All Dressed for Church

We went to church with Nana & Papa before heading home on Sunday. We love going to church with them because it's the church where Mark and I were married. And we haven't found anyone better to listen to than Larry. If it weren't a three hour drive, I would drive there every Sunday. Anyway, these are pictures I took Sunday morning while Zoe, Nana & Papa were all dressed for church. They all look beautiful. The last one is my FAVORITE!

Papa, Zoe & Nana
Papa & Zoe

Papa & Zoe (I have a thing for black and white photos)

Curly Temple

Papa has been showing Zoe Shirley Temple movies and she REALLY loves those, too. Zoe calls her "Curly Temple." I find it hysterical. I love that Papa wants to share all of these movies and such with Zoe. She adores her Papa and tells everyone who will listen about Curley Temple. I think its great that my Dad wants to show Zoe shows and films that she probably otherwise wouldn't see. Thanks, Papa!

Uncle George

Papa and Zoe love to sit and watch The Little Rascals. Anyway, Papa showed Zoe an episode with "Uncle George" and she thought it was the greatest thing ever! Zoe was so excited to go see Nana & Papa for Christmas that she kept telling her teachers that she was going to see "Uncle George." I had to explain that one to them. Enjoy this clip I found. Papa sounds just like Uncle George and constantly says to Zoe, "Yum Yum Eat 'Em Up!"

Christmas with Papa & Nana

Mark, Zoe and I celebrated our Christmas with my parents this past weekend. We had a blast and, of course, they spoiled all of us rotten. I think Zoe got every "classic" Disney movie ever made, along with a new storybook bible and money for her college fund! I got seasons one and two of Friday Night Lights, as well as the first season of Mad Man and the first season of Army Wives. I've heard wonderful things about all of these shows (and I've seen a few episodes of each) and I can't wait to get started on them. I also got a new type of curling iron that I can't wait to try out, as well as a beautiful bracelet. And don't think you need to feel sorry for Mark because he got the ultimate gift, a new leather St. Louis Cardinals jacket. We love you Papa & Nana and we can't thank you enough for everything! Thank you again for loving Zoe the way you do and for spoiling all of us rotten!

Mommy and Zoe looking at Zoe's new storybook bible
Daddy's new St. Louis Cardinals jacket

Zoe and Papa opening gifts

Zoe, Lil' Courtney and Nicholas

The Rockettes

This past Saturday, December 13th, I had tickets to see the Rockettes. Mark took me to see them when I was pregnant with Zoe and I LOVED them. Anyway, I knew this was something I wanted to take Zoe to see one day when she was old enough. Mark really had no desire to see them again (who can blame him....it's a girl thing) so I bought tickets for me and Zoe and my parents. Unfortunately, Nana & Papa both got really sick and couldn't come down for the show. So, one of my best buds, Shelley, and her two girls (Anna & Ashlyn) went with us and we had a ball! All of the girls LOVED it! Zoe hasn't stopped talking about it. She told her Daddy, "We saw the Rockettes and they go kick, kick, kick!" It was too cute. As long as they are in Nashville, I want this to be a tradition for Zoe and I. I highly recommend seeing the show and the live nativity scene at the end is something you should see at least once. And you weren't allowed to take any pictures so I don't have any to post! Darn it!

A Day with One Pull Up

I went to pick Zoe up yesterday from school and she had spent the entire day in one pull up! Yeah! That means she didn't have an accident all day long! She had woken up with a dry diaper and immediately peed on the potty. When we got to school she immediately peed on the potty. And then she spent the entire day in the same pull up! It's amazing! Of course, when she got home and put on her Dora panties, she peed in the floor. But, who cares! Accidents are going to happen and we're so proud of the progress she has made in such a short period of time! Way to go, Zoe!

Zoe's Class Christmas Party

Zoe's First Hair Cut

Mommy got her hair done last week and so did Zoe. Zoe got her first hair cut and she did wonderful. These are a few pictures of Ms. Robin giving her her hair cut. She refused to sit in the chair by herself so that's why the picture is so close to her face because she was sitting on my lap! Too cute!

Zoe with her snack following her hair cut.
Zoe getting her first hair cut.

