Christmas Morning in Photos...

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!

This was our first Christmas season staying in Winston. Last year's snow storm just did us in for a while! Irony of it is we still ended up in snow... HERE!

The grandparents sent gifts, gift cards, and money ahead of time this year. We wanted to make sure their gifts were special to the kids, so we decided to do the grandparents gifts on Christmas Eve. We are so very glad we did! The kids really enjoyed having an evening to celebrate their family back home!

My Letter...

My Favorite Christmas Picture of Mom and Dad - 1998
Devin on the left, Kayleigh on the right. Mom is holding baby Chase on the left, and baby Jake on the right. Dad holding Samantha.

Dear Mom,

It's been another year of craziness in our house. The kids have grown so much in so many ways! So hard to believe that in just a few years they'll start going off to college. You'd be so very proud of them! Devin's taking such a love of Jesus and ministry, Kayleigh's artistic talents blow us away every day, Chase's smile continues to light up a room in a heartbeat, and Paige is so full of life and love! Each of them remind me of you in their own way... that's how I know that you are right here with us!

Last night was our annual Christmas dinner with the kids, then we came home to open a few gifts. Tonight we'll be heading out to Tanglewood's Festival of Lights and then come home to read the story of Baby Jesus before heading to bed. Tomorrow morning will be full of smiles, memories, tears, and love as we enjoy this Christmas and remember Christmas's of past with you.

This year is a bit more special... I really felt it upon my heart to do something for the kids from you. Though it's something very, very small, it's something the kids will KNOW is from you and I'm sure it will make them smile! I never ever want a Christmas to go by where we all don't remember how much we enjoyed Christmas with you!

I miss you more than words can say and oh, what I wouldn't give for one more Christmas right here by your side! But, I know I have many more Christmas's by your side when we are reunited in Heaven someday.

Until then, we'll hang on to every last memory of you and continue to tell the kids how special you were and still are!

Love always,

Michelle

Kids are Loving It!

Chase and Paige are LOVING this snow! By 10am they were begging to go outside... so we bundled them up Casto style... cord tights, then jammie pants, then blue jeans, 2 pair of socks, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, gloves, hats, scarves, and winter coats! No doubt they were warm!!! And... they had fun!

Yep... We Got Snow!

Woke up this morning to lots of the white fluffy stuff! The yard is still and quiet... so pretty! Have to admit... I love looking out at it all!



Final snow total...

Naughty or Nice?

OK... so I stole this from Kristen who stole this from Renee! Feel free to steel it form me!

Are you on Santa's Naughty or Nice List?

Michael: Still very much on nice list, but must continue good behavior. Should eat more vegetables instead of junk food. Was very polite last Thursday! When doing chores, needs to do them as well as possible. Often exhibits good behavior.

Michelle: Has been nice most of the year (not just near Christmas)! Makes others happy. Could share a little more, however. Politeness is sometimes very good. Can be great listener.

Devin: Overall, niceness outweighs naughtiness. Was good a lot last month! Politeness often good, but has room for improvement. Could help around house more instead of watching so much TV. Expected to move even higher up "nice" list.

Kayleigh: Overall, niceness outweighs naughtiness. Was good a lot last month! Politeness often good, but has room for improvement. Could help around house more instead of watching so much TV. Expected to move even higher up "nice" list.

Chase: Much more nice than naughty. Can be very thoughtful. Has improved cleanliness, which I like. Could take better care of toys. Says "thank you" often, but still not as much as I would like. Good mood often spreads to others. Hopefully, will keep up the good work!

Paige: Nice, but has been naughty at times. Neatness and politeness have been very good over the last two weeks. Shows proper respect for others. Shares well, but could always be better. With a little more effort could be near top of "nice" list.

Have to agree with Kristen... Santa's pretty right on!!!

Winter Wonderland!!!

We've heard many "winter storm watches" come and go since we moved to North Carolina nearly 4 years ago... usually we laugh! The city literally shuts down at a single snowflake! Remember this Winter Blast 2009 post where we got a whole inch and a half? Or, even funnier yet... this Snow Storm of 2008 post? Even the kids have gotten several chuckles out of what panics people down here!

But this time... well... this time is different! Something about the winter storm watch made us think we may really get something this go around. Just had a "feeling". I even went out last night and bought a snow shovel... something we haven't owned since we moved here!!! Have to admit, I was kind of hoping that if I bought the shovel we wouldn't even get a flake!

Well, around 11am today we saw the first snowflake and by noon it was coming down steady, but not too bad... but then...

This was at 4:30pm

This was at 5:30pm

This was at 7:30pm

This is was at 9:30pm!

9:30pm, 6 inches, and it's STILL coming down!!! Weather.com is predicting 10-15 inches by the time it's over tomorrow afternoon...

Stay tuned!!!

It's Christmas Cookie Time!!!!

