our little graduate...

yes folks...that's right...we have a graduate in the house! our precious little ella "graduated" from her k-4 preschool tonight and we could not be more proud! of course, being the hormonal pregnant woman that i am right now...i started boo-hooing as soon as they started singing!

ella was so focused on performing! she participated in all the hand motions and sang her little heart out! i could tell she was watching me from the stage (she is SO much like me...i used to watch my mom just like that) and when it was over she asked "mommy, were you crying happy tears"! oh my yes, ella...i am just so blessed to be your mother!

the program was absolutely precious and there was no detail left undone. each child brought their favorite stuffed animal to use as the center piece, they had a "self portrait" displayed, and they had a readers art gallery where each child had drawn a picture from their favorite book! there were two "class of 2009" cakes, lots of smiles and laughter from the kiddos, and LOTS of proud parents!

after they sang their songs, they presented a precious puppet show of "brown bear, brown bear" (ella was one of the black sheep!), and then came the most adorable part of it all...each class appeared on stage with their caps and gowns and received their "diplomas"! they posed with miss kim and everything - a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!!!!!!!


ella received a wonderful bible from the school...one that will be such a special reminder of the time she spent at first baptist. she has made some wonderful friends over the past year and a half (as have i), and while i couldn't be more excited about our move, it's never easy to say goodbye to people that impact your children's lives. mrs. bradley was such a blessing to us this year...and ella (and maddie) LOVED her! she always greeted ella with the sweetest smile each morning...making it easier for "mom" to walk away knowing she was in such great hands. we will definitely miss her being a part of our monday, tuesday, thursday, friday days...so many of my teachers still hold a special place in my heart...and no doubt, mrs. bradley will hold a special place in ella's!
tonight was a night that we won't soon forget...and i couldn't help but flash forward to a time that i know will arrive all too soon...when ella will be in another cap and gown...but this time, my mind will flash back...to that day in may 2009, when my sweet first born was in fact still little...

because tonight she. feels. so. big.

our new little bundle of joy...

jeffrey and i went to our "20 week" ultrasound this past tuesday...and let me just say - this miracle is never something we take for granted! seeing our little one playing with their hands and rolling around inside of me is just amazing and i'll have to say that they seem to be taking after their older sisters because he or she is pretty stinkin' cute!!!!!!!

it was so strange going to this appointment knowing that we didn't want to know what we were having...but as it turns out, that was a good thing - because "little bit" was extremely modest and wouldn't open his or her legs!!! the ultrasound tech tried several times to find out for herself if we were having a boy or a girl...but in the end...we all left unknowing!!!!

i am so in love with this precious baby and can't wait to welcome him or her into our family!

the baby looks very healthy...but please say a prayer that the portal vein will be visible at the next ultrasound. i was told not to worry...but of course, i want ALL the parts to be

accounted for!!!

A few things I am teaching the girls...(Guest Post)

A true appreciation for the finer arts...


That sometimes even fine foods are meant to be eaten with your hands...



A love for the great outdoors....



And a healthy sense of adventure....



Man, I love being a dad...

friendship friday...

cathy fiser.


the first time i ever laid eyes on cathy...i just wanted to meet her and be her friend! i was doing a junior league shift entering information for "race for the cure" when cathy walked in for her shift. she was pregnant with her first child...and so was i. (in fact, i was eating saltines while working at the computer!!!!) anyway, i didn't know that this precious girl was in my provisional class but she was!!!!!! we got to know one another...and she was just what i said - precious!

cathy is a "tell it like it is" kinda gal and i love how real she is. she and i can talk about anything...that's a bit of a trend with me anyway...and we identify with each other so well. she is adorably little, a fantastic tennis player, a true animal lover, and loves to have a good time! she invited me to join her bunco group and that became one of my favorite times of the month...those girls are FANTASTIC! she brought me my favorite meal when ella was born and went out of her way to always make me feel like i was a part of little rock.

cathy is generous and kind...and i really got to see her "heart" while we worked together for two years at camp aldersgate. her sensitivity is abundant and she isn't afraid to shed a tear for those who are hurting...just one more attribute that makes her...you guessed it - p.r.e.c.i.o.u.s. i will never forget her last visit with me before me moved or the last tearful hug we shared...i knew how special she had become to me.