_________ on the Potty

I didn't want to gross everyone out with the title, but Zoe has had her first poop on the potty! Yeah! I went to pick her up on Monday, December 15th, and when I got there she had just finished using the potty. Anyway, I heard her announce (rather loudly while still on the potty) that she had just pooped! It was hysterical, but it was a HUGE step for us because our child had boycotted the potty. She simply wasn't having any part of it. I would ask, "Do you want to go pee pee on the potty?" And Zoe would reply, "I don't like the potty." Everything you read about potty training tells you that you shouldn't force a child to sit on the potty and it has been very frustrating for us because I know she's smart enough to do it. When your child comes to you and says, "Hey, Mommy, I pee peed in my diaper. Will you change my diaper?" then I think they are definitely ready to starting potty training. One of my best buds, Julie, kept telling me that it would be just like a light switch and she would just start going and I simply didn't believe her. But, as usual, Julie was right! Yeah!

Twilight

One of my best buds, Shelley, and I are just alike. I know it sounds a little crazy, but we LOVE vampire movies. And, yes, we are MAJOR fans of such shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Underworld and Harry Potter (although that one doesn't quite qualify with the whole Vampire theme). Anyway, we always leave our girls with their Daddy's because our husbands just aren't big movie watchers. So, we go see movies together when we can squeeze it in and we saw Twilight a few weeks ago. I must say the show is AWESOME. Now I'm reading the series and I can't put the books down. We were talking today and decided that we had to see it once again on the big screen before it comes out on video. So, as you can see above, I've already got my ticket ready! You'd better get your ticket ready, Shelley!

Can we Bring Softball Back to the Olympics?

Go Mizzou!

As most of you probably know, Mark grew up in Sullivan, Missouri, which is about an hour west of St. Louis. Anything having to do with Missouri (i.e. Cardinals, Rams, Blues, etc.) and my dear hubby is following them like crazy. Anyway, he's a HUGE Mizzou fan. Knowing that, Uncle Poopy & Aunt Patty bought Zoe her first Mizzou shirt for Christmas and I must say it is adorable. Zoe is so cute wearing it!

Meet Charlie

We decided we needed a little help in the discipline and/or potty training department. Don't get me wrong, my child is not a horrible acting child, but I've found you have to come up with new and creative ways to discipline her. Plus, my child cares nothing about the potty. She will sit on it here and there, but she really has NO INTEREST IN IT! I thought girls were supposed to be easier?!? WRONG!

Anyway, I would like to introduce all of you to "Charlie." Charlie is an elf sent by Santa to watch over Zoe and report back to him each night. He tells Santa whether or not Zoe has been good and whether or not she has attempted to use the potty. Our child is completely enthralled with Charlie. When she wakes up each morning, she has to search the house for him to find him. He switches places each morning upon his return from the North Pole. So, she wakes up in the best moods and can't wait to find Charlie. It's hysterical. We also told her that Charlie flies around her school all day long and watches her. She is telling anyone and everyone about Charlie. So, without further adieu, here's Charlie..............

Isn't he a cutie? I'm going to have to come up with something else after Christmas is over!

Shake What Your Momma Gave Ya....I'm HOT!

Presents from Uncle Poopy & Aunt Patty

Mark's brother and his wife came down to visit us for Thanksgiving. They normally always come down for New Year's; however, since New Year's Eve falls on a Wednesday this year, it was too hard to make the trip work. So, they came down this past weekend and we had a blast. Patty and I got up and met one of my best buds, Shelley, and we joined the crazy people for Black Friday. I had never gone shopping on Black Friday, but we had such a good time that we're going to make it a tradition. We met Shelley at Kohl's at 3:40 a.m.! Can you say NUTS?!? But, I'm totally planning on doing it again next year.

Steve & Patty went ahead and brought us our Christmas presents. Below are pictures of some of the things they bought for Zoe. They totally know what to buy for their niece.....especially one that LOVES to play dress up! They bought her the flip flops, the necklace and the sunglasses. They bought more stuff, but this is what is in the picture. I'm not sure about the exact look Zoe is going for, but she did say she was "going to the beach." I'm guessing we're going to have to take our child to the beach since she pretends to be at the beach all the time.

