Pumpkin Patch

We seem to be on a roll with field trips....
We ventured out on a cool fall day with our homeschool group -- Thankfully God held the rain off! It was a very nice farm.

4 of the kids posed by some corn stalks ~note how CLEAN everyone is!

After gathering our group we loaded up on the hay wagon for a ride out to the pumpkin patch. The boys are pretty sure they got the BEST of the patch :)
one of them is showing his strength holding it with only one arm.

Everyone + pumpkins back on the wagon for the ride back in.

It was great fun being with friends :)

They had lots of fun activities for the kids to do back at the "barn". A hay jump complete with a mattress under the straw for extra bounce! The kids LOVED this!!! There were also goats to feed, a "corn box" (like a sand box) and a huge corn maze to wander in (none of them got lost- but they did manage to get pretty muddy!)
We enjoyed our day at the farm even the "little pumpkin" did great! Hopefully we'll get the pumpkins carved sometime this week.... off to find the calendar to fit that in!!!

Fire Station

We enjoyed seeing inside a fire station a few weeks ago~ (lots of pictures from our impromptu field trip :))
It was fun to sit in a fire truck and hearing the sirens was "cool" (well for some of us!)
"Leiutenant" you're so lovely with that hat...trying on the gear.....
someone really is in there :) a little growing to do before that fits I'd say but adorable anyway!wow that looks HEAVY!!!


and some of the kids even got to shoot the fire house!
it was an enjoyable visit ~ they even had inflatable things to play in ~ that was really fun too!
Best of all was seeing a friend of ours get dressed in the gear! You look GREAT Sarah!
We had a fun day seeing how a fires station works!

Mmmm... homemade applesauce!

We had a delivery of apples fresh from up north a week or so ago! So what do you do with a bushel and a half of apples?? make applesauce of course! Thankfully we had the experts here (my dad and mom) to help!
Its all in the line up! first you fill the sink with water and put the apples in,
then the peeler gets going -- peeling apples is fun with this tool!
Then the corers/slicers get to work. That is the hard part!
Once the pot is full add a little water and boil for awhile.

oh and of course enjoy the peels -- they are the best part :) and the chickens didn't mind all the leftovers either!!

After it cooks down add some sugar and cinnamon. Then pour into freezer containers and start the next batch --
house smells delicious and we can pull fresh applesauce out of the freezer for dinner anytime -- well until it runs out!

He's fine cause now he's 9

Had to make him stay in bed (he is our earliest riser so this was hard!) so he could have breakfast in bed... a special birthday treat!
A special treat having both sets of Grandparents around for the weekend! We had lots of fun.
Not sure who is scarier the little guys or the big one???? We are so blessed with this wonderful young man! Hard to know where all the years have gone, but its so special seeing the kind heart of this guy! Who desires to have fun, play like today may be the last day to do so, include the little guys (or gals) hold a baby, draw, read, and stratagize ways to build some new contraption.

May you grow more each day in your walk with Jesus and continue serving others with all your heart! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Make a joyful noise.......

Its not quiet symphonic sounding yet.... but we are entering our 2nd month of violin lessons. Our piano teacher is expanding our musical horizons with a string instrument. We have been so blessed to be able to borrow a few and Gr and Gr K surprised us with 2 little ones for the boys!

There almost isn't enough room for everyone to bow! Its neat to see them all working so hard to learn something new.
The Q Quintet

-- you may need to turn your volume up to hear the wonderful music....

(this is my first time trying a video so if it doesn't work I'm sorry!)
I am sure more to come as we improve!!!
Enjoy making your joyful noise today too :)
The Q's