Back to school time that is!
This year was a year of big changes...
Kayleigh started her junior year and is taking 1/2 day at the Career Center in Photography classes. She's super excited about it... we are too.... other than the expense that comes with it! LOL!
Chase is in a new middle school this year. We toured it the night of open houses... my that child is gonna get some good walkin' in! He's spread all over campus!
Devin is a SENIOR this year! Really??? I swear he was JUST born yesterday! His senior year certainly won't be a cake walk though... with 6 AP classes that are for college credit!
And Paige started the 2nd grade at a new elementary school. She walked into open house very shy and hid behind my leg. But it didn't take long for her to show her true colors!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Happy Birthday, Chase!
Chase turns 12 years old today, at 12:25pm to be precise! What a day that was for all of us. Grandma and Grandpa Casto made the drive to Bloomington for your birth - we were so glad they were there!
Chase was determined to be born that day regardless of the planned c-section! I woke up that morning and went into labor before we even left for the hospital. Created quite the stir when we got to the hospital considering I HAD to have a c-section! Little did we know that was just the beginning of the day's chaos.
After all 9 pounds 6 ounces of Chase was delivered via c-section things got pretty ugly for a while. I remember being in the recovery room and Mike being with me. Then all the nurses scurrying around, Mike being pushed out of the room, and then rushing me back into surgery. At one point, after losing several pints of blood, the nurse went out to tell Mike and my parents I was bleeding bad and they weren't able to stop it - the outcome was looking very grim. Fortunately, by the power of God, they were wrong.
I don't remember anything after recovery until the next day when I was told what happened. Mike looked at me with tears in his eyes saying I scared them all and I was never to do that again. He was terrified of losing me and being a single father of 3.
I spent the next week in the hospital and have enjoyed every minute of watching Chase grow up! He's struggled with more medical problems than any child should have to endure, yet is always smiling from ear-to-ear!
Chase - you bring so much joy to our lives! We're so very proud of how far you've come and we know that you will continue to reach for the stars!
We love you Buddy!
Mom and Dad
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tennessee!!!
We took a short 4 day vacation to Tennessee with the Lyons side of the family this year. We sure crammed a lot in... but here's some highlights that we thought were fun!
First... we got a little behind and didn't leave North Carolina until late Saturday morning. We knew that meant we'd hit traffic... but we didn't realize we'd hit a PARKING LOT! I guess the sign that says "Check Fuel Level" should have been a clue!! The rock slide on I-40 West that happened last year still had things quite a mess. Once we got to the actual rock slide, it was quite fascinating to look at... a HUGE chunk of the mountain just wiped away! 
Finally, after a spending almost 2 hours to travel about 10 miles... we were on our way again!
We finally made it to our cabin! Saturday evening we spent just hanging out, visiting, and letting the big kids and little kids all play. The cabin had pinball, a pool table, and a few arcade games that kept everyone quite entertained!
Sunday we hiked a bit at the Ogle Farm with all the kids, then spent some time at the pool. Later in the evening we headed downtown Gatlinburg to play some Hillbilly Golf!
Monday, we hiked up to Laurel Falls and spent some time up at the top... it was gorgeous, and the falls made it very cool! Afterwards we picnicked at Chimney Top and let the kids swim and play in the rapids. I think it's fair to say that Grandma Lyons was a nervous wreck... but all was well!
Monday evening we headed to the "Best Italian" restaurant in downtown Gatlinburg. It POURED down rain! While we were waiting outside under cover, our entertainment was my 2 nephews doing the Macarena dance! Hilarious and cute as ever!! 
Tuesday morning, before the rest of the family left, we all headed down to the Log Cabin Pancake House... Lyons family tradition every year, I'm told. It certainly didn't let us down! Yummo!! The kids spent a bit of time on the rockers out front while the adults all said their goodbyes...
The rest of Tuesday was just us. We enjoyed exploring the mountains on our own. Took a nice drive up to Cade's Cove, then picnicked at another rapids area where the kids could play a bit, and got some good group pics of them... much to Kayleigh's dismay (she HATES pictures!)!!
All in all... it was a fabulous trip to the Smokey Mountains where we made LOTS of fun memories to share for years to come!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Happy Belated Birthday, Kayleigh!
Well... maybe not belated, but belated to the blog! Before we left for Tennessee, Kayleigh celebrated her Sweet 16th Birthday a little early, with many friends! The original plan had to be altered a bit because of rain, but they had a blast! We started with Michael grilling hotdogs, hamburgers, and more for a group of about 20+ kids and some of the youth leaders from church. After that, they chatted about the house for a while before watching "Up" on a DVD projector that lit up the far wall light a theater screen! They loved it!
While in Gatlinburg, Grandma Lyons made sure Kayleigh's birthday didn't go unnoticed! We had cake and ice cream with the family one evening!
It's so hard to believe that our baby girl is SIXTEEN! We are so proud of the young woman she is becoming and look forward to seeing what God has in plan for her!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Happy Birthday, Grandma McMahon!
