It's a Girl!!

So- this is old news to anyone who might read this blog, but it seems like something I should write anyway.:)
We just found out last Wednesday that the newest addition to the Uhner family is a GIRL!   She's due to join us in early March- March 10th to be exact.   
My sister, Laura, is also having another little girl, and she is due March 7th!   
Going to be lots of little girls at family gatherings.  Good thing we have Eli to protect them all!!:)

Time for School!

School has started here in the Uhner household.  We've been busy this last week getting into our new routine.

Grace is in 1st grade now.  It looks to be a fun and busy year.  Her class is memorizing the BOOK of James this school year!   I'm excited for her (and I'm going to memorize it too!).  I have a feeling it might be more challenging for mom than Grace!  

We aren't used to Grace being gone all day, and we've missed her!  We keep busy though, and the day really goes fast!!

Eli is doing preschool at home again this year.  My "philosophy" on preschool is that it is an "ongoing" process.  Not just learning letters and numbers for "x" amount of time a day.    For us, this means reading lots of books about all kinds of subjects, playing outside and collecting things from nature, helping in the kitchen, playing playdoh, talking about everything under the sun, coloring, listening to stories and music, and basically whatever other crazy ideas I come up with.:) 

 Sometimes those ideas work and sometimes they don't- but they're always exciting!!!

This year, in addition to our "living-classroom" environment - We are doing a "sit-down time" everyday to practice writing letters and numbers, cutting, and doing other fine-motor type activities.

We are planning on following an online curriculum found at http://www.abcjesuslovesme.com/.

It looks like it is going to be really good!  

Sarah will be sitting in on Eli's lessons.:)  And I use the term "sitting" very loosely. 

Sarah is very active and hands on.   I'm already challenged to find ways to keep those little hands and mind busy.    She's fun and a totally different child than our first two!!   It will be neat to see her grow and "bloom!" 

Here's some pic's from our last days of August.

I'm still here....painting away

It's been a slow blogging season in my life.  It's not that things have come to a standstill around here- no, no, no- busier and crazier than ever!!!   Here's a about an hour "window" into our life today. 
This past weekend, Victor painted around some of our outside windows and house trim.  Eli and Grace really wanted to "help" paint.  We didn't think that painting the actual house was a good idea, so I promised them they could paint their little table "sometime."  (It actually needed painting because someone wrote all over it with a permanent marker...)   Well, when you promise something to kids you have to remember- THEY DON"T FORGET!!
So, today was the day I was feeling "brave."   I wanted to wait until Sarah was napping- it didn't really work out as planned (which shouldn't surprise me- what really works out as planned, right?)  
Grace and Eli put on old t-shirts over their clothes, then we found old brushes and paint, moved the table and chair out to the side of the house ( not in the back because of Lucky, not on the concrete because of the mess, oh no- the grass itches their feet,  ...whew...this is getting complicated already!) 
I gave the instructions and got them started, then went to find a snack for Sarah and a chair for me.  It briefly crossed my mind to give Sarah a little brush to "help."  But, thankfully, I quickly regained my sanity and changed my mind.  

Sounds fun and simple, right!?  Ha!!  For about five minutes...First, Sarah decided she didn't want to sit and watch and had a  little (continuous) tantrum in the front yard.  Then, Eli and Grace decided (after getting paint all over their faces and hair) that painting "really isn't that fun, and the grass is itchy, and there's just too many bugs!!"
By then the table looked pitiful-- not a good place to stop painting.   I was tempted to just take over and finish the job, but what to do with the screaming toddler?  
With prompting, and (honestly a little bit of guilt-tripping) I got them to finish the table.  Eli spent the last half of the "painting" obsessed with picking the paint off of his hands and legs.   I did jump in toward the end to expedite the process.  After pacifying Sarah with Oreos, of course!!
I'm not even going to go into the clean-up process.  It was intense.  You can imagine.  
I'd like to say we had fun and learned a few lessons.   I don't know.  Everyday, I think that God must really, really think that I need to work on refining my "patience skills." 

