Top Ten of 2010

I've seen everyone's Top Ten lists so I decided to list my top ten posts (according to blogger) from this year. I think blogger has only been doing this since the middle of the year but here are the most popular at least from that time:

10. A Roll Tide Christmas Card

9. Let's Go Chiefs

8. Thankful with a Little Style

7. A Needle in Every Style

6. Christmas Tree Wars

5. Brilliant Minds

4. Thoughts Formed From Iron

3. Standing in the Gap

2. Sir Jack the Brave Knight

And I really cannot tell you how happy it makes me that this was the most popular post BY A MILE!!! I would also like to take this time to thank all my blogger friends for all the sweet comments and encouragement you have shown since I talked about Jack's diagnosis. And finally....

1. Something Bright and Beautiful

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010 in Pictures

We had a really amazing Christmas season this year!! Instead of going thru it step by step, I'm just going to bombard you all with more Foreman Family Christmas pictures than you ever wanted to see! :)

Enjoying Daddy's new 3D TV:

Ben had to go back to work on the 22nd this year so he wasn't with us on Christmas Day. We always have our Christmas when he's home (the 19th this year) so it was a really relaxing fun day on the 25th. Here are a few pictures of Jack and I enjoying Christmas Day but missing Ben lots and lots!

Here are some pictures of Jack opening presents from Ben and I on our Christmas Eve (the 18th):

If you know my child, you know that when the hands are going, the excitement level is HIGH:

What Santa left:

Jack is the only child of two only children so you can imagine between us and grandparents and other family that Christmas for a three year old can get a little over the top. Santa only brings Jack three presents for that reason. This year, he had asked Santa for "Monster Truck Mater" and a Shrek game (this translates to a MobiGo). Ben and I asked Santa for a small trampoline to help Jack with his jumping to round out his three gifts. Jack also REALLY wanted "Stinky the Garbage Truck." He had found it in Target and I'm not exaggerating when I say that he drew a LARGE crowd every time he played with the display. Well, my parents had gotten Stinky so of course, Santa didn't bring him. When Jack got in there Christmas morning, he looked at all his loot and then very calmly said, "Hey, has anybody seen Stinky anywhere?" T.O.T.A.L.L.Y O.W.N.E.D M.E!! He did come around to his gifts eventually:

And then at lunch, he got Stinky at my parents house. It was a wonderful moment:

I know I look like I had been up all night in this picture. Well, that's because I had been up all night:

Here are some pictures of us with Ben's family Christmas night:

And some pictures of Jack and Ella opening presents from each other:

I got this cool "I caught Santa" photo from a great blog giveaway at Running Away: I'll Help You Pack. I made him a little too small but Jack liked it anyway. So Santa came:

And then there were no more presents:

Our Christmas was full of tons of joy, fun, family and food. But most of all, we were caught up in the wonder of Christmas - that the King of Kings would come to earth - would become one of us just so you and I could come to God. O, come let us adore Him!

My Kind of Superhero

A Cheesy Christmas Treat

A few days ago, Jack and I made a little treat for all his teachers at school and church. We (and by we I mean me:) made up a batch and made some cute little Christmas cards for them.

We made one batch a little bigger to take to Nana's house for our Christmas with them Saturday night.

Jack enjoyed giving them out last week to all his teachers who just happen to be some of his favorite people! And of course, I love the people who love on my baby!! :D

Christmas Tree Wars

Last time I talked about my Christmas decorations, I was really excited about getting our first real tree this year. Ben got home on the 1st of December and we went that day and picked out a beautiful 8 ft. Frasier Fur tree. We came home and put it in a tree stand and it looked wonderful!! Beautiful!! Amazing!! I had visions of beautiful lights and amazing red and green balls on this fantastic tree!! I went to bed feeling fabulous about my tree and so excited to decorate it the following night.

Then we actually started to decorate it the following night. Y'all, I haven't put lights on a tree since I was about 16 years old and then I wasn't really in charge, but just doing what someone told me to do. Well, I learned a great lesson this year - I HATE PUTTING LIGHTS ON A CHRISTMAS TREE!!! I am a pre-lit tree kind of girl for sure!! We took the lights off and put them back on that tree about 15 times (and I'm not exaggerating) and I swept my floor more times that that. It's amazing the tree has any green left on there because I filled up my trash can about 3 or 4 times that night. What's even more amazing is that my Christmas tree is up and not laying beside the side of the road. I'm telling you, if I hadn't paid good money for it, that's where it would be. Two thousand lights later (yes, you read that right - 2000) and that part of the tree was done. It wasn't done well, but it was done!

I thought my husband and I were going to KILL each other trying to decorate that tree!! All the while Jack is happily running in circles like a crazy man oblivious to any difficulty around him. I've seriously got to learn to live in Jack's world - seriously!! We actually went out of town the following day and my mother came over and moved some decorations around for us and added a few to make it look better. She just texted me and said, "The tree doctor is in!" So, we did get the tree up. I'm pretty sure it's dead at this point so we just don't go near it. I'm going to share a few pictures while it's still somewhat green. I have a few pictures of some of my other nice, easy, pre-lit trees. I didn't take one of my dining room tree. Ben put it up and decorated it for me and I wasn't all that pleased with it. However, since we had just barely decided to stay married after decorating the other tree, I let it go:)

Here she is - my first (and VERY likely LAST) real tree:

And some of my favorite ornaments this year:

Jack has made several ornaments this year in school and at church, but this is my favorite. One of his therapists from the school board that comes to the daycare twice a week helped him make this snowman ornament with his fingers... I love it! Thanks, Ms. Candy!

Jack's Alabama tree:

And Ben and I even have one in our room this year:

So, we survived our first real tree - somehow:) We are having Christmas on Saturday around here since Ben leaves on Tuesday to go back to work - it's sad, I know! We have quite a weekend planned... Yogi Bear in 3D and some last minute shopping tomorrow; Santa Saturday morning; lunch with Granny San and Grandaddy; dinner with Nana, CeCe, Papa, Uncle John, Jen, and Brannon; Christmas services at church on Sunday along with our children's musical. CANNOT WAIT!! Look what all we would have missed out on if there had actually been fatalities in our war! Merry Christmas!

A Roll Tide Christmas Card

Well, I've just put my last Christmas cards in the mail (well, I still have three waiting on current addresses but for the most part, they're done). All 150 of them - yes, 150!! Christmas cards are my biggest Christmas present (to myself) every year. I love everything about them. Getting our pictures taken (by the most talented photographer of our time in my opinion); picking out the cards; addressing them; mailing them; AND receiving them from my friends!! I just LOVE Christmas cards!! So, since I've sent (most) of mine out now, I'm going to share them here with all of my blogger friends too!


The cards were made by Patsy Brown (she's under my friends list at A Thousand Words Photography). She's just been part of our family since she was our wedding photographer years ago and she's WONDERFUL, FUN, COOL, and TALENTED and we LOVE her!! She knew the Foremans had been a little discouraged by Alabama's season this year, so she incorporated that into the card, just so everyone knows that we are STILL loving our Crimson Tide:)


From the Foreman Family to all my blogging buddies: