Dear Preston,

I can't believe that you are 12 years old. You have grown so fast and you are now moving from a child to a young man. I am excited to see the plans lay out that God has for you as you enter these teen years and move into adulthood.

I am proud of you in so many areas. I am proud that you have chosen to follow Christ and to be baptized in Him. I am proud that you are recognizing when you have messed up and you are willing to make things right. You amaze me with the inventions you come up with. Your ingenuity astounds me and I know that it is a God given gift. How many 11 years old can make their own zip-line with no help!?! I am so thankful that God has called us to homeschool, so we can feed your creativeness and I get to be fully part of it.

(The zip-line with Preston in the tree.)

God chose you to be the firstborn, which naturally gives you the responsibility of being a leader to your brothers and sister, which flows to others around you. You are a lot like your dad, in that you can bring people in and make them feel comfortable and you know no stranger. This gift will help you connect with so many people now and in your future.

(At Bear Lake, Oct. 2010)

Our Father has created you for a purpose and He has a call on your life, that only you can fulfill. The strengths and gifts He has given you, along with your heart's desire to serve and love Him, will be the key to fulfilling this mission He has for you.

I am excited that you have this get-away with dad. I'm excited about the things you're going to be learning and the choices you will be making. I can't wait until we get to be together as a family on Friday night to celebrate with you!

(July 2010)

With the help of the Holy Spirit in your life and in your dad and I's life, these next few years can be great preparation for adulthood. I have been committed to and will continue to train you in the ways of the Lord, and to support you in all things you have been created to do. I will ALWAYS love you, no matter what!



With Love, Prayers, and Support Always,


Your Momma




(This is a letter that I wrote for Preston for a special weekend that Jeff and he are doing. This weekend is a birthday gift and we are using, from FamilyLife, a Passport2Purity. They will be heading out on Thursday, with lots of fun, snacks and learning planned. On Friday evening the rest of us will join them for a celebration dinner! We've been praying a lot for this weekend and you can pray too, because there could be decisions made by Preston that will direct what kind of path he will follow for the rest of his life, but especially through his teen and college years.)