Valentines Day Reflections

Ah, this holiday celebrating romance is here yet again! Though at our home, aside from Mum and Dad's dinner date, and a party for Sara and I earlier in the day, we don't really make a big deal about it but it is still one of my favorite holidays. :) Mrs. Gardner-I'm really in the mood to hear Frank Sinatra sing My Funny Valentine. :)

Heart shaped cookies, valentines, roses and chocolates abound amidst this special day dedicated to letting the ones you love know just how special they are. Couples will share special glances, 'dates,' and heartfelt sentiments in beautiful cards; single women, young and old will experience bittersweet emotions as they look to the future of when the man the Lord already has chosen for them will come into their life. Only being sixteen going on seventeen and having some years to 'wait' for the Lord to bring my husband into my life, I have not experienced many of the emotions and struggles older singles have gone through. I'm not going to act like a Pharisee and think I won't go through any of the struggles singles have gone through just because (fill in the blank)...I'm sure I will and already one or two insecurities surrounding my getting married have arisen in my heart. Knowing that I only have one more year of schooling at home also causes me to think of the future a little more frequently now, though. Certain insecurities like 'I have to be pretty and thinner' or 'I have to get over this heart issue, that sin issue, etc' before I can get married. Through the blessed process of growth that will not cease until the day we die, I've realized getting married and yes, having a heart's desire fulfilled is not the main thing. I believe yes, the Lord gave us these desires, but we are to strive to be fulfilled and content through the Lord and His love. Click here to listen to one of my new favorite songs that's recently encouraged me pertaining to said topic...

I believe we were all put on this earth to serve God in whatever capacity He wills for us whether we're 16 going on 17 or 29 going on 30 and still unmarried. In our season of singleness, in school or not, I believe we are to immerse ourselves in the Lord and lead a Lord-led productive life from the capacity of our home until the Lord brings our husband into our life. I'm not saying it's a sin to work outside the home in order to 'save up' for the future or go to college....in fact, if you strongly feel the Lord's leading, who am I to say it's a sin if you aren't a ''stay at home daughter''? There are many seasons of life that are difficult and hard to go through, and the season of singleness (all women have one!) is most certainly one of them but the Lord is the same then as in the joyful seasons of life like becoming engaged, planning a wedding, and then learning you'll be a mother. His promises are faithful! Sarah waited for literally decades to give her husband a child and hold him in her arms and did struggle through her waiting season but then it was a testimony to the Lord when she held her child in her arms joyfully after so many hard years of waiting. It will be the same one day when we are literally swept off our feet by our husband and the Lord's promise to us that He will give us the desires of our heart, is fulfilled.

In conclusion....

So on this Valentines day, 2010 I encourage you to joyfully wait for the Lord, be encouraged and remember that the Lord's love never fails.

**When I say these things, I realize that many of you have probably heard it many times over and may be thinking, 'sure, I know it's all true but it doesn't make it any easier to wait!' I don't claim to know how you are dealing with your season of singleness and what you're struggling with (and please know I'm not judging you if you are) but I firmly believe in encouraging others in their struggles to lift their eyes ever upwards and rest in the Lord's love even when it's difficult.**

***Here is my post last Valentines Day if anyone would like to take a peek and also here is a wonderful article from YLCF***

Happy 20th Birthday, Gabrielle!!

Our dear 'adopted' sister, Gabrielle, is turning 20 today!!! Our precious 2 and a half week visit this past summer was one of the most memorable summers I will ever remember. We had such a great time and as we're both fond of saying now, it really cemented our friendship. She flew across the country from Idaho to humid Pittsburgh for my 16th birthday! It was a total surprise, kept for months. She is such a wonderful girl and we've now formally adopted her into the Gorecki family.

Gabrielle, we love you, miss you and can't wait to see you again this summer!

Have a happy birthday filled with blessings and memories as you reach your 20th year.

Beautiful Gabrielle having a swinging good time. :)

Our first picture together with many to come!!

My big sister I never had. :)

Ronnie, Gabrielle and Sara....isn't this an adorable picture!?

Hehe....Station Square during our tour around Pittsburgh day

Flipflops instead of high-heels, remember? :)

A beautiful result of one of our thrift-store trips!!

Running mad around Pleasant Hills, where her dear mother grew up. Gabrielle was quite the photographer! :)

She and I working together in the kitchen....I don't think we stopped talking the whole time she was there-oh, except for sleeping, I guess. :)

At our Maidens group-it was so wonderful to have her there!!!

Remember going to the Galleria and you and Sara being models? (hehe, to the annoyance of the salesclerks) :)

Antiquing and modeling vintage hats.

So in conclusion, happy, happy birthday, dear Gabrielle!! We all love you so much!

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Gabrielle,

Happy birthday to you!!

God's blessings on you!!

This World Lyrics

I made up some lyrics, so I'd like to hear what you think of them. It was inspired partially by Haiti and even just reading the newspaper! Comment on what you think!
Here it is:

This World
Lyrics by Sara Gorecki

I turn on the news and I wanna cry
There's so much wrong in the world passing by
Troops shipping out to fight in the war
None of them knowing just what's in store

A little boy's face appears on the screen
His parents are desperate to know if he's been seen
A dad lost his job & he's at a loss
Cause he can't pay what necessities cost

(Chorus)
This world... needs saved
There has... to be a way
The Homeless need shelter
The hungry need food
Orphans need parents
and God we need you!