Aren't these the cutest flip flops ever?
I'm ready for the beach, Mommy!

Steve & Patty, We love you and miss you so much already! Thanks for all of our gifts and we can't wait to see you again soon!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Since Mark and I began dating (way back in the day), we've always had a tradition of putting up the Christmas tree and all decorations on Thanksgiving night. Anyway, now that we have Zoe we felt it was extremely important to carry on that tradition. Below are some pictures of our time together. Zoe LOVED putting the ornaments on the tree and I have a feeling that this Christmas is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

Haley, would you like to ride in the sleigh?
Help me reach up high, Daddy!

My beautiful girl!

I'm decorating the tree, Mommy!

Disco Fever

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Yourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A Few of My Favorite Pics

Zoe and I went to The Monkey's Treehouse on Saturday since Mark was out of town hunting. Anyway, we met April and her daughter, Elizabeth, and Christina and her son, Mason. The kids played for three solid hours and you can't beat it. I think I paid $7.61 for three hours of fun. Pretty solid, huh? Anyway, I did a slide show of my pictures from the day; however, these are a few of my favorite pics.

Look at my fish, Mommy!
The fairy princess is feeding her baby.

Zoe and Elizabeth. Elizabeth turned two in October. This picture should give you an idea of just how tall Zoe is compared to other children her age. Of course, Elizabeth is petite, but you get the idea. Pretty tall, huh?

I'm a witch, Mommy!

I'm drilling here in the treehouse!

The ball pit is one of my favorite things and Mommy thinks they're nasty!

Cheese!

The Monkey's Treehouse

How to Cook a Turkey

My darling husband has been watching the Food Network incessantly because they are showing recipes for Thanksgiving. Every time I come up to the bonus room he says, "Look baby, they're making a pumpkin pie out of sweet potatoes." You get the picture. Anyway, one of my best buds did a post from one of her twin girls about how you should cook a turkey. I laughed so hard I cried. Anyway, this is for you Mark. You didn't need to watch the Food Network.....you only needed to ask a six year old!

How to Cook a Turkey

by Anna Riggs

God is Good

Today we had an appointment with a pediatric opthamologist, Dr. Robert L. Estes, at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute. I had noticed that Zoe had a problem with her right eye. Mark thought I was crazy, but I had noticed that her eye would turn outward; however, she would turn it back in very quickly. Mark had never seen her do it either so he really thought I was crazy! It didn't happen all the time either, but tended to happen more when she was very tired or very upset. And I noticed it more toward the end of the day. Anyway, I asked our pediatrician about it and she referred us to one of her colleagues, Dr. Eric Groos, with Cornea Consultants of Nashville. He did diagnose her with what I felt sure she was having, which was exotropia. He is not specialized for pediatrics, but he did confirm the diagnosis and made me feel somewhat better because he said Zoe had a slight case and only needed to see Dr. Estes prior to the end of the year. It was certainly difficult to get in to see Dr. Estes (he's supposed to be one of the tops in the field) and we had to wait for two months to get in to see him. Needless to say, there was NO WAY I was missing this appointment.

Anyway, I have to brag on Dr. Estes and Vanderbilt. I had an individual tell me he had no personality and that we wouldn't enjoy our visit. But, I should be thankful because I was seeing "the top guy" when it came to pediatric eye problems. I'm glad that individual was wrong and that Mark and I were pleasantly surprised. He was such a nice man and was WONDERFUL with Zoe. She really liked him. And his staff was wonderful, too. She actually enjoyed going to the doctor and when I took her to my work to show her off afterward, she told everyone about it. It was too cute. Dr. Estes did diagnose Zoe with Intermittent Exotropia. Come to find out, my Dad has the same condition with one of his eyes (the opposite one of Zoe) and his baby brother was actually born with his eyes crossed, a condition known as Esotropia. I was really hoping to blame this problem on Mark and his side of the family, but no such luck! (Love Ya, Honey....Just Kidding!) Dr. Estes said that we would just watch this for now and that Zoe had a very mild case of it. He said that her vision was perfect and not affected by this occurrence. He said if I noticed it happening more frequently to come back sooner; however, he only wanted to keep a watch and see her back between 6 and 12 months. So, we made an appointment to see him again in nine months. We did ask if this ever required surgery and he informed us that it is on the rare side that surgery is required in instances like Zoe's. He said, "There are some doctors out there who would tell you you had to have surgery, but they probably need to make a payment on their BMW or something." It was pretty comical to say the least.

