The Next Generation

We have been attempting to get some new photos of Milo but also of Louie and Noelle so that my parents can have "matching/coordinating" photos of all three grand kids.

My cousin Michele's birthday party became a great opportunity to try and get those shots, as well as all of the "great grand-kids" of Lou and Flo D'Ambrosio. Flo (Grammy) was the only one who got to meet a great grandchild, which was Will back in 2008.

Getting all of the kids to be happy and looking in relatively the same direction was pretty much impossible, but we are really pleased with the results! Enjoy some Fall cuteness!!

Louie thought Francis of Assisi needed a hug. 

This took so much effort and was the best we could do. Someone wouldn't stay put...

We gave up on Louie and took a few with the cooperative ones.

We tried again and gave Louie the prop. Worked for him, but then the other two were distracted!

Happy Mr. Milo!! Too easy :)

The photo veteran of the crowd.

I had to hold him still but we'll crop me out later.

Milo and Mariano, the 2016 crew representing well!

This is where we tried to get all of them, you can see how poorly we started...

We resorted to singing to get them all to look and be happy. Will was mortified, Milo was beginning to dislike it, Louie thought it was the greatest concert of all time, Noelle was slightly amused, and Mariano was horrified.

We tried re-adjusting the positions and hoped that everyone would be happy. Louie was wondering what on earth was wrong with Milo.

The best we could do!
Milo Tripp ~ Noelle Watkins ~ Louie Watkins ~ Will Perrino ~ Mariano Perrino
Lou and Flo would have been immensely proud and entirely smitten with all of them!

October in Georgia

It's been hot. Once we moved to Georgia I don't think I was cold from May until recently. If you know me, you will know that's a long time for me to be hot. I am pretty much always cold, except for summer in Georgia.

But good news everyone - the heat is retreating. And October in Georgia is gorgeous!! I haven't been in Georgia for an october since 2000. And even then I was in high school which means the only days you are outside for the entire day is pretty much weekends. But let's face it, how many high schoolers truly truly appreciate beautiful days?? Well I can tell you that I didn't!

The mornings are a little chilly but the afternoons are awesome. Nice and warm but with a cool breeze. I am not sure how many clouds I have even seen this month, it's just been perfection. Louie and Noelle just LOVE to be outside. So I am out there all. the. time.  A beautiful day outside with the kids is just a mood booster for the average mom.

It's not exactly what I would call traditional "fall" that I am used to (think light weight scarves, breaking out the boots...) but I am thoroughly enjoying the slightly cooled temperatures and the sunny skies. I'm not even dreading it becoming winter as I have in previous years...I know there will be days ahead that I don't want to venture outside with the kids - but they will start later and end sooner.

I'm excited that I'm not drenched after 5 minutes outside and that my makeup isn't melting off my face (which let's face it, most days I didn't even bother because it was so hot). Hopefully by next summer I can manage regular pool trips with both kids so that we can survive the scorching heat a little better - maybe Louie will be more cooperative in the pool in 2017!! A mom can dream, right?

I will always miss fall in Kentucky, but I am enjoying the beauty of fall in Georgia.

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.

Louie - 11 months

It's so hard to believe that 11 months have gone by so quickly. I was so incredibly tired and miserable a year ago - but it was all absolutely worth it to add this sweet little guy to our family.

Louie had yet another very busy month. He now has 5 lovely teeth and hopefully number 6 isn't far behind. He started taking steps at 10 months, but by 11 months he was a fairly experienced walker...just a few days past 11 months and it is clear that he chooses to walk 95% of the time.

He is getting better at eating different foods, but I still spoon feed him lots of calorie rich solids so that I know he is getting enough to eat. He just has limited patience for finger foods and gets annoyed if he has to do too much work to eat. But a new tasty snack that he loves is veggie straws. He is super funny because as he eats them he likes to blow in and out of the straw.

Louie loves his sister but is showing some annoyance with her more often if she smothers him. He doesn't like his movement limited and Noelle is all too fond of hugging him (aka, putting him in a headlock).

Louie still wakes once a night to eat and I keep feeding him for the extra calories he gets, but we have had a few stray sleep through the night events lately which has been very encouraging.

He is still obsessed with anything that has wheels and loves to make his own sound effects for his cars and trucks. He also is still enamored with Mickey more than any other character out there.

I'm trying to enjoy the last month of having a "baby" especially since I know Louie is going to want to be even more independent than most toddlers. I day dream about not having to breast feed and future sleep through the night occurrences, but I know I will miss all the snuggles and sweet baby giggles.

Josh and I just came across a little video of Noelle before she turned two and when she was just starting to talk. It was incredible to see this little toddler that just doesn't exist anymore!! It makes your heart sad even though we absolutely adore our little pre-schooler. We were also looking at it and getting excited for the cute toddler things that Louie is about to do.

Next time I post for this little dude he will be one and we will be living in another state. So expect it late AGAIN if you are looking, lol.

This captures this month perfectly. Louie and Grover on the move!

When Plans Change

In the last 20 months we have had many surprises. Life has taken twists and turns we didn't expect, but God has been faithful and true through all of it. We have experienced heartache, frustration, forgiveness, joy, and had so much healing in our hearts and family through this season.

Shortly after Louie was born, I had a sense that change was around the corner. I kind of tucked it away for a while, unsure of what to do with it (wondering if it was all the hormones leaving the body after pregnancy, lol). It kept coming to the surface and a few months later Josh and I started discussing the possibility of moving our family. It was very much a "maybe" discussion for a long time. Over time, we really felt more strongly about it and started to see that we weren't pushing that plan - but that God was directing some next steps for our family. He was offering us a chance to trust Him.

After much prayer and discussion we are going to start a new adventure and move to the Atlanta area! We are truly sad to leave Lexington - this city that we absolutely love. It will be a city that we will hold so dearly in our hearts forever. The things we have experienced here have been foundational to our hearts and lives and we are who we are because of the 15+ years we have spent here. We will miss our friends, neighbors, and our church family. Never did we think we would leave Lexington, but when God says go, we will go.

It may seem fast and like a surprise to some of you reading this, but we took little steps here and there along the way. Each time we stepped out in faith, God met us and continued to direct what the next step might be. The most recent next step for us was putting our home on the market and after just 24 hours, 5 showings and 2 offers, we signed a contract to sell our home! The potential closing date is the end of May, so hopefully we won't be homeless for too long!

We are excited for the new opportunities moving will mean for Josh's work and we are so happy to be near some family. We believe that the next for our little family will be a wonderful adventure that we are thrilled to embark on together.

I never thought I would go back to the Atlanta area, so this feels like a great unknown to my own heart! At this point in our lives though, I know that God always has a bigger picture than I can fathom. I look forward to seeing what unfolds!


So for old friends that are still around in Georgia - see you soon! And for my many friends in Lexington...it's a really easy drive straight down I-75. Please consider coming to visit us, or even just stopping by as you make your way down to Florida for your vacations!! I'll buy you a Publix sub and your life will never be the same :)