An old woman's face catches my eye
And I read that she has recently died
She was one hundered and she'd been through alot
But what she believed in is what we've forgot

(Chorus)
This World... needs saved
There has... to be a way
The homeless need shelter
The hungry need food
Orphans need parents
and God we need you

Bridge:
Jesus, we need you
To show us your love
I know you have a plan
and I know it's enough!

(2nd Chorus)
This world... needs saved
And Jesus... is always the way
The Homeless find shelter
The hungry find food
Orphans get a father
When they trust in you!

(Refrain)
We need you, take a look around...

My Wanderings in the Kitchen: Breakfast Casserole by Meghan

I had such fun with this one! :) It's your basic, run of the mill egg casserole but I added a few special things to make it my own. Bear with me as I try to estimate how much of everything I put it....I'm not big on measuring unless it's baked goods. :)

Ingredients:

7 eggs

1 block of cheddar cheese, shredded; set aside a bit to sprinkle on top

3 baked potatoes, shredded (these were leftovers; if you have frozen hashbrowns you could use about a cup and a half)

Half of a red pepper, chopped small

1 small onion or half of a large one, chopped small

I meant to use mushrooms but forgot to fetch them...you could use four or five, chopped small

2/3 cup of milk

Season salt and/or sprinkle of garlic powder (optional)

Cup of leaf spinach, chopped small (I used a large handful)

Half of a block of cream cheese (optional) to dot the top with

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease 13 by 9 pan
2. Basically, mix everything but reserved cheese and cream cheese, and pour into prepared pan
3. Sprinkle reserved cheese and dot with optional cream cheese
4. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until set (check often!)

Bon Appetit!!

Snow isn't good for hobos...

No, that isn't a famous depression quote, nor is it a profound metaphor. It is simply something I made up. :)

Anyway, as you have probably read, we have had a major snowfall! 24 inches in 1 1/2 days is alot! Hip high snow isn't exactly how I pictured it when the weather man said 6-8 inches. But, leaving the poor meteorologist out of the equation, we had to do something with all this snow and this is what we did:

I loved taking a flying leap off of our deck, hollering KOWLABUNGA and diving into snow!Poor Anna couldn't walk unless on a path since the snow was so high, so I either carried her piggyback or she laid in the snow :-) Since she was feeling a little better, Mom thought a little time of fresh air wouldn't hurt her.Ronnie loved finding clumps of snow and throwing them at his sisters (NOT IN THE-face!)Don't we look sweet? Then as soon as the photo was taken, they threw snow at each other. Oh yeah, feel the love!Yeah, see how you can't see our lower legs? That is no mere ledge... that-is-SNOW!

So , you might be wondering what any of this has to do with hobos. Yeah Sara, nice pictures... but why the hobo title?

So after we thawed out, we ate dinner and then watched the Super Bowl halfheartedly... at halftime Ronnie, Anna, and I made up a play to give for Dad, Meghan, and Mom. It was called The Hobo Play... the most fun part was A) we got to eat leftover potato bread as a 'prop' and B) we got to muss our faces with black and brown eye shadow :) I even made Ronnie have a black eye (I didn't do it, I swear!) I was Darcy, Anna was Grace, and Ronnie was Jack (Gabrielle, no comment!) Anyways, even though some cast members got the giggles (I don't wanna point fingers but RONNIE-ANNA!) it turned out to be a really good play. We all sang It is Well and then took some bows at the end... it was fun. Here are the pictures:I love this picture, look at the sibling love :-)Singing It Is Well

Reading Lessons, hobo style

Lovingly looking over our little hobo family

The whole plot of the play was there were three hobo kids: Darcy (15) Jack (9) and Grace (6) whose parents had died. They were on the run from the police because they didn't want to be split up and go into foster homes. They only have one box of belongings: Raggedy Ann (Anna's contribution), three slices of potato bread (Donated in the play by a kind lady), some raisins, tissues (a must for Anna's runny nose) two books (Tom Sawyer and Pilgrims Progress, and a hymnal. This is all their belongings besides the clothes on their backs, a rough wool blanket, and a water jar. One night, Jack hears some police dogs. He panics and runs away. Darcy and Grace wake up to find him gone and they have no choice but to leave. The siblings are split and they find comfort and solace in the hymn they know so well, It is Well. The big reunion at the end is handled lightly, and then the curtain call.

Thank you, you have been a wonderful audience!

Sara

Grateful....an update

Just a quick update to let everyone know that Ronnie and especially Anna are feeling a lot better. Not perfect, and this is Ronnie's 4-5 week of terrible coughing (I've lost count) but there has been a lot of improvement.

