ROCC Youth Praise Band

Kayleigh sings with the ROCC Youth Praise Band at our church. We had the opportunity to watch them at rehearsals on Sunday afternoon. They are such a great group of kids, and so fun to watch!

This video is them singing 10th Avenue North's "By Your Side". Kayleigh has the lead in it, starting the song and finishing it.

State Fair Shots

Grandma and Grandpa Casto were here for the performance and loved it! It was a special treat for Kayleigh to have them in town. Living 12 hours away, we don't get too many opportunities to share events like this with them!

Here's a video of Kayleigh singing and dancing. When they come out on stage, she's the one in the middle.




This is Kayleigh's best friend, Andrea, singing. She played Emily Arden in the musical and was PERFECT for the role!!



The entire musical cast did a great job!!

Our Daughter Is a Cooch Dancer!!

Kayleigh is in Reagan High School's performance of "State Fair" by Rogers & Hammerstein this weekend! She plays the part Jeanne, a floozy, cooch dancer! We're so excited for her - this is her first singing and dancing role.. but it's so very strange to say that we're so proud of our floozy, cooch dancing daughter!

If you live in the Winston-Salem area, the performance runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the high school starting at 7pm. We'd love to see you there!

Hebrews 13:5 "Never Will I Leave You, Never Will I Forsake You"

Ya know... We hear a lot of things like "there's always something going on" when another stumbling block gets thrown our way. Yes, there is always something going on, but we deal with it! Believe me... we couldn't make up this stuff if we tried!!

Ya see... in the 18 1/2 years we've been married we've been through a LOT... and I do mean a LOT more than most people deal with in their entire lives!!

(You can click on the bold words for more information.)

• Premature births of both our girls
• Paige spent several weeks in the NICU because of Bradycardia
  
• Devin was in the hospital twice on the same day for 2 different things! Stitches in the bottom of his foot early in the afternoon, Brown Recluse Spider Bite that night!
  
• The girls both have had tonsils taken out
  
• 4 sets of tubes in Chase's ears alone
  
• Kayleigh had Labrynthitis
• Consequently, Kayleigh deals with horrible Tinnitus... or ringing in her ears
  
• Kayleigh has an Acoustic Neuroma
• Paige is followed by oncology for Lymphangioma's in her neck
  
• Mike went through 4 years of seizures and no one can tell us why
  
• Devin has broke his leg TWICE and tore a major tendon in his foot
• Chase had Kawasaki Disease not once, but TWICE and consequently now has Autoimmune Heart Disease
  
• Kayleigh struggles with Hypoglycemia every day
  
• Chase battles a PDD-NOS with "mild developmental delay"
  
• Multiple bouts of pneumonia and croup in all of the kids
• Kayleigh has Raynaud's Syndrome... her feet turn almost black at times!
• Most recently, just Thursday, we learned that Paige has a moderate to severe hearing loss
  

This list is just what's in our immediate little Lyons family... it doesn't include everything that our family's have been through over the years.

And, believe me, this isn't what we would ask for if given the chance. But, it is the life we've been given, and we make the best of it.

Our God never promised life would be easy... but He did promise that He would be there for us every step of the way. Joshua 1:9 says "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." When we start to feel overwhelmed and we stop to pray, a sense of peace takes over and we know it will be ok.

So, next time you hear of something going on in our life, instead of automatically assuming that it's just something else for us to complain about, how about stopping to pray with us for strenght, comfort, and guidance; and know that our Lord has us in His grip, and we'll be ok.

Time Is Going So Fast...

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's now been seven years since she left us that beautiful Palm Sunday morning. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her... my best friend, my teacher, y hero, my confidant... my Mom. I'm still wanting to pick up the phone and call you, I'm still wanting to spend an afternoon shopping or baking with you, I still long for you each and every day!

But each day gets better a friend once told me... because each day, we are closer to being reunited again at the side of Jesus.

Love and Miss You soooo much!

Frail..

