- And now I'll never ever be the same, It was the sweetest voice, That called my name
- I won't convince you; with anything I say; But maybe you will see His love, in how it is portrayed. An act of kindness, A loving sacrifice-Simple little things that have the power to change your life!
- There is love, there is forgiveness;there is love in times of need. When life is cold, there is a promise; you'll never go without, oh
- With so much more than I deserve; to be here with the ones that love me- to love them so much it hurts...
- The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you're thinking- Be careful if you think you stand, you just might be sinking...
- (My mom's favorite)When we left the movie show the future wasn't bright; But came the dawn the show goes on and I don't want to say good night! (Easy one here)
- And I have been made new by the one who has found me. Words just can't say enough, when all I can feel is love...
- Let me be your shelter; let daylight dry your tears; I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm anad calm you...
- something familiar, something peculiar something for everyone... (M & M fill in the blank!)
- I'm gonna roll that stone away, live my life my way, stand up for my faith just like the sun rises everyday, the tide is gonna change, you can't keep me...
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you. 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Song Tag
Legacy Part 1 of 1
Part #1:
“I got it, I caught the fish! CogĂ un pez!” The dark haired little boy waved a fish in the air, which received applause from his sister. Isabella was braiding wildflowers into her long dark hair, but she smiled when her brother called her. Isa was ten years old, only seven years after the exile. She, along with her brother and foster mother, were re-located to Segovia after their father died, leaving their half brother, Henry the IV, as heir. Isabella was still saddened about her father’s death, but she tried not to show it. She knew Alfonso’s health was delicate and her foster mother worked from sun up to sun down to provide for them. Isabella couldn't’t count how many times she would wake up in the night and hear weeping. Madre is working so hard for us. All because Henry had to be such a odio egoista tonto! He was always a hateful selfish fool, but I never thought it would come to this. Isabella threw aside her daisy chain and lay back in the soft grass. The Spanish moss trees drooped overhead, and Isabella smiled. “Isa, Isa, you must come quickly! Madre says to hurry!” Alfonso shouted from across the stream, and Isa quickly leaped to her feet. Grabbing her cloak off a nearby bush, she followed her brother across a wheat field and into the small village where they lived. Smiling at their elderly neighbor, she dashed into their house; stopping short when she saw a knight of Castile. She quietly sat down on a mat and listened to what the man, who she recognized as her father’s most trusted knight, had to say.
“King Henry has summoned the young children, Isabella and Alfonso, to court. His summons cannot be denied. I have brought a royal carriage for them to travel in, and boarding has been taken care of.” Isabella quickly looked at her mother, who looked shocked and a mite dazed. “Of course, orders are orders. When do we leave?” Isa’s foster mother asked, rising to curtsy. “That is one problem. You are not to come. That was a stipulation that was clearly stated by the king himself.” Isa and Alfonso’s faces paled and their mother drew herself tall. “They will not move one step without their Madre. Surely the king can understand that.” The knight shook his head, gathered the children, and set them inside the carriage. “NO! Madre, a dejar decirle que! Tell him to stop, please!” Alfonso wept and pleaded with the guards. They are taking us away yet again. Taking us away from another mother. Will these tyrants stop at nothing? Isabella sunk into her seat, sobbing as the carriage pulled away from the village. Madre, weeping and shaking her head, went inside to cry in private. The elderly neighbor followed her inside, where she found her lying on the floor: she had fainted in her grief.
Three days went by, the hours seeming longer and longer for the children. No room to play, barely any to sleep, and the food was stale and moldy. Isabella and Alfonso read prayers to each other as their only comfort. “Lord, you are holy and mighty. You shall deliver us out of this venomous pit of doom. “ Isa spoke, Alfonso resting his head on her shoulder. They stayed in this position until their arrival at Castile. They were led out of the carriage and into the castle, where two maid servants were awaiting them. “Lucille, Cecelia: these are the two charges. Take good care of them, and do not let them wander out of your peripheral line of vision. Understood?” When the maids nodded, the guard marched down the corridor.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday with Friends!
The poster child for Strawberry Kefir Smoothies! :)
Our lovely beverage that our friends got hounded to try a sip. Out of us four kids, Anna seems to like it and I don't mind it.....the other two.....well, not so much. :)
Here is Mum and Rachel in our kitchen....Mum with a big glass of Kombucha in her hand. Rachel's face was priceless when she tasted it. :)
Here is sweet Rachel crocheting. By the end of the day she had finished a hot pad for her mom. We showed her a few new crochet stitches and had a blast! She was my crocheting buddy.
The two Sara(h)'s on my Sara's laptop. They were looking at different blog backgrounds, how to make them.....they hardly came off of the bed until it was dinner time. :) They were funny. And no, the Sarah on the left is not sleeping. :) She has what I called her 'thinking cap' on over her eyes. :) While our Sara is hamming it up. While watching a movie that evening they made some adorable jewelry together on the floor and did not spill any beads! :)
Caelyn, Sarah and your's truly. :) Coincidentally, we're the three oldest girls in our families.
Morgan and Sara. Look at those adorable glasses. :)
Our rather blurry group shot of the night. :) In front of me you can see a popcorn container. :) Big surprise. Seated on the couch are from left to right: Rachel, Gabriella, Morgan and Sara
Seated on the floor are Caelyn and Sarah.
We had SO much fun with all of you girls! We have to do it again soon and watch another old movie. :) It was such a fun time, though we did get to bed rather late. Luckily the next day was a Saturday so we could sleep in. :) Sorry about the post being so late!
God's gentle correction and grace....

