Paige Avoids the ER on New Years Eve!

Daddy was outside getting the trash can, Mommy was outside putting up a new IU flag; we both heard a blood curdling scream from inside the house . . . Kayleigh hollars "MOM, PAIGE IS HURT BAD THIS TIME!!!!!!!!" We come running in to find that she has broken her finger in a bad way!

She was in the hallway and had her hand around the wall to the living room with the fingers in the hinged side of Chase's bedroom door. Chase didn't know it and shut his door from inside his room by pushing it hard - completely closing her ring finger in the door! It's entirely broke and was smashed thin at the D.I.P. joint (the joint closest to the end of the finger).

With the doc on the phone, I was able to manipulate it a bit and make sure it was straight. Fortunately - because I work in Occupational Therapy and had a clinical rotation in hand therapy - he was ok with me just splinting it. But - she would NOT stop screaming or let me touch it, let alone try to fix it. So - doc said to give her the leftover pain medicine from her surgery.

While the pain meds kicked in I ran to the store for coban wrap, came home, dug out splinting materials, and made her a finger splint. Chase went with me to Walgreens and found a stuffed puppy dog down the toy aisle that he wanted to get her. He feels so bad she got hurt! He cried as much as she did to start with!

She's all fixed up for now and laying on the couch watching TV snuggling with her new puppy. Splint stays on until we go to the pediatrician's office on Wednesday for him to check her out.

Happy New Year To Us (and all of you too!)

A New Pair of PJ Pants

Kayleigh asked for material, patterns, notions, etc. for Christmas. She's taken quite a liking to sewing and designing her own clothes. Up until recently, she's been doing it by hand. She now has a sewing machine (thank you Great-Grandma Eschbach!) and is loving it!

Tonight - it took her 3 hours to make a pair of PJ pants out of the material we got her for Christmas. Devin was ticked - he just finished sewing PJ pants in his Life Skills class - took him 3 weeks!

Anyhow, they turned out super cute! She did a great job! Next project - Paige wants a matching pair!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wow what a morning! Chase got up at 3am to check and be certain Santa came!! I hear he woke up Kayleigh and then went back to sleep around 4am only to get up at 6:30. As always, when the kids got up they were allowed to get in their stockings (gives Mom & Dad more time to sleep!). Around 8am we could smell the coffee, hot chocolate, and cinnamon rolls that Devin had made for us - we knew we couldn't sleep anymore!

After coming upstairs the kids were all quite excited about the gifts. One at a time - they each opened their presents taking turns. Paige's favorite present was her Leapster and Dora game for it. Chase's favorite present was his bow & arrow set (a nerf style - but super cool!). Kayleigh says her favorite present was her earings (go figure!) and Devin says his favorite present is the kickboxing bag.

We'll spend the rest of the day playing with the kids and going outside. Chase got a trainer golf club -so he and Daddy plan to go out back and practice. Paige and I are going to play with the play-doh. Devin's reading his magazine (he got a subscription to Blender) and Kayleigh's planning on practicing with her Wilton cake decorating tips.

We miss all of our friends and family and can't wait to travel back to Ohio next weekend to visit everyone!

Merry Christmas from Michael, Michelle, Devin, Kayleigh, Chase, and Paige

Letter to My Mom

Christmas 1998

One of my favorite Christmas pictures of Mom, Dad, and all the grandkids!

(minus Paige and Abbi of course)

Front: Devin (5), Chase (4 mo), Mom, Jacob (3 mo), Kayleigh (4)

Back: Dad holding Samantha (21 mo)

Dearest Mom,

Here it is Christmas Eve again and I can't help but cry as I always do. I know you're with me, but I miss you so much. The kids are growing so fast and talk of you often. We tell Paige all the time how wonderful you were and she told her friends at school we made gobs of cookies like Grandma used to. She knows your pictures now and says your her Grandma in heaven. Chase gets sad now and then and wonders why you had to leave us so soon. It surprises me how much of you he remembers. But - you were always a special person and anyone whose life you touched remembers you fondly as well.

As the kids open their gifts tomorrow we'll talk about the angels that you gave them and how your gift to them is being an angel walking beside them.

