Friends are fun!

Its pretty neat that you can have friends in different states that you have never met in person, yet feel you really know them!  Well that is the story of two great friends of ours.... by following each others blogs (links below if you want to "meet" them) they have gotten to know one another!  Now the could all meet each other in PERSON! It was fun for all!

Some friends from MI  came down to visit, and the Riefers came over to meet them.
We played outside for about an hour, we played signs, motions, ninja, and looked at the chicks.

the younger boys enjoyed playing too!

The Girls - these are the blogger girls - in age order

In the midst of life

How many times have I muttered "I if can just make it until tomorrow..."  I don't really mean to rush the day, or week or years!  In fact there are probably just as many times (or more) that I ponder "why does time have to fly by so quickly?"

So what does that have to do with our blog???  As you can tell from the incredible LACK of posting we have done ~ life has been busy with other things as of late!  So a quick update on what we are all up to!  Then off to the next thing :)

The little one is growing up so quickly!  The kids insisted she needed a potty seat and its amazing to me how ready she is!  (I am NOT convinced we are "potty training" yet but glad she is interested!) She is doing alot of signing which is so fun to see her be able to communicate.  She is very much loved by all the bigger ones and particularly favors the eldest :) We are excited to see how God is going to weave her into our family forever! 

almost 20 months old and cute as ever

The young boys are enjoying being boys! They have enjoyed the amount of snow we received this winter with lots of sledding enjoyed by all!  They are quick to work through school so they can play legos or playmobile or risk!  (Bernie has begun wearing glasses this spring for reading!)

 one final snow man

The girls are wonderful helpers and are enjoying a dance class as of late a real blessing after not doing that for a few years!  They have joined me in starting a home based business, Thirty-One, lots of great real life math, public speaking and just all around real life skills they are learning as we have fun at this together!  They are also BOTH wearing glasses now!  (Ria's are just for reading too) We were blessed to have 2 cousins get to visit with Grandpa and Grandma K they enjoyed having cousin time LOTS!

Raleigh, Ria and Brinley

And the eldest (who recently got his permit!) well he is enjoying the independence of high school!  He just completed another season of basketball, it was a blessing to see his improvement through another season! He is starting spring soccer and enjoy that alot as well. He and Tutu thoroughly enjoyed being in another fine linen drama production this spring, Seussical the Musical!  It was amazing!  Hopefully we will get some more photos of that posted soon!

Tutu ~ a who child and Chuck ~ a cadet

And the adults in the house.... keeping up with the schooling, cleaning, laundry, meals, appointments and ministry that is scheduled to happen every day!  We were so blessed to get away for a weekend what seems like forever ago already!  We have also begun a homegroup which has become a deep blessing already for all of us. And once again we have begun another travel season with My Father's World.  so far we have already done 3 conventions, ND, NE and MN, we have 7 more to go!  We go to Arlington, TX next week then AR mid May.  In June we head to KS, CO and Austin,TX and we head to TX the end of July and early Aug!  would be great in my mind to switch those TX ones with all the northern ones we did in March and April!!! but oh well!  We are very blessed by all the kind people we meet along the way.

I am treasuring the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  Today's message was on keeping Jesus as our focal point - like a spinning ballerina we must keep a focal point in order to maintain balance.  May CHRIST be your focal point
  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2

Blessings!  

Preperations

Well, this lent has not gone exactly as I expected.  As a family we have often fasted from something together (as we shared last year in our posts much more faithfully than this year I sadly add), which is a great accountability factor! 

However this year we decided to each do our own fast, personally I didn't do so well!  However the whole point of fasting is in drawing nearer to God, putting aside our selfish desires to deepen our walk with Him in preparation for Easter.

  I have been blessed in  many little ways this lent season and look forward to Easter with a renewed awe and overwhelming peace in the incredible gift that has been give to us! 

A lovely spring has been refreshing after a long winter, seeing the NEW life spring up all around, reminding once again the old has gone the new is come!

We are thankful for visits from family, the blessing of extended family pouring out love amidst the miles is a treat!

Tonight we were blessed to take part in a demonstration seder Passover, with Jews for Jesus.  To see all the connections from the Old Testament ceremonies is just incredible!  the one that we had learned about before but once again reminded us how God works even the little things into a part of the whole plan has to do with the matzah bread tradition.   (for more information on that you can read about the 3 pieces of bread = the triune God here)

I pray that Jesus is your passover lamb and that this Easter you will be filled to overflowing in God's great love for each of US!

Teeter-Totter

   As I am changing a diaper, calling out spelling words, and trying to encourage yet another child to work on his math, a little phrase runs through my head:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

   HOW can I be STILL? I am sure, as a homeschool parent, you can relate to this often crazy life! God gently (and sometimes not so gently) reminds me that there is more to life than checking off boxes. I need to BE STILL.

