Catching up with family and friends....

After lots of homemade chicken soup....turkey soup....elderberry and vitamin C....our family is on the mend! Some of us are left with a few sniffles, little coughs...and a little fatique, but we're much better! Thought I would share some scenes from the past 2 weeks around here....lots of homeschooling, "nesting in", and getting into a workable routine...even colds didn't throw us TOO much! LOL

Turkey and rice soup....
Meghan and Sarah....our Sara was trying out her new camera...

I LOVE this one! Sara took it...I wish she could have been in it, too...what fun all the girls had that day!

The Lord has been bringing lots of new friends into our lives lately...my new friend, Rebecca has Sophie, who is Anna's age...and they played so sweetly together...and Sophie's brother , Isaac and Ronnie are the same age...they had a blast! Rebecca just had her new baby, Lela, in August, so I got the pleasure of snuggling a newborn, while visiting with my friend! I love how the Lord brings like-minded people together...and provides good friends for all of my children, too.
Lots of ALGEBRA!!! Sara doesn't like it any better than Meghan did...thank goodness, I'll have a number of years before having to tackle it with Ronnie! (Thanks, David, for the tutoring!!!)

And, of course....we have Ty! He is so much fun! He loves going down the slide with Anna!
Or doing anything, really, with his cousins...I'm so grateful I get to "have" a baby here two days a week!
Ron has been cranking out projects from his to-do list lately....we couldn't afford a new front door right now...so he and Ronnie painted it! Ronnie loved using the electric sander....his very favorite show is "Extreme make-over, Home Edition" with Ty Pennington....the next big project my guys will tackle is tearing out the tile in the downstairs bathroom and replacing it...Ronnie can't wait to do "demolition"!
I love color....and I love my new green door!
Last Sunday, I took Ronnie and Anna to the Oliver Miller Homestead in South Park for the Revolutionary War Encampment...he is a science and history buff and loved it! They had a lot of neat things this year.

Last year, Ronnie was more interested in the soldiers, this year, both of them were more interested in the daily life of the people...tools, what and how they cooked, and especially the toys that children played with.
They also talked a lot about the chores that children did...Ronnie tried the yoke for carrying buckets of water, and Anna found a lot of chores were very similar for her...sweeping with a broom, helping cook, and clean and gardening...

Wednesday, my nephew Ben and his wife Crystal came from Delaware with my new great-nephew, Hayden! It about killed me not to hold him or get too near due to my cold, but I so enjoyed seeing all of them! This is my sister-in-law, Maureen...holding her first grandchild! Ron and I are looking forward to grandchildren some day....we have an area of the attic for things marked "Save for Grandchildren"! Special toys and books, special clothes I can't part with...I hope to see my grandchildren wearing them and playing with the toys when they come visit. I want to have a very "grandchild friendly" home...and hope to have them frequently.
Family is so important to us...here is a 4 generation picture....Ro, Ben, Maureen and Hayden

I love this picture of Meghan...talking on the phone to a girlfriend! With 2 teenage girls, we sometimes have LOTS of phone conversations going on...sometimes on speaker phone, so everyone can talk together!

Tonight, we had a neighbor over for dinner and to play....Luke and Ronnie love to play together, and Anna enjoys it too....they were funny playing twister!
Luke's mom, Allison, sent down cupcakes, icing and toppings for them all to decorate together...Luke's dad came in time for the fun!

~So, that should have everyone caught up! With family out of state, special friends out of state and even out of the country, I felt like catching up with everyone!

We've been making large amounts of food...tomorrow is a huge pot of chili (since it is supposed to rain and be chilly tomorrow)....a lot of which we'll take on vacation with us. Tomorrow, we'll finish up laundry, packing and some baking so that after church Sunday, we'll pack up the suburban and head north to Lake Chautauqua, New York! We are all so excited! Time to make some special family memories together with my parents...fishing, playing games, watching old movies and enjoying special "vacation" food. Hope everyone has a very blessed weekend!
We'll be catching up again when we get home from vacation! ~Sue~

Sigh....we have colds!

