A year...

Wow, what a difference a year makes! I am overwhelmed when I think about all the changes that have happened this past year. It's really hard to believe that just a little over a year ago we moved across the U.S to a state we had never visited, with no friends, pregnant and to top it off it was winter!
Now looking back we know for a fact that God put us here for a reason. We truly followed what we believed the Holy Spirit was telling us, in that this was the place we needed to be. We didn't know why at the time, but we learn and experience more every day verifying this.
This year we went from 0 friends to a big circle of warm, welcoming friends. We found a church we fell in love with. We both joined lifegroups through our church, which has brought us both closer to the Lord. We welcomed a new life into this world when we had sweet Blake Joseph Watts in May. Our sweet little Layla turned two this year and is now this little person full of personality and spunk. We went  through the devastation and shock of learning Marissa had skin cancer and then rejoiced in seeing all the support and love we received from friends and family. We were blessed beyond belief to have the number one hospital for skin cancer in the U.S, just 2 hours from us.....again, another reason God moved us here. This year we beat cancer. This year we have learned to put our trust and faith in God and his plans for our family more then we ever have before in our life. This year Tyler received a promotion almost at exactly a year since he started his job here. This year we learned that distance does not make a bit of difference to the people and family who truly love us. This year we made two trips home to California and had family visit us numerous times. This year we were overwhelmed with love and blessing when Marissa's mom dropped everything in an instant to come stay for a month when she was diagnosed with cancer. This year (we) Tyler and Marissa grew closer together more then ever and learned to trust each other more then ever. This year Marissa went from being a third grade teacher to a full time stay at home mom. This year was full of love, learning, trust, disappointment, fear, hope, desire and change. What a difference a year makes. To be brutally honest, a year ago I didn't know that this was the place for us. It was a cold, long winter. We never gave up though on our willingness and faithfulness to trust God's plan and now look where we are. To say the South is different from California is an understatement, it truly is a different world. We have grasped the "southern" way with open arms. We definitely don't have the accents down, but we are loving learning all the traditions and ways of the South. What a difference a year makes......

California!!!!

It has been far too long since I've updated this! Time flies when you are having fun...and we sure have been! We went to California for most of November and had a great time visiting family and friends. Tyler stayed the first week and I stayed two more weeks with the kids. For a lot of people it was the first time meeting Blake...who by the way is now crawling! I know, so crazy. Here's a few pics from our trip!

Halloween!!!!

This past Sunday was Layla's first time "experiencing" Halloween! Our little cowboy, Blake, enjoyed jumping in his jumper all night rather than participate in collecting candy. Layla became a little pro after seeing all the goodies she started getting going house to house. We hosted a Halloween Chili potluck in our driveway and had our friends in the neighborhood over. They all have kids around Layla and Blake's age, so it was a toddler parade walking down the street. We had a great time. I have to admit though, I did get a little weepy the first time I saw Lu go up to a house and trick or treat. My little baby is growing up! =(

Layla's second birthday party Yo Gabba Gabba style!

This past Saturday we threw Layla a big Yo Gabba style birthday party! She was so excited to turn two and kept walking around going "I two" "I two". She is OBSESSED with Yo Gabba. We even took her the week before to see them live....I'll post those pics soon too! This party was a lot of work, but well worth it. Layla and all her friends had a blast! We colored Yo Gabba placemats and then had a big Yo Gabba dance party.

Apple Pickin'

We had a great time yesterday apple pickin' with our friends the Gailbraths and the Brockways. This is the last weekend of apple picking, so we were excited that we made it before it closed. Lu loved chasing the pigs and roosters running around and little Blake was as mellow as can be checking out all the sites. It was a gorgeous day and even got a little hot towards the end.

Fall is here.....

Since we have moved here, my friends have been insistently telling me how beautiful the Carolina's are during the Fall. Since we moved in December last year, we missed the Fall season. I have to say, my friends were right. Charlotte is absolutely breathtaking in the Fall. We are so blessed to have a huge backyard with lots of playing room for Layla! In California our backyard was literally a slab of concrete and some bark, so we are just in Heaven with this yard.
This morning I took my coffee outside and sat and watched Layla have a ball playing in the Fall leaves. There are a ton of fun Fall events coming up in October, and we are so excited for what's in store this month.