This is stolen from my husband's Facebook status, where late last night he posted:

"It's been a pretty rough few weeks, and I've found myself at a crossroads for many portions of my life (work, school, church, and many milestones/changes at home that are rapidly approaching.) I spent a better part of my evening just listening to this song over-n-over again. It is incredible for resetting your mind..."

The last few weeks he has lost 2 family members, only a day apart, and my brother-in-law is very very ill, seemingly losing his battle with Wegener's Disease. We were able to visit with another Grandmother while we were home for the funerals - though she is doing well, she is so frail and we know that our time with her is shorter every day. Our kids are growing up so fast, before our very eyes! Devin goes off to college next year, Kayleigh the next. Mike's job is very unstable as the word of technology takes over his business, possibly forcing him out of a job in the next few months - so we are again looking at college options for him. Even though he's seemed so strong through it all, he wasn't... like the rest of us, he is "frail".

For him, this video helped him "reset" a bit...

I watched it this morning, and I listened to the words... I had to watch it twice through the tears. Mike is such a rock through times of trial, rarely shows his feelings and sometimes I wonder how much he really feels because he is so very strong on the outside. But - like all of us - he hides in the shadows, he hides to protect his family.

When we stop hiding from God, fall on our knees and acknowledge His strength, His power, and His love over us... life seems to get easier and things are so much more clear!

These are the lyrics to Jars of Clay: Frail

Convinced of my deception
I've always been a fool
I fear this love reaction
Just like you said I would

A rose could never lie
About the love it brings
And I could never promise
To be any of those things

Chorus:

If I was not so weak
If I was not so cold
If I was not so scared of being broken
Growing old
I would be...
I would be...
I would be...

Blessed are the shallow
Depth they'll never find
Seems to be some comfort
In rooms I try to hide

Exposed beyond the shadows
You take the cup from me
Your dirt removes my blindness
Your pain becomes my peace

[Chorus]

...frail

He's Alive!!!

She Will Be Missed...

(Judy and her Mom, Grandma Eschbach)

Around 11:30am this morning, Mike's Grandma Eschbach (Judy's Mom) was called Home. She was a wonderful lady who was always so caring with our family. When Mike and I started having kids, she was always Grandma Eschbach and the kids enjoyed going to her house when we'd be in town. They never felt like "step"- grandkids and for that, I will always be grateful.

Grandma Eschbach will be missed so much! But we rest comfortably knowing that she loved the Lord and is in His grip now. We look forward to the day we see her again!

ENOUGH ALREADY!

The last week for our entire family has been... well... just plain sucky!

My step-sister's husband, Earl "aka Hot Rod", was diagnosed with an advanced Wegener's Disease last Tuesday after falling very ill on Monday and being rushed to the hospital. Here we are a week later and he's weaker, his kidneys and organs are failing him, he's in tremendous pain, and it is looking very very grim as he gets sicker each day. One week's time and he's fighting for his life!

Then, this Monday, Mike's grandmother was found on the floor in the middle of the night. Once in the hospital it was determined she had pneumonia, as well as emphysema, her fall was probably from very low oxygen saturations. She has gotten worse every day this week, and tonight our family is at her side as she slips away.

Early this morning, another cousin on Mike's side of the family died of a massive heart attack and barely 55 years old!

About 45 minutes ago we heard sirens in our neighborhood... they stopped at our neighbor's a few houses up where Chase plays all the time. Their son, also named Chase, has been very sick the last few days and unable to play. We're not sure what happened, but they put him in the EMS where they worked on him for a good 15 minutes before leaving. Our Chase is worried sick about his friend, on the very night we told him that his Grandma is dying tonight.

Oh... Wait... it gets BETTER! Our last phone call to check on Grandma, we got news that my mother-in-laws uncle has only a few weeks left also!! We don't know the details, only that he is very sick.

Our entire family is physically and emotionally spent! The hardest thing as parent is comforting our kids when they are so very upset over the loss and suffering of loved ones.

Through all of this, we hold on to our faith that our God has us in His grip. My favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 66:13: "As a Mother Comforts Her Child, So I Will Comfort You..." We need Your comfort, Lord, We know You are near.