July 14 would have been Grandma McMahon's 82nd birthday. We miss her very much and I would love to hear her voice again! I think of her often... especially as my kids grow up! She loved all her grandkids SO much! When I would call her, or she would call me... it was always them she asked about first! I tell my kids stories of our trips to Wheeling, eating Kielbasa and Colby Jack cheese late at night, getting up early and having hot tea with oatmeal for breakfast, and going shopping for our special time at Hills! What I wouldn't give for one more day with her!
But, I know that she's with my Mom though, and look forward to the day I see them both again!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
61 Years Ago Today...
My Mother was born, a beautiful baby girl who grew up to be a beautiful woman both inside and out. I miss her so very much, but still remember every detail of her face, how she smiled as she baked in the kitchen, and yes, I even remember the growl on her face when I made her unhappy!
While she's not here with us, we know she is celebrating her special day with the angels in Heaven.
Much love to you, Mom!
Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Lives are Changing in Jamaica!
Last Friday morning, we put Devin on a plane with 41 others from our church. Their destination... Newport Jamaica to build a church, work in an infirmary, and to minister to those in hard times. About 2 weeks prior to the trip, Devin said he changed his mind, said he wasn't feeling led to go. But - because of the commitment he made to the church, and to the people he was going to serve, we pushed him a bit and told him we felt he needed to go. 
During these 2 weeks, Devin challenged us in many ways. Definitely reminded us that he is a teenager and is still "growing up" so to speak. The day after Devin left, we were informed of some bad decisions that Devin had recently made. From that point, I prayed and prayed and prayed that this trip would heal his heart, change his life, and that he would rededicate himself to the Lord.
Well... He did just that! On the 3rd day of the trip, parents got an update that 2 of the kids not only rededicated themselves to the Lord, but they asked to be baptized. Devin was one of those kids!
While we are very, very happy for him; we know that when he returns he has some VERY difficult decisions to make and has to face some things that have been done. He will also need to face a friendship with someone that has led Devin down some wrong paths
Please, pray with us, that Devin will continue to keep his focus on a Jesus who loves him, and that our God would give Devin the strength to handle what is ahead of him.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apparently, a month or so ago, Mike's brother Jason started scheming with Mike to come surprise the kids with a visit. Uncle Jason is probably the favorite Uncle in the family (sorry Uncle Jarrick and Uncle Bill!)... more than likely it's because he's just a big playful kid himself!
I wish we would have had a video camera to record all of the reactions... he got here when all of the kids were actually out of the living room. So, we had him sneak up the steps into the living room and he just sat on the end of the couch.
Kayleigh came through the hallway first... when she saw him she squealed, then cried! Paige heard all of the commotion and came running, then she yelled UNCLE JASONNNNNNN as she tackled him on the couch with a big hug! Then comes Chase... all he could say was "how'd he get here?" with a stunned look on his face. Last, Devin came home from being out, came up the steps and FROZE! He couldn't even speak!
(Kayleigh... still in shock that Uncle Jason is here!)
By the end of the week we were all sad to see him go! The kids had fun wrestling with him, playing basketball, watching movies, and just hanging out with him! Mike enjoyed having his brother around as well. And even me, despite the craziness of having that many Lyons boys in the house... had a good time!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
And Now We Wait...
We spent the day at Brenner Children's Hospital while Kayleigh went through some various tests and procedures. She handled it all like a trooper - just as I knew she would.
She has a follow up with cardiology on July 14th, Neurology is supposed to call us in the next few days.
So now, we wait...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY DEVIN!
Thursday June 10th I had the WORST back pain I could have ever imagined!! I suffered through it all night long, not realizing it was actually contractions! Mike reluctantly went in for his third shift schedule - I assured him I was fine! When he arrived home Friday morning I was still miserable. He stayed awake with me to be sure I was ok. Little did he know he'd be needing that sleep that he should have had!
Later that afternoon it got so bad that Mike called the hospital. The advice they gave was to have me lay on a heating pad set to low. So - that's what we did. NOT SMART! Within 15 minutes of laying on that heating pad my water broke and I was in the worst pain - now realizing it was full blown contractions! I jumped up yelling - terrified I was going to electrocute myself on that heating blanket!
Mike came in the room to see what the fuss was about and he immediately freaked out! In the prenatal classes - he saw the water break, then the baby come. He thought we were having that baby right then and there. He grabbed the phone, called the hospital and I'll never forget what he said - "HER WATER BROKE! THE BABY'S COMING NOW! WHAT DO I DO?!?!" I'm sure the nurse on the other end was laughing! She calmly told him to put me in the car and drive.
I got in the car (Mike's new car I might add) and with every contraction more water came! I'll spare you the details - other than the fluid was full of meconium and his nice new car seat was now covered in it! That 10 mile drive to Paulding Hospital felt like an eternity! By the time I got there we were told that I was dilating quickly and we'd have a baby by the time the night was over (this was Friday, June 11th)
They were half right ... I dilated quickly and began pushing sometime around midnight. But - by morning there was still no baby. Devin was posterior, face up, and I was small in the hips (ok - stop laughing now!). They started talking c-section and I refused. I kept pushing for several hours (and literally broke 2 of Mike's fingers!), and only after the baby's heartrate starting getting irratic did I start to consider it. By now - it was noon on Saturday, June 12.
