled me with such a peace with His presence! I know WHO is in control...not just of my life, but of our country and the world...and I TRUST Him. All I can do is simply to live my life, minute by minute following in trust and obedience to what He is revealing for me and our family.

One of the things that the Lord has been continuously reminding me of recently is mercy. His great mercy towards me...and my obligation, again, out of love and gratitude to Him...to show mercy to others...whether that be my husband, my children....and our leaders. Last night, at our small group, a friend shared the following definition of mercy: "Mercy is the kind, sympathetic, and forgiving treatment of others that works to relieve their distress and cancel their debt."

How much mercy has the Lord shown me?! Oh, my goodness...it is immeasurable! How much more should I show it to others. Not because they deserve it or ask for it....because we are commanded to in scripture...and I WANT to obey... again,out of love and gratitude.

I am filled with peace....I do wonder what will happen with the economy... and how it will continue to effect us....but the Lord has been very, very clear that He will ALWAYS meet our needs...and we must not worry, but have a quiet reassurance of His care of us. He has been leading me, ( I feel) to quietly get prepared for some hardships....and I'm gratefully, quietly, preparing. What does that look like here? Well....we've always been fascinated by the time period of the Great Depression. We studied it extensively in history a few years ago...and have continued to study it out of interest. So....for us, it is getting some more clothes lines and clothes pins...for inside and outside. (I LOVE hanging clothes)....it is buying a few extra cans each week when we go shopping and filling up the pantry. It is learning to plan more meatless , whole grain meals....to fill bellies and be healthier. It is culturing more of our food, and buying less supplements. It's making our own laundry soap and cleaning products. It's planning on planting some veggies this year...and canning and dehydrating a lot this coming year...and planning for it. It is looking around at what we already have....and reusing it for something else. It's making homemade gifts as much as possible. It's making logs to burn in the fireplace out of old newspapers. ( will let you all know how that one works!) It's using a travel mug of our own coffee instead of stopping at Star Bucks. It's using more towels and rags instead of paper towels. It's always having an extra tank of propane for the grill filled...just in case. It's having people over instead of going out to dinner at a restaraunt. It's also reading about alternative ways of doing things....which, interestingly enough, usually are the 'old-fashioned' way of doing things. It's getting out in nature....walking, riding bikes, playing in the snow...instead of going shopping or to an expensive movie. It's getting "creatively frugal"...and getting excited about it! Looking at simplifying even more...and viewing it as a fun challenge to do as a family.

Again....I'm not going into any crazy "Y2K" emergency crisis thinking here. But...if the Lord is putting on my heart to do these things...then I'm going to quietly trust Him, and obey...and trust Him to handle the details. And, I'm going to teach my children to live simply...to trust in God, to learn to do things the 'old-fashioned' way....to get/stay out of debt...to work hard and save. To be creative. And...to always remember who is always, always in control of our world...and it's not President Obama, or any other world leader...it is and always has been simply.....Our God.

Now...I seem to have caught the cold that everyone else in my family already had...so before I completely cannot hold my head up, I'm off to get a pot of split pea soup simmering, and the ingredients mixed for some gluten free cornbread that the girls can finish when they get home....then I'm off to bed. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow. I hate to be up in bed even when I'm sick...away from everyone. I miss them! I'd rather rest in the rocker or on the couch under a blanket so I can at least be with them. The girls are off visiting with friends for the afternoon, the Littles are at the movies with grandparents, Ron is shopping at Costco...then they will all be home again. The quiet is nice...but only for a little while! Have a blessed day...and Pittsburgh...enjoy the warmth of the sun while it lasts! ~Sue~

Today was.....a "Ty" day!!!!

I promise, I won't post quite so many pictures every time I have Ty! But...today was a "typical Ty day" at our house. Whenever we watch him...we are all so enthralled with him, that we just make a huge fuss over him. We say that in our house, Ty is a celebrity! For those of you who might not know...Ty is my sweet little nephew...6 1/2 months old. I thought it would be fun to post about Ty's day today! (especially for my Mom who is away in Alabama (where it is WARM) helping my aunt recover from surgery...and is missing everyone!)Look at these eyes....he is a heartbreaker, isn't he?!
As we were sitting at the table eating our oatmeal...I was surrounded by everyone wanting to be close to me....or is it close to Ty?!