Some of my favorite memories of my Mom are baking obscene quantities of Christmas cookies with her while she would sing and dance to Andy Williams and Patti Page Christmas albums. She would make dozens upon dozens of cookies and freeze them up... then we'd have cookies for months after Christmas!

I've been doing the same thing with my kids for several years, and the chaos has begun! Currently we have 8 dozen chocolate chip, 8 dozen oatmeal raisin, 6 dozen buckeyes, 6 dozen peanut butter kisses, and 8 dozen snickerdoodles all in the freezer and we've had so much fun making them!

I hope that my kids enjoy it as much as I used to - and someday they'll pass this tradition on down to their kids!

Better Late Than Never!

I'm just now getting around to going through the Thanksgiving pictures! We spent Thanksgiving with the Hobecks this year. Worked out great - we split the cooking. Jim made one of the BEST turkey's ever by dry brining then grilling it! Add that to the mashed potatoes I made and Jen's potato rosemary rolls, as well as everything else and we were STUFFED!

Devin spent most of the day on the couch sleeping off a horrible cough... but we did manage to capture a few good shots of him! The other kids were all smiles and had a blast playing all evening.

We had a great time with good friends and are very thankful for all we've been given and for the opportunity to have such good friends so close to us!

We Must Have Crazy Genes!!!

Devin's been having trouble with his hands and wrists for several years. Over the last year it's gotten worse causing his hands to "lock up" and sometimes dislocate in an odd fashion. He finally had enough and asked us if he could see a doctor. Took him a few weeks ago and they x-ray'd both hands... next thing we knew we had 2 doctors reviewing the x-rays, then they called in a special radiologist! We knew something was up - then the orthopedic doctor said he wanted to consult with a pediatric hand doc because it appeared his Hamate and Capitate bones in his wrist were fused in both hands, and his ulna is longer than the radius in both hands, jamming it up even more.

Well - got a phone call today - seems the 2 doctors we saw a few weeks ago met with the pediatric hand doctor as well as a hand surgeon. They decided it is best for Devin to see the hand surgeon before Christmas and worked him in next Wednesday. Not sure what to expect... but he's a bit nervous.

The x-ray above is NOT Devin's, but it is what Devin's x-rays look like. I have circled the area on each that is supposed to be TWO bones, but you can see how they are fused as one. They explained that this is a congenital deformity... hmmm.... his brother Chase has his first and second ribs fused together too! The concern is that the way his ulna is jamming up into the wrist - the wrist bones don't have much room to move around properly - therefore "jamming" and causing pain. This could potentially lead to more serious damage in the hand, forearm, upper arm, or even shoulder. With him only being 16... now is the time to fix it!

Ughh!

Anyhow... again... never a dull moment around here!

My Turn to "Give More"

One of the steps in the Advent Conspiracy that I posted about yesterday is to "Give More", and I've taken the first step... a big one for me of you know how terrified of needles I am! LOL!

We have too many friends affected by cancer. 2 close friends and 1 "web" friend from a prayer blog are affected by Leukemia to be specific.

First - Baby Dylan received a bone marrow transplant at just a few months old! Could you imagine having a brand new baby and being told he has Leukemia? Wow! This family has remained faithful to God and prayer, and they are taking their baby HOME this week after a successful transplant! Praise God! We will continue our prayers for ongoing health of Dylan, and healing of the hearts for his parents!

Second - My dear friend Kristen's little boy Ethan has been dealt quite a hand. Ethan has Down Syndrome, Autism, is unable to verbally communicate, AND had Leukemia! He also cancer free and so full of life! I absolutely loves spending time with Ethan and his smile lights up my day when it's been a rough one!

Third - A friend of ours from church (one of our pastor's wives) is on her way to California tonight to be with her Dad, who had a bone marrow transplant the day before Thanksgiving. We are all praying for 100% donor cells over the coming weeks and praying for strength for their family during these very difficult days as his body adjusts to the new cells.

These things could not have happened without someone who took the time to donate bone marrow, and it couldn't be any simpler!!! The National Bone Marrow Donor Program has an online registry that takes less than 5 minutes. Then, they will send you a kit of 4 swabs to swab your mouth with. You send it back and they'll register you to save a life!

Please, join me in registering! What a better gift to give... Life!

After All.... It's all about HIM!

I came across something called Advent Conspiracy on another blog. After reading it and thinking about it... I'm committing to it!

The ideas of the Advent Conspiracy are simple:

1. Worship Fully - enter the season with the passion to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus!

2. Spend Less -be committed to buy just one less gift this season... just one.

3. Give More - give more time to your loved ones as a gift... write a letter to a loved one far away, spend a night baking with the kids or doing holiday crafts, talk about holiday memories with your family.

4. Love All - Love like never before. After all, isn't that what He did for us! Reach out to those in need with resources, prayer, and love.

Join us this season by worshiping and celebrating the REASON for the season... the birth of Jesus! Spend one less gift, therefore giving yourself more time to spend with loved ones one-on-one and more time to love and reach out to all those in need!

In the end... it will be a blessing to all those around you!

Merry Christmas!

What We Are Thankful For

We are thankful for:

• Family, friends, and loved ones near and far
• Health and happiness
• Our children and the joy they bring us each and every day
• Our jobs in a time when they are hard to find
• A fabulous church family
• Teachers that take their lives to help mold our children
• A roof over our head and the clothes on our back
• My Moms everlasting presence in our lives
  
• God's grace that carries us even in the worst of times when we feel we are alone

What are YOU thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

What a Day!!!

After a crazy morning at work, I left at 12:30 to meet Mike and Chase at Comp Rehab to see how his leg was healing. He giggled so hard when the tech sawed off the cast... then off to x-ray we went before we saw the doctor. Finally - we got the news we were waiting for... it looks great! We did find out that Chase has yet another strange medical anomaly... he has an extra bone on the back of his foot above his heel... they said it's a congenital thing!

Anyhow - Chase has been upgraded to an air-cast. But, Comp Rehab was OUT of them!!! They tracked one down at Bio-Tech across town. As we were getting ready to go that way - Devin started texting us to come get him at school, he was sick. So - I went with Chase and Mike went to get Devin. Devin then texted me again saying he was non-stop coughing and had a hard time catching his breath. I then scheduled doctor's appointment number 2!

Off to Biotech I went with Chase, got his air-cast, then ran home to get Devin while Mike handled Paige's parent-teacher conference. By the time we got to the doctor's office, Devin was in tears with back pain that had come in fairly suddenly - and the more he coughed the worse it got! They immediately put a mask on him thinking he had the flu and then took us to a room.

Once in the room it was clear he was hurting bad! The doctor came in and checked everything from lungs to kidneys! Poor kid had quite the look over and the lay down, get up, sit up, lay back down... which had him at above an 8 out of 10 in pain! No longer was he amused with ANYTHING!

In the end - they said he's got a good case of asthmatic bronchitis and they aren't sure what's causing the back pain. He's on inhalers, medicines, and anti-inflammatories to help. So far - the back pain is better, but the inhalers and meds aren't touching the cough. Been a long time since we've seen him like this!

So, let's back up to Paige's conference that Mike went to. Said her behavior is "improving". Mrs. Williams told Mike she's not sure if Paige is just finally getting acclamated to her, or if she's just now getting acclamated to Paige, but they're on the right path now! She did say Paige is quite strong-willed (not MY duaghter!), but she's also quite smart!

Mike's at work now, and I'm finally home eating my box of chocolates! I think I deserve that... don't you?!?

So Excited for Kayleigh!

Last week I posted HERE about Kayleigh winning the Reflections Project titled "Beauty Is" for this photo collage of children who have Down Syndrome.

Last night was the certificate presentation at Reagan High School. Kristen Faulkner is the parent of one of the little boys, Ethan, in the photo collage (top left in the red). Kristen went with us to the school and is so excited for Kayleigh as well. She even posted about it HERE on her blog!


Kayleigh's photo collage will no go on to county where it will be judged with other photos submitted from other schools in our area, then from there it goes on to state if she wins the county.

I'm so very proud of her for the heart she has for kids!

And thank you to Kristen, Lisa, and Kim for allowing Kayleigh to photograph your beautiful children!

Tis the Season...

You know your family loves you when they dig out Christmas stuff from the attic and help you decorate two weeks BEFORE Thanksgiving! After church Sunday we got started and the kids friend, Alexis, even came to help!


Mike took his "spot" handing out ornaments after the tree was up...


Paige was entertained for quite some time with bubble wrap... Kayleigh liked the shiny sparkly things!

Devin helped too, but he ran from the camera all day!

Then, it was Chase's turn to put the angel on top. But - that posed a problem... how does a kid with a broken leg get up high enough without breaking the other leg? Well... like this...


And how does he get down? How about like this...

In the end we had a great day and the tree looks fantabulous! Don't you agree?

Too Blessed To Be Stressed!

Remember my "Go God!" post from last year? Well, tonight was the 2009 Ladies Banquet, and again, I was blessed to be able to go with 3 of my coworkers; Jalaine, Tricia, and Beth. The speaker, Alice Kemp DeWitt, was fantastic!

Alice spoke about stress... Let me start by saying this lady has been through more than I could EVER possibly imagine! Her marriage of 20 years ended, after that her son died in an accident going to buy diapers for his 3 day old daughter, she was beaten and raped after a church event, got remarried to a man that was a fake and had her buried in debt after she signed her name to the dotted line, the list goes on and on.

She started by telling us all to remember that Stressed is nothing more than Desserts spelled backwards... so when we are stressed we must ALWAYS look for the dessert we get in the end!

