Team Five Morris

So it's been a year since I last posted something for the kids.  Shameful!  Hannah turned 7 in March, Ben followed her up turning 5 in May.  Aiden is almost 10!  When did I get such big kids????  The kids continue to thrive in Uganda.  They are healthy, happy and almost normal!  I have struggled through a year of homeschooling them and we all survived.  In one more month we will be finishing their 1st and 3rd grade curriculum and moving them on to 2nd and 4th grade.  Ben will be joining them at the dining room table this time...kindergarted here we come! 

Aiden and Hannah have mastered swimming seeing as how they swim weekly.  I think it is strange that they don't know how to ride a bike but they can swim and dive.  Ben is becoming pretty proficient at swimming as well.  He even dives! 

We have been considering adopting another baby which excites the kids a lot.  Not sure what God has planned for us yet in that but we are open to it.  The thought of starting over with diapers, late night feedings and baby illnesses is a bit daunting seeing as how the kids all wipe themselves, sleep through the night, make their own breakfast, wash their own hair and can swim.  But how can we refuse an orphan when there are so many that need homes?  Pray for guidance for us all as we move in this direction. 

We are in a homeschool co-op that has been meeting this summer.  The kids are learning African drumming (they are pretty good too!), art, creative writing and kickball.  They have some good kids to play with in this group.  Hannah has two good friends both boys!  Aaron and Kingsley are both six and Hannah loves playing with them.  Ben and Aiden have some friends but no "best" friends here.  We are thankful our kids enjoy eachother's company so much.  They really are so close and have so much fun together. 

We are planning on a trip back to the US in August 2011 and the kids are counting down the days...even though it's a year away!  Pray for them and their schooling this year and for their continued joy at living so far from their home land! 

I have been remiss in posting stuff about the kids.  Usually I only post about my own self centered things.  So here I am catching up.  Ben turned four years old in May!  Can you believe it?  Hannah and Aiden are doing homeschool with me daily and both are excellent readers.  In fact Aiden takes after me and easily reads a book a day.  Not easy books either but he has read through the Chronicles of Narnia completely in the six months we have been here and is starting them over. 

We have made friends with an American family who have two girls Aiden and Hannah's age.  We went to dinner with them last night and I heard Aiden and Emma discussing their favorite parts in the Chronicles of Narnia.  Ah...a true booklover!  It makes me so happy!  Hannah and her friend Grace giggled through dinner and threw rice at eachother.  It was so nice to see the kids so happy.  They have Ugandan friends too but it is so nice to be with people from the same culture sometimes. 

I am enrolling the kids in a one week summer camp at an international school.  They will be doing swimming lessons so they can impress the grandparents when they come in September.  Aiden is diving already and has lost his fear of the water. 

Pray for the kids as they also battle culture shock from time to time.  Pray that our irritation with the culture doesn't taint their experience here.  Pray for their hearts to be teachable and for their love for their family to deepen.

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Hannah arriving into my life squalling and squirming.  I cannot believe she will be six.  And what a joy to be able to celebrate her birthday in Africa!  Not every kid gets that honor.  We are going out to dinner at Garden City and going swimming on Saturday.  It will be a new thing for her to realize we don't shower her with gifts in this culture but so refreshing if you ask me.  Pray for her on her birthday for her salvation, her new year, her growth and health and wisdom for Dan and I as we continue to raise her.  Happy Birthday Hannah Reed!!!!

So on December 20th I officially became a homeschool mom.  Something I swore I'd never do.  The kids finished their four months at Kootenai Valley Christian School with many tears and goodbyes.  Now as I begin the process of fitting a household in 10 suitcases I also begin the first week of being my children's teacher.  Yikes.  All you homeschool people out there who are successful and joyful in the homeschooling process please give me some insight in how to do this!  Better yet...pray for my kids and for my wisdom in taking on this huge task!