September

The girls and I spent a weekend in Sherman at my parents and were able to go see my nephew, Jacob, play in the band during halftime. I am so proud of him. He is doing a great job in school this year and is a great drummer. Isn't he cute?We all went to the big Oklahoma State Fair and this is my niece Madeline. We watched High School Musical on Ice and the girls loved it, especially Ava.Here the darlings are at the show. Audrey was kind of over it by intermission, but Ava was very into the romance between Gabriella and Troy. Yes, she is only 4!!!!! Scary!!!!!This pic makes Daddy very proud of his two little Sooner fans! They do occasionally cheer for the Baylor Bears, but unfortunately, there is not much to cheer for!We went to the neighborhood park and enjoyed the nice weather, well they did. Prego Mommy sat on the bench and enjoyed the view! Miss Hannah Montana wouldn't take her gymnastics clothes off for the rest of the day. Here is one of the drama queens many poses.Yeah, Meme and Papa came to visit. The girls loved having them in town. Papa was very good at swinging them and tickling their feet. My baby lost her first tooth. It was very loose and I was very paranoid it was going to come out when Chad wasn't with me. I don't do very well with blood!!! Of course, we were driving down the road and out it came, with very little blood!!! Thank the Lord!!!!!



Lazy Mommy finally got the roller skates out the girls got for their birthdays, back in June. Thankfully, Papa showed up and helped the girls. I was worn out. Audrey was able to move around on them, Ava, not so much. But, don't they look cute?
Madeline turned 5 on Oct. 7 and she had an Ariel party. Ariel showed up to the party and played games, did the girls makeup, and had a dance party. It was so much fun! Audrey was the oldest girl there and kind of ruined it for everyone. They were all sitting and eating cake and were talking about Ariel after she left. Audrey said, "You know that wasn't really Ariel?" The girls were stunned. She continued, "How could she be when she drove away in a car." AHHHH!!!! My daughter the skeptic, just like her father.



The birthday girl and Audrey.

The girls are posing by the pumpkins and scarecrows that we picked out. They look great in this pic, but the big scarecrow has now slowly doubled over and won't stay upright. Just another stubborn thing in my life!!!!
The girls giving the baby some love. If Audrey looks forced, she is. She never wants to do things when we want her to. Imagine that! Ava, on the other hand, kisses my belly at least 5 times a day.
Ava's school took a field trip to a pumpkin patch and here she is with her friend, Savannah. I went with her on the field trip because I didn't want her to ride the church van. Little did I know that it was out in the middle of nowhere, 15 miles from civilization. I kind of became nervous about going into labor out in the sticks. I was picturing a Little House on the Prairie delivery. Luckily, all went well. Besides me walking more in one day than I had in 9 months!!!!
She loved feeding the goats. She would get really mad if one was being greedy and refused to feed it. It was funny.
She got to ride this cute little pony and then she went on a hay ride and went through a corn maze. When we got home that afternoon, we didn't move for 2 hours. We were pooped!!!!

She was very proud of the pumpkin that she picked out.

Well, now we are just counting down until Thursday, October 16. It has been a VERY long 9 months. I began with terrible morning sickness, fatigue, depression,food aversions, etc. I started feeling great around 4 months and then began feeling bad again around 8 months. Now, I'm just ready to meet the new love in my life. My two girls mean the world to me and hope I can learn to balance everything with ease. (yeah right!) Chad has been so great throughout this roller coaster. He is amazing. He is always there for me when I need him and he is a wonderful father to our girls. I'm so lucky to have him. Anyway, as soon as life resembles some normalcy, I will post some new pics of our family!!!! God is good!

Ava Starts Pre-K!

Little Ava Hope started pre-K this week. She was so excited to start school. (I must say, so was I!!!!) She couldn't wait to meet new friends and learn. She comes home everyday talking about all the boys she plays with. She is going to be trouble when she gets older!!!
This is Ava's classroom at Quail Springs Baptist. She has attended this school since she was 2. Hopefully, this will be her last year and next year off to kinder. But, we'll see. She's all social and less academic!
The girls also started back to ballet this week. Here she is posing for the camera!

My Baby Goes to First Grade

I sent my little girl off to first grade. Last year, kindergarten was just 1/2 day so I was able to have her home in the mornings and she went to school in the afternoon. This year, she will be gone ALL day. It makes me sad to think it was just yesterday when she was just laying around with her playgroup friends or chasing around Owen for kisses. Now, she is 6 and is off to big girl school.

Rise and Shine! We weren't used to getting up and getting ready so early, but the first day she popped up and was ready to go. Audrey got to eat off the special plate for breakfast and dinner. She loved that!
Here she is all ready for her big day. She had to wear blue, her favorite color!
The whole family got to walk her in on the first day. I was more nervous than she was.
And she's off with her class. She is so big and so independent. I just want her to want me a little more, but she wants things done on her own. She came home that afternoon beaming and telling me that she loved first grade and loved her teacher. Hopefully, she will have a great year. I told her that I could bring her lunch sometime and sit and eat with her. Her reply, "Why don't you wait about three weeks and then come". Oh, the independence!!!!