At least the table got painted!!

August 2- A new birthday to celebrate!!

We had an exciting evening last night.  I was just going about my usual evening routine- it was about 8pm and I was trying to get the dog fed and the kids ready for bed.  I mentioned casually to Victor that I'd heard there was going to be a water baptismal service on Wednesday after church.  Right away, Eli and Grace wanted to know what's "water baptism"?  I just briefly mentioned it something you do after you ask Jesus into your heart.  Kind of just brushed it off- I was in a hurry.   I went out to feed the dog.  As I was taking care of Lucky, Eli stuck his head out the door, and said "but we've never asked Jesus into our heart!"  
Hmm...he's still thinking it about it?  I'd already moved on.
I came back in the house and assured him that he didn't have to do that until he was "ready."   I was thinking "he's only four- I don't want to push him into something he's not ready for."  
His response was excited and immediate- I want to do it now!!!  :)   
Really!!!  I could tell his heart was really "there."   We just had watched a movie on Friday called The Gospel of John.  The movie was 3 hrs long and it was the book of John word for word with actors making the gospel come "alive."  I was surprised that I actually really enjoyed the movie and the kids seemed to enjoy it, too.   It was a lot different from the exciting animated movies they usually watch, but the Word of God is alive, active, and powerful!!  
Eli and Grace had also been to VBS at our church this summer where the Kingdom of Heaven was the emphasis and the salvation message was presented to them.

We talked with Eli and Grace- to make sure they understood the basics of salvation.  Knowing you are a sinner in need of God's forgiveness,  believing Jesus died on the cross as payment for your sins, etc...they have heard all that before at home, church, and even on movies!!   They seemed to understand and agree.
Then we prayed with them, and it was so precious to "hear" them ask Jesus into their hearts in their "little" voices.
Grace assured us she had "done this before in her bed at night- more than once because she wasn't sure."
But, she prayed to, and asked Jesus into her heart to forgive her and be her Lord!

We have much to be thankful for!!  I'm excited to know that the Holy Spirit is active and working in my kids lives.   Actually, those kids are really HIS KIDS!   And now we have some new birthdays to celebrate every year-  Aug.2, 2010-  A Spiritual Birthday!!!

Never a dull moment!

I love being a mom for lots of reasons.  For one, I get to "act like a kid" and it looks like I'm just being a "good mom."   Another reason is that I have new experiences almost everyday.   Take today for instance...have you ever made a chocolate cream pie while holding a naked, wet toddler?   I never had until today.  Oh, I'm sure I've made it holding a dressed, dry toddler....but never the "other" kind.
  
Have you ever eaten red scrambled eggs?  Have you ever purposely tried to bait and lure ants using a poptart, crumpled paper towel, and tupperware dish?   Hmmm.... Sure can't complain about it being boring around here!

I wonder what we'll do this afternoon?!

Our backyard "red-neck" waterslide

This past month has just flown by in a rush of travelling and activities!!!    Not much time for blogging or the computer!!!  It's been fun! 
It's been HOT, though.  The kids and I have kind of become "house hermits."    We have ventured out in the late afternoons on some days to play in the water!   The backyard pool can get a little old by the end of the summer.   Here's what they came up with to "mix it up" a little.:) 

They had so much fun!!  Who needs fancy waterparks!:)

A Book Review- by my favorite up and coming author!

The book I am reviewing today is Moses, Miriam, and Moses's Mom by Grace Uhner. 

Grace did the work entirely on her own including the illustrations, editing and binding.    

In the first illustration you can see Miriam hiding in the bushes while the Princess sends her servant girl into the water to retrieve the baby Moses.

In the next picture, the Princess is holding the baby and talking to Miriam.

This is the last page of the book.  As you can see, Moses's mom is overcome with tears of joy as the Princess (on the right) gives the baby back to her.  Miriam, too,  is very pleased to have her baby brother back.

This book has limited availability at this time, but if you wish to read it or make a request from the author be sure to let us know!