Happy New Year

Our family has been so blessed in 2008 and we thank God for all that He has done in our lives. We know that the road is not always smooth, but we still look forward to all that 2009 has in store for us and our family because we know that God is in control no matter what! We wish your family a happy, healthy, and blessed 2009! Love always~

The Farrs

Our Christmas - 2008

Bryleigh - 5 months old

That's right... Bryleigh is now five months old and she is changing every day. The biggest change recently is that she got her first cold. She started with a little bit of a cough and runny nose on Tuesday of last week and then it kept getting worse each day. We've called and talked to the dr about 3 times during this period because the cough was just so pitiful and didn't seem to be progressing much at all. They told us that they thought we were doing everything fine and to just keep up the good work. Yesterday, she was just not herself and spent most of the morning fussing, coughing, and crying. Around 5:00 she had a fever of 101.0 and so we called the doctor again and started Tylenol. We took her in first thing this morning and ta-da...her first ear infection. They said that her left ear was DEFINITELY infected but that her right ear was in the beginning stages of an infection. We started the amox. and are keeping our fingers crossed that she will feel more like herself VERY soon!

At the appointment they weighed her and she was 12lbs. 14.5 oz. She's still eating great and is starving for attention. We think it's the diva in her that wants everyone to focus on her and listen when she is talking...already! She is putting her paci in her mouth by herself a lot of times and is reaching for lots of different toys, objects, or whatever is within reach. She still HATES tummy time but loves to lay on her back and stretch side to side to look around her. We're not able to sneak around her any more because she is so observant and is constantly watching everything that passes by her. She is still loving the crib, laughs constantly at Brenden, and is starting to show signs that she is ready to eat. We look forward to trying some rice cereal once she heals more from this cold.

We're still adjusting to life with 2 kids but it's really not too bad. Brenden is a great brother and helps us out more and more each day. He enjoys tickling her and singing "I like to move it, move it" to make her giggle. We still feel so blessed with our 2 angels and don't let a day pass without singing praises to God for all that He has done by giving them to us. Psalms 69:30 (NLT) "I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving."

Below are just a few more pictures that we have taken of her recently...enjoy! :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BRENDEN! :)

"The Polar Express!"

We went and saw Polar Express today in 3D at the IMAX theater in Raleigh. Brenden LOVES this movie so we thought that this would be a great family outing during the holidays. I couldn't experience this without taking a few pictures, so here are some of the moments before the movie. (Note: The fashionable glasses are the 3D glasses...we know we look cool with them!)

Brenden with his cool glasses waiting for the movie to begin.

Brenden and Mommy waiting in line for the movie.

We didn't want Bryleigh to feel left out, so we let her wear Daddy's for a bit.

The Boys hanging out in their glasses! :)

Here is a video of Brenden at his program...

see if you can pick him out of the crowd! ;)

Bahama Parade

Last Saturday was Bryleigh's first experience at the Bahama Christmas Parade. We know that she is still too young to realize that this is just one of the MANY Saturdays that she will spend at this event but it was still exciting for us to have her there participating/observing all of the activities. Brooke has gone to the Bahama Parade almost every year since...hmmm...well, forever and Bobby has joined in on the fun shortly after we started dating. It's definitely one of our most favorite events each Christmas. Sure, it's freezing cold most of the time...sure, we stand for almost 2 hours straight...sure, little kids throw hard candy right at our head...and sure, we always have to walk a mile to our favorite spot and then back to the car each year......BUT we wouldn't miss it for anything! it's a day of fun with our family, it's a day of excitement with our friends, it's a day of laughter with our kids, and it's a day filled with Christmas cheer allowing us to truly feel like it's Christmas time. Our camera died during the day, but we did manage to capture a few moments before it died completely. Enjoy!!!






<-------- Bobby and Hailey struggling to stay warm!



















Brenden and Avery waiting for the parade to begin.






<------------------ Bryleigh and KK getting some cuddle time.







Hopie was very excited about the parade!









<---------------
Bryleigh all bundled up

Sleeping like a baby

Moving Bryleigh over to her crib has been on our "to do" list for a while now. We knew that it was something that we would benefit from and that she would also enjoy/appreciate but we just hadn't done it yet. In order for us to feel ready to move her over, we had to do some cleaning in the nursery and say a few prayers that God would help us let go. The other morning we woke up to the reality that our need to move her had come sooner rather than later.

This is what she looked like in her cradle the other morning...

(note - she is laying sideways and her positioner is at the bottom...when we put her down she was laying down at the bottom in the positioner)

This was our big girl sleeping in her crib for the first time...she's an angel!

Finally, here is Bryleigh after her first night of rest in her crib!

We're so proud of her! Ever since we moved her, she has been sleeping in her crib successfully each night for about 8-9 hours straight! Hooray!

3 Year Old - Rock Star! :)

Brenden had his first music program at preschool last week. We were very nervous about how he would do because just about every other event this year has turned out to be a disaster when we attend. (He cried and disobeyed his teachers at the Halloween parade. He cried and disobeyed Mommy and Daddy at the Thanksgiving feast.) We expected lots of tears, drama, and disobedience to be honest...we were also plotting how we would casually escape the church if he had a meltdown once he saw us. We are ashamed to admit that we were surprised by his "performance" and behaviors...in a good way! :)

Here is Daddy and Bryleigh waiting for the show to begin.

Here is Brenden and his class coming into the chapel to perform...Brenden did not notice us in the crowd because we tried to hide when he walked in.

Here is Brenden singing on the stage...in this picture he was sitting calmly singing but that lasted about 2 seconds. He spent the rest of the time standing up performing, acting out the songs, and running back and forth. We think he might have had a little bit of nervous energy up there. :)

Here is a (not so good) picture of Mommy and Brenden after the show...He was so excited!!!

