frosty...

the powdered sugar snowman!!!

it was our turn to bring the special snack for ella's class...which meant it was time for mommy to start surfing around for cute winter/valentine ideas! i really didn't care which! i came across several versions of these little dudes...pieced what i liked together...

and voila...
a tasty powdered sugar donut dessert!!!! i used a piece of a drinking straw to keep the "snowballs" together, stuck in "jimmies" for the mouth and eyes, used an orange tic tac for the nose, pretzels for the arms, and strips of fruit leather for the ones that were particularly cold!!!
i packaged each one in a cellophane bag and sent them on their way! ella said that the kiddos thought they were tasty! of course, i'm all about the cute factor...because being adorable is so much more important than taste, right?!?!?

now the race is on to find a cute valentine snack...that's next on my to-do list!!!!

not your "traditional" cupcake!

i love traditions. love, love, love them!

i love birthdays. love, love. love them!

and you could probably guess that i would LOVE birthday traditions!!!!

this year, i decided to come up with one! i found this adorable ceramic cupcake at hobby lobby that was made for this exact reason...a tradition!!!! how cute is that?!?!

so here it is...the brand new...established in 2011...price family birthday "pupcake" tradition...from the itty bitty to the old!!!!!!

on your birthday, this cupcake is going to be hidden somewhere...in the house, of course! it can be hidden in a really easy spot...or a really hard one...that's up to the "hider" (aka mommy!!!)! inside will be something special for the celebrated! tickets to a show, a planned special outing, or an event set up especially for the birthday girl or boy.

it is my wish that this "something" be meaningful...focusing more on the love we have for that person...and less on the stuff that is usually accumulated at birthdays. i want that person to feel infinitely special...

i can't think of anything sweeter on my birthday...than knowing i am loved by the people that matter the most...and i hope that everyone else in our little price family will feel the same way!

i'm next on the list...and i can't wait to see what my little people come up with!!!!

what you are about to see...

actually happened last week...

TWICE...

with 2 out of my 3 children!!!!!

the first incident occurred on thursday...i was in the living room with all the girls...and suddenly maddie was no where to be found. all of a sudden, i heard her frantically calling for me...so i went running to find her.

this is what i found...

that's right folks. that would be maddie standing on the door of our freezer. i felt bad because she began to cry when i fussed at her for standing on the door...only to find out she was trying to get the "booboo" bunny for ava who had bumped her head a few moments before!!!!! definitely not something you expect to see every day!!

then...

on saturday night...

jeffrey and i were both in the kitchen fixing supper...and i heard ava begin to whimper and then really start to cry. i turned around to see this...

that's right folks. that would be ava standing inside the fridge! there was no fussing that caused her tears...i just presume it was frightening to be inside the ice box!

yes, i have to admit that both of these scenes caught me by such surprise...i just had to leave both children "hanging" in order to get my camera! some things just can't be explained without pictures! both were unscathed...possibly a bit chilled on their feet...

but i sure got a good laugh!

nobody ever said parenting young children was uneventful or boring...and the price family is no exception to this rule!!!!

**on a side note...i promise that i house more than ice cream in my freezer...although you'd never be able to tell it from the pic...sheesh!!!!!!**

there goes my life...

my everything.

positively puzzled...

well...we weren't technically puzzled...but we sure had a lot of fun celebrating maddie's 4th birthday with a puzzle party at "in the zone"!

these were the invitations that we sent out...one of my favorite pics of our girl!

saturday was a cold, rainy day so i was very thankful when we woke up knowing the only preparation we had in store for us was getting dressed!!!!!!

these two little girls were up with the "sun", brimming with excitement!!! they love each other so much...it's so cute to see how they take care of each other!!!

we arrived right on time and let the festivities begin! all the kiddos jumped & bounced...jumped & bounced for over an hour! lots of maddie's favorite little friends showed up and made her so very happy!!!! she was smiling from ear to ear the whole time!

here are the little friends that helped maddie celebrate: eva, mary stephens, mary linnea, reeves, kendall, parker, ethan, micah, jackson, malynn, brooks, beau, burke, & nicholas (not pictured...nolan & lana)...and of course, her big & little sister!!!!!

after ALL of the jumping...it was time for cake! maddie thoroughly enjoyed the singing this year and everyone enjoyed the yummy cupcakes!

we sent all of our friends home with a "phuzzle"! this was a six piece puzzle that had the birthday girl's picture on it that said "you are the piece that made my party complete! thanks for sharing my special day with me! love...maddie!"! maddie obviously thought they were great...being that she's a puzzle lover and all!!!

this was what the birthday girl looked like moments after we pulled out of the parking lot! sweet baby!

we decided to open the gifts at our house...which was disappointing to lots of the littles...but the girls had a blast opening once we got home...it was much more relaxed...and i could really help maddie focus on who gave her all of the special things!

we thank everyone that helped make maddie's day perfect! there is nothing greater than seeing your children happy...and i love having the opportunity to make each one feel like "queen for the day"!!!

this little gal helped maddie celebrate...but not by jumping...she's not a big fan!!!

some of the birthday girl's favorite people...

ava's favorite pal during the party...aunt cookie

aunt carmie & "sweetie" got to jump for a few minutes!

nana & poppy jerry stealing some pics with the birthday princess!

this huge inflatable chair was a hit with all the kiddos...so, so funny!

an attempt to get a "family of five" pic!!!

one more of my favorite pics with my FAVORITE girls in the world!!! oh, how i love you so!!

10:19 means something really special to me...

10:19 may seem like just another moment in time to most. on any given day, i could be changing a diaper, leaving bootcamp, pumping gas, working a puzzle with one of my children, reading a book to them, attending a meeting at their school, folding clothes, unloading the dishwasher, cruising through the aisles of target...the list is endless.

but at 10:19 a.m. on january 12, 2007...madeline meredith price took her first breath...and took mine away.

i relive my deliveries in my mind a lot...all three were such wondrous, amazing, joyful times...moments that left me weeping with happiness...so thankful that God had blessed us with healthy baby girls.

madeline was to be our second born daughter...and i couldn't have known it then...but i sure do know it now...she's just a little piece of perfection! there are so many things about this little person that make her incredibly special. she has such a gentle spirit and such an amazing heart. she's our little "mother theresa". she would willingly give you her last bite, let you take the first spin on her bike, or let you have the best seat if she thought it would make you happy!

she wakes up singing in the morning and goes to bed singing at night. she loves vitamin c. still can't pronounce her "r's" which is just fine with me. makes sure i know that i'm not "chocolate liver" (aka "chopped liver"). still totes "na" with her just about everywhere. finally has some hair! loves her sisters with all of her heart...and then some. has a fabulous laugh. is fiercely independent. hardly eats meat except for turkey & the occasional "pasketti". is "hurt prone" (her words). loves cheesy grits, any kind of oatmeal, cottage cheese, yogurt, and applesauce. is obsessed with "les miserables" and knows just about every word...seriously. can work a 48 piece puzzle in no time flat. has never fought for anyone's attention...yet people are drawn to her. doesn't like to kiss on the lips. still sucks her thumb when she's eating chocolate. gives awesome hugs just when you need them most. most often than not apologizes without being asked. can write her name with 2 capital D's. has learned to swing herself. tells me i'm the best mommy she could ever have.

there's nobody that could fit in the middle quite like she does.

our maddie is such a blessing to this family. i can't imagine life without her sweet smile, her sweet eyes, and her sweet spirit. i can't imagine life without her. period.

it's hard to believe she's already four years old. time sure flies when you're in love...and today we celebrate her. our middle child. our second born. our amazing little girl.

sure...10:19 may seem like just a moment in time to most. but it's a moment that will always cause me to pause...and give thanks. for in that moment, four years ago, my love learned how to multiply...and that's not something you ever forget.

we love you sweet girl...you'll never know how much!!!!

maddie as a "grain of rice"...just 5 weeks pregnant at daddy's law school graduation

25ish weeks pregnant

we finally meet...

this sums up how we ALL felt about her...

2 days old

1 month old

3 months old

5 1/2 months old

10 months old

11 months old

one year old!

1 1/2 years old

2 years old

2 1/2 years old

3 years old

3 1/2 years old

almost 4 years old...