I just want to praise God for good news and for watching over us. Plus, Mark had been having a few issues with his bloodwork and had a recheck done last week. We got those results yesterday and all is well with him, too. I had my yearly physical a few days ago and everything came back great with me! God has been VERY good to The Lawrence Family!

"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pray thy vows unto the most High." Psalm 50:14

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15

Zoe's Day at the Park.....That Made Me Mad....

Ugg

I bought Zoe some Ugg boots the other day......okay, I'm not completely insane! I want my daughter to look cute and trendy, but I'm not about to buy her a pair of real Ugg boots for $150.00 plus dollars! I found these at Target and while they're not Ugg boots, Zoe thinks they are the greatest boots EVER! She thinks she's too cute wearing them and I must confess....I think she's the cutest thing ever! Can you believe how tall this child is? She completely towers over other two year olds! She has to get it from her Daddy because she for sure doesn't have my nubs. Thank God!

Cheese Mommy!
Such a Poser!

Too Freakin' Cute!

You Know Your Child Spends a Lot of Time in the Corner...

.......when she puts her dolls in the corner because they've been bad, too!

Pumpkin & Arial have been bad!
Baby Angel has been bad, too!

I'm fully expecting a call from my parents asking if they need to come rescue their baby after this post!

A Day at the Park with Daddy

Zoe's day care, McKendree, closes four times per year for teacher training and continuing education. They close once in the Spring, once during the Summer and for two consecutive days each November so the teachers can attend a national conference for early childhood education. I think it's awesome that they are interested in attending a conference on a national level (it's in Dallas, Texas this year). Anyway, Daddy took off work on Thursday and took Zoe to the park. They had a ball as you can see by the pictures below......

Cheese Daddy!
Peek-A-Boo!

Hi Daddy!

Such a tall girl!

Weeeeeeeee!!!!

How Do You Make an Elmo Fanatic's Day?

By purchasing an Elmo Halloween costume on clearance and letting her wear it around the house for two days. We almost didn't get it off of her to take her bath or go to bed! I also purchased another Halloween costume on clearance to give to Zoe for Christmas. Our child LOVES to play dress up and it will make a great Christmas present!

Help!

This large container holds all of Zoe's stuffed animals. Anyway, she likes to dump it out, get inside the empty container and have you put all of her stuffed animals back in the container on top of her. She asked Daddy to get in the container and she began to pile all of her animals on top of him. She also put her Doggy Puppet on top of his head! First, can you say this picture is hysterical? Secondly, can you say that Zoe has entirely too many stuffed animals?!? Mark's such a good Daddy!

My First Pumpkin Carving

We haven't actually carved a pumpkin for Zoe. The first year she was extremely sick with the beginning of breathing treatments. Last year we were trying to keep her well and decided to just let her color one with markers. So, this year we carved one and Zoe had a blast doing it, although she didn't like touching the "stuff" from the pumpkin. And ignore the pen behind Mark's ear....it's a habit since he's constantly sticking one behind his ear all day long at work. Too funny!

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty......

Our great friends Lisa & Rich and their daughter, Ava, had a huge Halloween party this past Friday. Mark took his 4-wheeler over and all the kids rode around the subdivision in a wagon attached thereto to do their actual trick or treating. It was a blast and the kids LOVED it. For all of my tens of readers out there, I sat in the back with another mommy and watched the kids and the wagon was perfectly safe. This is a picture of farmer Mark and Kitty Cat Zoe. I was dressed up like Dolly Parton, but I don't have a good picture of me to post. I have to say I was pretty funny myself! Enjoy!

Yeah, baby! Please bring back the mullett!
Dora The Explorer and Diego a/k/a Lisa & Rich

Zoe & Ava

My First Deer Call

Daddy gave Zoe her first deer call and it's pretty funny to watch her call with it. I don't understand why she has to "blow first" before she actually blows the call, but it's her thing. Too cute. She'll be a great deer hunter yet.