So... how do we deal with stress?

Well, 10% of our life is what happens to us... the other 90% is how we react to what happens to us! Makes sense, doesn't it?

Think about it a minute....

There are 24 hours in a day, right? Well, my morning at work yesterday consisted of a 2 hour meeting with my boss that I was not real thrilled with AT ALL! She left, and I was STRESSED! The rest of the day I was miserable and was determined that nothing was going to make my day better. That 2 hour meeting... that 10% of my day made the other 90% of my day just awful!

So - how do we fix it? Four simple steps.... and I do mean SIMPLE!

1) Motivation
You have to WANT to make it better!
Quit blaming others for where you are in your life that's causing you stress!
Get motivated and GO where you want to GO!

2) Humor!
Laughter is God's natural healing gift to us!
Laughter is NEVER unfaithful and always makes you feel better

Besides, she says that when you hold in laughter the air you would let out laughing goes to your belly and makes it bigger! You are MUCH prettier with that smile on your face than that extra air in your belly!

3) Tears
Tears are God's way of eliminating all that stress!
When you see a man crying, you are seeing a very strong man!
Did you know that females living longer than men is actually attributed to CRYING!

4) Communication
No complaining, no belly aching
50% of those you complain to don't really care!
The other 50%.... they think you deserve your troubles when all you do is complain
Honest, open communication will keep stress of holding it in and hiding things away

So - during these stressful times, remember that our Lord is ALWAYS with us!! Our life is always worth living. Trust in HIM because there is ALWAYS dessert in the end when we do... that dessert... our Salvation in Heaven!

Want to know why she says even after all she's been through? She says she's to blessed to be stressed!

That marriage that ended abruptly after 20 years? Her dessert was her children that love her and care for her each and every day.

Losing a son in a tragic accident? Her dessert was that 3 day old baby granddaughter that she has been able to watch and grow and tell stories about her son to.

Being beaten and raped? Her dessert is all the young rape victims she's able to counsel and pray with that stand up strong and are able to face their attackers.

The financial ruin she experienced at the hands of her 2nd marriage? Her dessert is a closeness to her daughter like she could never imagine after they moved in together while she rebuilt her life.

Remember... we get caught up in the stress of every day life and material things that don't matter. We really are "Too Blessed to Be Stressed!"

Congratulations Kayleigh (& Ethan, Ava & Ryan!)

A while ago, I posted here about Kayleigh entering a Reflections Project contest entitled 'Beauty Is'. She chose to photograph 3 children from our church who have Down Syndrome, seeing the beauty in them beyond their diagnosis. This photograph collage is what she submitted for the project.

Well.... we are so very proud to announce that SHE WON! We'll be attending an awards banquet Monday night where she will be presented with her award and certificate. From here it will go to the county level, and then if she wins, on to state.

Kayleigh, we are very very proud of you and of your love for these little miracles!

And also congratulations to Ava, Ethan, and Ryan!!! Your captivating smiles and personalities are truly what Beauty Is!!!

Remember Little Elijah?

Mike and I had the opportunity to met Elijah Daniel and his parents, Dan and Megan, last February. He's the cutest!!

Anyhow - he's having a heart cath tomorrow morning to see how his heart is functioning since his last open heart surgery, and to see when he may need his next open heart surgery.

Please keep this little man in your prayers tomorrow, as well as his parents.

Happy Birthday Sweet Paige!

Paige Olivia
Just hours after birth
November 7, 2002

7 Years ago today was the scariest day of our lives! We were about to welcome our youngest daughter into this world, at 30 weeks gestation... just over 9 weeks premature. We were laying all the Faith we had in God to guide the hands of the doctors and nurses that day, and to take care of our new little princess and to get me through the difficult surgery. That He did!!

Today, she is an amazing, gorgeous, sweet, brilliant, funny little 7 year old girl that we grow more proud of every day. She truly is our little miracle and we are forever thankful for God's grace and healing touch for her to be a part of our family!

Happy Birthday Sweet Paige!

Another Day In the Life...

Chase got hurt last period of the day yesterday in PE playing football. A kid grabbed Chase's ankle as they were going down and it "popped". The teacher packed it in ice and sent him home on the bus telling the bus driver to take Chase to our driveway... normally he has 1/2 mile walk. Get this - NO ONE CALLED US! Chase hopped in the house sobbing! Made some phone calls to docs and decided to wait to see ortho today - was fairly certain that it wasn't broke, just sprained badly. This morning - called the school to complain only to find out the teacher didn't even report it to the office!!! The principal called me back apologizing over and over again assuring me that "corrective action would be taken with the teacher" because their policy is to not send a child home with an injury. Took Chase to ortho at 3pm... I was wrong... IT'S BROKE IN THE GROWTH PLATE!!!!! So - he's now sporting a lovely blue cast and is quite proud of it!!