I guess 'tis the season' starting up again....most of us have colds. Praise God we don't have the flu...just bad head colds. So....we've been drinking lots of tea, eating lots of homemade soups...and trying to rest. LOL

I stopped at the local health food store for a new bottle of Elderberry syrup. I love this stuff! It is nothing but concentrated elderberry...no sugar or anything added. We take it by the spoonful, as hot tea...hopefully, this plus some extra vitamin c, lots of kefir smoothies....and garlic in everything....we will all be well soon! Especially for our vacation next week...it's our first family vacation in four years, so we are especially looking forward to it.

Oh, well....off to rest. Hope no one else gets bit by the 'cold' bug! ~Sue~

Autumn "nesting"....

We started homeschooling again this year the day after Labor Day...and I got bit by the "nesting" bug! LOL Along with schooling, watching Ty, and everyones activities starting up again, I decided to switch sizes and seasons for Ronnie and Anna....I'm so grateful that Meghan and Sara do this themselves! We've also been doing a lot of canning and freezing...looking forward to doing more when we get back from vacation.

Part of our simple, frugal lifestyle, is re-purposing clothing. Jumpers can be made into aprons, which save our clothes from stains and wear and tear...skirts can be made to fit Anna, by simple adjustments....we're even going to be making potholders out of old denim with sweatshirts sandwiched in between them. One of the ways that I consider re-purposing...is to pass on clothing to others once my children have outgrown them, and to gratefully accept clothing that is given to us....the Lord never fails to provide for us...and this is the main way He does it...thru friends.

We store bags in the attic marked boy or girl and the sizes, and then pull them out at the appropriate time. Well....I think I've had 12 ex. large loads of laundry this week! LOL I have the LAST load in the dryer now....chicken soup simmering on the stove, and bread dough rising....a perfect "nesting" day!

I finished cleaning Anna's room and organizing all of her clothes....have 3 bags to be passed on to friends for their daughter. Today, I will do Ronnie's. Everything from clothes, jammies, coats, snowpants and boots will be going to a friend....and we will be prepared for winter. I'm organizing all our blankets and quilts as well.....I already have all the flannel sheets washed and ready for colder weather.

This coming week, I will be making large pots of chili, pasta fagioli soup, split pea soup, and baking zucchini bread and banana nut bread....as we will be going to spend a week at Lake Chautauqua in New York next week. We may be able to go to dinner a couple of times, but for the most part, this will be a frugal, simple vacation. We are blessed to be able to stay at my cousin's home, right on the lake...it is so beautiful and peaceful there! My mom and step-dad are going with us...and there will be a lot of fishing, card playing, game playing, old movies and popcorn...along with bonfires and marshmallows, of course! We are so looking forward to relaxing and making memories with my precious parents!

Of course, the girls and I will be taking lots of yarn up with us, to work on Christmas gifts while we are there. What could be better than soft, warm, fuzzy yarn by a fire with the people you love?! Ron and I are especially looking forward to peace, quiet and no running around. Life will speed up for our family quickly once we get home! We are considering a short trip to Ohio to visit friends, then our dear friend, Gabrielle, will be flying back to visit with us for 2 weeks....to help celebrate Sara's 14th and Anna's 5th birthdays...lots of fun plans are being made with friends!

I finally finished the infamous "Dr. Who" scarf! Our friend, Rick, was so excited! He loves it, and I am so glad! I forgot to take a picture, so as soon as I have one, I'll post it. I am also hoping to finish my great nephew's quilt as they are coming to visit this week from Delaware. I can't wait to see and hold Hayden!!!

That's about it! Once we are back from vacation, we hope to give the house a thorough cleaning, take a day to clean out the attic (when it is cool...it's still very warm up there!)....and then we will be ready! Ron's Winter project is to re-tile the downstairs bathroom. Finally.....he finished the upstairs, and has been doing outdoor projects all summer. For instance, since we can't afford right now to get a new front door, he painted it. I love the shade of green! He also took 2 days and painted our shed.....the kids are thrilled that it looks like a barn! Sara says it is great for photo shoots!

