Chicken chili...

Had a wonderful dinner tonight! We are so blessed to have a friend who gives us lots of bags of dried beans...so today I cooked about 14 quarts of beans..some for Tuscan bean soup for Friday and some for chicken chili tonight. Wow, it was good!

As I rarely measure, here is what we did. After slow cooking the beans all day, we chopped and sauteed 3 large boneless chicken breasts with lots of diced onions, garlic and yellow pepper, then added 2 cans of diced green chilis and tons of chicken broth....let that simmer until tender, added the beans, salt, pepper, cumin and crushed red pepper....thickened with a little cornstarch and water and it done. With a fresh salad....it was so good...and we have tons of leftovers, too! Not bad with 4 bags of free beans (thanks, Jill for your generous bean donation!) , some homemade broth and a little bit of chicken! Even the little ones loved it! Off to try and sleep...watching Ty tomorrow morning! ~Sue~

Living with Less....

Living with less....being 'creatively frugal'....enjoying the challenge...this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart! In the 20 years that we've been married, I think we've had approx. 6 years (and not all at the same time!) when money wasn't very "tight"...4 years of that time were when we were first married and both working. :) Hearts at Home blog is having a contest, about living with less...joyfully. They are promoting the above new book by Jill and Mark Savage "Living with Less so your Family has More"...check out the link to the article and the contest Click Here!.

Ever since I heard of this contest, it made me smile. Then I read a blog post by a very dear friend who is living in Africa at the moment, about the cost of some simple ingredients over there (for the blog post "Wow" from Dayna, click here) and had to chuckle to myself....for us, Feta cheese is a luxury we treat ourselves too a couple of times a year, for example.

With Ron's job so up in the air (whose isn't?), and knowing that come April 1st, our income will be drastically reduced one way or the other(his contract is up...he will either lose his job, or take a huge paycut) , Ron and I've been having lots of talks about planning, cutting costs even further, saving...and my wonderful daughters have entered into the spirit of things, by researching the Great Depression ( which is a time period all 3 of us are interested in), thinking up creative recipes, ways to make over clothes, different gifts to make...and I've recently commissioned my step-mom, the "Queen of yard sales" for a new food processor as mine bit the dust recently, and I can't BELIEVE how much a new one is or even replacement parts! (even to replace, it would be $100) I know I could live without one, but I got so used to using it almost daily, and with fibromyalgia, it really does save my hands a considerable amount of pain. :)

God is so very faithful, though! He constantly amazes us with His care and provision for our family! We thank Him and praise Him daily for our health and the blessings that we have, but when He does things like even provide for our "wants" as well sometimes...it blows us away! We are asking Him for the wisdom and guidance to manage our finances as well as we can...to give us 'creativity'....and to help us simply be content. And, I think that is the secret....contentment. Asking God for HIS vision for our particular family....as to what is important....how HE wants us to live. I enjoy the creative challenge of sewing a ruffle or two on the bottom of Anna's dresses to make them longer (she is growing so tall!)...mending rips in jeans or simply cutting them off for play shorts for Ronnie...taking in 'thrift store finds' for one of the girls, or making a quilt out of old squares of denim and some denim curtains I found at the thrift store....I love the challenge of creatively providing the healthiest meals that I can for my family (even gluten free) with the least possible cost. (thanks to all my friends and family out there who save turkey carcasses and ham bones for me!) I love having my little ones play imaginatively, and thinking that "helping" in the kitchen or yard or with chores is "fun". (yesterday, Ron replaced our broken kitchen light with one he found at Lowes for $15....I love it, it is very '50's retro' looking and Ronnie helped him with everything, learning about wiring at the same time)

Knowing ahead of time that our income WILL drop, has allowed us a little bit of flexability in planning ahead...lots of fun, memory making activities for the whole family that are free...we have fishing trips, picnics, bike riding, visits to friends and family planned....free use of the library (and we are so blessed to have a great library where we live!)...even a basketball hoop in the driveway that the Lord provided for free! We were even gifted with a Wii system for Christmas for those cold, rainy/snowy times that we want to do bowling or a more active game.