When I finally caved to the c-section - we found out that my doctor, a small-town family doctor, was not certified to do a c-section and the only surgeon for Paulding County Hospital couldn't be located! I could keep trying while they kept trying to locate him, or I could transfer to a different hospital. The decision was made to transfer by my husband and family.
I layed there - in full labor - pushing when I could - until after 3pm while they made arrangements. By now - Mike had been awake since Thursday night at 11pm . . . over 30 hours! I went via ambulance, he and my parents followed. For whatever reason the doctor chose not to stop my contractions - - - YIKES!
I arrived at Defiance Hospital shortly after 5:00pm - was rushed into surgery (by now the baby had low oxygen because of the cord being "pinched" with me trying to push). They quickly put me under general anesthesia as Mike was brought in and at 5:31pm we had our first child.
Now - the story isn't completely over! We were told at our very first ultrasound half-way through that we were having a girl! We picked out the name Kelsey Rachelle. When I woke up after surgery I remember seeing Mike beside me holding a baby with a big smile on his face. I said "can I hold her?" and he said "no . . . but you can hold your son instead!".
We spent about an hour together holding our son, picking a name, and then my parents made sure Mike made it home safely to sleep after being up for nearly 36 hours.
Hard to believe it's been 17 years! We are very proud of you, Devin, and the choices you are making in your life. You are fine young man and bring such joy to your lives.
We love you much!
Love Mom and Dad!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
This is getting OLD!
This is getting old...... Kayleigh had another rough day earlier this week. Dizzy spells, headaches, weakness, etc. But, hopefully, we'll have answers soon.
Dr. Sam (Neurologist) and Dr. Covitz (Cardiologist) have finally teamed up and were able to get all of Kayleigh's procedure/testing appointments in one day! They are fabulous I tell ya! Next Wednesday, June 16, we start at 10:30am check in where Kayleigh will be put in an inpatient room (but she will NOT be inpatient). They will then take her to EEG, followed by EKG, followed by the Tilt-Table Lab, followed by radiology. All of this will take roughly 4 hours, then she will have to stay 3-4 hours to be monitored before they release her, just to make sure she's ok (the Tilt-Table Lab could be rough).
It's going to be a very LONG, miserable day... but in the end they should be able to pull together all the results and begin to put a plan in place!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Weekend Retreat!!
Mike and I had the opportunity to spend a much needed, weekend retreat away in the mountains this weekend. We chose Lonesome Pine Cabins on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A friend of ours from church had been there and loved it, so off we went. We spent the entire weekend in the cute little cabin above, and enjoyed this simply gorgeous view from the cabin...
The first place we visited on Friday evening, was the Mabry Mill. We loved our time there, and really enjoyed seeing the still working mill. Along the walk, they also had cabins and work sheds with stories of the original community and what they did. They also had an old whiskey still, still sitting off the lands, where moonshine was made (illegally of course!). This is someplace we plan to take the kids back to - for the history, and for the sheer beauty of it!
Saturday, we timed just perfectly! We arrived at the breathtakingly gorgeous Chateau Morrisette Winery right before their 11am tour. It was interesting to see how exactly they take a simple grape and turn it into wine! Our tour guide was a lot of fun... and we were the only ones on the 11am tour, so she thought Mike was pretty fun too! Of course, he typically is after a few glasses of wine... which is essentially what he had by the time he was done tasting 10 different wines! 
After our tour we headed over the Chateau Morrisette Restaurant for a fabulous lunch with an incredible view over the mountains! From there, we drove along the parkway and made various stops along the way taking pictures here and there.
The Pucket Cabin is a stop we made that really touched my heart. It's a cabin where a lady lived to be 102 years of age. In her years, she was a midwife and delivered over 1,000 healthy babies! But, sadly, she birthed 24 of her own babies who never lived beyond infancy. Yet, she continued on helping other Moms and was known to be a very kind, sweet, Godly woman.
Groundhog Mountain was a majestic view from this overlook. There is a cabin way down deep in the woods that we could see from up there... Mike's decided he wants to buy it! Have to admit, the owners of that cabin wake up to the most amazing views of the mountains!!!
Sunday we had hoped to visit Mayberry... Home to Andy Griffith. But it was all closed on Sundays!!! Crazy I tell ya! So - instead we hiked at Pilot Mountain, just the two of us and we had a great time! It was perfect temps with a nice breeze to keep us cooled down! And as always, once you reach the overlooks, we had fabulous views of the Pinnacle!
Every couple needs a weekend away now and again, to remember why they fell in love. To remember that there's more to life than work, kids, errands, and playing taxi. I can't wait until our next weekend retreat away!