We Have a Graduate!

 

We've processed so many emotions this past week as we close out Adam's high school journey. There aren't words to express how happy and proud we are. When Adam was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, we didn't know if mainstream high school would even be possible. We did know that we would advocate for him every step of the way. There have been some difficult days, weeks, months, and years.  

We are so grateful for the teachers and case managers who have walked beside us and advocated for him. We have worked hard to cultivate awareness and acceptance in those who were not as supportive as we would have hoped. If just one person is more accepting of autistic people, our efforts have been worth it.

Our church family has been a big part of Adam's journey. So many have prayed for him, taught him, and loved him over the last 18 years. Their investment in him is a treasure to us.

So, what's next? Adam is going to Belmont University in the fall where he is planning to major in Computer Science. He will live at home and commute to campus. Again, we find ourselves at the edge of the unknown. The supports that were in place in high school will be mostly gone, and he will have to advocate for himself. We would covet your prayers as he takes this next step. 

Christmas Letter 2025

  Greetings from the Nashville Watts family! We hope you are doing well and enjoying the company of family and friends this holiday season.

Adam has had an eventful year. Over the summer, he took driver’s education and passed the driver’s test on the first try! Tennessee state law required him to wait until October when he had his permit for six months to get his full license, but he now drives himself to and from school every day. He was able to paint his parking place in the senior parking lot with a fully functioning QR code. His senior year is academically challenging, with three Advanced Placement classes including Computer Science, which is completely online. He's been accepted to five different universities and will make his selection for next fall in the coming months. Adam continues to keep busy with youth activities at church as well as his Dungeons and Dragons group at the library.

    Patrick has a full plate as well with his responsibilities at work, church, and home. Patrick will celebrate twenty years at Lifeway in February. He and his team primarily work on ministrygrid.com and enjoyed mentoring a summer intern from Lehigh University. Patrick is still the church treasurer and is planning to play in the Keyboards at Christmas performance at church in December. He participates in a rotation of teachers in Sunday School teaching The Gospel Project as well as playing keyboard in the church orchestra.

    Lydia enjoys reading, making cards, and other crafting projects when she feels up to it. She has been reading along with Adam’s English class reading assignments and enjoys discussing them with him. She has also learned about the required Supreme Court cases for AP Government as she has helped Adam study for that class.

    We love hearing from our friends and family and using your Christmas cards as reminders to pray for you during the year. Please connect with us on Facebook or come by for a visit if you are in the area. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2026.

First of the Lasts

It's been almost two weeks since the first day of senior year, and we've been going at breakneck speed ever since. There is so much to do before May 17, 2026.

When it gets overwhelming, we try to think of how far we've come, and all of those who have helped us get this far. We didn't know if he would ever learn to walk, but now he is learning to drive. Just like walking, it's a very slow process, and we don't know when/if he will master it. 

We forge ahead into the unknown. His senior year won't look like anyone else's, and that's okay. We're doing the best we can with the challenges that have come our way. We plan to celebrate the victories, no matter how small they may seem in comparison. 

Christmas Letter 2024

Greetings from the Watts family! We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the holiday season!

Adam is working hard in his junior year of high school, especially in AP US History. We’re already making plans for the courses he will take his senior year. He’s still participating in a weekly after school game club and church activities. He started in-home piano lessons this year and is making good progress. Adam says his highlight of the year was visiting The Minecraft Experience in Texas with his aunt and cousin.

Patrick and Adam were able to have a quick visit with Patrick’s aunt and uncle in Dayton, Ohio in June before heading to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Adam highly recommends Children's Museum of Indianapolis and souvenir “shopping” at the annual meeting teardown.

Patrick has had another successful year at Lifeway, adding more programmers to his team and keeping ministrygrid.com running and delivering digital curriculum to churches around the world. At church, Patrick has been playing keyboard in the orchestra, teaching Sunday School every few weeks, and serving as the church treasurer. He also sang in the choir at An Irish Christmas with Keith & Kristyn Getty and Friends at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

We are always grateful for our friends and family, especially this time of year. We love hearing from you! Please connect with us on Facebook or come by for a visit if you are in the area. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2025.

