A Super Sweet Visit

The week of Thanksgiving was a week to be thankful for!  Mom and Dawn came to visit us and we had such a great time!  The only thing I would change would be that it wasn't long enough!  We cooked yummy food, made stockings (for the first time for me at least!) and learned how to knit. :)  Talk about LOADS of fun! haha

Granna Nana and Aunt Dawnie w/ little man!  He loved having them here and was still wanting all that extra attention when they left!  (Please ignore the car door in our neighbors' yard) lol

Mom and me!  I can't believe I didn't take more pictures of the three of us!  I didn't get one w/ me and Dawnie (even though I'm CERTAIN she got one on her camera!).  I had not seen Mom in SIX WHOLE MONTHS!  It was so, so great to see her and for Aaden to see her!  We're hoping it's not 6 months EVER again!  We love you, Granna!

There's our crazy Aunt Dawnie!  We love her so much too and so glad we got to see her!  Those were four of the greatest days we had together! :)

There we are!  My precious family that I'm so thankful for!

This is me showing Aaden his stocking Mommy made out of his receiving blankets.  It was so much fun and I couldn't have done it w/out Mom and Dawn!!  As you can see here, he's not so sure why I'm so excited.

Again, we had a wonderful week with Granna and Aunt Dawnie!  I will say that when our visits are so few and far between, they certainly get sweeter when they happen!  God has blessed us with awesome family and friends!  We love all of you!

Trick-or-Treat!

We had lots of fun taking our little monkey trick-or-treating.  Of course, he had no idea of what was going on but nevertheless, it was fun!

This is only one of the few we got with him wearing the ears.  He's doing his monkey face.  He tries to make the sound a monkey makes which is pretty stinkin adorable!! :)

He crawled up the a ladies house to get candy this time.  

Daddy and little monkey

We were attempting to get a picture of Aaden and Anna together

Little Landry Lay was learning the gift of giving; Sweet Jenny, me and the boys :)

Aaden and Tucker not sure what's going on

I'm so thankful for my amazing family and friends!  

Fall Fun!

Ok, so... it's been a little longer than I wanted to update!  I got re-inspired last week being w/ Mandy Sisco. :)  With this being the case, I'll be playing catch up the next couple of posts.

Fall is definitely the best season in my opinion (which seems to be for lots of people).  The weather is almost perfect, the change of the leaves are beautiful and one of the wonderful sights of God's creation, and it's the beginning of bringing in the holidays; meaning apple cider, scarves, pumpkin bread and lots of fun stuff!  Here are a few pics from Halloween.  We cooked out with sweet friends Sam, Rebecca & Anna Holm.  We made our own pumpkin patch to take pictures! So Fun!

My sweet little man!

He loved the little white pumpkin; it was his size.

Aaden and sweet Anna.  She wanted to pick up all the pumkpins :)

There are many more to come and hopefully I'll keep it up!

Happy Fall!!

We are blessed!

Summer has come and gone... already!! It seemed to fly by. We had a wonderful summer! It was super busy with camp going full force but such a blessing. Each week there were several kids who accepted our Lord and Savior, Jesus! Patrick spoke to the guys on Wednesday nights. It was awesome to get to see God work in and through the staff to minister to the campers.

In June Aaden and I went to Mississippi to see Dad's side of the fam for the family reunion. After a 7 hour drive (which I'm not sure if I'll do by myself again w/ little man) :) we stopped to stay with Grandmama and BJ where we met Dad, Angie, Jessie and Dawn. It was so good to get to see them!! We had a great time! The next day we drove over to stay at Papaw's house. We celebrated his birthday and hung out all day! It was a very short trip but it was so, so great to see everyone!

We got up Sunday morning early and Papaw made breakfast. Aaden and I left out around six b/c we had to get back to Tyler to go down to Columbus, TX for a job interview the next two days. Patrick was interviewing for the conference director position (still w/ Pine Cove). Soon after, we found out that he got the job which was a huge blessing and we were excited even though we were having to leave our friends in Tyler.

After camp ended, we loaded up the U-Haul and headed down to Columbus. We moved in and are still working on getting settled. Right before we left, however, we found out that Meghan was pregnant. Shortly after, we lost the baby. The Lord blessed us in the details. The situation was terrible and, of course, we wished it wouldn't have happened but in the midst of sorrow, we had joy in the Lord knowing that He has a greater plan than we do.

Patrick left the week after we moved in b/c he had to go back to Tyler for retreat season orientation. That was a bummer but I have great friends here already who welcomed me and we all hung out most of the week. Our power was turned off for two days b/c they said it takes a few days to get it switched over to our name... which, when the tech came to turn it back on he said if we would have been there to tell him, he wouldn't have turned it off in the first place (good to know after the fact). It worked out well, though, b/c we stayed with the Livesay's and got to know them a little more. :)

There is a lot more to tell about but this will do for now :) Next I'll share about our wonderful vacation (and share pictures, of course)!

