Our Newest Adventure

The two youngest Pressons have embarked on a new and exciting adventure! Homeschool!!  I am on the journey with them and loving it!  My heart yearns to be at home, and I also love to teach!  The combination of the two equals homeschool!  Riley is in the fifth grade and Landry in first.  Riley enjoys all things literature and history and detests arithmetic, a boy after mine own heart.  Landry loves every single litte aspect of learning, which makes teaching him so much fun!  We have now been in school for a month.  Many changes have been made since our first day.  I am learning to try things differently and be open to adjusting our schedule.  I am so thankful for this special time with Riley and Landry!  It is not always perfect and smooth, but I know the three of us are learning so much, especially about each other. 

The following pictures are a tour of our classroom that my incredible husband built downstairs, with mucho help from our nephew, Brad!

 Landry's job is to update our day and weather each morning.

 Shhh. He is taking a Penmanship Test.

 The Popular Art Station

 Landry is marking his vowels and special sounds.

 Ready for the day!

 My shelves - my favorite part of our room.  Thank you, Brad!

 My desk :)

 Landry is DEEP in thought!

I pray that the Lord will bless our time together!! 

Battle of the Shoes

The battle of the shoes has been ongoing at the Presson home since school was back in session.  I will not name any names to protect the innocent.  I will just call him Son. 

Son needed new shoes to start the school year that matched the uniform code.  Mom was surprised at how much his foot had grown over the summer!  She was even more surprised when the full impact of the cost of "mens vs boys shoe price" sank in.  Sadly, this was not the only shoe surprise with Son. 

Son made the Soccer team at school.  Much excitement was felt, and this required another trip to the store for the beloved soccer cleats!  Two weeks into school, the uniform shoes were MIA.  Gone. Vanished.  Mom reminds Son of cost of new shoes.  She then tells him to wear his Sunday go-to-meetin' black shoes with his school uniform.  The next day, only ONE of the church shoes makes it home in the gym bag.  Now THREE shoes are MIA.  Mom is not happy.  Nope, not happy at all.  She refuses to go buy MORE black shoes.  His only choice was to wear non-uniform brown Wednesday go-to-meetin' shoes to school, and hope that the administration does not notice Son's blunder.

The much anticipated first soccer game day approaches.  Mom reminds son to get all necessary school and soccer items packed in his school bag.  Son gets frustrated at Mom's constant reminders.  Mom and brothers pick up Son from school and take him to his first soccer game.  Amazingly enough, the family arrives early to the game.  Mom (always trying to save time when time can be saved) tells Son to go ahead and get his brand new awesomer than awesome soccer cleats on, so he will be ready to hit the field when the rest of the team arrives.  Son digs through his gym bag.  The soccer cleats are no where to be found.  They are MIA, along with the uniform school shoes, and one of the Sunday go-to-meetin' shoes.  Son quickly remembers that he left his cleats at home, even after all of the friendly reminders from Mom.  Mom drives WAY over the speed limit to get home, grab the forgotten cleats, then drives WAY over the limit AGAIN to give the cleats to Son before the game starts. 

The next day Son is tired from the hard exhertion of his first soccer game.  Mom is tired from the battle of the shoes.  In his state of tiredome, Son forgets to pack his P.E shoes for gym class.  At this point he knew better than to call Mom and ask her to bring his shoes.  Instead, he "sells" part of his lunch to a class mate in return for borrowing his shoes for P.E, and comes home from school very hungry. 

Thankfully, the trauma of the loss of food prompts him to recheck the school lost and found.  Son discoveres all 3 missing shoes!  Mom is happy.  Son is happy. 

Son has only been in school for four weeks.  Please stay tuned for the next episode of the Battle of the Shoes in the weeks to come, and kindly add Mom to your prayer list.

Landry...Class of 2011!

Landry is officially a FIRST GRADER! Amazing!

In 2002, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Due to the treatments that I received, the doctors told me that I most likely would not have any more children. I was devastated. Avery and Riley brought us so much happiness, but my heart longed for one more.

In November of 2004, the Lord showed that He grants me the desires of my heart, and Landry Clark Presson made us a family of five!

I was weepy (surprise, surprise) the entire day of his graduation. I kept thinking of how life would be without him running through my house, and how quiet it would be without his constant chatter. He has brought us so much joy, in the truest sense of the word. He makes me LAUGH each and every day. He gives love and hugs freely and often. He is our miracle boy, and growing so quickly. I was saddened by how fast the past six years have flown. How many times have I said, “If only time wouldn’t go so quickly, if only he could stay little just a bit longer, if only…”

However, Landry relishes all of his growing up moments. He did a great job walking across the stage and receiving his diploma! We had a fun graduation party at my parents along with family and family-like friends. He was VeRy excited about his big night, and proved this with much running, jumping, silliness, and of course, HUGS!