Living with less doesn't have to be a sacrifice....our family has found that it has actually brought us closer together, taught us so much....and allowed us to do things more as a family...whether eating meals together everyday, ministering together, working together....and I think that is a key lesson learned from the Great Depression...be grateful for just being together...be grateful for everything that you DO have....and as the song goes "Accentuate the Positive...Eliminate the Negative". (love that song!)

Most importantly, be grateful and content....as God's word says in 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I think about this...being in His will....this IS His will for us....to rejoice, to pray, to be grateful and give thanks.....1 Timothy 6:6-8 says "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing , with these we shall be content." We should actively cultivate contentment...and being content in His will is the best place to be!

One of the most important lessons that living 'creatively frugal' has taught my children is contentment...especially my 16 and 14 year old daughters. They are content with what they have....they think it is very silly to spend so much money on "names" from the "cool" stores....they are happy to have as many clothes as they do...most from thrift stores, K-Mart or Wal-Mart! They would rather have friends here for lunch and a visit than spend their money on lunch out, and they almost never go to the mall....having little money and actually little free time leaves that time waster out. Which is another lesson they have learned...they are busily productive. Yes, they have "down time" ...where they read, or watch a movie...but even when they watch a movie, they are doing handwork....or they are busy trying new recipes. Sara threw together the most wonderful lunch yesterday! She looked thru cabinets, pantry and fridge...and made a hot, delicious, healthy, vegetarian meal for all of us...I was so grateful and thrilled with her creativity!

I know, that thru this "living with less" journey our family is on, the blessings far outnumber the costs of doing without. My girls love the saying "use it up, wear it out, make it do...or do without"...and I do, too! I'm actually very glad that this is the Lord's will for us...the lessons He is teaching us all these years are invaluable...trusting in Him, looking to His provision, not worrying, cultivating contentment and gratitude...these are lessons that will stand our children in good steed when they are grown. Looking forward to new lessons that the Lord has planned for us....knowing that He will be in the center of them. Be blessed! ~Sue~

Date time with my husband...priceless!

As I write this, each of my little ones are in a bathtub soaking, my older daughters are at our parent/youth group with Ron....and I have a small pocket of time to write about something special on my mind..."dates" with my husband.

Last weekend, we had the fun opportunity to go to a surprise 50th birthday party for an old friend....just the two of us. Of course, we were with lots of old friends that we hadn't seen, in a room full of people and music, so it wasn't a nice, quiet date time...but we realized that we hadn't had so much fun, just us for a while.

Today, after Ronnie's basketball game, we dropped off all 4 children at home, the girls made lunch and we went to the food court at the mall for a 'date lunch'. I thank God for giving us the spur of the moment idea to "just do it"! We chose the food court, so we could both get something quick...and I could get the wonderful gluten free chicken and rice. (I discovered that they had RICE NOODLES! I was so excited! LOL)

Having this time together, uninterrupted to talk today was so important! We had some pretty important things to talk about, and it was nice to talk without being overheard, or interrupted...either by someone needing attention, a minor crisis...or in my house...the phone. With Ron's work schedule, and my fatigue from my illness...we are both so tired a lot of the time, that it makes planning , talking and just enjoying each others company challenging at times! LOL I know, when you have children it changes the dynamics of a relationship....and without having very much "extra" money we seem to have put "dates" on a back burner. Today convinced us of the importance of making time for just the two of us...even if it is only a trip to Costco or Trader Joes! Running errands together can be precious time together! It is the uninterrupted time to talk, reminisce, laugh and plan...for our future, what is best for our children and our family...again, priceless.

Being blessed with two daughters who are 16 and 14...we have built in babysitters. We try not to take advantage of them, but we will be instituting a "date time" at least twice a month from now on....rediscovering how to make each other a priority in the midst of homeschooling 4 children, a husband who works nightturn and a challenging illness...relearning how, with the Lords help...how to BLESS each other more...and in the process...blessing our children.

Hope you all have a very blessed Sabbath rest tomorrow! ~Sue~

So easy a child could do it!