We weren't home 10 minutes and heard a bloody scream from the bathroom... Paige slammed her thumb in the door and yep... IT'S BROKE!

So... I just popped a Woodchuck Amber Cider to chill out for the night! Though I've been told I better be careful how much I drink... might have to take someone else to the ER at the rate we're going!!!

18 Years Ago Today...

I married my high-school sweetheart...
my best friend...
the love of my life!

Happy Anniversary, Michael!

Congratulations Uncle Ryan and Hillary

Looks like we have another wedding to attend next spring.. On June 19th, Mike's step-brother Ryan will be marrying Hillary! She spent Saturday with us and the kids got to know her pretty quickly! Especially the younger 2 girls, Paige and Anna.

Welcome to the family, Hillary!

Hillary with her soon to be nieces: Anna, Paige, and Kayleigh

Happy Halloween!!

Paige the Purple Witch

Chase... Scream!

We trick-or-treated in Mike's hometown of Payne, OH this year with all the cousins, aunts, and uncles! The kids had a blast and they all looked so great! We were also able to see old friends as they came by.

After trick-or-treat, Mike's Dad had a bonfire and cookout for the family. We are so glad to have been able to spend this time with our family!

The Lyons Family!!!

All of Mike's siblings were home with their families for Halloween. Perfect opportunity for a photo op!!

Nephew Zach (Bill and Tricia's) in the Basketball shirt. Mike’s sister Tricia holding my nephew Ethan and her husband Bill behind her.

Devin is leaning on me. Mike is in the Wake Forest jacket on the couch with Chase beside him.

Mike’s brother Jason standing behind him holding our niece Anna (Jarrick and Anita’s) and my nephew Jack (Jarrick and Anita’s) sitting in front of Chase.

Kayleigh is sitting on the couch holding Paige.

Mike’s sister Anita in the grey sweater and her husband Jarrick behind her.

God Is Good!!

(Dad and I before surgery)

Dad's surgery went GREAT! The surgeon was very please with how things looked and recovery has been going great as well. My step-Mom is his own private nurse!

Dad's back to his ornery self... and we all love it!

(Cassie helping Dad, right after surgery)

Concert Night...

Kayleigh's first concert of her sophomore year was Tuesday night, before we left for our trip. She's now in Symphonic Band, and was asked to play with the High School Orchestra as well. As always, Reagan High School did a great job!

(Kayleigh and Matt after the concert)

Tanglewood Family Photoshoot

We had a great time at Tanglewood Park with Avery Loclear, a young talented photographer, on Saturday. Here's just a few of the photos we had done... to see them all click HERE.

Join Me In Praying for Eva...

A few years ago I was told of Eva, a young girl with CF who was quickly running out of days to find donor lungs. But she did, and she recovered so well! She has always remained positive and encouraging to others, and has been determined to LIVE life, REGARDLESS of any medical condition.

Over time, I stopped reading her blogs and updates, but recently felt led to search her again... only to find out she's in chronic rejection and needs to find a donor FAST! Despite this downlide in her health, she continues to smile and live life. She is such an inspiration to all those walking a journey with serious illness.

Please take the time to visit her blog "65 Red Roses" and leave her words of encouragement. These words and prayers are what's getting her through day to day!

Thank you!

No Longer a Fender Bender Virgin

Mike sums it up perfectly: You know it's not going to be a good conversation when your son calls and says "I need some advice" and you retort of "Don't eat the yellow snow" is met with... "I need you to be serious for a moment" in a serious tone!

Devin was backing out of Starbucks tonight and wasn't looking... backed right into a lady in driving through the parking lot! He was with the youth pastor, who kindly stayed with him while they waited for the police department and made sure he stayed calm. I think he was scared to death to come home to us!


Fortunately - the dent is fairly small and all is well. Devin wasn't cited, just got his first official police report!

This Flu Stinks!

Today is day 4 of the flu for me and let me tell you... it stinks! I woke up just exhausted and worn out Sunday and by Sunday evening had the chills and knew it was coming. Monday it hurt to even touch my skin with my own hands and I couldn't stay awake for more than 30 minutes! Simply miserable! So I gave in and called the doctor yesterday only to be told "we are asking patients with flu symptoms to stay home, drink plenty of fluids, and rest". Uhhh? What? No miracle cure? What's that all about?!?

I do feel a little better today and made my goal to stay awake all day, even if it's lounging around. Got up and took a shower, sorted laundry and started a load, then fixed breakfast. Man... after that I was DONE for the day! Where did my energy go and when do I get it back?

OK... done with my pity party!

Go Paige!

Mark 8:38 says "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Received a phone call today from the school. Seems Paige got in trouble for talking to the other children about God before class. Her teacher overheard her and asked her to stop, Paige questioned the teacher and became frustrated, the teacher continued to tell her that she couldn't talk about God in school so Paige threw her bookbag on the floor. We were politely asked to please let our daughter know that it is not appropriate to talk about God in school. Hmmmmm.....