i was and still am so thankful for her friendship. i know that if i ever needed or need anything, i could and can always count on cathy to help out. those first friends made in an unfamiliar place hold a special place in my heart...and there will always be a special place in mine for cathy.

i can't wait to get back to the south and crash a bunco night sometime soon...i really need to catch up on the latest "news" and see those sweet faces! thank you, cathy, for taking me under your wing and helping me "take those first steps" in what would be a super sweet journey for me in little rock!

cathy and her sweet family

wordless wednesday...

definitions of...

my mom:

strong (strôŋ)
adjective
morally powerful; having strength of character or will

gen·er·ous (jen′ər əs)
adjective
giving or sharing liberally and willingly; openhanded

vi·va·cious (vī vā′s̸həs, vi-)
adjective
full of life and animation; lively

self·less (self′lis)
adjective
devoted to others' welfare or interests and not one's own; unselfish; altruistic

in·cred·ible (in kred′ə bəl)
adjective
not credible; unbelievable
seeming too unusual or improbable to be possible

definitions of me...because i have my mom:

thank·ful (t̸haŋk′fəl)
adjective
feeling or expressing thanks; grateful

blessed (for 1-2, blest, also bles′id; for 3-5, bles′id, also blest)
adjective
enjoying great happiness; blissful

happy (hap′ē)
adjective
having, showing, or causing a feeling of great pleasure, contentment, joy, etc.; joyous; glad; pleased

it goes without saying that i love my mom...and all the adoring words in the dictionary can't help me prove it.

there's a million things my heart would say if it could speak...just know that i can't imagine a better lady to walk through life with as my mother...you are one in a million...truly the definition of a mom.

happy mothers day. i love you.

something i know for sure...

this man is someone to be proud of...and he just so happens to me mine!!!

this man is an amazing daddy...and he just so happens to be ella's, maddie's, & "sweet pea's".

this man is truly one of the most brilliant people i know...and he has the degrees to prove it!

this man is funny...to his core...and he makes us laugh all the time!

this man is athletic...and he's doing P90X...once again, to prove it!

this man is a leader...and he's doing just that with his family.

this man loves food...we'll just leave it at that!

this man celebrated his birthday today...so today, we want to celebrate him.

jeffrey price. you are one LOVED amazing, brilliant, funny, athletic, leading, hungry man.

happy, happy birthday from all your girls!

this is what ella & maddie made for their daddy's birthday

we may have some picasso's on our hands!!!!

three reasons why today means everything to me...

blessing #1

blessing #2

blessing #3

dear God...thank you for enriching my life with these amazing gifts. help me to remember every day that my role in the lives of my children is unmatched by any other woman in this world...because You chose me to be their mommy. help me to be patient, loving, and kind - but most of all, help me to be more like You so that these three blessings would grow to have the heart i pray for. i don't want to take one moment for granted because i know that all too soon...today will be just a memory. the footprints will get bigger, their needs will become fewer, and their "little" won't feel so little anymore. thank you for trusting me with what i know will be the most precious gifts i will ever be given. amen.

friendship friday...

lori davidson.

lori and i met (at buffalo grill to be precise!) back in 2002...while our husbands were both attending law school at night! her oldest son was only about 6 months old when we met...and i LOVED the fact that we were becoming friends with a couple that had started a family! it didn't take long for both couples to realize that we had LOTS in common and we loved hanging out with them!


she is married to one of jeff's bestest friends and is the mother to their F.O.U.R. children...ages 7, 4, almost 2, and about 6 months...whew - i need a nap just thinking about it!!!!

lori is mucho creative...and that's an understatement!!!! this girl can scrapbook, sew, plan a party, take pictures, bake, fix a computer, hang a light fixture, paint a wall, and breastfeed...pretty much all at the same time!!!!!!! it's quite fascinating! she taught me all i needed to know about making my own baby food...which was something that completely overwhelmed me...but turned out to be one of the best decisions i have ever made since becoming a mother! however, i never ventured into making super porridge and homemade crackers like this gal!!!!!

she also rivals me in her ability to actually use the wee hours of the morning!!! if i think i'm a night person...lori owns the night!!!!!! when we used to go over to their house or have them over - we always brought our children's pj's because we knew it was going to be a "late" night! it would not be uncommon for us to still be chatting at 3 a.m. - eating something deliciously sinful or sending the guys to the 24 hour gas station for ice cream or treats! we have had some of the most meaningful and fun conversations with this family!

