Has it really been a month?

I am sooooo sorry!! I did not know it had been so long!! It has been crazy-but not that bad!! I guess I am just lazy!!We are getting ready to go back to school in just a couple of days. =( The kids are not ready for school to start and neither am I! Tosha will be a junior, Zac a freshman, and Katie will be in the 6th grade! Oh my goodness! No one in elementary school for 5 years! Of course with school starting, this means that Seminary will start again! I spent quite a few weeks subbing in Primary! I wish I could do that, be in youth, teach Seminary, and do the bulletin. I guess 2 out of 4 isn't bad!! =)

July was busy with Scout Camp and band camp, birthday and 18th wedding anniversary, a trip to Gonzales, LA for back to school shopping, hanging out with friends, and just trying to stay cool!

Joseph now has the nickname of "Fat Albert"!! He is a chunky boy! But I am so glad that he is like that right now versus how he looked when we brought him home almost 5 months ago! He is laughing, talking (learning how to get VERY loud!) scoots all over his crib, has to put everything into his mouth, and is just a very happy boy - for the most part!

Everything seems to be on track with the adoption. We hope to have things finalized the last Friday in September. Then we will spend the second weekend in October having him sealed to us and then blessed. I can't wait for that to happen!

quick update...sorry no new pictures right now!

I took Joseph to the doctor today for his 4 month check-up. He weighs in at 14lbs 10oz and is 23 1/2 inches long. He is definitely a chunk now!!! He is eating cereal and loving it!! Now that we are putting him on his tummy to sleep, he is sleeping so much better (me too!!)! Joseph smiles almost constantly and loves to "talk" to us and the ceiling fan! He blends in well with this family!!

We are enjoying our summer break. We are just wishing it was a lot cooler!! This has been a miserable summer. We went 2 months without any rain, and temperatures in the 100's! Trying to convince people to stay in Mississippi (you know who you are!!) has been very difficult to do with these unusual temperatures!!!

Laundry is loudly calling my name - UGH!!!! Hope all is well with you!

One of the Most Peaceful Places on Earth...

I had a wonderful opportunity to go to the Northeast a couple of weeks ago. It was just Joseph and I with Debi and her four children. We took two days to drive to New Jersey, and spent several days with Debi's sister and family. Where we were staying was about an hour away from NYC. So, Debi was sweet enough to take me to go see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and downtown NYC! Joseph, Gabrielle (Debi's youngest daughter), Debi's mom, Debi, and I went to go see the Statue of Liberty. The weather was gray and dreary, but the rain held out while we were visiting "Lady Liberty". It was an amazing sight. To think of what the immigrants must have felt when they saw her standing so majestically, and to realize that there lives were going to be changing (hopefully for the better). Ellis Island was also very thought provoking. NYC was just crazy!! And we went on a Sunday! It was so neat to see this big, bustling city. We had all of the kids with us on this trip, and we just drove through parts of downtown. I was glad that we were able to see Ground Zero.



After we were in NJ, we went to central New York where Debi and her family lived for four years. It is a gorgeous area. Small town, but a lot to see and do. Debi, Gabrielle, Joseph and I went to Palmyra to see church sites. The Sacred Grove has to be one of the most peaceful places on the Earth - without entering into a temple. I could go visit there daily! I loved seeing the Joseph Smith home(s), and then we went and saw where the first editions of The Book of Mormon were published. The next day we went to Fayette where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. The Fayette church building is wonderful, and I was jealous of the Hicks for having the chance to go to church in such an amazing building! Not to mention that the Peter Whitmer home is just a few hundred yards away from their building! I can't wait until my whole family can take this amazing trip to see some of the church history sites.

Joseph is getting soooo big! He is smiling all of the time, talking/cooing, and has started eating rice cereal. Yes, it might be a little early (according to the new guidelines), but he is still getting up three times at night to eat! I need sleep!!!! It hasn't helped yet, but he does enjoy eating the cereal! He took to eating from a spoon very naturally! I was amazed! We go in for his four month appointment the beginning of July, so we will see how big he has officially become! He no longer looks like he was a preemie!

