Merry Christmas!!

What a wonderful Christmas 2010 was! Farrah was so much fun this year. She had a little trouble opening all the gifts cause she wanted to play with everything but she did pretty good! Farrah got so many gifts from both our families and we loved giving our gifts to all of them.

We celebrated Christmas with both our families on Christmas Eve so we were pretty busy but had a wonderful time!

This year Lucas and Annika shared the Christmas story...they did a great job!!





Farrah opening presents!!









We had a wonderful day with family celebrating Christmas!

Today on Christmas day was so much fun. James (aka Santa) was so glad that Farrah slept til almost 10am today since we didn't get in bed til 2am. He had to put Farrah's kitchen together and let me tell you we had our first official dose of Santa's workshop and next year Mrs. Clause will do a better job of planning ahead...Sorry Santa ;-)

Farrah woke up to more presents and Santa gifts and I must say she was so funny to watch. She told her daddy hi and then passed by all her presents and went to play with her new dolls she got yesterday. After a little warming up she dove right in. After it was all said and done she ran up to me and gave me a big kiss and did the same for to her daddy....that makes it worth staying up til 2am..Ha!!

Still waking up.



Farrah's kitchen!! (Yes it matches her room...do you know me? Ha!)







Merry Christmas 2010!!

Santa!

We took Farrah to see Santa and I must say she was NOT impressed! Poor Santa....he was so good with her. Farrah has actually seen Santa twice and both times she screamed her head off. The first time was at Kids Space and the second time was at the Vintage. I need to scan the first Santa picture but here is the second Santa picture. I really don't enjoy seeing my child scream at the top of her lungs...I promise!



I also got our Christmas cards in and I LOVE them! They are so fun! I made some cookies for Farrah to eat, hoping she would just eat one cookies and before I was finished with pictures she had inhaled three cookies! When I took the plate away she cried for cookies...it was the funniest thing I have ever seen.



I love this time of year! All the fun family traditions and getting to teach Farrah the real meaning of Christmas! I can't wait to see our families and taking part in all the different traditions. Have a Merry Christmas!

Making cookies!!

All of my nieces and nephews were in town for the weekend. We thought it would be fun to make and decorate cookies for my two great aunts that are in assisted living facilities. These two women mean so much to me and I am so thankful Farrah gets to see her great great aunts.

We started off at mom and dad's house baking and decorating and I was pleasantly surprised that all the kids really enjoyed themselves. I think we ended up decorating about four dozen cookies! We had cookies coming out of our ears.









First we we to visit my Great Aunt Rob. It had been awhile since I've seen her and she looked so great and so happy. She was so excited to see all of our children and hugged them all like they were her own grand kids. I have so many special memories at my Aunt Rob and Uncle Son's house. Every year she would invite the entire family (around 75 people) over for a big Christmas celebration with food and music. We loved the food and visiting part but every grand kid was expected to play an instrument or sing a song for the entire group...I hated this part! When I look back at those days it was so special for all of them. We always ended the night with Silent Night and I would sit and watch my great aunts and uncles with tears in their eyes just being happy that we were all together...what a great memory! We haven't had a family Christmas since my grandmother passed away and I must say I really do miss it!



Then we went to see my Great Aunt Nita. Aunt Nita will always have a special place in my heart! When we were younger she lived next door to us and she was like another grandmother to us. We have so many special memories with Aunt Nita. It had been awhile since she had seen Farrah and she was so sweet with her. Farrah ran right up to her and gave her a big kiss...I guess Farrah knows Aunt Nita is pretty special!



We had so much fun seeing our great aunts and these are the last two aunts of this generation and that generation will be gone. It's sad to think that but each and everyone of my great aunts and great uncles have played such a special role in my life. I could write a novel about each and every one of them! I am so blessed to come from such a big and amazing family!

Christmas Play

Farrah had her first Christmas play at her school today. I can't describe the feeling I had watching my baby up there. For so many years I had watched other kids and was hoping for the day mine would be up there and there she was! Very exciting!

James and I had a bet going on if Farrah would cry or not. I said she would and James said she wouldn't....I won!! It was the funnest thing ever. She walked upon stage and she was ok til she turned around and saw everyone staring at her and she lost it. I guess you could call it stage freight??? Ha!!




I'm told that the little boy in the red and white stripe shirt is Farrah's little boyfriend....not sure what to think about this!

21 months!!

I'm a little behind and I totally missed 20 months...whoops!!

Farrah you are 21 months and oh my goodness you are one busy girl!

You add a new word or phrase everyday. You ask "What dat??" alot. I will say what it is and you repeat it and it sticks in your brain...it amazes me to watch you learn so much so fast. If you don't know the word you will come and get me and ask.

You are the sweetest thing ever! A couple of months ago you would kiss me or daddy with no problem and now we have to beg for a kiss...You like to tease us with your kisses. You are starting to give us a kiss when we ask again and we both love that.



Every morning you ask for everyone, daddy, nana, nanny (dandy), pappa, lulu (Lula), RaRa (Reagan), BB (Brincent), Meme, PeyPey (Peyton), shoe (Roo). It's the cutest thing ever!!

Your getting better about eating. Still pretty picky but getting better.

You are wearing size 18 months in most of your clothes. You can wear some 24 months but only in the tops.

You still wear a size 3 diapers. I think you have been in this size since you were 12months and I think you will be here til you start potty training.



I think you are getting close to start potty training. I'm not going to start this til after your 2nd birthday. You will walk in the bathroom and say "I teetee" so I know you getting close.

Your favorite time of the day is still bath time. When you hear the bath running you run into the bathroom and start taking your clothes off. You got in trouble with daddy the other night when you threw a cup of water all over him..he was not impressed, HA!!!

Your favorite TV shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny. You walk around saying Manny and Minny all day.



Farrah Nichole you are a true delight! There is not one day that goes by that we thank God for choosing us to be your mommy and daddy! You are amazing and we love you more then you will ever know!!

Love,
Mommy

Oh Christmas Treee....

We are officially decorated and ready for Christmas well kinda. I should say the decorations are up but the presents have not been bought yet. I hope to get started very soon!

A funny story....James and I were putting the tree together and at our last house our tree seemed so big and at our new house our ceiling are so tall that our 7 1/2 foot tree looks pretty small. Jame and I both got a good laugh about this! I guess I will be buying a bigger and taller tree for next year!

Hope you like it.





My tree topper



Farrah's first Christmas ornament last year



And Farrah's ornament this year



This year I had my neice Annika write a letter for Farrah to Santa and I just love it!! It's apart of our Christmas card this year! (I love the "benn" part!)



Farrah of course LOVES the tree..I lose count on how many times I tell Farrah no touching...Ha!!



Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Thanksgiving!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! We usually rush from one family to another and are so stuffed from the first one that we can't eat at the second one but not this year.

My brother was working this year on Thanksgiving so we had my family's Thanksgiving on Monday and we had a great time! Everyone came over for lunch and we just hung out and cooked and had dinner that evening. Later that night James said that was one of the most enjoyable Thanksgiving he had had with my family just for the fact we weren't rushed and stuffed...ha!







Farrah loved getting to play with all her cousins! She thought she was just as big as them. They would get her started on something and then go and hide from her and she would run and go find them and then give them the what for! It was pretty funny!

We did find out that she loves guns, not real one but the nurf guns. She carried the nurf shotgun around and would not let the boys play with it. Brincent would try to get the gun back but he had no luck.



In my family the tradition is usually after dinner we put on a Christmas movie and put up the Christmas tree. This year we did watch a movie but waited on the tree for the next day.



This was the first time we have ever hosted Thanksgiving at our home and I really enjoyed it. It was super easy for me this year. My kitchen is so much bigger then my last house and when it came to nap time we just put Farrah in her own bed. She sleeps so much better in her own bed instead of the pack-in-play.

On Thursday we headed to James' grandma's house for Thanksgiving lunch. We always love going there every year. James' dad is one of seven children and we all try to get together on Thanksgiving so I think this year we had five of the seven children and then their families. It is always a house full! The only thing I always forget is the dressing part. It was so cold here so I put us all in long sleeves and at the last minute James changed in a short sleeve shirt and I must say he was the smart one! I forgot grandma keeps her house at 80 degrees! So everyone was burning up but grandma was nice and comfy...it became the joke of the day. All the little kids were walking around with their cheeks red because they were all so warm.

