Happy 15th Anniversary to Us!

Clark and I are celebrating our 15th Anniversary on February 25! 15 years...amazing! It was a perfect wedding, a perfect day! Clark and I spent 2 years dating long distance, and all I could think about was that I was going to get to see him everday. I was crazy, wonderfully in love with the boy that you see in the pictures and I am madly in love with the man that he has become.

Our Rehersal and dinner...we were starting to get nervous!

Right before we walked down the aisle, my dad said, "You do not have to do this if you don't want to." I looked at him totally astonished and said, "I do want to do this - let's go!" He was NOT wanting me to move to Tennessee.

My wedding party, full of family and friends!

I heart him!

It was all over! Getting ready to leave with all of the envelopes that had $$$$! Our first stop was McDonalds, because we had not been able to eat anything...and we were starving!

Learned very quickly how hard it is to say goodbye...homesickness became a close enemy!

Our reception in Jackson...they MADE me put that dress on again!

Didnt want to, but did..wish I could get into it now!

Our first home...a start of a wonderful life...

so many blessings have been given in the past 15 years...

a husband's love...

3 wonderful sons...

who could ask for more?

Happy Valentines Day...2010

Happy Valentine's Day...when Clark and I were dating in college we had a fun social called

"My Secret Valentine." We had to draw a name out of a hat, and spoil whoever we drew for a week with posters, candies, and gifts...out of 150 students...

I drew the name Clark Presson...

He has been my valentine ever since!

My other handsome valentines...

"When you become a mother, you decide forever to have your heart

go walking around outside of your body."...E. Stone

Avery INSISTS that basketball is his one true love...besides his Mama, of course... :)

My handsome heartbreaker...Riley Lance and his pretty favorite girl...Mackenzie Shirley!

Landry and his one and only, Allison Arwood. He is IN LOVE with her and has been since he was 2...his heart will be broken one day when a handsome boy that is her age sweeps her off her feet. He wanted to get dressed up in his suit to take her present to her to ACA on Friday.

There is not enough time or words to express my love for the 4 most important men in my life. I realize one day that 3 of the 4 will find TRUE loves of their own...I am holding on to this Irish proverb that I found long ago...

"A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best,

but his MOTHER the longest!"

More Lines by Landry

My little man got his cast off today...and was such a BIG boy about it. The nurse was explaining the whole process and telling him it was nothing to be scared of. He told her he knew all about it, because his big brothers had done it over and over. We have washed it many, many times in the past couple of hours and can't seem to get that "broken arm smell" washed off. Whew - that is rough stuff!

Landry has an amazing desire to LEARN things. It is almost a hunger that is inside of him. I can not thank myself for this. I have not encouraged it, because I am trying (without success) to keep him a baby as long as possible. He LOVES letters and numbers. He spells everything in sight and tries to sound everything out. The other day the number of the day on Sesame Street was zero and he was furious because it was too easy! The next day is was 16 and he felt much better. He is begging me to teach him how to tell time, and add and subtract. It just goes to show that kindergarten is right around the corner. I tell Landry how much I will miss him, but in the same sentence tell him how excited I am. But, I will truly miss him. I spend more time with him than with any other of my loved ones. I am so thankful for these past years of one on one time with him. He is a joy to my heart, and brings me much laughter!!


A few lines by Landry from the past weeks...

"Dr. Pepper makes me gassy!"...statements like this comes from his brothers!

"Mama, as soon as we get in the van, I want to have a serious talk with you about germs!"

(This next question is NOT happening at the moment, it was just a random thought) -
Me - "Landry...what would you think about having a baby sister?"
Landry, "I'd rather have a girlfriend!"

While eating supper..."Daddy, did you know that I am an AMERICAN?"
Avery, with a typical 12 year old response..."DUH!!!"
Landry with much happiness in his voice, "AVERY, are you and American, too?!?!?!"

There was an adorable wooden elephant chair in the doctor's office at recent visit...as soon as the Dr. enters the room Landry asks him, "Can I take this chair home with me?"

