Christmas
Rumblings from the Lyons Den
Christmas 2019, Cincinnati, Ohio
Looking Back…
- In
January, we enjoyed a few fun star related field trips, and Jeremiah
enjoyed playing indoor basketball.
- In
February, we did a space themed birthday complete with the Cincinnati
Observatory talking to us about the planets. The kids turned 8, 6 and 4,
lots of excitement and grandparents visiting galore.
- In
March, we had a fun reunion visiting with the Jensen family and even took
them roller skating. We enjoyed ministry
related field trips to a Bible producing ministry and Matthew 25
ministries. And we mourned the loss
of Uncle Bill Koeppen, Michael’s beloved uncle.
- In
April, we enjoyed helping with a walk through Holy Week at church,
celebrating Resurrection and beginning of spring.
- In
May, we finished school, headed to York and celebrated brother Josh’s
wedding to Julee Lippy. Lydia took
her role as flower girl seriously.
We rejoice with them at their new marriage!
- In
June, we enjoyed helping and participating in VBS as well as several high
school graduation ceremonies.
- In
July, our fishies went back to the pool one again. We enjoyed a vacation with Erin’s family
to Bethany Beach (where she vacationed as a little kiddie). The kids enjoyed digging, crabbing,
playing in the sand, and of course, swimming in the ocean!
- In
August, Jeremiah started 3rd grade, Lydia 1st,
Josiah Pre-K, and Joel?- he was running around destroying things, being
loud and making it hard for us to read.
- In
September, we enjoyed a free trip to Strickers Grove amusement park and
enjoyed hosting some neighbors, friends and family. We love to end September with apple
picking and lots of apple-saucing.
- In
October, we enjoyed hiking up Mount Leconte (a bucket list for Erin &
Michael) and a getaway in the Great Smokey Mountains.
- In
November, we enjoyed time serving and raking leaves for people at ECC in
need and enjoyed Thanksgiving reunion with the Lyons family.
- In December, our highlights at Christmas were seeing lights and visiting with friends, caroling and bringing Christmas and holiday cheer to neighbors and friends. The kids made Gingerbread houses, sugar cookies with friends and a few Christmas treats.
Year’s Reading Recommendations…
From
Erin:
Hiding Place, Ten Boom; The Tech-Wise Family, Crouch;
Boys Adrift, Sax; Growing in Gratitude, Mohler.
From Michael: Boys Adrift, Sax; Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela; John
Adams, McCullough; Gilead, Robinson; Home, Robinson; The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson (re-read); The
Tech-Wise Family, Crouch; The Storm-Tossed Family, Moore; Counsel
for Couples, Holmes; For the Life of the World, Schmemann;
Reading the Gospels Wisely, Pennington; The Day the Revolution Began,
Wright; Simple & Direct, Barzon; Pharaoh Triumphant, Kitchen.
From Jeremiah: (This
summer we thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Narnia books on audio! Now we are listening to them over with Focus
on the Family radio theatre!) The
Sign of the Beaver, Speare; Johnny Tremaine, Forbes; The Cricket
in Times Square, Selden; The Door in the Wall, De Angeli; The
Hobbit, Tolkien; Hank the Cowdog series.
From Lydia: The
Courage of Sarah Noble, Dalgliesh; (Little House series books);
Cranberry Thanksgiving, Devlin;
Madeline, Usborne Illustrated Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales; Goodbye to
Goodbyes; The Moon is Always Round.
From Josiah:
The Story about Ping, Flack; Mike
Mulligan and the Steam Shovel- Burton (any of Burton books), Katy and
the Big Snow.
From Joel: “I have discovered Sandra Boynton books! (A to Z, But
Not The Hippopotamus, Blue Hat, Green Hat, Oh my! Oh my!
Dinosaurs!)” I try to read them while I sit
on the potty!”
On Our Minds this Past
Year…
This year, we have been working on
thankfulness. We have seen God’s hand at
work in our family. We are thankful for
Michael working the whole year and getting closer to publishing his first book,
an outgrowth of his dissertation. We are
thankful for our new sister-in-law, Julee!