Until we meet again

With Love and Laughter

Michelle

We're Getting the Hang of this Bloggin' Thing!

We're really learning the ropes! Spent lots of time over the last day searching how to add links, quotes, bible verses, formats, and more to make our site a bit more interesting! The kids each gave a little on the right side - I typed what they said. As you can see, the next time they'll be more careful what they say!

Please be sure to stop in and visit the links on the right hand column. They are all things that have touched our lives and are very important to us. My Mom lost a battle with Melanoma on April 13, 2003, leaving us quite passionate about prevention and education. Shortly thereafter, Chase went through a terrifying ordeal with Kawasaki Disease and has an ongoing struggle with High Functioning Autism. Kayleigh watches her sugar very carefully and is very interested in research to fight Juvenile Diabetes.

Anyhow! Hope you all enjoy and continue to check in to keep up with Life in the Lyons Family!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Well - I'm not so sure he's up on the "happy" part - but it is his 36th birthday today! He's been sick all day and insisted on going to work - so tonight - he's absolutely wiped out! He did spend about 30 minutes upstairs when the kids were making cookies and he opened his birthday gifts/cards. The kids picked out a few henleys for the winter season. Paige and Chase made cards for him. Chase even had all the kids in his class sign the card! An added surprise was the math test he put together for Mike to take! Maybe on another night - he's just not up to it tonight . . .

We'll celebrate over the weekend by taking him to dinner and coming home with a DQ ice cream cake.

Cookies, Cookies, and more Cookies!

Over the weekend, the kids cut out and baked all the sugar cookies - 96 of them!!! Tonight, we all were home early enough to get them iced. Kayleigh, Chase, and Paige iced them - Devin was there to taste-test! Only a few more kinds of cookies to make - then we're done - whew! On the upside - we'll be able to pull cookies out of the freezer for the next few months!

Week of Programs!

Hello All!

I posted each night's programs and blog comments in a separate post - so that each child had their own "blog of fame". They all did great this week - with no hysterical fits, nervous nights, or freeze ups on stage! Devin had a track meet that he ran his best time this year at - but we didn't get pictures of that :0( We're so proud of each of our kids!!!

Here's a few extra pics that didn't make each blog.

Paige before her program on Wednesday - very excited!

Chase at Kayleigh's band concert - he had no idea how bored he'd be!

Paige enjoying her cookie for doing such a great job Wednesday!

Chase's faculty dressed up and sang to "12 Days of Christmas!"

And the Christmas Programs Wrap Up with Paige's on Wednesday

Paige's preschool and daycare had their first ever Christmas Program last night. All the kids from infants on up had a part in the evening. The infants had jingle bells on their ankles - the teachers held them and shook their little legs to "Jingle Bells" - it was soooo cute! The toddlers danced with the teachers, the two's tried to sing - but most were in tears scared to death! The threes had more courage and most of them sang "Frosty the Snowman".

Our Paige - and her four year old classmates got to sing 2 songs. Paige Olivia was quite the performer! Hands on her hips, singing loud, and having a good time! Leave it to our daughter to be the show off! Her little friend Cassie (the youngest in the class) was not quite so brave. Had to include her sweet little face in the pictures!

Kayleigh's Christmas Band Concert on Tuesday

On Tuesday night we went to Kayleigh's Christmas band concert. Mike was pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed the concert. Afterwards - he was sure to tell Kayleigh heard every note that SHE and ONLY SHE played! Here's a few pics from her night!

Chase's "From Then 'Till Now" Christmas Program

Monday night was Chase's Christmas program titled "From Then 'Till Now". The school has been open 10 years and done 10 programs, so the kids did 2 songs from each year as well as 2 for this year - yep - you did the math right - we sat through 20 Christmas songs sang by 4th and 5th graders! Mike and I were nervous that Chase would freeze up and not move in front of the huge crowd - but he did great! We were so proud of him! The picture is small because we were clear in the back - but this is Chase's class on stage - he's the blonde on the far right of the picture.

Also is a picture of him at his school the night of the program. Below are pictures of Mike and Paige enjoying the program. Paige danced the whole way through it!

Girls Day Out at Aladdin!