Little Anna is slowly improving...enough that she is almost back to her normal HIGH level of "bouncing" around...she rarely walks...she dances...or bounces! Their coughs are worse at night, and the mucus from this is so thick that they gag....but there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so grateful that my little ones are starting to feel better....I am grateful for all the hard work and help from my older girls....I am grateful that my dear husband has been safe driving these roads after 2 plus feet of snow...and another 6-10 inches expected tomorrow. I am so grateful for our home, our fireplace, gas stove....and electricity again! God is so good to us! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for my little ones...they are much appreciated!

Off to snuggle my little ones before bed...then to relax with my older ones while hubby tries to take a nap before working all night again....can't wait for his day off! God bless! ~Sue~

22 inches of SNOW! Storm of 2010

We have 22 inches of snow...more where the high winds blew it into drifts! It is SO beautiful here! Now....if my hubby didn't have to drive all night in the snow and wind! My children haven't seen this much snow...ever.....I remember the "blizzard of 1993"...and a similar storm in the late 70's in Pittsburgh, when we lost power for a couple days. Losing power for 18 hours has taught me a lot about myself....and made for some very cool memories as well! LOL

First, with 2 children coughing excessively with pertussis, now was NOT the time for me to lose electricity....I was worried about it getting too cold for them, but they were fine...and slowly getting better every day. I am also not usually a worrier, but I AM prepared. So, for our family...knowing snow was coming (they were only calling for 8-12 inches....not 22!)...I made sure we had what we needed. Thursdays or Fridays are our usual grocery shopping days, according to Ron's pay, so going to the grocery store on Friday morning was not unusual...but the incredibly long lines certainly were! For years, I've always been trying to be prepared for any emergency...plenty of food, a gas stove and/or a gas grill with extra propane...plenty of blankets, candles, flashlights and oil lamps available if needed....now, we keep firewood as well...and am I ever glad we do! Friday, as the first flakes started coming down...Ron finished splitting firewood and carrying in boxes of wood for us...and extra kindling as well.
This is just the beginning of the snow starting to coat everything...and (you can't tell but) those are robins in our tree! These silly robins came back a month early! I couldn't believe it!

The view looking out at my little front porch...notice the snow is almost up to the railing...and look how much is sitting on top! Sara's footprints are so deep....when I made her walk over to the neighbors to feed her cat, then up the hill to another neighbors to rescue guinia pigs and drop off a key...she looked so funny floundering thru the snow...I kept telling her "...when I was your age...." stories.

My deck....I am still amazed at how much snow is on top of my table and railings!

My poor trees bowing down to the ground...I hope they survive this heavy, wet snow!
Had to put this in there...homemade chicken soup with rice noodles....cooking a pot of homemade soup, boiling water for noodles and keeping the tea kettle on generated a lot of heat.

The front walk...to show how deep the snow is. (My mom is STILL in sunny Florida...and can't wait to see the pictures!)

The tree on the left is my hemlock that is now sideways, with lots of broken branches and the front right is my (sigh) beloved lilac bush....I so hope these two will spring back once the heavy snow is lifted!

~One of the interesting things I've learned thru this is that I THOUGHT I would love to live in pioneer times....now....maybe not. We had no trouble keeping warm, plenty of food and light...and activities to keep us busy, so they weren't the problem. My biggest concerns were my husband having to be out driving in the storm, my little ones bad coughs....and honestly, I was afraid of losing all the food that I have been stockpiling my freezers with for when Ron's job contract is up. Not knowing the future, we've been trying to at least stock the freezers and pantry...knowing that it will get eaten eventually...and trying to make sure we at least know that we will have plenty of food. I know, we are blessed...and that the Lord will always provide, but I also have felt Him leading me to prepare our family the best that I can and leave the rest to Him. I know, from my "Little House" books how they stored and preserved things...but if I don't HAVE to salt, or smoke my venison...I would rather freeze it. I imagined myself out in the snow with plastic laundry baskets full of frozen meat fighting off the raccoons and animals for my families food while my husband was gone braving the elements. LOL

So...I LIKE electricity! But....I and the children discovered that we DO like the phone not ringing...not being on the computer...the warm feel of doing dishes by hand and the fun of chatting together while working at chores...the warmth and comfort of a fire....the peace and comfort of quilts and yarn in our hands...and working together. Four whole GLORIOUS days without any outside commitments....we are all loving it! Hope you all are safe and warm tonight! In His love........~Sue~

My Wanderings in the Kitchen: Simply Yummy Baked Oatmeal

This recipe has become very popular last week when I had breakfast duty and before...it's very simple, delicious and a fun alternative to typical oatmeal. The great thing about this (that I plan to do soon) is you can add whatever you want! Raisins, nuts, apples, or if you wanted to go on a tropical twist maybe even half a can of crushed pineapple!

Baked Oatmeal

Ala

Meghan!

Ingredients:

3 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup brown sugar (you can use less if you dare!)

1 stick of butter, softened (or melted since we don't have a microwave:) )

2 eggs

2 cups milk

2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons of flour if it's a little too watery

Optional: cinnamon, vanilla, apples, raisins, crushed nuts, crushed pineapple

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 13 by 9 pan

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and if it's a little too watery, just add a half a cup or so more of oatmeal

3. Dump into pan and bake for 30 minutes and let sit to set

Voila! Here it is: