2009: A Year In Pictures

Here is my annual Year in Review (I guess two years in a row makes it an annual thing:). This year was a BIG year for us full of changes!! Here are a few of our memories:

January: The beginning of the year brought Jack's first real haircut which made me very sad.

Our house started to look like an actual house...

... and I wrote this sweet post about my husband which was fun to look back on.

February: This month brought a very upsetting ER trip to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. It was a really awful day!! Looking back on my year in review last year, February seems to be the month where Jack gets very sick. We'll have to work on that this year!

March: We got to enjoy some warmer weather this month. Han, Joel and Jack made good use of it at our house with the big sand pile! We spent hours playing here - probably should have kept it!!

April: Easter is always a special time and Jack got baby chicks and ducks this year. They have all found new homes now, but they were fun for a little while.

And April always means Happy Birthday Jack!! We had a fun carnival birthday this year.

May: We got ear tubes again this month. We don't care for the process, but we are very thankful for the result. Jack has been sick very little since we got these for a second time. We also took a trip to Houston for a week and had a blast at the zoo, acquarium, and children's museum.

June: We spent a LOT of time at the beach, mostly with Caroline and Shonna and that's just how we like it!! These trips are the number one reason Jack and I are looking forward to this summer!!


July: Trip to the mountains with my parents. Loved it!! We spent a day out with Thomas and Friends, went white water rafting, ate good food - it was great all around!

August: We took some trips to Blue Lake with great friends and spent our last few days of summer playing outside!

September: We got to go to Seasme Street Live with Gigi, Gi, Azland, and Katrina and then came GAMEDAY!! Alabama football started this month and never once disappointed us this year! Roll Tide!

October: We had a great Fall Festival at church this year and Jack was Thomas the Train's conductor. He was thrilled with his costume Ben made!!

November: This little bundle of joy entered our lives in the scariest way possible...

...but we'll take her any way we can get her! Ella Charles Fore was born on November 10th.

We got to celebrate Thanksgiving in Pensacola this year and had a great time with our family!


December: Christmas!! We had a great one and was able to spend time with ALL of our family! It took us three weeks to finish it all up but we were so happy to get that sweet time with every one!

I cannot believe the year is over. Time is flying, but we are making the most of it and having a blast. God has been so good to us this year and we are excited about what he has in store for next year. Our prayer is that we allow Him to work through our family to bring Him glory! So, with another New Year's kiss....

...from our family to yours, I wish you all a great 2010!!

13

Just a few pictures to commemorate The University of Alabama winning its 13th National Championship:

Jack B had on his "Harvey" jersery. It's, of course, Javier Arenas - who we call "Javy" and Jack calls "Harvey." (I feel fairly certain that this name originated from Harvey the Crane from Thomas and Friends.) He may not get the name just right, but he does know what Arenas does best. Jack yells, "Touchdown Harvey" when he puts this jersey on.

Me and John are about tired of wearing our Julio jerseys, but after they kept winning, nobody would let us wear anything else:)

And I think this picture says it all:

We are THRILLED with the win and having the most coveted trophy back at Alabama!! Whatever you think about Nick Saban, you must admit that he looked mighty handsome holding that crystal ball!! Ben and I are also very excited that Bama is undefeated in our new house!!!! Can't wait for next year - ROLL TIDE!!

Alabama's Top Ten

The Top Ten Reasons Alabama is going to win the National Championship for the 13th time are:

#10:

Running Back - # 3 Trent Richardson

#9:

Field Goal Kicker (and highest scorer in school history) - # 99 Leigh Tiffin

#8:

Running Back - #5 Roy Upchurch

#7:

Wide Receiver - #8 Juuuuulio Jones

#6:

Noseguard - #62 Terrence Cody

#5:

Cornerback and Kickoff and Punt Returner - #28 Javier Arenas

#4:

Inside Linebacker - #25 Rolando McClain

#3:

Quarterback - #12 Greg McElroy

#2:

Running Back (and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner) - #22 Mark Ingram

And the #1 reason that Alabama is going to win their 13th National Championship is.........

Head Coach Nick Saban!!

I could have done a top 20 easily with all the talent and heart Alabama has this year! We are sooooo ready for tommorrow!! So, from the Foreman family, a big, excited, nervous, thrilled......

ROLL TIDE!!!

A Truck, a Train, and a Suprise!

That is what Jack has said he wanted from Santa since the first time we asked him and he never wavered (well not too much anyway) so that's exactly what he got. Of course, he also got 1000 other things from the various grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a few extras from Mom and Dad too. Instead of bombarding you with every detail of our Christmas (which lasted from Dec 30th to the Jan 2nd this year), I'm just going to bombard you with pictures instead:) I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and a great start to the new year. I'm excited about what God has done in our family and what he has in store for us next year!!

scooter from Mommy and Daddy

Santa's loot - a train (Thomas of course), a truck (Gil from "Cars" - he's on Thomas's back) and a stocking full of suprises (including Toy Story and Toy Story 2 which have been a BIG hit!!)

Jack was not at all suprised with his gifts from Santa. He FULLY expected this Thomas to be there when he woke up. He calmly walked right up to him and kissed him and said, "Where's my truck and my suprise?" (By the way, this is a child after my own heart! He got up at TEN on Christmas morning and that was with us waking him up!! I hear about these kids getting up at dawn. That wouldn't work at our house. We may not go to bed til midnight but we can sleep til noon too!!)

Papa Ben and Jack with his Handy Manny tool bench from Papa Ben and Gramme.

Ella Charles - love holding this sweet girl!! She was our Christmas prayer answered!!

The Fore Family

Uncle Tractor and Aunt Judy with their sweet E. Jack got lots of good loot from the Fores and Smiths too!

Jack with his RED monster truck from Grandaddy and Granny San. He picked this out in the toy catalog months ago!!

Ben with his favorite gift (Andy and Cindy got him this, which I believe is a sand wedge if anyone cares.)

Jack got this gun from Papa and CeCe and has Uncle John begging for his life here.

Papa and Jack B

Uncle John got Jack this very cool recliner!! Don't you just love it??

He was "shooting" Mommy here. Papa promises to have a talk about appropriate targets soon:)

CeCe and Jack - look at those crossed arms!! When I look at these pictures, I realize how much Jack has changed since last Christmas and that he is growing sooo fast!!! Trying to enjoy every moment!!

Well, that was Christmas and New Year's for us!! What a great and fantastic year!! A new house, lots of time with friends and family, growing with the Lord and closer to each other. It's been wonderful. We are so thankful for how God continues to bless us and reveal His glory to us. Merry Christmas from the Foremans!!

Now, our family is getting ready for another big day Thursday.... the Championship Game!!

An aside to my Bama friends here - Ben and I have been wondering if this is how it felt in the 70s: to have the best coach in the nation, to be the number one team in the nation, to fully expect to win every game you play, to be THE team!! If it is, I can see why all the old-timers are such HUGE fans and why they raised their children to love it that same way!! Love being a fan of a team that knows what it is to be the best b/c we've been the best so many years, but really love it that we are back there again now!! We are sooooo excited about the game!!!!! ROLL TIDE!!