Summer!!!

Here are a couple of updated pictures of the kids. All is well here in Searcy. I have had a full summer full of camps and various groups in the dorm so far, but things should slow down a bit in July. Our family may plan a vacation together then. Hope all is well with all of you in the blogging world- I stink at blogging, but enjoy the pictures anyway!! Love to all!!

Checkin In

Well, I don't really have a lot to say, our family is just truckin along, everyone is happy and healthy at the moment! I figured I'd better check in to the blogging world, since it's been a while--again. I am about to embark on the end of the year and "closing down time" here in the dorm. Next week will be insainly hecktic and wild, but then it will be summer break!! I am desperately looking forward to some sleep! I'ts been a great year though, a blessing.

Andrew had his Pre-school graduation last night. I can't believe he will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall- what happened to my baby boy?!? I'm really looking forward to spending the summer with him at home with us for the last few months before school.

Abby has reached a milestone in her sweet little life too! She has overcome her addiction to her pacey!! She threw them in the lake for the ducks and has had very little trauma as a result. I hear her muttering every now and then "2 pacey in the bawter", but other than that, she has done great! Now on to potty training -uggg!!

Baby Connor is absolutely HUGE for our standards anyway! He is just over 16 lbs and is in the 75th percentile for his height and weight. Our other kids were barely on the chart at all! He is already in 6-9 month clothes and he isn't even 5 months old yet. He has started eating cereal in the evenings too, and loves it!

I guess I should mention George too! His news is that he just bought a boat motor this evening, so I think I'll be seeing a lot less of him these days! He deserves a little splurge though, he's such a hard worker and awesome daddy and husband to our family. Speaking of daddy- he's done (officially that is!) as of about 2 weeks ago!

I'll try to add some pictures in a couple of days or so, we've had another camera issue- don't ask!!

Love you all,
Donna

Back Home Safe

Well, my boys made it home safe from Scotland on Monday. They had a wonderful time and had lots of stories to tell of their special time. It is such a blessing to be able to share such a unique cultural experience with our children. Andrew got to wear a kilt to a wedding with George and although he wasn't to excited about wearing a "skirt" as he called it, he sure did look handsome! He was proud to match his daddy. I am once again so thankful for the father George is to our children. There aren't a whole lot of dads that would be willing to have a 5 year old tag along on a 9 hour plane ride and all that comes with a vacation with a preschooler! But George was so excited to make the trip with Andrew and share some special bonding time together. And Andrew is at an age that he'll remember the time he spent all by himself with his daddy.

The Lord blessed me here at home too. 2 of my dear friends came to visit and filled all of my time up with late nights and lots of fun so I wouldn't sulk about missing my boys. We had a blast and it gave me time to spend with Abby and Connor too. I am so glad to have our family back together again. Next year, Lord willing, we will all go to Scotland as a family and George and I will steal some time away together to Italy to celebrate our 10th anniversary!

Love to all, Donna

Precious!

Update--We received Andrew's passport on Thursday. He and George are having a blast in Soctland! They will return home on Monday.

Our life is speeding by so quickly! I can hardly believe it. Connor is growing so fast and just looks so big to me! Abby is talking in sentences now all of a sudden and today, we are taking Andrew to Kindergarten screening at Harding Academy! What is happening to my babies!!!!! I have to say that I am trying so hard to enjoy every single minute with my children and I realize now, more than ever before, what a joy and privilege it is to be able to stay home with them. I don't miss a minute of their growing and changing and I will cherish every single memory in my heart forever. I will also say, that for our family, 3 is definitely enough!! Our cup overflows!

George and Andrew are going to Scotland on Saturday. Well, let me re-phrase that, Lord willing, Andrew is going! We haven't received his passport yet. We have to call everyday this week to bug them at the passport place. I just pray that God will send the right person to find it and send it on it's way in time. We have been praying our little hearts out about this for a couple of days now, and I have to admit, that I am kind of thankful for the opportunity to share such a teachable moment with Andrew. I think it's so important to teach our children to pray for any and everything. God knows the desires of our hearts and he listens to his children. I know that if our prayer isn't answered and Andrew has to stay behind this time, that will be a teachable moment too. Sometimes we don't always get exactly what we pray for, but faith in God teaches us to trust in Him even if we don't understand. It will be okay, and we will keep on living, there are worse things that could happen. Any prayers on all your behalf would be appreciated though, it will break my heart to see Andrew's little heart broken. I'll be sure to update on the status of this situation at the end of the week!

We had the kid's pictures taken last week on the front lawn. I think they turned out beautifully! We love y'all, Donna

Precious Friends...

Sometimes I wonder why God blessed me with such wonderful friends. My whole life, as far back as I can remember, the Lord has given me real, true, life changing friendships. In fact, I can't remember a time I didn't feel the security and agape love of a handful of friends. There was even a time in my life that I was definitely not being a friend to those that considered me as a friend, and yet, deep in my heart I knew that those precious girls would do absolutely anything for me.

It overwhelms me to think that I could be so blessed even when I have been so undeserving at times. I had some deep special childhood friends growing up that I'm still super close to today and thru the years, I've collected a few more along the way. My eyes are filling with tears as I write this and I think of all the ways I've benefited from such special women in my life. It is a precious thing to share God in the center of such deep relationships, because friends bump up to "family" status very quickly in such relationships.

God knew what He was doing when he designed our need for relationship. I know that my walk with my Father would not be as intimate and real if it weren't for some pretty special women in my life that continue to teach me by there example and encouragement. I am reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy 1 where Paul writes such sincere words to his special friends, "I thank God whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers... I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy."

I love you my sweet friends, you know who you are--you are not only friends, but sisters. Thank you for blessing my life, bringing me joy, picking me up when I fall, and loving me for me.

I'm Back!!

Hey there! Yes, the Strachan's do still exist! I've wondered if I'm not on some crazy roller coaster that won't ever stop though!! Wow, life with 3 kids is pretty wild! Everybody needs something at the same time, including me! I have to admitt, I've lived the past several weeks feeling pretty overwhelmed, but thank the Lord, I think I'm coming out of the "fog" I've been in lately. I'm calming down a bit and am trying to listen to the Lord speak to me again. Why on earth do we forget to do that when we need His voice of direction the most?!

I picked up my bible in desperate need of peace yesterday and prayed for the Lord to speak to me through His word and this is what He showed me... From the Message, Psalm 119 I read,
" By your words I can see where I'm going, they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I've committed myself and I'll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything's falling apart on me, God, put me together again with you Word... Your my place of quiet retreat, I wait for your Word to renew me. "

Wow!! Exactly what I needed to hear from God! I need to be in His word to keep from falling apart. The quiet retreat away from the caos is simply found in Him. I'ts funny how light bulbs can go off in our heads at just the right moment! Duh, all I need to do is STOP!! Stop to breath, stop to relax a minute, stop to enjoy my precious babies, stop to savor my husband, stop to be thankful for the gifts that lay in front of me. Just be quiet in God's word and Stop!

I know that one day I'll miss this busy part of my life and long desperately to return even for a short minute to re-live what I'm not stopping to appreciate today. All of us with little ones at home, let's take a break from the stress and just enjoy, savor and appreciate what we have been given, what we don't deserve.

As you can see, our precious little Connor is growing so fast! What a joy he is to our family! He sleeps 7-9 hours at night too! Whew! I can survive anything when I have enough sleep! He is laughing and smiling all the time and focuses on us now, especially his active brother and sister that never stop moving! He spends lots of quality time with daddy too. They are great buds.

love to all,
Donna