Had a very nice visit with the cousins this evening. Ron's Uncle Joe had knee surgery yesterday, so Ronnie, Anna and I took some chicken soup and homemade rolls over to them...and all the cousins were there. Ronnie and Michael had a ball, as usual, and Anna had a fun time with her girl cousins...she and Molly are both in kindergarten this year, with Julia and Mia in preschool and little Maddie....just 2, home with her mommy. Maddie's mom, Carol and her sister started a new business, 'Madison Ave. Specialty Cakes'...I'm very excited for them! Once their website is up and running, I hope to post it here, and it will have pictures of their specialties, as well as tastings by appointment information. It was a wonderful visit!

Tomorrow....we are all looking forward to a special Sunday! Church, as always, is very much looked forward to all week, then I'm taking Ronnie & Anna to meet friends at a Revolutionary War encampment! Then it is off to visit my great-aunt Helen, and to deliver the twins baby blankets that I made...Addison and Bailey will be here by the end of the month, I hear! Then home to a pan of lasagna that my step-mom sent over....whoo hoo! I don't even have to cook dinner! Then we are popping popcorn...and our Aunt lent us the movie "Bedtime Stories"....for a relaxing, family movie night to end our day.

Hope you all have a very special, blessed Sunday! ~Sue~

Just As I Am

This wannabe writer is still alive. :) In fact, I'm writing things almost daily for my Junior year of high school. One more year left! But I digress.....that's one of my new favorite sayings. :) My 11th grade year is going wonderfully and we're all gradually creating a productive routine for our home and family. To quote Mum,"Being in God's will is the sweetest place to be."

The Lord has really been growing me alot lately and though some of this growth is very humbling and difficult, I know He is bringing me closer to Him and revealing more of Himself daily. One of the things I believe I have overcome, solely by God's grace, is a small facet of my fear of man. I now realize that I am God's daughter, am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I am content with who the Lord has placed in my life. From the time I was ten or eleven until fourteen/fifteen, I constantly craved my friends' approval. Oftentimes I was also discontent with the friends the Lord had given me at that time. I thought friends were the end all be all of life and that I needed certain people to be my friends, or a huge circle of them. The Lord has broken that bond of fear of man and now I rest in Him and crave, not human companionship, but God's companionship. I don't desire to change to please others-peers, family members, etc. My heart's desire is to please the Lord in all that I do and for Him to continually mold and shape me into a woman after His own heart. I am totally comfortable with how I am......and people can take me just as I am. Below is the chorus to one of my favorite hymns:

Just as I am, without one plea,

but that thy blood was shed for me

and that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God,O Lamb of God,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Many of you know quite a few things about me....and love me anyway. :) True friends are those who accept and love you for who you are-idiosyncrasies included. :) So...here are some things about me that I know many of you will not be surprised at but are simply who I am. (Ella, I'm sort of bouncing off of you here. :) )