Paige and I got a day out with Theresa and Carissa (our new neighbors). Carissa and Paige been waiting on this day for about two weeks now. Theresa even got the girls matching shirts to wear! Carissa wore hers to bed the night before and Paige had hers on by 5am the morning of the show!!

We spent the morning at breakfast. The girls had a lot of fun and the people in the restaurant seemed to enjoy them too! Both of them had pancakes, eggs, and sausage. In the end - Paige ate Carissa's pancakes while Carissa ate Paige's eggs! We didn't mind though!

After breakfast we went to Bishop McGuinness High School where their drama department put on the musical Aladdin. The girls had soooo much fun! Paige's favorite characters were Aladdin and the Genie, I think Carissa's favorite was Princess Jasmine. After the show the girls had an opportunity to have pictures with Aladdin and Jasmine - but Paige chickened out. On the way home the girls were wiped out and nearly fell asleep!

Thank you Carissa and Theresa for inviting us!!

Below is a picture of Carissa with Aladdin and Jasmine.

Challenging Days Ahead

Mike and I have decided it's time to formally put an IEP (Individual Education Program) in place for Chase. Now that he's in the 4th grade, we are seeing clear differences between him and other kids his age. Although he is more of a high functioning autism, and academically does well, the social and behavioral piece of it is beginning to interfere with his education. He has periods of "freezing-up", crying, and habitual actions like "finger peeling" and "flapping" while he's in school.

Our first meeting with the Curriculum team is next Wednesday morning. We'll discuss our options and go from there. We're also considering a private school where he can get more one-on-one and smaller class sizes to make it easier on him. Please keep Chase in your prayers, as we pray for guidance in the challenges we're dealing with!

Chase is an amazing child so full of life and love - he deserves the best education we can give him!

Cookies and Christmas-Time

Grandma Casto used to make dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies - starting in early December and baking every weekend until the Big Day. She'd freeze them - and we'd pull them out of the freezer slowly starting Christmas Eve and they'd last well into January. After Grandma passed away - Kayleigh decided she wanted to do it and we have every year since then. This year - Kayleigh and Paige started with the Snickerdoodles - trying really hard to bake them and keep up with what Daddy was sneaking in to eat behind their backs!! Grandma used to have the same problem with Grandpa too!


Meanwhile - While sneaking snicker-doodles, Daddy was burning the kids their very own Christmas CDs with all their favorites. Little did he know that Paige and Chase would play the Hippo song (I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas) over and over and over! Also on the CD are old favorites like Rudolph, Frosty, and Must Be Santa. Daddy acted like it was a tough job, but we all know that anything to allow him to play with music and burn his own CDs makes him a Happy Camper!!

Chase is really loving Andy being in our family! He is learning to be more affectionate. This is a huge leap for Chase and a tough challenge he's had with the autism. We're very glad we added Andy to the family! Chase loves to take him outside and throw tennis balls to him - he's not a big fan of the balls coming back to him all slobbery though. We always end up with about 10 tennis balls in the grass when it's all over!

Once again - no pictures of Devin. We've threatened him with taking a picture in the middle of the night when he's drooling in his sleep though! So - maybe we'll get some soon. He's loving track season and doing well in school. Being a freshmen this year, he's staying busy with sports, homework, and "hanging with his peeps"!!

We are continually blessed with wonderful kids who are living life to the fullest.

Happy Holidays!!

Winter Track Season Polar Bear Race!!!

Being in North Carolina - they have "winter track" from November through February. Devin's thrilled! He's been running cross country and track since the 6th grade - now that he's in high school - he's pretty good. But - this is taking track to a whole new level!

Devin only ran the 500 meter run - yes you read that correctly - winter track adds 100 meters to every race for some odd reason! Considering he'd been sick for the last week with a bronchitis virus and he only had 1 day of practice this week AND he's never ran in weather like this - he did good. Beat out 6 other kids and ran it in 1 minute 24 seconds.

Now - Mike and I - we sat on concrete bleachers for 2 1/2 hours watching the races and froze our butts off!!! About 40 degree weather!!! It's 2 hours later and I think we STILL have icicles on our bottoms!!!

Sorry - no pics! We forgot to take the cameras!! We'll get them next week we promise!

I Did It!!!!!!