Here is Brenden after the performance showing off his yummy cookie snack.

Below is Brenden and his BFF Avery both eating at the classroom party.
Finally, here he is in the classroom beaming with excitement in his adorable reindeer shirt that his teachers made with them. We were so proud of him and pleased that we're seeing some improvement at school! :)

We were tagged...

Leigh Anna tagged us and she knows that we can never resist the challenge...so, here were the rules:


* choose the 4th picture folder on your computer

* choose the 4th picture

* explain the picture

* tag at least 4 people to do the same

We took this picture last year when we found out we were pregnant with our 2nd blessing! We used the picture as our method of telling our families and friends about the great news! Irony...we took this picture exactly a year ago today! :) Thanks Leigh Anna, we enjoyed this!

Now we'll tag...Kelly, Jenn, Courtney, and Laura. Enjoy!

Still Praying for Hope

Today, Hope will return to school after her diagnosis and hospital stays last week. It has been a roller coaster ride of events for everyone in the family, but especially for Hope, Karen, and Steve. People keep asking us about how Hope is doing and we typically feel lucky to be able to say that she is doing well. Most of her shots and finger pricks are going smoothly, but there are still one or two times a day that are a little more difficult than the rest. This is all a HUGE adjustment for everyone and we're hoping that we'll see improvements in her tolerance daily. She is still running, playing, and laughing like her typical self. She still has bruises on her belly that she displays proudly to her friends. She is still smiling and living life to the fullest regularly. We're so blessed that God gave all of us such an amazing little girl almost 7 years ago!
However, with all of the success and gain, there are still struggles for everyone. Hope begs daily to not receive a shot or finger prick. Karen and Steve are still struggling as they try to figure out an appropriate schedule and eating routine for Hope. They are all 3 having to learn how to have faith in "strangers" this week when she returns to school. We are all trying to adjust our diets and put a stop to some of our annoying cravings. As an adult, it is sometimes easier for us to see the positive side of our struggles and to realize that we suffer for a good reason. It is not hard for us to realize that "it could always be worse" or that we're still blessed in the midst of our difficulties. It is because of this reality that our prayer for Hope has changed this week.
Philippians 3:7-11 (and ironically our pastor yesterday) reminds us that our suffering brings us closer to God. It tells us that our hope should not be found in material things of the world but should be found in the power of Christ. We should want to suffer because it is during that time that God helps us grow and allows us to experience the beauty of his blessings in our life. We pray that God will give Hope a tremendous amount of peace over her situation during this week. We pray that she will be able to learn at a young age that through her suffering she is only growing closer to God and that she must rely on Him during all difficult times. We pray that when she returns to school this week that her friends will be amazed at her confidence and that she will be able to boldly tell them of the ways that God has blessed her even during all of this. Our prayer is that this transition will not only be a smooth one for her and her parents, but that it will be one that will allow her to grow even closer to God because not only is that our prayer for ourselves...but more importantly...that will always be our prayer for Hope!

Thanks for all that you've already done or said to our family and thank
you for always praying!

Movie Night

The other night Brenden and Bryleigh both got a special treat at Nana and Papa's house. Nana had set up some chairs in a row (including Bryleigh's Bumbo seat), turned all of the lights off, and put Polar Express on the big tv for the kids to enjoy. Above is evidence of the fun night! :)

"Baby It's Cold Outside!"

Couldn't resist the opportunity to post a cute picture of Bryleigh all dressed up in her winter gear! It has definitely gotten colder (especially in the mornings when we leave for Nana's) but Bryleigh is prepared and still smiling daily! :)

Update on Hopie

So, we've gained a little more understanding on the situation and wanted to be sure to update you all. Hope has been "off" for a little while now with some unique symptoms that we're not used to. She's been a little more emotional than normal and has been complaining about being thirsty, tired, and dizzy. Over the weekend she displayed some other symptoms as well and was also complaining about blurred vision. After being seen this morning at the pediatrician and at Lenox Baker, they have decided that Hope has diabetes. They ran some tests that showed Hope's sugar for the past three months and she scored an average of 250 with 105 being what they would have hoped for. Her present blood sugar level was actually 370. They've admitted her to Duke for the night so they can give her a shot of insulin and then work on regulating her levels. The projected plan at this point is to regulate her levels and then educate her and the entire family on treatment procedures and diet issues. After discharge from the hospital they are thinking that Hope will require her level being checked 5 times a day with an insulin shot before every meal.

1 Peter 5:7 Tells us to "give all our worries and cares to God, for he cares about us" and that is our prayer today. We pray that our family will take all of our questions, doubt, and anxiety and release them to God because only He is big enough to overcome and only He can give us the peace that we need to know that this is okay! We're so thankful for all that He has done and we know that things could always be worse. We're also thankful that Karen detected things early and that this is just the first step in getting Hopie back on track. However, we will not lie and say that we're perfect and without fear so that is why we will try to keep our eyes pointed up and our faith in Him. Thank you in advance for praying for my sister and Hopie during the next few days.

Please say a prayer

I am writing this post requesting your help this morning. I just hung up the phone from talking to my sister and she is in need of some prayer and hugs from God! If you could take a moment this morning to lift her up during this time, that would mean a lot to me. She is taking Hopie to Duke so they can run some tests and see if they can get a better understanding of what is going on. Right now, the concern is that they found sugar in her urine. I will be sure to update you when we get more answers. For now please pray that my sister, Karen, will ask all of the right questions and will remain calm during their visit to Duke. Pray that Steven will be able to be the voice of reasoning and comfort that my sister and Hope will need during this time. Finally, pray that Hopie will be brave, not feel any pain, and know that her family and God love her dearly! It could always be worse and for that we sing praises! Thanks!

~Brooke