Everybody else is doing well. Tosha is done with Girls Camp. Zac goes to Scout Camp in a couple of weeks and they both have Youth Conference this weekend. Katie is a big help with Joseph! Mike is on the road - again. I hate that he is gone a lot, but at least he has a job that pays the bills!

I really need another set of arms!

I am learning that I truly need another set of arms! Typing and holding a baby is a challenge! Especially since Joseph is getting so much more active. He does not like to sit still anymore. His head is bobbing, or his arms are flailing about, or he is trying to push himself up to a standing position on my lap. But he loves to be held - and I love holding him!!

Nothing much new going on around here. Summer has started at the Lyon home. My kids have yet to tell me that they are bored, but I am a mean mom that will give them some housework to do if they dare to utter those words!! Tosha is packing the final stuff for girls camp - at least we hope this is the final stuff. We are enjoying the Wii Fit that we bought a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it can get so hot and humid here, that going outside a lot to exercise, is very hard to do. The Wii Fit can definitely give you a work out! I don't like the scale part - but other than that, it is a lot of fun!

Mike is out of town again. His company is requiring a lot more traveling for their "outside" people. I miss him while he is gone, but I have learned that this is part of the job. I have also learned to appreciate the time when he is home and not out of town for work or gone for a church meeting (which can be multiple times in a week!). Heavenly Father made me strong and stubborn for a reason! :)

I am attaching a couple of pictures from our Memorial Day drive. We were going to drive down to Natchez, but never made it that far! One of these days...

Katie

Today was Katie's awards day for 5th grade. Our last child in elementary school for 5 years!! Katie is so glad to be finished at Highland Bluff. She loved her old school and her teachers, and she has really struggled at Highland Bluff. The awards ceremony today lasted for over an hour and a half!! This was just for 5th grade! No teachers singing and dancing either. =(

At any rate, Katie was one of the students awarded with the "President's Award for Educational Excellence" and the "Presidential Fitness Award"! Katie has always been our most athletic child, so I am really glad that she was recognized for this. The Educational Excellence award is a great honor as well!

We would have pictures for this day, but for some reason, our camera has never worked well in the school cafeterias!!

Tosha and Zac are also doing well in school. Tosha was recognized at her awards ceremony for participating on the academic team, which won first place in the Rankin County competition. Tosha and Zac were both exempt from their final exams (except Zac has to take the Algebra exam - he had a tough teacher this year that did not like to explain things very well.).

We are so pleased with how well our children are succeeding in school. We hope that this will continue!!

Pictures

You would think that they were up all night! Half was, the other half got up once in the night!!

Just a few too many bubbles!! Joseph loves bath time!

Joseph is getting so big! He smiles a lot more now and has begun cooing as well!

One of the first things that Katie wants to do, after finishing her homework, is to hold Joseph. She has been very cute to watch with him! I have to fight to hold him during Sacrament meeting!

Catch up

Sorry that it has been a while! I have been busy playing on Facebook! It has been neat to be able to see what family and friends are doing throughout their days/weeks. It is amazing how
many people are on Facebook.

We are doing well here. Joseph was up to 8lbs 14oz at his appointment last Friday. The doctor instructed me to only allow him to eat every three to four hours during the night. He is saying that Joseph's growth is remarkable! So far, we have only had one really bad night with Joseph thinking that he was supposed to eat every 2 hours. Thankfully he is a pacifier baby!!

Tosha had her final band concert for the school year on Monday, and Zac's is tonight. Katie will be playing the trombone next year. So we will now have a tenor sax, an alto sax, and a trombone in the house!

The school year is coming to an end this month and it is none too early! We are all ready for the break! I say break...with Girl's camp, Scout camp, band camp, youth conference, and any other things that might come up, I don't think it will be too much of a break!!! The joys of having teen-agers in the house!!