A year ago...

Summer has been good this year... as good as it can be under the circumstances... last summer was better. Like I said in my previous post I am doing quite well, not too up and not too down, but I've had some really spontaneous emotional moments along the way. The first year is imaginably the most difficult, one reason being all of "the firsts" you experience. When you get to those firsts you think back to the "lasts"... now namely, our last summer together. Summer was an extremely busy time for us last year. Here is what we were up to about a year ago and the memories that have plagued my mind.... I say plagued like it is a bad thing because it's hard to remember and feel those moments, I know one day they will be good memories to look back on but right now they are mostly painful...however I am thankful we had them.

Susannah was born to our wonderful friends Jonathan and Kristin! We were blessed to be there with them!

Preston and Jonathan took the youth on houseboats for a week! Kristin and I stayed home with the babies. I love this picture because it shows Preston and what he loved to do - read the Bible

We found out we were pregnant with Micah!!

Preston went to Uganda (I'm not on my computer right now so I can't upload a picture of him and the kids - which is driving me crazy cause I do have a good one!)

Uganda had a big impact on his life and he absolutely loved going! He went with a group from church. They went to a school where they helped in several ways; layed some floors down (he got cement in his eye - ouch!), and gave medical attention to the kids. Preston was blessed with the opportunity to teach at their church with a translator which he thought was so cool! And they played and loved those children as much as they possibly could. It was also our anniversary while he was gone, and he didn't forget! He arranged my mom to buy me a dozen roses and surprise me with them:)
This year a group from church went again. The people in Masaka were so blessed by Preston's
ministry there that they wanted to dedicate one of their new dormitory buildings to him! Here is a little report I got back from a good friend,
"More than a 1,000 students, faculty, guests from the local church and staff were present for this moment. And, the Preston C. Newby dormitory is unique among the buildings at the orphanage. There is a plaque emplaced in the building containing Preston's name and it and the building should last long enough to allow your boys an opportunity to visit it and see how their Dad was appreciated and loved!!!
The day of the dedication of the dormitory was very joyous and the celebration went on for nearly two hours!!! Certainly Preston's favorite Bible verse was laid before all those who were present and quite a discussion about what he would want said WAS SAID!!! ("To live is Christ to die is gain")
I cannot wait for the day that the boys and I can see the building for ourselves!


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A year ago, life was just normal, x-box filled nights, bedtime stories with daddy and family time at the park!

How life changes in a year, I am sad our old normal is over, but thankful for the adventures!
Preston planned on going to Uganda this summer, he had no idea that instead he would walk through the gates of Heaven, meet Jesus and find the gain he longed for. He is truly home.
The one thing that has not changed since last summer is my absolute need for Jesus. I am now at a place with Him that is so entirely beautiful. God can use tragedy to draw us near to Him and He has definitely done that with me. I hope that you can draw near to God before tragedy strikes your life because no one can avoid them and you need to be prepared to go through the fire beforehand. God is faithful.

1 Peter 1:6-9