My new favorite time of year - BACK TO SCHOOL!

Noelle needs school.

It is so good for her. She is nicer to her parents when she is in school. She has more fun when she is in school. Life is calmer when she is in school.

Don't get me wrong, she's an amazing kid...but the structure, learning, friends...she just THRIVES in it. Last week was the first week of school and by gosh were we ready!

A bonus to being in Georgia for Pre-k was that it started nearly a month earlier than Noelle's preschool in Kentucky. On top of that, it was impossible to find a 3 day program...pretty much everything is 4 days or more. It was a bit more than we would have paid in Kentucky, but hey - we're getting another day of her at school!

She has adjusted beautifully to her new school. She has two sweet teachers that are both grandma's and have been teaching for years. Her school has an abundance of little girls so I am hopeful that Noelle will make a few more friends in her class that we could have a play date with here and there.

We had fun taking her first day of Pre-K pictures and before I know it she will be off to Kindergarden and beyond!!!

She came up with this pose herself!

sassy!

Her faces crack us up!

This was our attempt to get a pic of both of them. Louie is wary.

Now Louie is just bored, lol.

Louie - 1 Year

This post is embarrassingly late. But guys, moving is really really hard with little nuggets running around!

Louie spent his 12th month entertaining himself while we packed and said goodbyes. His birthday party was a small family get together just days after we arrived in Georgia. For his first birthday he was a squatter in his grandparents home!

He didn't have any major milestones in his 12th month...but he certainly got into anything and everything he could. We call him "destructor" or "one man wrecking crew" - he is just a little tornado/bulldozer everywhere he goes. It's a bit exhausting but thankfully he is so very cute. That really helps.

He is turning into such a little boy so quickly...and also turning into quite the toddler, complete with toddler fits when he doesn't get his way.

Louis is now 14.5 months and won't sit still for much of anything. We did our very best to get a one year photo like all his others but he was NOT having it. We decided it was better to be honest about trying to get it and that way we would remember just how impossible it was to get him to sit still at a year old.

Louie is also starting to communicate more and more with us. He's got Mama, Dada, and Pop Pop as the people he will name. Sometimes we think he tries to say Noelle as "O-elle" but it isn't very often. He likes to point out people, and he also likes to point at ceiling fans. His favorite animals are cats and he loves to eat cookies.

It's hard to believe how quickly a year has flown by and I know the 2nd year will go even faster. We love you little Louie and we are so very honored to have you be a part of our family.

Adjusting to New Normal

Moving to different states is a big transition. It's even more challenging when you have a "hiatus" month in between leaving your old home and actually moving into your new home.

We officially started living in our home in Acworth the day after my birthday. It was so interesting to go back to our family dynamic of just the four of us. The kids were so happy to have all of their own things unboxed and slowly we started to find our own rhythms again.

We still have a few things to "check off the list" in terms of all you have to switch over and change when you move. But that list is quickly getting checked off as we have started August.

But there is so much more to "new normal" that we are still adjusting to. It's exciting and tiring all at the same time. We are getting more familiar with the area, and our house is feeling more and more like home.

We've met some great neighbors who have made us feel like we actually know people here beyond just family.

We are still searching for a church home, and we feel once we have found that it will really start to feel like we are settled fully. It has been 11 years since we looked for a new church, and it is no easy feat. It has brought back memories of where we were back then and we try to remember what made us plant our family at Quest. We are eager to start this next chapter, but we need lots of patience as the search continues.

In the mean time we are so grateful to have family nearby and we've even gotten visits from a couple Lexington friends that have been passing through. We're learning what it means to invest in long distance friendships while still keeping our eyes open for new friends here.