Will we be punishing or reprimanding Paige? Absolutely not!

But how do you explain to a first grader that she can love the Lord at home, just not at school? How ridiculous does that sound?!?

I posted this on a forum with many other Moms... here's just a few of the responses:

From Jody: "Go Paige Go!"

From her Grandpa Casto: "Taking religion out of school is not right in my mind"

From my friend Kate: "No one complains when other kids or teachers talk about their religion of carbon footprints, global warming, tolerance, gay marriage, tree hugging, etc etc etc. Go Paige!!"

From my friend Randy: "Very proud of Paige for being frustrated to have her voice silenced."

and From my friend Cheryl: "Paige, Jesus is so proud of you! Way to get them thinking about God!!"

So from all that.. I think my conversation will start with "Paige, Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you for not being afraid to talk about Jesus." From there... I will let our God take the lead.

God's Timing Is ALWAYS Perfect!

When I learned about 6 weeks ago that Dad would need surgery to replace his AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) I immediately started to prepare to head to Ohio. Nothing with Dad is ever simple and there was no way I was letting him have the surgery without me being there.

Before they could schedule surgery, they wanted to run some chemical stress tests to be sure nothing else needed done. This was done on Monday of this week. By Tuesday the cardiologist called and said everything looked as good as can be and he's in good health right now. He does have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (we knew this), some "grey" areas of heart muscle damage (again, we knew this), and his heart is functioning at 51% which is fabulous for him!!!!

So - as a result of these tests and after talking to him, we decided that I would not go to Ohio for the surgery that we assumed would take place in the next week or so, and I would see him in 3 weeks during an already scheduled trip. This was a very difficult decision for me. After losing my Mom when she was so young, I'm afraid of losing my Dad before his time, and even more afraid that something will happen to him and I won't make it there in time. But - I forgot - I'm not in charge of things like this and apparently, I'm meant to be there...

Dad called yesterday to tell me that his surgery is scheduled for October 29th... the day we're going to be there!!!! I felt such a sense of relief that I can actually be there for him!!! I hung up the phone and cried again (b/c I'm a big cry baby!).

So very thankful that God's timing and God's plan is always in place and that He has opened the door for me to be by my Daddy's side.

It's Dixie Classic Fair Time!!!

We absolutely love the Dixie Classic Fair! After all, it's the 50th largest fair in North America, and the 2nd largest fair in North Carolina! There's lots to do, see, watch, listen to, and eat!

This year was no different! Devin and Kayleigh volunteered with our church youth group doing trash pick-up Wednesday night. What a task! We were quite proud of them for stepping up and doing it! And, if you think it's a time for socializing, let me tell you otherwise! These kids are with youth leaders and are on the food court side of things, not allowed to cross over into the midway area! Devin is even going back all day Saturday to do it again!

While they were cleaning up the trash, Mike and I spent the evening with Chase and Paige watching them ride the rides and pet the animals! So much fun and such great memories! Paige has officially become a big girl and LOVED the bigger rides, especially the ones that flipped upside down!!! No fear in that child! I would say to Chase "stay with your sister, hold her hand if she needs it" and she was pushing him away!

As for Mike and I... we went for the food! He enjoyed deep fried veggies and shared some of Paige's cotton candy. Probably snuck a bite of Chase's deep fried 3 Musketeer too! Me... I look forward to the deep fried mushrooms every year and they did not disappoint!


Kayleigh and Devin were able to both go back to the fair on other days with their friends. Kayleigh even rode some of the rides this year! She and Andrea also go their faces painted! Very cute!!


So, now, we wait and look forward to next year's Dixie Classic Fair!!

Beauty Is...

Kayleigh is participating in a district-wide Reflections Project called "Beauty Is...". After researching what was required she knew in her heart what she wanted to do...

These are photos she took over the weekend and she is compiling them into a collage for "Beauty Is...". These children are children that we go to church with and they all have Down Syndrome. These children are truly what beautiful is all about! Their smiles light up a room, their giggles will make you giggle, and their love will just melt your heart.

We are very proud of Kayleigh for acting on what God has layed upon her heart to do. To show the world that beauty is truly in ALL children, regardless of disability.

And... what a better time for Kayleigh to choose these children for her project. October is National Down Syndrom Awareness Month. Many communities have their "Buddy Walk" scheduled during this month and these three families are participating in Forsyth County's next Saturday. Click on Buddy Walk to see how you can help!

I Guess It's That Time Again...

I hate fall asthma and allergy season. Paige has had a funny cough all week long that we were hoping would just stay a cough. But tonight... she's on the couch sleeping off a 101.2 fever. Can't we just fast-forward to spring?

Look at this Sweet Face!!!

