12 months of 2009 in the Q fam...

12 months of 2009 with the Q family

12 Angry Men (Steve’s drama debut!)

11 Beds for making (plenty of room for guests)

10 Homeschool Conventions worked (and much sightseeing enjoyed)

9 Laying Chickens (we are getting used to country life – sorta)

8 Subjects studied at our Homeschool – enjoyed being in a co-op again

7 Serving Jesus daily desiring to reach those who don’t know Jesus here & around the world

6 Days for Work (5 at MFW and one at home always lots to do)

5 Golden Children: Gabe, Maggie, Eva, Mal, Zeko

4(+1) Trips to Michigan to reconnect with family and friends

3 Sports played (soccer-boys, volleyball, and basketball)

2 Instrument Lessons (all are taking piano and violin)

1 New Foster Baby (She came into our home in Aug at 6 days old)

We pray 2010 will be a blessed year for you and your flock!

Much Love the Quak flock

O Christmas tree.....

For the last 9 or 10 years we have have put out our manger at Christmas and put the gifts around that.
We haven't set up a large Christmas tree in over 6 years! Between little ones and moving it was one thing we intentionally skipped! This year it was decided (with a little persuasion from lots of helpers) that it would be fun. Though I miss the fun of cutting it down, it sure was easy to just pull it out of a box! They all enjoyed laughs and memories while pulling out homemade ornaments they had made in years past and finding special ornaments from loved ones.
the bead lady ~ the girls got all the lights up then nicely strung the pearls
finding an open branch was quickly a challenge!
not so hard for those gifted in height :)
it was neat to see them all enjoying the memories ~ it was suggested that putting it away can be just as fun :) when I mentioned maybe packing it up BEFORE Christmas you would think my name was scrooge! I just thought one less thing to do when we return - oh well!

We enjoyed a fire and Christmas music to set the mood then roasted marshmallows over the fire and feasted on s'mores! (thanks Gr K for starting that fun tradition!!!)

May your families enjoy warm memories together as you prepare to celebrate the birth of our King!
Love the Q fam

Joyfullness

2009 Volleyball season is done

After a few injuries, (mom thinks I should say minor injuries but they HURT) hard work, and LOTS of fun the season is over!My most improved area is serving at the beginning of the season I could barely get the ball to hit the net, but at the last game I got all but one of my serves over!

This is my friend Laura and I ready to return a serve!

This picture of me and my team: Erin, ("Tutu" that is what my dad called me because of my number 22) Alissa, Clarissa, Laura and Coach Jessica
We celebrated the end of our season with a banquet. Here my coach Jessica is giving me the character award of joyfulness and a new Bible.

It was fun making new friends and learning to play volleyball! I look forward to doing it again next year.

Posted by Tu tu

Standin' in the need of prayer

We are currently studying the civil war ~ I have always enjoyed this spiritual. May you be blessed by it today too!

It’s me, it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.

Not the preacher, nor the deacon, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;

Not my father, nor my mother, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.

Not the stranger, nor my neighbor, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;

Not my brother, nor my sister, but it’s me, O Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.


There are many things we like to THINK WE can do ~ we can't on our own, not without God! So often it seems easy to lift others needs up to the Almighty one because they aren't OUR struggles. We need to humble ourselves and invite him to work in OUR lives too.

Today may YOU come before our wonderful Father, lifting up your heart to HIM who can do more than we can ever ask or imagine.
We are all Standin’ in the need of prayer!

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!!!!