A few of the latest lines by Landry that have given us a chuckle…

"It was really thundering and lightening at school this morning. I am glad no one was wearing tinfoil clothes!”

After capping a bowl of strawberries with my handy dandy Pampered Chef decapper and leaving them on the counter, I hear Landry yell, "Mom, someone has taken a bite out of EVERY SINGLE one of our strawberries!!"

"It does not matter if you put the cereal in first or the milk, but it does matter if you have a bowl or not." This was said to Aunt Lisa after spending the night with her.

Avery and Clark were discussing an upcoming Science Fair Project in which they planned to build 2 bridges out of Popsicle sticks. Landry’s comment, “How are we going to eat that many Popsicles??”

Congratulations Landry! Mama & Daddy are so proud of you and we love you SO much!

Things With Wings

The day finally arrived, August 16, 2010. Landry has been counting down the days, hours, minutes until this wonderful event of KINDERGARTEN! I have known it was getting closer and have been trying to be excited with him, but to be truthful I have not been excited. It is one complete chapter closed in my life of Motherhood. I know Avery and Riley have both been to kindergarten. It is not something new for me to go through, but yet there was always Landry still doing the “baby” things! And now all of the baby moments are fully behind me, and my heart is saddened by that. I have ALL big boys now.

Many of you that know me personally, know that I have been on an emotional roller coaster as of late, and the tears have been flowing freely for many different reasons! Last week I opened the mailbox to find a postcard from Landry’s teacher telling him she was looking forward to having him in her class. Of course, this set me off again. Avery began begging me to please stop crying because he just couldn’t stand to see me cry anymore. Thus, I have been trying to hold it in for those few moments when I am alone.

Today, Landry looked so big in his desk with his little plaid shirt and new transformer tennis shoes. He was so proud of himself. He got his crayons out and began to color the butterfly paper his teacher gave him. Butterflies were so appropriate for that moment…butterflies are things with wings. Wings give freedom. Wings give a chance to discover new things, go new places. Wings give encouragement to leave the nest.

As much as it hurts me to think about, I know that the Lord has also given my three sons wings. I recently watched one mother cry as her only daughter discovered her wings and walked down the aisle to meet her new husband. This morning, I cried with another mother whose son is spreading his wings and going to college at the end of this week. I watched my now 4th grader roll his eyes when I tried to kiss him goodbye, and looked into my now 7th graders eyes as he silently pleaded with me NOT to take his picture in his new classroom. Wings not only give freedom and discovery, but they also bring about much change. But, like that butterfly that struggles out of it’s cocoon to unfurl its new found freedom, wings bring life and beauty. Wings make the world a new place of wonder. So, as I begin on this elementary trek with my youngest son, I am going to do my best to encourage Landry to experience all that he can and to spread those wings! I have high hopes that they will always fly him back to his Mama!

Adieu August...

Another month is at its end. Avery and Riley started school last Monday. Although we enjoyed every second of summer, it felt wonderful to get back into a real schedule again. Avery is in the 6th Grade (Sis. McCreary) and Riley is in 3rd Grade (Sis. Triplett), at Apostolic Christian Academy. They are growing so quickly. I am proud of the young men they are becoming. I pray Clark and I can raise them to be stable and steadfast in the truth. Avery made the JV Flag Football Team. He is the smallest guy out there, but in his mind he is BIG stuff!

Our Praisen’tations Choir (2 yrs – 5yrs.) sang last Wednesday night. Landry has definitely overcome his fear of singing in front of a crowd!

Two of our Homebuilder Connect Groups had a traveling dinner. I served the main course at our house. Menu: Strawberry Spinach Salad, Spicy Chicken Spaghetti and Cheesy Garlic Bread.


I went a little Fall Crazy during a visit at Hobby Lobby. The 50% off fall items screamed “Make an arrangement!” Of course,I obeyed. One does not say “no” to Hobby Lobby. Even the PPP must give in!




My Dad is still suffering with severe case of Meniere’s disease. I have not seen him this sick since his colon cancer in 1997. It is so hard to see him like this…such a helpless feeling. However, the Lord has been reminding me of his faithfulness both in scripture and in song. He is my constant comfort…I need a faith that NOTHING can shake. Even when I do wonder why, I can endure with a faith like that – even if I never find out why! (recent devotion book nugget.)

May you have a blessed week. I’m looking forward to seeing just what God is going to do in our lives!

Points to Ponder
“Be strong and courageous…
For the Lord your God goes with you:
He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6