lori was the first person i talked to when my water broke at 1 a.m. on april 26th (hellooo...who else was going to be awake!!!! ha,ha,ha!!!) and she was the first person to call me when i was pulling out of epernay last january - sobbing my eyes out. she has helped me paint a kitchen with a mask on while pregnant with her second child, gotten me a doctor's appointment when i was certain i was going to lose our second baby, brought laughter to cleaning out my oven and refrigerator at a home that suddenly was a place of loneliness and sorrow, has answered many a "how do i do this" or "how will i do this" question in my first few months of being a mommy, helped us deal with a vehicle theft (from in front of their house)...i could go on and on...no, really i could!!! she has the heart of a servant...and i have definitely been on the receiving end many times!

her friendship has been a blessing to me and we have missed them dearly since leaving little rock! we were hoping to get the whole clan up here for a visit...but it looks like we'll have to settle on breaking them in to good ole' shreveport (paul...i know you are p.u.m.p.e.d.!!!!!)

thanks, lori for being such a wonderful friend. i look forward to our "quarterly phone chats" (HA!)...and can't wait til we can hang out again! ella would really love to see some of her favorite friends...and maddie would like to get to know yall (that last part is just sad!)!

maybe we can fit in an "all night" crop session one day soon...or at least a middle of the night junk food binge...

A weekend with daddy...the Maddie edition (Guest Post)

well...I am way delinquent in posting this, but I guess better late than never. Meredith and Ella took a trip to the "mother country" a.k.a shreveport several weekends ago so Maddie and I had to find a way to entertain ourselves while they were gone. They left bright and early Friday morning so I took Maddie to school and had a friend pick her up so that I could work most of the day.

Of course, Meredith took the "big" camera and I couldn't find our little digital one so all of the documentation of Maddie and my adventures are courtesy of my free phone from AT&T (yes, Meredith got an Iphone and I ended up with the free phone...I just don't use mine enough to justify an iphone) so I apologize in advance if the pictures are fuzzy or really small. I don't know how they will turn out on the blog.

So Friday night, Maddie and I went out to eat at a Mexican joint that Meredith never set foot in. It is a mom and pop restaurant called El Paso that had good reviews on the web. Maddie was an absolute hoot and loved eating her cheesy beans and rice.


She also chomped down on the lime from my margarita before fully deciding that limes are "ucky!"


After Mexican, we went out for IceBerry (excellent frozen yogurt place) and then headed home.

Then I proceeded to let her sleep in a big bed for the first time in her life and she loved it! She is very similar to Ella in that she thrashes about all night long, so I barely slept because I was worried that she would fall out of the bed.



Saturday morning, we started with breakfast at Le Madeline french bistro (Maddie's favorite...she loves the eggs, croissants, and homemade jelly...daddy doesn't mind it either!)





Then I took her with me to Shenandoah Brewing Company to help a buddy bottle a batch of beer that he had brewed. My buddy's wife was with him so she and Maddie had a great time playing. His wife then made Maddie an origami duck from a hand towel...Maddie thought it was hysterical.


Maddie was worn out from her long morning so she took an extra long nap. After nap time, we decided (or daddy decided...you choose) that golfing would be a fun outing so off we went.


She loved driving the cart, washing the golf balls and just generally running around like a wild woman. I ended up playing really well because I didn't have time to focus on my swing for fear that I would either hit her or she would drive off in the cart and hit someone else.


On Sunday, we ate breakfast at home, and then had lunch outside on the deck...

Maddie was a little cold at first...


and then decided it was ok.


She wanted to swing after we ate so I let her swing as long as she wanted.


After about 1.5 hours, she started whimpering and I asked her if she wanted to get out of the swing. She sheepishly said, "uh huh" and then as soon as her feet hit the ground, she yakked all over my shoes. No crying or whining, just a straight-forward "looks like we found out how long she can swing!" puking...after a quick cleanup, she was partying like a rock star.


We were both glad when Mommy and Ella came back home, but we had a great time by ourselves...every once in a while, it is fun for daddy to hang out with his little girl.

Jeff