For all those who doubted that I could fix a Thanksgiving Dinner on my own - guess what you were wrong! Mike had to work all day and I worked in the kitchen all day - with the help of Kayleigh! We made turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, corn, bread, and had it all ready when Mike got home. We used Mike's Great Grandma Lyons china to celebrae our first Thanksgiving Dinner at home.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've been so busy around here we haven't had a chance to update the blog! Sorry!!

Mike had his shoulder surgery November 2nd and it went well. He had tears in he labrum and he rotator cuff. He's recovering well and even has full range. He's excited that he finally progressed to therapy with 2 pound weights this week!! He's my Superman!!

I started my new job at the first of the month now. I am now managing the rehab department of a retirement center that has hundreds of residents in a rental community of independent living clear to those needing extensive care. We stay super busy - which is a nice change!! The best part is that it's only a 10 minute drive from home!!

Devin started winter track last week and is looking forward to his first race. Sounds like he'll be in sprint races again this year. That's what he's good at! The toughest part for him is balancing his time. He's at practice till 5:30, home at 6:00, tries to eat quickly, gets a shower, and doesn't get to start homework until after 7:30 usually. So - he's exhausted!!

Kayleigh made the All County Honors Concert Band this year!! We were so proud of her. The concert was last Saturday and the kids had ONE DAY to practice and learn their music. Kayleigh and I had fun shopping for a black dress for the occasion. She looked absolutely gorgeous! The concert was held at Reynolds Auditorium and all the kids did a great job. The picture below is her before we left for the concert.

Chase is still our ball of energy! Having Andy around (the new dog) has been a wonderful blessing to Chase. Chase has trouble with social interaction and gets funny when it comes to sitting by us, hugging us, etc. It's nice to see him loving up to a pet the way he does with Andy. They are definitely best friends!

Paige is loving pre-school and finally starting to show some interest in learning something! She turned 5 two weeks ago and had a birthday party here at home with her friends Carissa, Genesis, and Cassie. They made jewelry that the girls could take home, played outside, had cake, ice-cream, and presents. I was Paige's first true birthday party and she really enjoyed the attention!!

That's really it for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Blessed Holiday Season!!

The Lyons Family

(by the way - there are rarely pics of Devin because he won't let us take any of him!!!)


Kayleigh the night of her concert.



Paige he morning of her birthday party before church.

Happy Halloween!!

Paige and Chase couldn't get out the door quick enough to start trick or treating! We went with our neighbors and they introduced us to many people in the neighborhood. Finally feeling like we belong here!

Paige was Cinderella this year, complete with the crown. Chase went as the Ninja again this year choosing not to buy a new costume. Kayleigh went too, more to help out, but she landed some good candy! Of course, when we got home, Daddy claimed he got a 25% cut on all candy. The kids won and he got A piece!

Below are a few pics of the kids. Devin didn't go with us - so we don't have any of him.

Left to Right: Paige, Carissa, Daniel, Chase (Carissa and Daniel are our neighbors)



Paige and Carissa in their Cinderella dresses.



Kayleigh on the left and her friend Anna on the right. Kayleigh made her own costume this year.

IT'S A BOY!

The new addition to our family is a 4 year old little boy. His name is Andy. Eager to please, loves a good snack, and is eating up all the attention he can get! He's a blonde Golden Retriever and he's just gorgeous! We adopted him from a community rescue organization where he has been with a foster family for about two weeks. They report that he has never barked, doesn't beg, and is very sweet. His only bad habit is he knows how to sit between you and the TV! We're thrilled to have him and look forward to working with the rescue organization to help other Golden's who have been abandoned, lost, or otherwise, find good loving homes.

Here's a pic of Andy.

Some News on the Girls of the Family

Hello to all. The Lyons girls have had a few changes recently! Let's go youngest to oldest!

Paige turns 5 in just two weeks!!! She decided she wanted her hair cut. Boy did Daddy try to talk her out of it! So - a few nights ago - Mommy put her up on the table, turned her around, and chopped it off! 5 inches!!!!!!!!! It's super cute and made her look so much older! All her friends were surprised and her Daddy is learning to live with it.

