London's Birthday Party

London Ivie, Dane's older sister, just turned 9 and was sweet enough to invite Zoe to come to her pampered pajama party.  While I didn't get to take any pictures of Zoe at the party, I did manage to snap a few before she left.  She's too stinkin' cute.....

Zoe's Award

To say that Mark and I are so proud of our girl would be an understatement.  Each nine weeks the students are giving awards at the discretion of their teachers.  Anyway, we received a notice that our Zoe girl was getting the library award.  That may not sound like much to you, but that award is only given to ONE student out of the entire Kindergarten.  Yep, you heard right - ONLY ONE.  The student that is chosen has to follow library procedures, use manners, help out when asked and show a love of books.  Well, my girl got picked and we are SO PROUD OF HER!  We surprised her and went to her awards ceremony and Zoe loved having us there!  Check out cute she looked for the ceremony....plus today was hat date to celebrate the letter "H".

Mark, Zoe & Leah

Girls Night Out

I have to say that I've got the greatest husband on the planet.  I realize all of you probably get sick of hearing me brag, but I'm very fortunate and I realize it.  I have a husband who realizes the importance of letting Mommy get a little "me" time in order to unwind and allow me to be the wife and mother I know I can be.  Anyway, I've been having some outings with the girls and we decided on this last one to let the husbands and kids crash, too.  Check it out:

Hello Sangria!

Zoe, Dane & London

Mr. Dane

Kim & Shelley

Michelle, Shannon & Kim

We were playing Taboo and Kim was going through the cards she had passed.  When she came to "Sigmund Freud" Shannon said, "That's easy!  I would've said the ones who were eaten by tigers!"  Ha!  That's Sigfried & Roy, Shannon!

The kids piled up watching a movie!

Zoe, Dane, Brenner & London

Michelle, Kim, Me & Shannon

I'm thinking Shelley had already left by the time the modeling sessions started!

Michelle, Kim, Me & Shannon

Another picture we forced my sweet hubby to take!

Kim & Shannon

Michelle & Griffey

Leah's Birthday Party

Zoe has a little girl in her class named Leah Ritchie that she absolutely loves.  Leah just turned six and had her birthday party at a place called Magnitude Gymnastics.  It was such a cool party and Zoe had a ball!  Come to find out, Leah's favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty so it was only fitting that Zoe got her the Prince Phillip doll to match!

First Time Crying Watching a Movie

Yes, I realize that most people wouldn't document times like this, but this Momma is going to!  I'm a big fan of crying at movies.  Yes, I literally snot everywhere and become very emotional.  Apparently, my daughter is going t be just like me because she cried for the first time while watching a movie called Firehouse Dog.  I quickly grabbed the movie case and made Zoe hold it while I took her picture!

Reading with Daddy

It's moments like this that literally take my breath away......

Can You Say O U C H?!?

Poor Zoe has inherited that thick piece of skin/gum tissue that comes down between your two front teeth and keeps the front teeth separate and apart.  You can choose not to remove it, but even if she were to have braces in the future it would eventually push her two front teeth back apart.  So, Zoe had to have what's known as a Frenectomy.  It just sounds nice, huh?  She had it done on February 9th and we are still dealing with getting it to heal.  Her piece of skin that was removed was much larger than normal and will just take longer to heal.  My poor baby.....

This picture just cracks me up...Zoe looks like she has a pig nose!

Report Card - Second Nine Weeks

Well, my girl got her report card for the second nine weeks and she did EXCELLENT!  Everything was perfect and we couldn't be more proud of our Zoe girl!  I don't care if she's the fastest runner, the best dancer, the best singer, etc.  But, Mark and I do stress the importance of school and we try to make a huge deal out of every single thing she accomplishes academically because your "brains" will get you far in this world.  Well, your smarts and being beautiful on the inside.  We always tell Zoe all the time that if she does well in school, is kind to people and always has Jesus in her heart, she'll always go far in life.

Oh Happy Day

When it's cold outside, everyone needs to wear something bright to lighten up the day, don't they?  Well, my Zoe girl did and she looked too stinking cute!  Check her out.....

I could cry when I look at these pictures because she has gotten so big!

New Year's Eve 2011

I think New Year's Eve was a little low key this year.  Steve and Patty always come to visit us, but they were unable to get down here this year.  So, we just had the Riggs over to spend the night, eat yummy treats and play lots of games.  Anyway, it was the girls against the guys and they kicked our butts!  I'm going to blame it on the gummies....don't you agree Shelley?  And I was so into the games and into laughing the entire night away that I snapped very few pictures....ahem....you can't count the ones that I took from underneath the table since I was trying to distract the boys.  Can you?  TeeHeeHeeHee!

Why, yes, that's a Care Bear from our Totally 80's Trivial Pursuit Game!

So serious!  Mark was bound and determined not to lose this year!

Zoe's First Sleepover

Yes, I realize that she's five and that I probably should have let her stay the night with someone away from home, but I haven't been ready.  I can't explain it, but the idea caused me to feel as if I was going to hyperventilate.  Anyway, I knew I was going to have to let Zoe go sometime because she has been asking to go.  So, I decided that she could go spend the night with her best friend, Meredith, since they live about 20 minutes from our house.  That way, she would be close to me and if I needed to get her at some point during the night, I could get to her quickly.  Once Mark and I dropped her off, it was pretty comical because we literally didn't know what to do with each other!  Ha!  We actually went out to eat and then came home to the absolute quiet!  Meredith's mommy, Ms. Tracie, was so good to me and texted me pictures throughout the night and had Zoe call me when she got up.  She spent the day with the Roots while Mommy & Daddy had to work and when I got there to pick her up, you could tell that she was definitely tired and ready to be home.  I would guess so since Tracie said Zoe and Meredith woke her up at 6:00 a.m. by singing karaoke.  Ha!  Check out my girl before her first sleepover.......

I think she was excited.....don't you?

WOW

To say that I loved watching this video is an understatement.  I don't hate religion at all, but I can't say that I haven't felt what he's feeling a time or two while sitting in church listening to a sermon and wondering how will I ever be "good" enough to enter Heaven.  There is only ONE true answer and that is because JESUS died for our sins.  It won't be because someone else on this earth finds me worthy or "thinks" I'm a good Christian.

Sweet Dreams.....

I have a great husband who takes our Zoe girl to school each day.  While it's a huge help to me, I realize that this is time that Mark and Zoe get to spend together without Mommy around.  They need to have this time together in order to make great memories that will last them both a lifetime.  Mark tells me about songs they sing together, the little "chats" they have and how sometimes Zoe just needs those extra hugs and kisses because she's feeling a little "needy."  Anyway, today Mark was taking Zoe to Kids Club (they don't start back to school until tomorrow) and he was telling me about their conversation on the way.  He said Zoe told him she had a dream last night and that Daddy was in it.  She told him that they were turkey hunting together in his new blind and that they shot a turkey.  She told him that they shot the turkey and that it's feet were really "cold."  Of course, that made Mark's day that she was dreaming of hunting anything with him.  You simply can't put a price on those moments.

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Robert Brault

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson