What a great 2009!

2009 was incredible for this Fortner family! I have learned so much about my husband, my friends and what it is to be a mom.

So I will start off with my husband. I already knew I had an amazing husband but to see his role change before my very eye was truly wonderful to watch. James turning from a husband to a husband and father was a really big deal for both of us. James has always been dependable, trusting, faithful and strong for me. Now to see him as a father just gives me a glimpse of what my Heavenly Father is like. James has so much love in his heart for Farrah. We were talking the other night about how we didn't know we had a hole in our hearts and home and Farrah filled it just right! To see James come home, he would always come and say hi to me and give me a kiss but now he goes straight for Farrah and her entire body just lights up and so does his! I don't mind being second to this precious little girl. Every night he tells Farrah how beautiful she is and how sweet she is. I love when he puts Farrah to bed. He will give her a bottle and pray over her and just talks to her and tells her how wonderful she is and what a gift from God she is. It's just priceless to have my husband so head over heals for little miss.

James and his girl!



I have also learned so much about friends and how to be a friend. That is really big for me. Having a friend is great but being a friend is the greatest thing. I have learned to listen and learn how to ask for help. As a new mommy it's hard to ask for help because you should know how to take care of your baby but it was so nice to ask my closest friends and know that they were in the same place once and that their not judging you just really love me and want to see me be a good mommy. Kelsey and Abby I could not have survived without you both. All the prayers, encouragement, laughter and tears we've shared are priceless!

With Abby and Kelsey (sorry ladies this is the only one I could find)



Then being a mom for the first time...there are no words! I always had a dream what it would be like to be a mom but it didn't even come close! I know have more appreciation of what a mom is and does. There is a reason why God give you nine months to prepare for a baby but I know He knew we could handle spur of the moment! I've learned to play and not clean. I've learned to love and kiss and dance and be silly even when someone is watching! I've learned to not be so selfish. I've learned to depend on people other then myself. I've learned how to say no. That is a really big one for me! Last year I really felt like God was telling me to slow down and say no and when I was obedient I would get the desire of my heart. It was so hard for me to say no then one night I came home and looked at our calender and there was maybe two whole days that we had nothing planned. How can I be the mom and wife I need to be if I was never home. So learning to say no was a great gift for me to learn because three months later we received our greatest gift...Farrah.



So 2009 was an amazing year and I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for us. I know more prayer and promises will come this year and that really excites me.

Merry Christmas!

All I can say is Oh my goodness!! I finally understand parents at Christmas time. Farrah had a GREAT Christmas! We had our first Christmas at home and Santa brought some really fun stuff.

Farrah loved her new pony.



How can you resist this face??



Then We went to my parents house and had a big Christmas. To have five kids in one house ready to open gifts was pretty fun. Farrah was such a trooper! We stayed home and gave her a morning nap and then went to Levelland and I'm sure glad we did cause that was the only nap she got that day. Farrah got pretty spoiled but I didn't expect anything less. Ten years in the waiting...you can only imagine!





After all the gifts it was time for games! Us girls, LaJuana, Shawna, Annika, Reagan and me had a fun game of Twister going on.



What a great day!

Then the next day we headed back to Levelland to have Christmas with James' family and again we were blessed beyond measure! Having five girls was so much fun. Lots of pink and Barbies! James and I got a video camera and we have had so much fun using it for our first Christmas as a family of three.



Playing with Lula.



James' mom, Jean, did the sweetest thing for all four boys. She has kept all of their shirts from when they played sports when they were young all they way up to their college days. She had these shirts made into a quilt for them to keep.



What a great Christmas!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.



I can't even tell you how excited we are about Christmas! For so many years I would start off Christmas day with a good cry and beg God to bring me a baby for Christmas. Tonight as I was putting Farrah to bed I sat and held her thanked Jesus for being faithful! Being parents is the best gift we have ever received! I have always enjoyed watching all my nieces and nephews open presents and reading them the Christmas story but this year will be extra special. This year will be a great Christmas for so many of my own friends that have struggled with infertility and Jesus gave them the gift of a baby for Christmas as well. What a great first Christmas as a family of three!

First Christmas Eve!

What a great way to wake up on Christmas Eve when there is snow on the ground! And a lot of it. The last time it snowed like this in Lubbock was in 2000 or 2001. I always love having a white Christmas and they are VERY rare for us here in Lubbock.

Today we are suppose to go to my parents house for Christmas and none of us can make it. My brother and his family are snowed in up north and James has the stomach bug. I had it on Tuesday and Farrah had it on Monday so it has made its round at the Fortner house! Ready for it to leave and be gone for sure! So today my day consist of cooking all the desserts for both of our families Christmas and sterilizing everything! Instead of getting ready for Christmas we are staying in our pj's.



Can you see Farrah enjoying the snow??



Pulling up on everything!!

Temptation!

Temptation can be a bad thing, but it's pretty funny to watch your 10 month old in the middle of it. Farrah has unwrapped two presents and found many more. It's hard to keep this girl out of them. Her daddy is NOT helping at all with this either. Everytime she gets into one he laughs and shows her how to open it. Thanks James!!



Farrah turns 10 months this week!!

Farrah you are one busy girl!
You like to explore and crawl everywhere.
You love pulling up on the fireplace and this makes mommy and daddy VERY nervous!
You are now wearing size 9 months. Mommy packed up all your 6 months clothes yesterday...kinda hard for mommy.
You have dropped your nap time bottle so you eat three meals a day and have four bottles a day.
Your favorite snack is Gerber Yogurt Melts and Puffs.
You have two teeth.
You can say Hi, and Da-da.
You are such a happy baby!
You love to tease us and wrestle with your daddy.
We can't wait til Christmas and to be spending time with family. This year is extra special for us!