I love sitting and visiting with all the cousins and aunts and uncles. I think the stories get bigger and better every year. (I forgot my camera this year so that's the reason for no pictures....so bummed!!)

All in all we had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Fortner Elfs

Making Pies!!

My Meme came into town today to stay with us and to teach me how to make homemade pies! I am so excited about this. It seems like baking from scratch is a lost art and I wanted to learn how to before I lost the chance to anymore. She is such a good sport!

She is 90 years old and we made pies for three hours!! My back is killing me and she never once complained about teaching me and standing for three hours...I LOVE this lady!!

Before she came she had already made two pies...Pineapple Dream and Cherry Cream pie and then we made Chocolate, Apple and Coconut Cream pies. Her pies are famous in Lamesa! She will make pies for her church as a fundraiser and her pies go for big bucks so I am honored to have her teach me.

Farrah was so excited to see Meme. Farrah put bows in Meme's hair (growing up we were NEVER able to even touch Meme's hair so Farrah must me extra special!) At one point she had climbed up on the couch and made herself at home in Meme's lap and I think Meme love it! I'm pretty sure I have heard Farrah say Meme like 1,000 today. We told Meme to just ignore her because Farrah would say Meme and she would come running. Needless to say I think Meme is worn out today!





Thanks Meme your the best!!!

My first homemade apple pie...crust and everything from scratch!

Giggles!!

There is nothing better then the sound of a little girl giggle! Farrah has discovered all kinds of giggles. They all make me smile and they are all different. She has the laughing giggle, the mischievous giggle, the tickle giggle and the I'm happy giggle and I love them all!



Farrah is at such a fun age! Her personality is really starting to show and its a fun one. She loves to tease and play but at the same time she is so tender hearted. Today her teacher told me that Farrah is small but she sure does know how to take up for herself. It makes me laugh cause she is so much like me that's its almost scary...Ha!



Her newest thing is closing all the doors and clapping because she is so proud of herself. She has locked herself in her room and the laundry room a couple of times and will sit there for a minute and start saying Mommy???



Tonight our house is full of giggles. James and her are wrestling and playing with her puzzles so its my turn to join in in the fun!



Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Girls Night!!

It's just me and Farrah for the next couple of days so we had our first official "Girls Night" tonight. We had so much fun! I can't tell you how long I have dreamt of this and we will be having more of these!

We started off the night with spaghetti for dinner, Farrah's favorite.



We watched Toy Story 3 and Farrah LOVED it! She has never really watched a movie and she sat through the entire thing.



Then we had dessert, a brownie of course.





What a wonderful night just me and my girl.

Meow...

This year for Halloween Farrah was a kitty cat. She was the cutest thing ever! Last week when her costume came in I tried it on her and she FREAKED OUT...I mean bad!! I have never seen her so upset before in my life. I wasn't sure she would wear it for Halloween so I just left it hanging in her room all week so she could touch it and get use to it and I guess it worked cause she put it on. When I put on her nose and whiskers Farrah got the biggest smile ever! She loved it and kept going to the mirror to look at herself and would say nose.

We started out adventure off with Lula, aka James' mom, coming over and having some fun with her. Jean brought her all kinds of goodies like a big bag of jelly beans, Farrah's favorite, books and puzzles.

Then my mom and dad and sister and her kids came with us to go trick or treating at the Vintage and we had a blast. Farrah is so independent that it drives me crazy sometimes. She insisted she carry her own goodie bag and every time she got candy she would have to inspect it. So needless to say we were a little slow at this process. I don't know how many times she dropped her bag of candy but it was really fun watching her get so excited about all the candy.

Farrah is at the age where it is almost impossible to get a picture of her looking at you. I think this is the best I could do all night.



Walking with dad and Dandy



Trick or Treat!





We even ran into some friends...Farrah the kitty, Madison the bumble bee and Ava the princess. They were all so cute!



Last year Farrah was a bumble bee and she was the sweetest thing. I can't believe how big she has gotten!