Chloe Elizabeth
September 17, 2009
7 pounds 14.8 ounces 20 inches long

I'm soooooooooo excited for our friends Rick and Marli!! After 8 years of trials, heartache, pain, hope, and lots of faith... Chloe Elizabeth is HERE!

She sure made a grand entrance and was even more of a miracle than any of us can ever understand! She had something called Velementous Cord Insertion with a near Vasa Previa. Typically, these babies are stillborn, or death occurs during delivery. Very scary stuff!

Chloe is here though... she is a true gift from God to a dear sweet Mom and Dad who have had faith that they would be parents. Little does she know yet, how much she is loved by so many!!

This Bites!

Well... something bites anyhow!

Chase came downstairs last night saying he was itchy on his back and felt a bug bite. We looked, and it looked sort of like a swollen mosquito bite so we put some anti-itch cream on it and off to bed he went.

Tonight, I got home and Mike left for work. Mike wasn't gone 5 minutes and Chase asked me for more cream because his back was itchy and it burned. I looked and FREAKED out! I called a friend whose husband (a pharmacist) was closeby. He stopped and suggested we head to urgent care to get it checked out tonight. So, we did.

After an hour in the waiting room, then a half hour in the exam room, they finally came in and took a look. After taking a culture of it and examining it more than once he finally determined it is a spider bite, but he was unable to identify what KIND of spider. Gave us a script for a topical steroid cream and said to watch it closely, then sent us on our merry way.

I've been searching the internet all night looking for something similar. The closest is the brown recluse but I'm not convinced of it. Devin had a brown recluse bite a few years back and it was the most NASTY thing I have EVER seen or dealt with. Looked horrible within 8 hours and took months to heal. This doesn't seem to be that rampant.

I guess we just wait and see... he's lathered in cream and covered with a light bandage for bed. Hoping in the morning it at least looks a bit better!

Never a dull moment around here...

Circle of Life...

My very dear friend, Marli, is in the hospital tonight. She's having her labor induced and hopefully, we'll be welcoming baby Chloe Elizabeth into the world sometime tomorrow. This is a joyous ending after 8 years of heartache and infertility. We're so very excited for her and Rick!

At the very same time, a blogger friend is slowly saying goodbye to her little girl, Annette. Annette was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in December of last year. After months of surgeries, treatments, and hospitalizations, she's now 11 months old and going Home to be with Jesus soon.

Please, shower both of these families with love and prayers during what I can only imagine to be very emotional times.

Happy Birthday Marli!

Today is my good friend Marli's birthday. Her doctor gave her her present this year... news that she will be induced to have baby Chloe TOMORROW NIGHT! I'm so excited, yet so nervous for her! Can't wait to meet sweet Chloe in a few days!!

If you have a moment, shower her with prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby!

Love Our Backyard Bonfires!

We love backyard bonfires... especially with great friends! Sunday evening we enjoyed the fire, food, and friendship with the Hobecks!

Mike attempted to get the fire started on his own with some sticks, but it didn't get going so well...

Before too long we had both Jim and Mike working on the fire while Jen and I just watched... and laughed!

While we were waiting we decided to have some fun with self snapshots!! This was Kayleigh and I's...

Finally... a fire!!!

Jake and Chase both helped keep it going... or so they think anyhow!

It wasn't too long before we finally were able to eat!

For a little kid... Jake can sure devour a hotdog in no time!

The girls had a great time too!

In the end it was a fabulous evening! I even learned a new s'more trick... use a Reece Cup instead of Hershey chocolate! Yummy!

Stone Mountain Day Trip

We took a family day trip to Stone Mountain State Park in Northwest North Carolina Sunday after church for a picnic and hike. It was a gorgeous day with perfect 80 degree weather!

Along the trail we saw a big sign that said "Fatalities Have Occurred Here" so we knew we were in for a strenuous workout ahead. After finally reaching the bottom of the Stone Mountain Falls the kids played on the boulders for quite sometime. Mike and Devin disappeared up into the trees. I THOUGHT they were just looking out over the hillside.... NOPE! Seems my brilliant husband and daring son decided they were going to climb to the top of the waterfall!!! Mike admits now that it probably wasn't the smartest thing he's ever done!

Once they recovered from their journey we headed back up the mountain... 392 steps UP the mountain! I thought I was going to die!!! Thank the Lord a bench was placed after every 40-50 steps to sit and rest... because that we did!! Devin beat us to the van and had it nice and cool for us!! Such a good kid!

It was a great day, a great hike, we had great laughs, and just had a great time!

Slideshows From Youth Sunday

These are the 2 slideshows they showed at Youth Sunday.

The first one is Wade Center. This is the mission trip that Devin went on in an underprivileged area of West Virginia. Devin helpd with a soccer camp for kids, as well as went out on worksites to clean and build.