1. I have a painful hip condition/hip disability that limits my activity and causes me pain. I need to use a cane because of it. Just recently I've become more comfortable telling people this when they ask why I walk with a cane. Or telling people I can't do things because of my disability. The latter, especially, has been a struggle but allows me to lean on the Lord as my strength.
2. Our family believes that the females in our family wear skirts and/or dresses. Many people have misunderstood why we wear skirts and are actually offended by it. When we wear skirts, we are not automatically judging people who do not! The Lord does not have a cookie-cutter plan for the attire of all females. He leads every individual person and family in different ways and this, our skirts/dresses, is how He has led our family.
3. After praying about if since I've started high-school, I've felt the Lord leading me to stay at home during my "single" years in between high school graduation and marriage. To quote my Mum, again, "Being in God's will is the sweetest place to be." And this is where I feel God's will is for me. No if's and's or but's about it. I plan on working from/out of the home and assisting my dear mother in homeschooling and taking care of the home in preparation for marriage and my own family.
4. I have very romantic tendencies. :) Yeah, you all are probably thinking (with a wry chuckle or two), "Nooo...you don't say?" :) I 'aww' at the 'sappy' stuff in movies and sigh at 'Look back at me' (North and South) and when Frank Sinatra croons "Moonlight Serenade" or "Bewitched." :) Recently, however, I realized I was beginning to build up false, fictional expectations of courtship, marriage and the like. Not to mention I began to ponder, "Hmm...I wonder if he could be the one." I had to throw up a red stop sign right there! :) True love is based on the common, strong bond, of God's love-not emotions or flighty feelings. A friend of mine is getting married soon and recently I talked to her and almost every word she spoke about how her relationship and wedding preparations had come about is totally God. It's so much different-and BETTER-than a romance novel. God has truly worked out everything for His glory and the furthering of His will in their lives. Sometimes I get the chills thinking about her betrothal and impending marriage. :) And then I think, "What God has for me was pre-destined and designed for me and will be even better than any romance novel!"
5. I struggle with pride in multiple areas and daily...nope, hourly, have to throw my pride and my 'rights' down at the cross. God is growing me, but the humbling process is bittersweet.
6. I tend to be more of a 'Martha' more than a 'Mary.' I believe there is a healthy balance between the two...but, like my pride, I need to throw my Martha-ness away and sit at the feet of Jesus more than I stand on my own understanding and 'be productive.' Productivity is a good thing...but as with anything else...only in moderation.
7. To move on to slightly more 'frivolous' topics...I love to crochet and work with my hands. A needle and embroidery thread, soft, fuzzy yarn and my ergonomically correct crochet hook, even sewing on the machine and feeling the unique textures of the fabrics. As many of you know, I take my crocheting many places but have had to use discretion as to where. I have to think sometimes...I should be sociable, walking around, mingling, etc. Other times, say, if we're watching a movie, I'll take out my crocheting and merrily stitch and talk away.
8. One of my 'little-girl' tendencies I occasionally indulge in: swinging!! (Oh my dear goodness that's not an excessively flattering picture; I look like a ghost! At least my dress is nice and my legs are covered. :) ) Swinging and occasionally taking out my dear dolls and dressing them up and putting them away again.....two of my girlish, whimsical activities.

I do take a long time coming to a point....but here it is: I encourage all of you to live for Jesus-not man. Don't care what anybody else thinks. Follow the Lord's leading-not your peers or society. And allow the Lord to peel away the layers and mold and shape you into the girl/woman He wants you to be. My prayer has been this, lately: Here I am, Lord. Mold me. Use me. Send me. Just as I am.

Soli Deo Gloria!

My First Day of Dance

Oh my gosh, you all just realized something:
SARA IS STILL ALIVE!

Ha ha actually I have been busy with babysitting and then school! But back to dance...
I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

First, I went to Mrs. Black's class and did Lyrical/Jazz... that was very fun, we danced to a song called Out of Zion... awesome song!

Then I went to Mrs. Feir's class of ballet... simple stretching (that hurt! She kept saying "It hurts so good!") and then review of ballet... we did Grande Jetes and pecay turns... those were fun :)

Then I did Extra Technique to get me up to par with the other girls (They have done it for years and this is only my 2nd year) and that was pretty easy.

All in all, I had fun dancing for 2 whole hours :) If anyone would like to check out the website go to: http://gracechristiandance.com

I can't wait until next week!

Tiny dancer...

I have the Elton John song "Tiny Dancer" going thru my head this evening....today was Anna's first day ever of dance school! She has been so excited all summer...being very serious, practicing with her big sister Sara for hours in her room. She couldn't wait all day today! Anna (and Sara) go to Grace Christian Dance Company. It is worship dance...serious ballet, lyrical, worship dance....it's beautiful! Every lyric, every song, every movement, every costume is God honoring! I just love it! I have an opportunity to work there one day a week, only for a few hours...and the people are so great!
Anna (on the right) and her friend, Sophia in the ballet portion of their class...look at the serious expressions on their faces!