Ty is also a huge 'Star Wars' fan...he comes by it honestly...his cousins are into it, and he inherited it from his dad...who still has all of his origional Star Wars figures and sets from when he was little!

This little boy gets tons of "tummy time" here....look at this smile!

When he is having tummy time or just playing on the floor...there are at least 2 or more others with him, encouraging his crawling skills, and entertaining him!

This is Sara and Ty making a video on her laptop! Scroll down to the end if you would like to watch the video. I am on the other side of the door playing "peek-a-boo" and making him laugh!

I love this one! Anna has helped all day with Ty! She helped with changing his diapers and here she is snapping him back up! He loves watching her!

Ty discovered 'Lightening McQueen' today! He talks...

This is the smile I got when I sneaked up on him to get him up from his nap! How sweet is that?!

Oh, my....either I am terribly out of practice with this or he is a messy eater! Peas go in.....

And....peas come out! He actually DID eat the whole jar...I just kept scooping them back in again!

Here he is with his favorite Uncle Ron! Every time he hears Ron's voice, he doesn't take his eyes off of him...it is so funny! I told them to put their bald heads together for a picture!

Now, Daddy ( my brother-in-law Todd) came to take him home. It was funny...he was playing with Ron on the floor, but as soon as he saw Dad...he got a 'boo boo' lip and wanted his Daddy! It was so cute!

Here he is ready to go home in what we call his "escape pod"!

~And....we get to have him again tomorrow! ( I hope she sends bananas instead of peas!) What a joy it is for all of us to get to have him all to ourselves a couple times a week! We enjoy him so much! I realize that there are no pictures of Meghan with Ty...but she took a lot of them, and she hates to get her picture taken! I'll get some of her with him tomorrow! Scroll down a little bit for the video of Ty and Sara. Now it is time to light a fire and relax with my little ones while the girls get ready for a busy day tomorrow! ~Sue~

Here is the video: hope you all like it!

Snow and Goodies

Today was great for me! Once I got all my school work done, I decided to call and ask a friend who lives up the street if she needed me to pick up her daughter from the bus stop (right down the street) rather than take her 1 year old out in the cold. She said they were planning on playing in the snow anyways, so I invited them to our house for some winter fun! Snow can be a menace, but it can also be great! Here are some pictures of our snow fun!Anna loves making snow angels, then making smiley faces on them!

Ronnie sliding down the hill on the toboggan! I think he was about to bail out!

Ronnie was making a, "Jedi Angel"... he made a light sabre on it!

After our snow day, we came back inside and just chilled (Ha ha, get it?) until dinner was ready. With a yummy dinner of lentil rice casserole (see previous post) and veggies, I cleaned up the kitchen while my mom went to Michael's to buy more yarn for her scarf. As I was drying a pot, I noticed a gluten free cook book on the counter. I picked it up and found a recipe that looked really easy, so I asked my mom if I could make it and she agreed. One stipulation: I had to clean every scrap up. I said yes, and got to work. It is also Tuesday, so this post will also be my taste tester Tuesday because I made successful gluten free brownies! They tasted real, and everyone loved them! Here is a picture of the dessert and one of me, holding my prize!

I must say, these were really tasty!

The cook book is Special Diet Solutions by Carol Fenster, Ph.D and it's a great book! She also wrote Wheat-Free Recipes and Menus and Special Diet Celebrations. The recipe for the brownies is on page 115. Here is the recipe and it's definitely a keeper!

Gluten Free Brownies

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 TSP. baking powder

1/2 TSP. salt

1/2 TSP un-sweetened gelatin

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 TSP. Vanilla extract

1/3 cup hot water

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 11x7 pan. Stir together dry ingredients (From flour to gelatin) then set the bowl aside. In a large mixing bowl (This is where the K-Tec comes in handy!) beat the oil, sugars, egg and vanilla on medium speed until mixed. With the mixer on a low speed, add the dry ingredients and the water to the mix. Mix until just blended, and the mixture should look somewhat thick. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips, then spread the batter in the prepared pan with a wet spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into nice size pieces, it makes 12 brownies.