We are grateful to be a part of a wonderful body of believers. We have seen this body at work particularly
in this last month as Erin struggled with some medical challenges. Friends prayed, came to help with kids,
brought meals and reminded Erin of God’s promises! It was a humbling time but one that God
reminded her that she is not alone and that He is always with us and He does
provide what we need at each every moment!
We are thankful for God providing us time away with Erin’s family at
Bethany Beach and how refreshing it was for us as a family! We are thankful for new friends from our
neighborhood as well as those we have met, dear friends and internationals from
overseas God has brought into our path this year, answering years of
prayers! We are thankful for all the
ways God continues to provide for our every need, and also giving us grace and
strength to help each day!
News from the Lyons’ Den…
The Parents:
Michael ‘s big task after graduating last year (2018) has been
rewriting his dissertation into a publishable book. This has involved more
research and many weeks of taking the data from the dissertation and turning it
into prose. This book will be aimed at an academic audience, with the hopes
that a book on famine in the Bible for the Church will follow afterward. Meanwhile, he continues to serve and love
people at ECC as Minister of Discipleship. This year he created a church class
called Ancient Israel: Behind the Scenes of the Bible, and also taught a series
on the Pentateuch. Erin’s days
are full of bringing routine and order to little lives. She enjoys homeschooling the kids and
teaching at the co-op on Wednesdays each week- this year doing Nature Study and
Character Kids class (She enjoys visiting with mom-friends that day!). She loves to visit neighbors, still loves to
hike and go on walks, organize field trips and make meals for people and
anything God might bring to her that day!
She still loves to organize hospitality gatherings. We have enjoyed some visits with
Internationals this year as well as hosting neighborhood gatherings. She is studying the Psalms with the youth
girls this year.
Kids:
Our
home is busy! We are learning by God’s grace to love the little years. Jeremiah is 8. He is now in third
grade. Jeremiah is either playing
outside in the woods and building forts or vigorously reading a book! He loves God’s creation and being with
friends and has really grown in his piano skills this year thanks to a
wonderful teacher at church! He has
enjoyed going to Rock ‘n Jump with a friend this winter. Jeremiah’s favorite class at co-op this year
is Art and Boy’s Club where they have learned various manly skills! Jeremiah played soccer this fall and
basketball in the winter. Jeremiah still
wants a dog but now he is hoping to do some dog walking in the
neighborhood. Lydia is 6. She is in first grade and is still learning
to read. She loves dressing up her new
American Girl doll and loves to “play house” with Josiah. She loves to craft and make things! Though she can be shy at first, she is an
explosion of energy when ready. She rooms with little Joel and is such a
helpful big sister! J
Josiah
is
4. He has really grown this year in
getting ready for school. He has learned
to write his name and loves to sit and do workbooks, mazes and any school he
can find. He loves to sing especially
when he is in the car! He and Joel have enjoyed
playing cars and trucks together (yes, fighting too…)! Joel is 2. He loves reading Sandra Boynton books. He loves to pretend he is a cat. He loves running and wrestling daddy. He loves to line up and play cars and
trucks. He loves to build with magna
tiles and he enjoys being in on the action with his siblings. He still loves his blankie and sucks his two
fingers to go to bed- (guess we better break him of this soon). He is now in a toddler bed and since the
beginning of November, we have been working on potty training- we still have
some hurdles to cross but progress is being made slowly!
Seeing and Savoring Christ
in Christmas…
Our year came crashing to an end so quickly that we
didn’t get this Christmas letter out in time for Christmas itself. This is a
testimony to the fact that our lives are not perfect; our family on paper (or
on the screen!) sure looks a lot better than it feels in the daily grind. But
Christ is sufficient. What grace he gives us to complete another year before
him! We pray that, just as God has graciously given us all things in Christ,
the God of hope may fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by
the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope in 2020 (Rom 15:13).
Treasuring
Christ,
Michael,
Erin, Jeremiah, Lydia, Josiah and Joel Lyons
5684
Colerain Avenue Apt. 3, Cincinnati, OH 45239
elyons25@gmail.com, mlyons533@gmail.com,
http://melyonsden.blogspot.com (Family news and happenings)
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