I had to take these thru the window...but the expression on Anna's face just touched me...so precious! I am so blessed to be the mother of each one of my 4 children!

Anna and Sophia after class...they had a great time, learned and got 'smiley' stickers! (Anna was so excited!)

So, my tiny dancer had a great day! Tomorrow, she and Ronnie are having new friends over for a couple hours in the afternoon to
visit, and then Sara and I are off to dance class! Soon, both girls will selling Sarris Candy bars for a fundraiser...they sell like hotcakes around here! We're very grateful Grace Christian Dance! ~Sue~

Faithfulness...provision...gratefulness!

It started this morning in the attic...I'm grateful that our attic is walk in, big and has lots of shelves...so I was thanking God for our walk in attic.

This past week, I've been going over in my mind, which of my 4 children will need shoes/boots, coats or clothes for fall and winter...mentally counting quilts and blankets, rain boots, jackets, warm jammies....and trying to figure out where the money would come from to buy them! LOL So back to the attic....

We've been blessed for years to have people give us things and clothes that their children had outgrown, or toys they no longer played with...when I had Meghan 16 years ago, I quit working...and it has been very hard, for most of those years just to make ends meet...so even before we came to know the Lord, we were grateful for "hand-me-downs"....and after we came to know and walk with the Lord...we clearly recognized His provision for us. Thank you, Lord!

So I was pulling bags of clothes out, marked according to boys/girls and sizes, and looked up on the shelf and right at my eye level were a pair of sturdy snow boots...in just Anna's size! Also in those bags for Anna were warm jammies, a warm bathrobe, tights, lots of dresses, turtlenecks, and shoes....my little one needs one thing for winter...a pair of black shoes.

Also, for Ronnie....the boy has too many winter coats...and friends of ours can use a couple...so we'll "share the wealth"...and Ronnie needs nothing for winter! We are blessed!

Meghan and Sara may need 1 or 2 pairs of shoes...and nothing else....we have plenty of warm clothing, coats, hats, gloves, boots....plenty of firewood outside, and plenty of quilts/blankets to keep us warm. We will even be receiving venison in the fall to stock our freezer. Ron does not hunt, but a good friend does...and we just pay for processing....our family loves venison and uses frequently....God provides.

The longer I've been a Christian, the longer I've studied God's word....the more I trust His faithfulness to His promises...and He has proven His provision for our family over and over again. So today, for me, a simple pair of boots was a potent reminder of God's provision for us...and a reminder that we never need to worry....He WILL provide. God bless....~Sue~

Good food, good friends...Friday night fun!

Well....once again, the rain changed our plans! We were supposed to go to somerset for the Mountain craft days, but with them calling for tons of rain east, we decided to get somethings done here at home...and ended up having good friends for the afternoon, dinner and the evening....again, "plan B" was a hit!

The girls had their friends, Michaela, Morgan and Hannah over. They hung out doing crafts, eating popcorn and talking before dinner, then after a dinner of delicious zucchini corn chowder (recipe to follow), cheddar garlic biscuits and a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing (Hannah made it..it was wonderful!) They proceeded to play "Clue". Yes...it was a great game!

Followed by...a rousing game of "spoons"! The shrieks and laughter were hysterical...tons of fun! I loved listening to them! I dearly love having my children's friends over...and hope that they all know that they are welcome here anytime! Time for bed...busy day tomorrow. Here is the recipe for the chowder. Enjoy! ~Sue~

~Zucchini Corn Chowder~ ( I never measure, so estimate to your best ability!)

Sautee a large onion in butter until translucent. Add lots of chicken broth, shredded zucchini and corn (I used corn cut off the cob) Add salt and pepper to taste...thicken slightly with cornstarch and cold water...and enjoy! For the cheddar garlic biscuits, I simply used a biscuit recipe, added shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and made drop biscuits...when they came out of the oven, I brushed them with melted butter with garlic powder. Simple...but a hit!