I remember spending hours in the kitchen with my mom and grandmother...baking cookies, cakes, cooking and making pies...as a matter of fact, one of my most memorable gifts from my bridal shower was from my mom (along with a vacumn sweeper)....a hand pastry blender, and cans of cherry pie filling....we would spend so many special hours cutting in the butter to the flour for the pie crust, learning how to crimp the edges and making all kinds of pies...especially banana cream pie....filled with homemade custard. Now, my girls are in the kitchen a lot during the course of the day....and Anna is right there with us on her little stool helping. She LOVES to cook and bake with us!She was having so much fun helping make a large salad the other day...she enjoyed this little gadget so much! It is called a spiralizer and as you press down and turn, you can make 'angel hair' like ribbons of raw veggies....she made lots of zucchini ribbons and beet ribbons to add to our salad.
Anna loves to be in charge of cutting the mushrooms for us....and is such a "chatterbox", that the time flies while we talk and cook!

She was cracking Sara up while she 'pricked' the potatoes before baking in the oven, and was so proud of herself for helping make dinner! She proudly told everyone what SHE had made while we were eating!

~I think it is so very important to teach our daughters how to cook and bake! Especially from scratch....it is healthier and much less expensive than buying box mixes or getting take-out food. I especially love telling stories when I was little or their grandmothers were young...and teaching them the recipes that have been in our family for generations....hoping that they will pass them along and keep the traditions alive. Tonight, we had my great-grandmothers beef soup ( I had posted the recipe in a previous post) and Anna, who has never met her great-grandmothers, talks about these recipes as if she knows them now...and how proud they would be of her! LOL

~Well...I'm off to watch "Emma" with Meghan while waiting up for Sara to get home from babysitting. Time alone with my oldest daughter...doesn't happen as often as I would like! Have a blessed weekend! ~Sue~

50 is the new 30!

One of our oldest, and dearest friends just turned 50 and his dear wife (and family) pulled together a wonderful surprise party for him.....he was stunned! Ron and Ray have been friends since Ron was in highschool, and these are two of the wonderful friends we 'hung out' with while we were dating and newlyweds....Ray was actually the D.J. at our wedding! 2 more years, and Ron will join him in turning 50!
Happy 50th Birthday, Ray! Ray's sister, Char, made the coolest cake....Ray-opoly! Each of the squares was written on cake parchment with info. about Ray's life...loved this idea!

This is one of the pictures that they had up....oh, how we laughed! This was taken on a riverboat cruise in the summer of 1987...we had so much fun that night!

The "Three Stooges"....our friend, John, Ray (with all of his '50' garb!) and Ron..

Lisa and I....laughing about old times, and how WE don't think we've changed much! LOL

Ron and John.....John was in our wedding party 20 years ago, and this was the first time we've seen him and had a chance to catch up in ages....it was SO GOOD to spend time with him!

~This was our "date night" last Saturday evening! (we joke that our last date night was when we both went to Aldi's to shop by ourselves! LOL) We keep saying that we need to make more time for dates together, but it seems that our family is in a particularly busy season right now, we're lucky to spend an uninterrupted evening together as a family right now! LOL But, as a special friend is fond of saying....this is just a season of life right now! Thanks, Jolyn!

Memory making days...

After talking with my wonderful mother this morning, who is out of town (where it is WARM and SUNNY) until March, I promised her that I would update and put pictures on of all the kids...so...I am doing both! (miss you, Mum!) Anna and "Molly"...this American Girl doll used to be my niece, Lauren's when she was little. Unfortunately, Lauren decided to cut all of her hair, and then she was given to my girls. She has been in the attic until today...when Anna reminded me that she was in there, and she is now ALL ANNA'S! Anna is so very excited that this doll is her very own...not her sisters doll! She feels extra love for her, since she is missing most of her hair! (I hope to have it replaced, some day!) Sara will be doing a special "doll" post soon....both of my oldest daughters have really enjoyed playing dolls with Anna!
Anna and Ty having a tea party this morning...

"Reading" books together....these two are just like brother and sister together!

Ty LOVES to play with my hair! He 'hides', plays peek a boo...and "finds" me....cracks us up! He does the same thing with my long skirts! LOL

Ronnie decorated his cake by making an R out of legos and having a special Lego cake...he had so much fun doing it!

