February 2025

February always kicks off with a bang into Titus' birthday week.  

The week started with a trip to Rush Our Racing with the boys.  Then tennis started again and finished with dinner with McLambs. 

Big gift this year was getting a VR headset.  He had us all try it out much amusement of watchers LOL.

Sweet 16, how did he ever get so old.  Though he has grown some things have never changed.  His first sign was "plane", oh how he loved to stand outside watching the planes on approach to the Executive Airport near our house.  Who knew that love of planes would never die but grow considerably.  Titus is now looking to go to college for a degree in Aviation and become a commercial pilot.  He is heavily invested in all he can do with the Civil Air Patrol to achieve that end.  It is all very exciting.

Bowling was in the air this month as well.  On 2/6 FIAR went bowling then on 2/8 Lance went to Nathan's pre-bachelor party with Jared and Nathan's brother.

Titus expanded his pet sitting business a little this month to another neighbor with dogs.

Finished out the month celebrating GM Mary B-Day.

January 2025

New Years Day this year had the battle of the Bucks vs Ducks. Ohio State Football won everything; first time since Lance's birth year.

Thor's first ride of the New Year.

From that excitement of football the boys wandered into their first ECD of the year on 1/4.

Our family found a new favorite game, the expanded version of Exploding Kittens.  If you're forgetful you get to where the "Cone of Shame", if your lucky you get to "Do What You Want".

Epiphany brought an end to this year's Christmas light show.  The kids are already planning for expansion and improvements next year.  Thankfully all our neighbors love the backyard display.

FIAR had their first field trip this year to the Muesum of Art on 1/9.  I love having docent tours because with a docent you can go to the same place look at the same pieces of art but still learn and appreciate new things.

On our way home we hit Costco and adopted a Therapy Alpaca (technically a dog toy but it was cute we had to have it).

Khan prefers logs over sticks and the pets have a truce.

So it begins the first of Lance's close friends from childhood is married.  They had a wedding out of town and a local reception this month that Lance and I attended together.

Titus and Jared started Invisalign this month, hopefully in a few months they'll both have nice straight teeth.

1/18 was the first Game Night at the Lyons this year.  Kids all had great time and Chris and I had a date night at home.

Amber still loves the snow "because it keeps her warm".

Snow started as a gift on my birthday which lead to a week without work or going to barn.  

On the actual day we celebrated as usual...

with pretty flowers, cake and lasagna with GPs.  

Friends took us all out after the snow melted and got me the perfect mug.

Finished out the month with the kids going Ice Skating in the posh neighborhood nearby while Chris and I stayed home for date afternoon. Win-Win for everyone,

June 2024

The momentum of Jared's birthday quickly flowed into June with his last piano recital.  He played the Order 66 Theme and Interstellar to a once again awed audience.

Jared has spent the last 11 years taking lessons from Kathy (and this year Ben too).  She is more a member of our family and a friend than just a piano teacher, which is why Jared is not completely ending his professional relationship but switching modes to start Voice lessons.  Jared feels a command of singing is a talent missing from his theatrical resume.

Backing up to June 1st, Bricks and Mini-Figs grand opening was a huge success and Jared is absolutely loving his new job.

Swim season is going by fast.  Titus is swimming with the 18 yo. this year so its quite a size difference on the starting blocks in many of the tournaments but Titus is a fighter and holding his own in the water, out of the water and at the recent shaving cream party.

This month also renewed the kids love of golf.  They've been having fun on days off and all going golfing together; which is doubly nice as it gives Chris and I a little alone time at home.

June is Lance's 2nd anniversary at Hendrick and so he got spin the wheel at the company luncheon and make a little extra cash.  He also enjoyed a company sponsored lunch a different day at a yummy Italian restaurant that apparently has pretty waitresses.

Amber and I continue to work at the barn to pay for Big Furie's rent.  Some early mornings there are so peaceful and beautiful.  We won't talk about the bad weather days.