We love all of you and miss those of you that we haven't seen in awhile!!

Much Love,

Preston's

P.S. Here are some pics from swimming at the Bluffs (family camp), Aaden with Grandmama & BJ in MS, Aaden's carpet burned nose from falling off the bed, and the day we moved to Columbus

Finally

Well...It's about time!

So sorry it has taken so long to post another blog, but here is a quick update on the Preston's.

Summer Camp starts in days and over 900 college staff will be here at Pine Cove.  Wow! Mommy, Aaden, and Daddy have the next two days off to rest and prepare for the next few crazy weeks of preparation.  We are excited and trust the Lord is going to do some great things.  

In other news...Aaden is going to the doctor again....boo!!!  He's having congestion problems and Mommy and Daddy are hoping this will be the last time he deals with this sickness.  Please be praying for his health.

For His Glory,

Preston's

Pat's note on Shores Facebook Page

This is a note that I (Pat) put on our Shores facebook page....wanted to share it here too

To God be the Glory!

"School, friends, work, church, family, sports, bible, homework, money, relationships….BUSINESS!!

Are we not all a busy people? From the moment my head slowly unglues itself from the comfort of my own pillow in the morning, my mind begins to think about the “to do’s” of the day, and the business of my life. As some of you may know, my wife (Meghan) and I are the proud parents of a joyful little boy, Aaden Patrick Preston, and we are extremely grateful. However, may I share with you some truth? In the midst of our gratefulness and the blessings God has bestowed, we’re struggling. Struggling, you may ask? Yes, struggling. For the cause of Christ, we are struggling to find balance in our life and our pursuit of HIM. In God’s sovereign grace He is lovingly directing us in finding this balance, and I wanted to share with you a few things He has laid on my heart in the midst of it all. 

Balance - an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. 

So many times in my life I find myself walking the tightrope with no safety net. I wake up thinking, “Me, me, me…what all do I have to do today?” I go throughout the day working to glorify God through my speech and trying to serve others with my actions; however, by the end of the day I fill empty and unbalanced. I wonder why, and I plea with God to draw me near to HIM. I feel as though I am swaying to the left, and then to the right, and my focus is on the fear of falling. What will happen if I fall to the left, or how will I deal with the consequence of falling to the right? 

You see…my focus is on an outcome that is inevitable. I am a sinner, straight up. I deserve eternal separation from God. However, by the grace of God my life is not of this world, nor under it’s control. But it is hidden in Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior. God has revealed His one and only Son to me so that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:19-21). It is His righteousness and His holiness, which God sees in me. Praise the LORD! 

The truth is, though, that so many times we get caught up in the business of life and we try to balance all of it within our own strength and power. Our focus then lies within our own holiness and we begin to wonder, “What’s going to happen if I fall to the left or right of the tightrope?” Swaying side to side, we look down and fear falling, instead of fixing our eyes forward to the Eternal, Holy, and Righteous One, Jesus Christ and the truth of Scripture. The psalmist testifies to God’s word being a lamp to our feet and a light to our path in Psalm 119:105. We are to cling to this truth and trust in God’s given word to direct us on the tightropes of our life. 

Read 2 Timothy 2:1-13 with me. Hear Paul’s plea to Timothy to be strong in the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus. I know for me, my focus has at times been on the consequences of my falling in the midst of tribulations, rather than the promise I have in Christ. But here, Paul tells Timothy to take on sufferings as a “good soldier of Christ Jesus”, who refuses to allow the things of the world to distract him; to remember Jesus, risen from the dead in the midst of enduring our hardships and trials. Then he says, “ For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself”. 

WOW!! May we cling to the promise that our salvation in Christ lies not within ourselves, but within the death and resurrection of Jesus our Savior, who remains faithful in the midst of a faithless generation. 

Jesus himself stated in Matthew 9:13, “…I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners”, and again in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost”. May we focus daily on the truth that Jesus was crucified for our sins and was resurrected to claim victory over death; that our sovereign God has revealed His Son to us that we might have eternal life in Him, being dead to our sins and alive in Christ. 

As you walk the tightrope of life, trying to balance all the business, don’t look down to your right or left. Keep your eyes focused straight ahead to the truth of Scripture the grace of God, and the certainty of His promises (Hebrews 12:1-2). Seek the things above knowing that you have died and your life is hidden with Him (Colossians 3:1-4). In Him and Him alone, you can remain upright and steady on the tightrope of life, and perform marvelous balancing acts."

Hope you enjoyed!

Spring is here!!

I wanted to let everyone know that Little Bug is doing so much better!  He feels better and is acting like himself again!  Thank you all so much for your prayers!  God is our Healer!  Little man is on is way to being 100% again!