-Patrick, Lydia, and Adam Watts

First Day of Junior Year

 

Christmas Letter 2023

        

        Greetings from the Watts family! We hope you’ve had a wonderful 2023!

Adam will turn 16 next month and continues to be busy with his sophomore year of high school as well as church activities. He's taking his first Advanced Placement class - AP Seminar. Adam also joined a new gaming club at school where they alternate between video games and tabletop games. He is learning to be a Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master and has enjoyed playing against his friends in variations of chess. He’s still singing baritone in the youth choir at church and is excited about welcoming our new pastor early next year.

Patrick has settled into his role as Software Development Manager for the Product Domain, working on a complete rebuild of Lifeway’s site this past year. He still works from home with occasional in-person meetings at Lifeway’s new headquarters, which is only ten minutes from our house!

In June, Patrick was asked to help staff the Lifeway booth at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans. It was a great time to connect with friends and meet Baptists from all over the country. If you saw Patrick in the booth there, he probably gave you a pair of Lifeway socks!

Less than two days after returning from New Orleans, Patrick and Adam left Nashville in the early morning hours to go on the church youth choir tour and mission trip to Hawaii! The action-packed week included volunteering at a food bank and school, singing at a church, singing at the Ala Moana mall, singing on the beach, and helping lead a Vacation Bible School. The group also managed to see the sights of Oahu such as the Pearl Harbor Memorial and Kualoa Ranch, which has been the filming location for many popular movies and television shows. There was also some time for one of Adam’s favorite things - the beach!

A special time for our family this year was Patrick’s participation in our church’s bi-annual Keyboards at Christmas performance, where twelve pianists play beautiful Christmas music on six grand pianos. The group consists of church members with various musical and professional backgrounds, and they practiced through the fall months to prepare for the concert on December 3. Patrick hopes to play again at the next concert in 2025. 

We are always grateful for our friends and family, especially this time of year. We love hearing from you! Please connect with us on Facebook or come by for a visit if you are in the area. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2024.

-Patrick, Lydia, and Adam Watts

Christmas Letter 2022

Greetings from Watts family! We hope you are well and enjoying the holiday season. 

Adam turned 14 in January and continues to enjoy playing video games and hanging out with the other boys in the neighborhood. He recently joined a Dungeons & Dragons group at the local library and looks forward to the meetings. 

Patrick’s big news this year was his new position at Lifeway. After being hired in 2006 to head up marketing, sales, and events for Lifeway Worship, he has spent the past few years on the resources team, primarily working with digital products. In April, he moved to the IT department to be a Software Development Manager for the Product Domain. He and the developers he supervises are responsible for making sure that all of the information about Lifeway’s products is accurate and dependable, and to provide governance and management over the quality of the product data wherever it goes, whether that be to Lifeway’s website, Amazon, Walmart, or any of the other outlets that sell Lifeway products.

Our busy spring continued in May when Adam wrapped up middle school. After spending his seventh grade year at home in distance learning, we were especially proud that he finished eighth grade so well and even earned a spot on the honor roll. 

In June, the Watts boys went coast to coast! Patrick and Adam went to California to visit Disneyland, Legoland, and Huntington Beach, and to attend the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Adam was a first-time messenger!

They came back home for a couple of days before heading to Miami to participate in the Youth Choir Tour/Mission Trip. The group sang and served at several locations including the Miami Rescue Mission and Bayside Marketplace. They also sang the national anthem at a Miami Marlins game. They managed to squeeze in some Florida fun, too - snorkeling at Key Largo and spending a day at Universal Orlando.

Adam started high school in August, where he has adjusted well despite a few challenges. We’ve all had to adapt to new routines, teachers, and classes. He’s had some busy fall weekends going to TN Maker Fest, Brick Fest, and Pigeon Forge for the youth group fall retreat.

Lydia is able to participate in Sunday School and women’s Bible study at church via Zoom. Though chronic pain and autoimmune disease limits what she can do, she still enjoys cheering on the Vols and Predators from home. 

We love to hear from our friends and family! Connect with us on Facebook or come by for a visit if you are in the area. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed new year.

- Patrick, Lydia, and Adam