I've been feeling God's prompting strongly lately...to simplify. But, in reality, it is to repent and turn to God...to return to God's plan for us...to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you"....to seek Him, and follow his commands....not ignore them, and do what I want to do. A friend and I were recently talking about God's rebukes, and for me, it was confirmation that what I was doing was grieving God's heart. He had called us to live simply and be content...and with our focus off of His plan, we were filled with discontent and a lack of gratitude to God.
I can't speak for any other family, nor do I want to. But for us...God's plan has always led us to simplify...to move further and further from what the world thinks is important...to live simply, to live in a God honoring way. Do we always do that? Of course not! Living simply means different things for each family. Again, I only know what God has been speaking for our family. For us it means, no big vacations, no shopping at trending stores at the mall...no Starbucks everyday. (ok...Starbucks every long once in a while!) It means watching our pennies closely, saving as much as we can, being 'creatively frugal'...living simply. In order for our family to live the lifestyle that God has called us to live, a simple homeschooling lifestyle, this requires me to stay at home and have us to have one income. And...since that income is not huge....we have to choose wisely how to spend it. Would vacations be nice? Of course! Can we live without them? Of course! Can we thrive without them? Yes! If we cultivate a spirit of gratefulness....and contentedness....and practice the habit of being content with whatever God has for us. If day trips to lakes, fishing, trips to Kennywood or Idlewild Park, to Mingo Creek, or the Science Center,, a day at the Butler county fair, a day spent antiquing...or sipping sweet tea on our deck in the shade while the little ones play in a small pool is God's plan for our family...then we are abundantly blessed!!!! It might not sound exciting by the worlds standards, but it is peaceful, fun and filled with family memories...and it is God's will for us...therefore, it is God's best for us!
As we continue to follow God's plan for our family, I'm sure I'll be posting all the little joys of our days...some of which you may not think of as joys...but whatever God's calls us to, He equips us for. For me....hanging laundry on the line is a joy...especially taking it down...warm, sweet outdoor smell. That brings me joy! Crocheting with a wooden hook with some soft warm wool or super soft yarn brings me joy. Beautiful fabric, especially using scraps to quilt or make gifts, brings me joy! Giving my family a hot, healthy homecooked meal brings me joy...and offering hospitality to family and friends brings me joy. Having my children's friends here for a fun evening brings me joy! I don't need frills, expensive vacations, expensive clothes or filet mignon (although I do like filet mignon!)....I'm just as happy at my big wooden table with a big bowl of navy beans and my family happy.
Whatever God has for your family...embrace it! Cultivate contentment...and practice gratitude! Living the life that God has for you is different for each family....for our family, we will continue to simplify and find joy in the everyday. Living simply is not an easy life....but the rewards are endless as are the lessons learned. As my Gram used to say " hard work never hurt anybody" ....as well as "many hands make light work"....both good lessons to teach my children....and to remember myself. May you have a joyful day! ~Sue~
Menu plan Monday!
oatmeal custard with raisins
veg't soup, cheese & GF crackers
Pasta carbonara, salad
Tuesday
cheesy eggs, potatoes
banana bread, yogart, pineapple
grain/garden burgers, refried black beans with cheese, cucumbers & beets
Wednesday
apple cinnamon millet
leftovers/pbj
seafood bisque,salad, cheddar garlic biscuits
Thursday
cereal, bananas, juice
GF mac & cheese, veggies
sausage potato stew, green beans
Friday
GF blueberry pancakes
brown rice lentil casserole, veggies
chicken soup, GF Foccacia bread
Saturday
oatmeal with raisins
eggs, turkey sausage, potatoes
Birthday party for Maggie & Maria!
Sunday
cereal, bananas
crockpot soup, cheese & crackers
GF chicken pot pie, green beans
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentines Day for Maidens
Friday, February 13, 2009
Simple shopping....
So...today, since Ron was off, a friend and I set off to do some healthy shopping as inexpensively as we could. We headed to Trader Joe's. (with a quick stop at a yarn store...I can never pass them up!) Trader Joe's (for those of you who have never been) is a really cool grocery with everything their own brand....most organic, or at least simple ingredients. I love this store! Shopping with Amy was so much fun,too, as we have never had the chance to visit....so we talked all day! Most of what I get at Trader Joe's are things that I cannot get anywhere else...or I can't get them for that low price. I stocked up on lots of Gluten Free pasta, GF spagetti, Thai rice stick noodles, tuscano sauce, green tomatillo salsa (my very, very favorite!)...cashew butter for Meghan, and some gluten free waffles.
After that, we headed to the Strip District to a restaraunt supply store, then an oriental market for more gluten free supplies. 85 cents for tapioca starch! I loaded up! Picked up my husband some of his favorite Mancini's bread as a treat and headed home. Shopping with a friend is always more fun than shopping alone!
Ron is picking up our natural foods co-op order now. I've found for us, that ordering all of my dry beans and grains in bulk really saves us money...and with a pressure cooker, they cook up quickly. I also grind a lot of beans on a coarse grind, keep them in the freezer and cook them up quickly with some boiling water and spices for instant refried beans. Now we have to rearrange the pantry, and we're done for another month. I love "shopping" from my pantry and seeing how creative I can get to plan my menus as healthy as possible with what I have.
Now I'm off to finish dinner. The girls have a couple friends here now who will be joining us for dinner and a few more coming over in a little while for another movie night....complete with homemade lattes and popcorn again! I love having their friends here! They are welcome here anytime....and I have fun with them,too! I'm sure the girls will be posting their fun time tonight soon! Blessings! ~Sue~