The Starlight Ball was this month as well and boys were looking rather dapper and as always had a marvelous time.

The kids finished off the month with a tour of Brick Universe a traveling Lego builder show at the downtown convention center.  I love how all my kids truly enjoy spending time together enjoying each other's passions.

May 2024

After 15 years of coaching Chris is retiring from baseball as Titus decided he'd rather play tennis going in high school next year.  My four boys have had a great time working together the last three years on Titus' Middle School team (Chris and Lance coaching with Jared in charge of scoring/game changer).  That said, I do think it will be a relaxing break for Chris to just sit back and cheer Titus at tennis.

As it would happen, Chris had a number of chances to do just that this month with Titus finished out JTT, then participated in the Tennis - Cinco de Mayo and Bring the Sting tournaments. He gets better every tournament.

Jared attended the TKD Black Belt Testing this month to cheer on his former students.  His presence was greatly appreciated.  The staff and masters even invited him to go out to dinner at the Korean BBQ restaurant after the tournament.  It was a really great time for Jared catching up with old friends.

Lance on the other hand decided to make new friends this month by joining Men's League (He's sporting his Ranger's T-shirt to his first practice).  At the try-out he was universally voted on to the team.  The guys are really excited to have him and he's excited about the team and getting more field time.

Now that Baseball and Tennis are done for the school year, its time for swim team to start for Titus.  He is always on the move with something (personally I think its an important thing to keep boys moving).

This was one of those years where we have a ridiculous number of cicada hatchings.  They practically covered the roads at times, so I decided to make use of them by collecting them on our walks and feeding them to the chickens who went wild for the extra protein snack.

As a special treat this year we went with the McLambs to the Greensboro Science Center in celebration of Jared's birthday.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and the butterfly encounter was very friendly.  After (of course), we had dinner together at "Wicked Burger", every ones favorite restaurant in North Carolina. However, this was a bit of a bitter sweet trip knowing with weddings in the horizon this would probably be the last time our two families would go on an adventure together in our entirety.  Own families have been doing live together for over ten years.  If you could only stop time.

On his actually birthday we of course had spice cake and a favorite meal.  Tomorrow grand opening of "Bricks and Mini-figs, Cary" where Jared will start working.  This is truly a dream job for Jared working all day with Lego.  Praying this will just the beginning of wonderful new opportunities for Jared and his various career aspirations in the new year.  Happy Birthday my caring, beautiful, extremely creative and talented young man!

 

April 2024

April was a busy month of change for Lance.  Two close friends that worked with him at Hendrick, moved on to other jobs.  Leaving Lance and their dad behind at Hendrick.  In the spirit of moving toward your long-term career goals, Lance drove all the way to Ohio and then to Pennsylvania for baseball tryouts. This was a great growing experience and a new adventure of traveling on his own.  In between tryouts he even got to attend a Cleveland Indians game.

While Lance was on his road trip, Amber and Titus worked to get somethings done in the train room for him.

In the same spirit again, Jared interviewed for a job at a Lego reseller called "Bricks and Mini-figs".  Of course, they loved him and he will be a part of their opening team.

Titus and I went on adventure to a Gardening Club Azalea Sale at the fairgrounds.  We had so much fun filling our cart with unique new azaleas and rhododendrons to finish off the backyard with more color. 

Amber focused on riding Thor.

At the end of the month she even entered him in a small barn show.  Numerous people at the barn thought for sure he was going to go race-horse mode and kill half the kids in the arena.  Thankfully, they were wrong. Though he was a big confused when everyone lined up (he even looked behind him to see why they were racing) Amber kept him behaving himself the whole time. 

There was no FIAR field trip this month so we planned our own field trip with friends to the WRAL Azaela Gardens.  Such a beautiful place. 

Finally, we celebrated Frank's birthday with of course lasagna and spice cake (There's a trend going here).