"Mama, are you scared of thunder?"
"No, not really, especially if Daddy is at home."
"Well, SKINNY LADIES are scared of thunder!!"
hmmm...out of the mouth of babes...

(Note: he is not ALWAYS cute and funny...he has serious stinker possibilities at time.)
After one of these particular moments, I told him that I was going to spank him. His response..."Can I have a kiss instead?"

How was I supposed to spank him after that?

Today he is grumpy from a fever, cough and runny nose...but is extra sweet and cuddly...more lines by Landry to come in the future...

Dreaming of the Potential

Image by thinkpanama via Flickr

My house has STAYED clean for a whole week now,

and all laundry has STAYED caught up! This might not be unusual for your house, but it is for mine! It is such a wonderful feeling to wake up in the morning and know that everything is in order. However, you must continually work on it to keep it that way. But it is so worth it. The reason things are tidy and in order is because the Presson house is officially on the market. Yes, we are selling in a not so great market, but it is all part of Clark's PPP (Presson Poverty Plan).

When I was a child, my dad would get Truck Fever every Spring. He always spent weeks visiting car lot to car lot. I have not inherited Truck Fever, (Can you see me going to a car lot asking to see the newest F150?), but I do have House Fever...unfortunately, it stays with me all year and is not just a Spring thing. Avery says I do not brake for garage sales, but I will brake for house sales. I pour over the weekly house advertisements with a magnifying glass. Clark's intent on downsizing has not really sunk in yet...I'm sure it will one of these days...in the mean time I have found a HOUSE!!! I have already been through it with my realtor. Granted, Clark firmly told her that I was just going through it to dream a little. He was wrong. I have been dreaming ALOT!

All houses have pros and cons. This one is probably tied on the two. First, let me start by saying I am always on the look out for more square feet. I have three boys that will one day be three teens and the next day three full grown college age men... lots of square footage sounds nice. Really nice. This house definitely has sq. ft. - over 6,000!!!! Let me give you just a quick run down...Main floor. LARGE foyer, dining room, formal living room, open stair case, great room, kitchen, sun room, master bed and bath, laundry and half bath...love it already!!! 2nd floor - sitting area, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, bonus room...AND...one of my favorite things of all...a LIBRARY...I'm so in love with this house! Wait, I'm not done...finished basement with rec room, 2 more bedrooms and another bath...sigh...lots of growing room for the Presson men!!

Many of you know my hearts desire. I have told Clark that there would be plenty of room for one of those, and he said we could get 2 and hardly realize they were even there...TWO...I hadn't thought of that! Definitely something more to dream about. The yard is HUGE and fenced in...great location...now I'm rambling but can't help myself.

The cons...whew...lots of those, all new flooring, work in kitchen, one major wall reconstruction, rooms and rooms of wallpaper to come down, gallons and gallons of paint, lots of bathroom work, updating everywhere...okay, so you get the point.

My parents and husband keep reminding me of all the work, reconstruction, updating, money, money, money that this house needs. They are so right...however, I can not stop thinking of the POTENTIAL. I am having dreams (seriously) of what colors I will use - where I will put what furniture, and where I am going to go to buy more furniture. Which room will be the guest room, what boy will be in what room, where I will need to install monitors to hear everyone at night...and so on. I am seriously going a little overboard.

I just can't get away from how incredible it could really be. I wonder if the Lord thinks that when he looks at some of us. People say...their life is a dead-end mess...but God sees the potential in us. He thinks we are worth all of the extra work, time and money...he can create something beautiful out of the shambles we have created. Even better, he already took care of all of the debt that our makeover costs on a cross at Calvary! He is always on the lookout for a not only a new place to live, but a new place to clean-up, redecorate, and even tear down walls if necessary...Thank you Lord for seeing past my faults to my potential!

Stick with us as we go through the real-estate roller coaster...it promises to be exciting!

Presson Ponderings...

"You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance - the PLACE, O Lord, you made for your DWELLING, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established."

Exodus 15:17

"...Your DWELLING place is secure, your nest is settled in a ROCK..."

Numbers 24:21