Kayleigh got a "partial release" from her doctor. Dr. Harper said her throat looks great, but because she's still hearing the constant "ringing" in her ears and they are still sore, he wanted to see her again in a month to check them and do another hearing test. Kayleigh started at her new school on Tuesday. She came home a bit overwhelmed, but by tonight she's talking about new friends she's made and how easy the classes are! She's been moved into AG classes as of today also.

Mommy made a huge decision to take a position with another Rehab company in the area. It allows me to work only 10 minutes from home, eliminating that 50 minute one-way commute. When we did the math - I gain over 10 hours of time with my family each week. I love working for my current Company, but I've waited a long time for a closer facility with no luck.

That's about it for today. I'll update on the boys later.

Blessings to all!



Paige's new hair cut!




Here's Kayleigh's new look with contacts and her haircut!

It's Been a While

It's been a while since the last post! So sorry - we've been super busy!

We spent most of September painting and cleaning the new house. We moved in the last weekend of September. Well - Mike and Devin moved us in! I was soooo sick that I couldn't hardly stand up! My hats off to my two men in the house that made up for it! We're slowly settling in and absolutely loving the outdoor space!

Devin finished up his cross country season improving his overall time from start of the season to the end by over two minutes! He's also been invited to run in the County Fresh/Soph race at Hanes Park next weekend. We're so proud of him and his dedication to running!

Kayleigh had her surgery on October 2nd (tonsils/adenoids/tubes). In the Lyons fashion - it certainly wasn't an easy surgery! She had a reaction to the anesthetic and had to be admitted to the hospital for two days. She's finally feeling better. She had an eye appt this week and was quite excited to be able to get contacts this year. The same day - I took her to Allure Salon/Day Spa to get her hair cut. She looks like a whole new girl - and much older!

Chase is loving his new school and has made many friends already. His teacher is Mr. Wilson and doesn't let Chase slide by - and Chase is learning that quickly. He also has homework to do on the computer now and actually loves doing it! Of all the kids - he's enjoying the outdoors at the new house the most.

Paige is a little spitfire! The first night in the new house - she fell all the way down the steps and got quite the goose-egg on her forehead. A few days later she ran out to play with her new neighbor-friend and tripped. She slid across the concrete on her forehead! Below is a picture of our little bruiser!

Mike and I are loving it here as well. Lewisville is great! It has the small town feel and reminds us of back home in Payne.

We miss and love all of you!

Michelle

Been a Busy Few Weeks!

Paige had her tonsils and adenoids taken out September 5th. Recovery was going great until Friday when she had a bad asthma attack. From there it went downhill and she now has croup. Poor little thing just lays, coughs, andl cries right now. I can't imagine how painful it must be for her to cough hard after just having tonsils out!

Devin had his first big cross country meet on Saturday at Virginia Tech. He placed 79th out of about 120 kids. Not bad for 115 degree heat index and running in the mountains for the first time. He has another race tonight and then a big one on Saturday that Grandma and Grandpa Lyons get to watch. I don't know if he's happy about that - or nervous about that!

Kayleigh is super busy with school and getting ready for her surgery. She's having her tonsils and adenoids taken out as well as tubes put in her ears -all at the age of 13!! Her latest exam showed significant hearing loss as a result of the fluid buildup in her ears that was left from the infection she got last spring. Her surgery is scheduled for October 2nd.

Chase is our ball of energy! He loves his new 4th grade teacher and she seems to have a good handle on his autism and SI issues. She's very patient with him and is great at redirecting him without scolding him. He's very excited about moving to the new house so he can play in the woods.

Mike and I are just exhausted! Between work and juggling the kids around with school and medical issues - we're pooped! Mike is having surgery on our wedding anniversary (Nov 2) to repair he bicep tendon and labrum in his right shoulder. Me - I'm playing nurse to all!

Many Blessings to All!

The House Is Officially Ours

On September 14th!!! The kids are starting to tell us what colors they want their rooms painted and are pumped to move in! We've decided to stay in this house until September 30th - that gives us a few weeks to paint, clean, and move comfortably! I'll email out the new address privately to all!

Summer Days

The kids are enjoying the last few weeks of summer in the pool. Since Devin's been home - they are out there every day! They are each getting better and better in the pool. Kayleigh's able to swim with grace now, Chase swims like a pro, and Paige just swims! Devin's doing all the teenage tricks - you know - flips off the diving board type of things! Hard to believe school starts in just 9 days!!