Wrestling with Daddy.

Santa!!

Tonight we saw Santa! We went to the Vintage with my family. My parents, my sister and four nieces and nephews. So the ten of us crawled in the car expecting a winter wonderland and got.....nothing close! Oh well we still had fun. We waited in line for a carriage ride and saw Santa while we waited. The carriage ride was so nice. Farrah almost fell asleep. It was so peaceful and relaxing. But the funny part is when we were standing in line Santa was walking around and all the little kids were so excited to see him. Lucas, Reagan, Annika and Brincent waived at him and even got our picture taken with him. So I wanted to let Farrah see Santa. At first she wasn't real sure and then she went ballistic and crying! It was pretty funny. She cried for five minutes AFTER Santa walked away.

So after the carriage ride I wanted to try one more time to see Santa. This time mom was smart. I had James holding Farrah where she could not see Santa and I was in front of her to hide Santa. I told Santa we are doing a sneak attack and he said ok. So I handed Farrah to Santa with her back to him and she never knew she was being held my Santa!!

So all in all in was a fun evening, the kids had fun and that's what matters most!

First attempt with Santa.



Second attempt (Sneak attack)



It was a memorable night and fun to see Farrah with Santa. I have been waiting to see my own child with Santa and to finally have to chance was so much fun!

Carraige ride was fun. We actually fit all ten of us on there!

The greatest gift ever!

As Christmas approaches I can't help but remember what the greatest gift is. The gift of eternal life. A love of pure selflessness. The more I think about this time of year I remember the greatest gift we have received and besides eternal life its the gift of becoming a parent. Farrah's birth mother gave us the most selfless gift anyone could ever give us! I can't help but wonder how she is. Does she realize how much she blessed us? Do she realize how much she filled our home with joy? I found this poem on another blog and thought it was so great. I have become "blog friends" with this mom who adopted their own daughter a couple of months ago.

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

Things I love about Christmas...

Can I just say Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the cold weather and fireplaces. I love the smell outside of fireplaces burning. But first a funny story...Yesterday was so cold outside and I thought how impressed would my husband be if he came home to a nice fire. So I have this great fire burning and Farrah and I are playing in the floor and all of a sudden the fire alarm starts going off. Poor Farrah jumped so high! So I'm running around not real sure what to do so I put Farrah in her highchair because lately she loves the fireplace and that was not a safe place to be and then I remembered I forgot to open the flute to the fireplace. So I tried to open it but the fire was to big so I frantically call James and ask him where he's at and thank God he was just around the corner. So he runs in and saves the day! So now I'm sitting here smelling the smoke on my furniture...not a great smell by the way.

Ok, back to the post...I also love all the Christmas lights, music and food! But my favorite thing is here lately my side of the family started a service project for all the grand kids. All of us adult kids were talking about teaching our children the REAL meaning of Christmas and got the idea to have the kids do something for someone else. The first year my parents bought teddy bears and we took them to the children's hospital. Last year James and I got to decide what to do so we bought piggy banks for each family and they were to collect as much money as they could for six months and we gave that money to an organization called Sower of Seeds to drill water wells in India. That was really fun to do. So this year I can't wait to see what service project we will be doing.

This year is extra special! James and I wanted to start a family tradition with Farrah and our future children. Every year we want to buy them a Christmas ornament and start a collection for them. I found an ornament earlier and it was cute but not really what I wanted for Farrah. So today I found the PERFECT ornament! I payed way to much for it but what the heck Farrah will only have her very first ornament once!

This could not be more perfect!



If you can't make it all out it says "How can I thank God enough for you. 1 Thes 3:9"

There is not a day that goes by that we don't thank God for Farrah!!

What are you favorite Christmas traditions??

The weather outside is frightful...

but oh so cozy inside! I love this cold weather. I really love ice....now that I don't have to drive on it and get to stay home! I've been working on our Christmas tree for the past week...yes I said week. My biggest problem is keeping Farrah out of it. Last year we went to Arkansas with Heath and Kelsey after Christmas and saw this amazing Christmas tree that both Kelsey and I just had to try. So here is a close attempt. I think I need some more really big ornaments to make it even...does that make sense?? That tree was so full and big and bright and BEAUTIFUL!

Farrah helping with the ornaments. Its pretty to watch Farrah with this tree. She is so determined! There is one Christmas ball that calls her name. No matter how many times I move her from the tree she crawls right back to it. It's going to be an interesting month with the tree up.



Christmas Tree



Mantel

9 Months!!

Every month I say it and today will be no different, Farrah please slow down! Nine months already. Oh honey you are so busy! You are still the happiest, most joyful baby I have ever seen!

What your up to these days.

You weigh 17.6 pounds (25th percentile)

You are 28.8 inches long (95th percentile)

You are crawling!!

You can say da-da and hi

You can throw a really good fit!

You are wearing a size 9 month

You wear a size 3 shoe

You wear size 3 in diapers

You LOVE you da-da!

I can't keep you out of my Christmas tree.

You spin on your bottom.

Your beginning to eat table food. You love yogurt, cheese, ham and puffs

Farrah Nichole we had no idea how empty our life was without you. You bring us joy everyday! Now if I can only get you to say mama!

On a side note, we had our Christmas pictures taken and they are everything I had hoped for! Our church had a fundraiser for the LIFT program and they took Christmas pictures.

Here are just a few.