My brother, Dr. Michael Hope

After working towards his goal for many years, through raising 4 kids (and one on the way), being the superintendent of Robinson schools, and still an attentive husband, my brother manged to receive his PhD. from Texas A&M. Yes, he is officially an Aggie, but Shayne reminds him he is 2/3 a Baylor Bear!!! I am so proud of him. My whole life, I have looked up to him and this is why. He is an achiever. Michael sets his mind on something and goes after it, no matter the hard work or time that must be spent. He is a great brother and I wish I could see him more often. Congratulations, Michael! Here is the supportive family that got him through it. Thanks Shayne for being a great wife and supporting him all the way.
My mom and dad were very proud to see their son walk across the stage and receive his diploma. They, too, supported him the whole way!
When we got back to Waco that afternoon, we had cake to celebrate. Shayne, the cake was great, even if it was purple!!!! hahaha!!!!
Before the girls and I left town, we got to see Abbi play volleyball. I can't believe my little niece is 15 and a sophomore in high school. She is beautiful and is a great athlete.

Big Cedar 2008

Each year, my nieces and nephews attend a Christian camp called Kamp Kanakuk. It is located in and around Branson, Mo. Chad and I tag along every year when they go and pick the kids up and then we all stay in these awesome cabins at Big Cedar. Here are some pics of our great vacation with our family. I really wish I could spend more time with them, I really miss them.

Here are the the sweet sisters outside our cabin. We were so glad to get out of the car after the 5 hour drive. Ava talked the whole way!!!!

We went to the old downtown Branson and bought these cute hats at an old 5 and Dime, along with a bunch of other junk we didn't need. Thanks, Meme.

The girls wanted to wear the hats the entire trip! So, they wore them when we went to eat at the Dixie Stampede. They loved the horses, the piggie races, and the ostrich races.

After dinner, we took most of the kids to ride go-carts. I had to miss out on the fun this year because of the baby. But, as you can see, everyone had a blast. Ava got to ride with Daddy. Audrey was the lucky winner that got to ride with Crabby Abbi!!!!!! Just kidding, Abs. Audrey loved it.
The girls found some cars that were just there size. They loved running into each other.

The next morning, we rented two boats for tubing. In our boat, we had the little girls and Jonah and Jacob. Yes, we were lucky!!! Jonah and Jacob loved Uncle Chad driving them around on the tube. They hung on for dear life and took a beating. Audrey and Ava loved jumping off the boat and swimming in the lake. Shayne and Michael had the rest of the crew, including Philip.

We stopped for the traditional cliff jumping. This is one activity I truly missed because it is a blast. Here is Miss Abbi getting ready for the plunge.Yes, we talked Audrey in to jumping this year and it was probably her last. As you can see by her face, she wasn't impressed. It kind of ruined the rest of her boating experience that day.Here's little Allison on the tube. I don't think she is scared of anything!Ava just loved being with Jacob. He bugged her all day long!!!!This is what fun at Big Cedar can do to you. After boating all morning, the girls slept for 2 1/2 hours. I can never get these two to slow down and take a nap. But, the lake did it to them.
That night, we celebrated Chad's 34th birthday with my family. Michael and Shayne cooked out steaks, baked potatoes, and all the fixings. It was yummy. Of course, the kids loved the chocolate cake.
We really missed Papa not being able to come on the trip this year. All the kids kept saying they wished he was there. Here's Meme with all 8 grandkids on the last night of our trip. Jonah, Audrey, Taylor, Allison, Ava, Amy, Abbi, and Jacob. Next year, there will be two more added to the mix!!! Thanks Meme and Papa for a great vacation! We love you!

Audrey turns 6!!!

Audrey Grace Pumphrey was born on June 28, 2002. She arrived two weeks early, a big surprise for Mommy and Daddy. Oh what a joy the first born child is! Our lives changed for the better over night. The first year was filled with lots of learning and getting used to life with a baby. Audrey loved sleeping on her Daddy's chest when he got home for work, loved meeting her playgroup friends, and loved seeing her Meme and Papa and Nana and Papa.
Audrey's first b-day party was at Meme and Papa's. It was a swim party but Audrey liked eating the pizza the best. Cake time was a little traumatic because she burned her finger trying to grab the candle. Over the next year, Audrey's love of learning developed and her stubborn-side emerged. What a joy she brings to our lives!
Audrey spent her 2nd birthday at the Kids Club in Sherman. She had a Dora cake and was very in to Dora and Boots. Her little sister was born a few days earlier, so it was a time of adjusting. At 2, she began attending a Mother's day out program and loved it. She quickly learned all of her letters and numbers. At this time, Audrey's famous one liners began to come out. For example, we were at one of Ava's check-ups in the waiting room and Audrey asked what we were waiting on? I told her we were waiting to see the doctor and Audrey said, "Who? Dr. Phil?" Just the beginning of her clever side!
We celebrated her 3rd b-day party with a swim party. She was a ball of energy and never was a fan of just sitting down. She continued to go to Mother's Day out and started realizing she could play with her sister. They also began their love/hate relationship. Let the fighting begin!
Look at this adorable 4 year-old drama queen. She was thrilled about having to stop bouncing at her party to have cake. This was our last b-day in Texas. :-( We were sad to leave our family and the playgroup Audrey grew up with. She adjusted well and began a new preschool where she loved learning to write. Audrey turned 5 with another bounce house party. Over the next year, Audrey loved going to Kindergarten and learning to read. She loved her teacher, Mrs. Mangrum.My baby turned 6 with a shared b-day glamour party with Ava. She loves putting on make-up and getting her nails done, but she would rather be comfy than fashionable. She is still bringing joy to our lives and we love (reluctantly) watching her grow. Our girls are truly a blessing!