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