The second is Kayleigh's mission trip, Jerusalem Project. This one was local... they went to homes in need, the food kitchen, and ended with an outreach that was a huge success! Kayleigh and a friend are pictured in the slideshow praying with a boy who devoted his life to Jesus that day.

We're sure you'll spot the pictures of Devin and Kayleigh in the slideshows! The two that bring tears are the one of Devin in the first video at 4 minutes 52 seconds in and the one of Kayleigh in the second video at 4 minutes 36 seconds in. So very proud of both our teenagers!!

Youth Sunday

Today was Youth Sunday at our church. Once a year the youth lead the entire service. They talk about mission trips, give testimonies of how God is working in their life, their praise band performs, they do the ushering and greeting... it's all about them! It is typically standing room only and a big deal for our youth.

Well... Devin was one of 4 who gave his personal testimony during the service this morning. As a parent there is nothing we have enjoyed more than watching him onstage pour his heart out explaining his relationship with Jesus. We were so in awe of the words pouring out of his mouth that we couldn't even cry.

Then, tonight, he gave the entire message at their Youth Service. This is something he's been working on for the last month or so with a friend. His topic... a touchy one for high school kids... how to share the word of Jesus with their peers each and every day without being singled out or pushed away. Wow! He NAILED it!!!

(Devin after Youth Service with his Youth Pastor, Sonny)

Kayleigh also participated in the youth mission trips this summer. One of the photos on the slideshow at the morning Youth Sunday Service was of Kayleigh, a friend of hers, and a little boy with their heads bowed in prayer. Such a beautiful thing to see that she's able to reach out to others unconditionally.

We are so very full of excitement, joy, pride, and so many more emotions! We are very very proud of our kids and can't wait to see what God has in store for them!

Back to School!

The kids all went back to school this week without a problem!

Paige is the only one of the kids that let me take a picture though! She's in first grade this year and very proudly told her teacher "I am NOT a ringleader... I JUST like to be in charge!". Poor Ms. Williams didn't know what to think. She had a great first week, despite having a nasty cold.

Chase is in Middle School this year and is on a modified block schedule. I think it's a great way to transition him into Middle School and he seems to enjoy it. He has the first 2 classes with the same teacher, then the next 2 classes with the same teacher. In the afternoon he has his "elective" courses. The continuity in the main courses will be really beneficial to him.

Devin is a junior and attends the Career Center in the morning for college level AP classes, then heads to Reagan in the afternoons. He has officially taken control of Mike's Honda Accord in order to do this though!! He's enjoying it so far, but has a LOT of homework!

Kayleigh is in her sophomore year at Reagan and so far so good. She's been buried in Algebra already and spends a lot of time studying (as she's always done). She's been bumped to Syphonic Band this year and we're excited to see her progress with that.

As for Mom and Dad... we're trying to figure out a schedule that works for all of us. And, we're exhausted from all of the homework that WE had as parents! You know... forms, forms, forms, oh.... and MORE forms!

Hope everyone else has a great back to school!

A Little Late is Better than Never!

We celebrated Chase's 11th birthday on August 14th. He is such a fun kid and always has the biggest smile despite all he's been through! He has taught such patience, love, and understanding to us and we are having fun with him each and every day!

Chase picked his birthday dinner... lasagna and root beer!

Kayleigh spent the day making him a great big chocolate chip cookie cake that was sooooo yummy!



He hasn't picked his activity for Daddy's Day Out yet (Mike always takes the kids out for a Daddy's Day on their birthday. Very fun tradition if you haven't started one yet!).

Guess we'll wait and see....

Bring the Rain

Mike and I have been married for almost 18 years and what a roller-coaster it has been. We have endured 3 miscarriages, the life threatening illness of our son, premature births, the loss of my Mom and many other loved ones, crazy injuries, heartache, pain, and so much more. I guess you could say we've been through a lot of "rain"... and even more "storms". So many, that if I wasn't living this life myself I wouldn't believe it could all happen to one family.

We sang this song, 'Jesus, Bring the Rain', in church Sunday and it brought me to tears. It's a song about praising God and having Faith, even after all the troubles, heartache and pain in life. After each storm we've endured, we are always stronger in the end we've always gotten through. Believe me, I'm the first to admit there were times when we had given up on God even caring but He was, and is, always there to see us through and it's after the storm is passed that we are able to see how great our God is and how He held our hand through the rain.

So yes... if the pain is what shows us Your great glory and love for us... Jesus, Bring the Rain.

Video Montage of Vacation

We had a fantastic time in Southwest Indiana with the Taylor-Schroeder family! This video sums up our week in pictures!

Enjoy!

Wrap Up of Wrightsville Beach

I cannot begin to put into words how much fun we had at the beach with Mike's Dad & Step-Mom, Judy. We are very very very grateful for the fun weekend they gave us and all the memories that we left with. Here's some pictures to wrap it all up!