    Finding the balance between the academic training of homeschooling and the calling to disciple in solid Biblical faith often feels like a teeter-totter in life. Adding the many alluring temptations of extracurricular events can make things seem more like a merry-go-round! I have discovered that when I finally arrive at the top of the academic side: the schedule works well, the kids are all checking the proper boxes, our family is getting ALL the “school” things done, it is then that I realize the Biblical balance has slipped to the bottom. This is the point where I am reminded that our calling to homeschool was first to ground our children in strong Biblical values and godly character. So my natural reaction in these times is to quickly jump to the other side: emphasizing Bible, prayer time, and ministry or serving. However, what happens now? I promptly realize I am NOT accomplishing either of the things I was striving for, and my children are frustrated with the “see-sawing”!

    What is the way to find a delicate balance on a teeter totter? It takes focus, patience, and being STILL! Somewhere in this life of homeschooling there is a balance too. Finding the right mix for your family of faith-building character development, along with academic challenge and opportunity, will bring stillness to your heart. In that stillness I KNOW that God can lead and guide, training the next generation to love Him with all their hearts, through all ups and downs of life.

Lord, help me today to focus on You. Give me patience as I find the stillness and balance in my homeschool life!

(no this isn't our family but it was too perfect!) 

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

*Look forward to posting more encouraging thoughts as we prepare for the upcoming homeschool convention season! We are heading to ND, NE, AR, TX and more to be determined! Hope to see some of you there!

Where oh where does the time go?

Here we are looking at the end of January already! Time goes so quickly! We have been keeping busy with school, basketball (Chucks team) swim lessons, dr appointments and fighting off winter colds!

Well we hope to share more updates on our life the journey including the struggles and the blessings but that will be another time (keep thinking we'll have time someday!)
Tutu, Ria and I have begun a new home business adventure this month too! Its called Thrity-One and we look forward to telling you more about in as time goes one but for now if you'd like to see what its all about check out our website www.mythirtyone.com/moquak

Steve and I are very much looking forward to a weekend away this month too! YEAH! thanks to great friends for helping watch all the kids (and animals) so we can have a little time alone!

That is what we are up too.... we really hope to do more posts soon :)
Happy winter to you!

Family fun up north

We enjoyed lots of fun with family making cookies with the cousins (this is the beginning it DID get messier!)
some of them eat more then they make but its fun! and sugar is good for you right?
We were also blessed to go up North to cabins with the K family and enjoyed an indoor water park one day and some of us tried skiing the next day.
"Bernie" did great!
"Tutu" I don't think she even fell down once! amazing!!!!
"Eugene" he did great too, pretty tired out but had lots of fun! the chair lifts were great -- especially the time mom and I were getting off and I made her fall!

More pictures soon! (really! )

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We were blessed to be with some family for Christmas. And for all the family we didn't get to see ~ merry Christmas to YOU!

We enjoyed a pizza party with the Q side after Christmas (which I failed to capture any photos of ... gets harder when they get older!) and Christmas Eve on the Kuipers side was busy with lots of cousin time!
Here are some photos of that:

Cousin pictures, its hard to get a smile on a bakers dozen :)

Daryn (my youngest brother) and Kira with Emmry

Mike and Jill (my younger sister), Brinley, Molly and SadieJames (my brother) and Carrie, Raleigh, Syndey and Greyson
+ 2 in heaven (check out their blog)

And our family, Steve and Amy with children

My Dad and Mom ~ thanks so much for welcoming in a family of 8 to overrun your house for 10 days!!! We are so thankful for your love and support, going up north with the whole family was a special treat too THANKS so much!
More posts to come of friends and fun over the holidays!
This Christmas we are thankful for the gift that brought us ALL into God's family!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!

Hands and Feet

We desire to serve God where-ever he sends us -- but its tempting to say "He hasn't sent me yet (or I am not old enough, or I am not a missionary, etc!) so I don't need to serve" My thoughts ~that is WRONG! He wants to use you right where you are, at any age! So this season of giving allow God to use your hands and feet to serve those you come to meet! May you be willing to say I'll go where you send me even its its just down the street.
The lyrics of a song by Audio Adrenaline have been going through my head lately.... so though I'd post them here!

An image flashed across my TV screen another broken heart comes in to view
I saw the pain and I turned my back why can't I do the things I want to?
I'm willing yet I'm so afraid You give me strength When I say
[CHORUS:]

I want to be your hands

I want to be your feet

I'll go where you send me
We'II go where you send us

And I try to touch the world like you touched my life And I find my way to be your hands
I've abandoned every selfish thought I've surrendered every thing I've got
You can have everything I am and perfect everything I'm not
I'm willing, I'm not afraid you give me strength When I say [CHORUS]

This is the lifetime I turned my back on you
From now on, I'll go so send me where You want me to
I finally have a mission I promise I'll complete
I don't need excuses when I am your hands and feet Quak Flock 10/10
if you want to see a video of the whole song click here
(they also have information about their hand and feet orphanages in Haiti and Central America on the video)