Pics of the New House!!

This is the house from the front - looks small - but it's huge inside!
No - it's not pink!! It's "coral/terra cotta"

This is the house from the back.

Kids on the front porch.

Our back yard!! 1.56 acres of land and woods!

Big News for the Lyons Family!!

First - ease all your minds - we're not pregnant!

We finally found a house!!!!!!!!!! The kids are so excited and so are we. It's 5 miles from where we live currently - but it's considered Lewisville, NC. We have 1.56 acres of land with lots and lots of woods and each of the kids will have their own rooms. We have a LOT of painting to do before we actually move in! We can't wait to make it our own!!

Busy Busy Busy

Today ended the craziest week we've had in a long time! Mike and I have both been swamped at work - taking turns working late and coming home frazzled!

It's been +100 degrees for the last 3 days straight. Too hot to even let the kids get in the swimming pool during the day. We've been doing a lot of night time/evening swimming and they love that! Paige is now swimming half way across the pool underwater without goggles! It's kind of funny to watch her little 4 year old body swim like that! I can't believe how well she's doing. Every time she comes up she says "mom, are you proud of me". She knows I am!!

Chase has gotten really good at diving for pennies in the deep end! He and Kayleigh have made a game of it. Grandpa Casto started it when he came to visit in July. He's starting to get brave enough to take his goggles off once in a while and he's got the best breast stroke I've seen in years! He's even talking about joining a swim team when he gets big enough.

Kayleigh made us home made donuts tonight. She did an awesome job! I think she was hoping that they'd be for our trip to get Devin in the morning - but I'm guessing when Mike comes home from work he's gonna down a few! She's became quite the cook. She's also got the hang of the sewing machine and is trying to create the perfect dress to enter into a contest. That girls got talent!!

Devin's at Aunt Cassi and Kent's house tonight. They were planning to go to the Mercer County Fair one last time. He's having a blast in Ohio and I'm sure it'll be tough for him to leave Grandpa tomorrow! We leave bright and early to head to Huntington, WV to pick him up. We can't wait!!

Many blessings to all!!!

So what's going on with the kids?

Devin comes home on Saturday!!! Paige is most excited, but we all miss Devin! He's been at Grandpa Casto's since our vacation ended on July 21st. We'll get up early Saturday and drive to Huntington, West Virginia where we'll spend the afternoon with family friends as well as Grandma and Grandpa before coming back home. Devin has had a great time going fishing, to the lake, to festivals and fairs, and more with Grandpa. When Devin comes home we'll start preparing for school and his entry into HIGH SCHOOL!

Kayleigh has designed and made two more shirts all on her own. She and her Dad sat down today and started looking at design schools across the country. They found a 2 week summer camp in Washington DC that she'd like to attend next year to start to learn more. She really is talented!! Kayleigh has made us very proud this summer. She spent a week at church teaching the 3/4 year olds all about Gods word and the Bible. She had such a good time and the counselors at church tell us she did a great job. Kayleigh has decided to jump into faith formation classes and will receive First Communion and Confirmation in the springtime.

Chase spends most of his afternoons with his best friend, Dylan. His family moved into our neighborhood this winter and it's been a blessing. Chase loves to spend time with Dylan playing basketball and video games! Chase made a huge decision recently - to prepare for First Communion. He'll start faith formation classes on September the 4th and will receive his first sacraments in the spring with Kayleigh.

Paige is always a little spitfire! Just this morning we spent two hours at the doctor while they pulled out a 1/8 inch styrofoam ball that she had put in her ear!! She was such a trooper - layed very still while they dug and dug until they got it. Paige starts pre-k August 27th at Child Time Preschool here in Winston. She's very excited about meeting new friends.

That's about it for now!

Hello

Moving 12 hours away from family and friends was a huge leap of faith. We have been given more opportunity here than we ever dreamed of, but we miss everyone back home! We want to keep in touch with everyone and we want to share with all of you what the kids are up to. Don't miss out! Check back often and we'll keep things up to date including pictures!!

Blessings to all!

Mike & Michelle