He has recently found his tongue.  He doesn't play with it with his hands or anything but he is always sticking it out and moving it all around in his mouth!  It is hilarious!  This is what he looks like when he sticks it out.

We are so thankful that spring is here! We've been to the park, walking, and just spending lots of time outside.  Not a whole lot else has happened this weekend.  But we will keep you updated! :)  

Lots of love, hugs and kisses! 

Prestons

Feel Better Little Bug!

Little Man eating his first avocado.

Starting around Friday, Little Bug started coughing again and it seemed like he was getting a cold... again.  Well, he was and it began progressing day by day.  Sunday I called Telecare (24/7 registered nurse) and told her what was going on.  He was wheezing, coughing and had a runny nose.  It was obvious that he wasn't able to breath as well as normal.  She made him an appointment with his doctor for Monday morning.  First thing Monday Little Bug and I headed into town.  We were at the doctor for three hours because she was pretty concerned.  I had to give him a breathing treatment in the office (which wasn't my favorite part because... let's just say that he didn't enjoy it too much).  He cried the entire time and it didn't help that he was so tired and getting close to lunch time!  Doc said if he didn't get better after the treatment she was going to keep him in the hospital.  Thankfully, he responded very well and she let us go home.  Praise the Lord!!  

After driving seemingly all over town and two different pharmacies, they told me it would take 72 hours before everything would be verified with insurance and all those details.  This was no bueno seeing that doc said to do the treatment every four hours for two days.  But after prayer and hope, I ran into a friend and she knew someone that had one we could borrow.  I was automatically boosted with energy and jumping around b/c this was a huge blessing!  So we didn't have to buy one and we actually will have one in hand when we go to Mobile b/c Nana Loper has one Little Bug (and following bugs :) ) will be able to use in the future.  The Lord provided everything we needed right when we needed it.  Now we are just taking it a little at a time and praying for healing for Little Bug.  He goes back to doc Wednesday morning so hopefully we'll get good results!  

Daddio's first treatment... not so happy!

He did better the 3rd go-around...

And then he was OUT!

Please keep Little Bug in your prayers and we'll keep everyone updated... He's already doing better!  

We love yall!

Preston Fam :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT DAWNIE!!

We wanted to wish Aunt Dawnie a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!   You are such a wonderful sister and aunt to us!  We love you so much and miss you tons!  You have blessed us so much in helping us and loving us!  You are wonderful and such an inspiration!  I love our long talks about the Lord and how much we can share with each other!!  Keep up the good work, Sissy! :)  Daddio and I appreciate you more than you know and Little Bug loves and misses you a lot! ;)  Just know that you are loved and missed and we wish we could be there to celebrate your day of birth with you! ha  Have a great day!!!

Uncle Jerm Berm and Aunt Dawnie :)

Semi Beginnings

Hey there!  Well, as you all know, we are the Preston family.  We wanted to start a blog so you could join us in our semi-beginnings!  We are still in the early part of marriage and of course, parenting!  Since we live far away from friends and family, this was a great way to keep everyone updated with our lives.  

Just a few things that have been going on with us are... Little Aaden, aka little bug, is now eating oatmeal and rice cereal.  He also has recently tried sweet potatoes and avocados (which we are waiting until later to try again... not such a good turn out!).  He doesn't really know that it's food yet so he is not as interested as I would like for him to be.  ha!  He eats it well though.

  

He is such a great baby!  With sleeping 10-12 hours a night plus 3-4 naps a day, he's doing pretty well! :)  He is such a happy little boy!  I think he has a lot of his daddy's personality... crazy, loud and tons of fun!  He gets so excited about things when he plays and he is such a wonderful joy to watch!  We are so blessed with an adorable, precious Little Bug!  Here is his sweet potato face and below is his new sleep position...holding the left side of his face and sucking on the middle fingers. ADORABLE! 

  

Daddio and I are doing very well!  Considering that we have lived in two different states (neither one being the state in which we were raised), been engaged, gotten married and had a baby, I'd say we are doing pretty darn good!  Things caught up with us for sure but we are gradually adjusting to all the 'newness' and changes.  We love looking back (not that we have to look too far) and seeing what God has done already in our lives and seeing how even in the midst of crazy happenings, we are so happy and truly blessed beyond measure!  We really like it here in Tyler.  There are wonderful people, we go to a great church and we live in the middle of nowhere... a lot like where we grew up!  It is definitely a challenge being so far away from family for both of us!  Especially since Little Bug has come into the picture!  We get so excited watching him grow and it is tough not getting to share that with our families face to face.  But isn't technology great!?  It will never beat being with family but it sure beats not being able to share with them at all!  

Anyway, I'm hoping this will be a great way to stay in touch and to share all the splendid moments with you!!  

Much love,

Praising

Rejoicing

Each

Step

Taken

Our

Needed

Savior