Ronnie and his cousin Maggie (next to him) share a birthday!


His reaction to the Wii game, NHL Hockey 2010 !

On his birthday, he had a friend over for the afternoon, then got together with some friends from church to celebrate his birthday, and the birthdays of 2 friends as well. Ronnie and his friend, David, were born same day, same hospital...we visited each other hours after Ronnie was born!

He loves his air hockey game...

Two very cool 'snaptricity' kits with a total of over 175 different activities with electricity! He is also going to a Penguin hockey game with his dad...courtesy of his Aunt Lori and Uncle Todd! Lori started this tradition years ago, and it is a highlight of Ronnie's year that he greatly looks forward to!

One way that he celebrated, was going to race slot cars with his friends....I love Ronnie's expressive face!

Ronnie, Aaron and David...the birthday boys! Ronnie and David, same day, and Aaron a week later!
Our two photographers...Alaina and Sara!
The "slot car" gang!

Lots of basketball going on around here...Sara got some great action shots!

Ronnie played against his good friend, Caleb on Saturday....it was such fun!

Ronnie, Caleb and the boys concentrate so hard on the coaches and refs...Upwards is such a great league!

~So....life goes on! LOL Tonight, is a "family night"...no one has to be anywhere, we're going to light a fire, play Wii, eat some icecream and relax! We really need this time together to enjoy as a family! Off to gather the troops! ~Sue~

Balance...

So much to write about going around in my head...and so little time! I will be posting pictures from Ronnie's 8th birthday, 2 parties, basketball pictures...and our little Anna falling in love with playing with American Girl dolls and LIfe of Faith dolls....and playing them with her big sisters, while her only brother is enthralled with electrical circuits and Legos...and everyone is enthralled with the 'Sugar Creek Gang'.....lots of posts to come! LOL

Our family has been struggling with 'balance'...and I am liking this word lately as a new friend with a fairly large family (7 children) and I were talking the other night while waiting for daughters to finish dance class....she used the word balance a couple of times...and it has reverberated in my mind ever since....and then last night 2 more friends and I were all talking (each one of them have 7 children also)...and we were talking about balance. I think for us right now, we are going thru a season of finding out what the Lord's will is for our family...for our time, resources, energy, activities and our opportunities to show Christ's love by hospitality. I think, for me (I am SO strong willed!)...the Lord allows me to experience things so that I KNOW that they are not for us...but I learn from these seasons. (sometimes I need reminded!)LOL

One of my dear daughters reminded me recently that the name of our blog is "My Simple Blessed Life"...and she emphasized "Simple"...and said "Not!".... but when we started it, our lives were much simpler...looking back thru this blog/journal, I can see clearly where we have gotten 'out of balance'....for GOOD things....but not what is BEST for our family....

We only have a few more months of outside commitments to fulfill (which coincides with Ron's job contract resolution) and we are now re-evaluating and prioritizing our time. So....as journaling our family days and journey to an ever simpler life is a priority for me (and writing a creative outlet), more posts will be coming as our families, as a lot of families these days strive for balance...and for us, God's best for us! ~Be blessed! Sue~

A Fun History Lesson

Today we went to the Heinz History Center and had a great time! We had lunch before exploring the huge museum!
There is what is called Kidsburgh and it has a fake ice cream parlor called Isalys... Ronnie is the waiter :-)


There is a life size cow up in Kidsburgh that you can pretend to milk. Anna enjoyed this!

Me buying ice cream at 'Isalys' with the cutest little clerks ever!

Howdie Doo-Dee sign that used to be at Kennywood... Anna was mad that she was too short!

An original car from an old rollercoaster... people aren't allowed in, but they said nothing about dolls :-)
A large cutout of a Penguins goalie... Ronnie looks too cute!

Look at little tough girl Anna :-)

There is a miniature log cabin in the kids center that is stocked with play food, wooden bowls, and even flour sacks!

An old diner counter...

L to R:

Violet, Ronnie, Nellie, Anna

Ronnie racing to stack cans with Anna

Anna trying to use a spoon to transfer fake pickles to a jug.

Anna and a mysterious friend pointing towards the exit.

What a fun day we had! My favorite part was the trolley :-)