The Pumphrey Family

Back to School

2009-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Back to School" this year was a little different for me. This year I have two kids at Washington Irving and can't believe it. How does time fly by when you have beautiful babies!!! We are so blessed. Audrey started 2nd grade and my little Ava started Kindergarten. The first day was a little nerve racking just trying to get them both fed, dressed, and out the door. And all Momma wanted was a cute picture of them together on their first day. Well, after a small knock down drag out, I got a few of them separately at home and finally got the 'together' pic at school. I knew they wouldn't fight there, at least not yet!
We dropped off Audrey in the gym with her class and she was ready for us to leave. I guess we are so not cool! And, Ava was the same way. Her teacher invited the parents to stay for the first 20 minutes of class. But, Ava was ready for me to leave as soon as she got there. Uhhhh. How do I have two overly independent little girls when I was a shy little one that hid behind my mom's skirt? Oh well. At least they are confident!

Ava's ready for me to leave!!!!

Last days at the pool

2009-08-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is slowly coming to an end, so I finally took some pics of the girls swimming at Nana and Papa's. They love to swim and would probably swim all day, if I let them. (Chad likes to practice his swing while the kids are in the pool)

My Little Red Wagon

2009-08-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

We finally drug out the old wagon that Audrey and Ava used to love riding. Well, Addi is just like her big sisters. She thought she was such a big girl riding around in her wagon. And, of course, the girls LOVED pulling her and riding with her.

Me Love Food!!!!!

2009-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Addi's favorite activity lately is eating. She has three meals and four 8 oz. bottles a day. She eats all the time. She is pretty good about eating most things, except spinach. That gets tossed overboard off the highchair. Some of her faves are pasta pick-ups, ham, turkey, cheese, and bananas. She is getting so big and I can't believe she will be 1 in less than two months!

Big Cedar 2009

2009-08-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Big Cedar was a blast again this year. It is such a special time because we get to spend some down time away from the hustle and bustle with loved ones. There is no stress, just decisions about what time to go swimming and what to eat. Ahhhhh. I am so thankful for these times I really get to spend precious time with my nieces and nephews.

Some of the highlights of this trip: swimming and taking the kids on the lazy river, going on the boats, getting rained on while on the boats (not quite a highlight), Dixie Stampede, Go-carts, miniature golf, the yearly cook-out and Chad's belated b-day celebration, walking over to my parent's cabin each morning and night to see the kids., hearing Amy's stories about the boys from Kamp, and Abbi getting baptized!

Audrey went with me this year to Kanakuk to pick up Taylor. I wanted her to see Kamp and encourage her to go next year. K-Kountry is filled with God's spirit and the kids always have a blast. Hopefully, next year will be her year. (Only if her Daddy can let his little girls go for two weeks!)

Michael and Shayne came to visit!

2009-08-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

We were sooo thrilled to have Michael, Shayne, and baby Anna stay with us, even if it was only one night. They stayed at our house the night before our Branson trip. The girls were super excited to play with Anna Helen. She tried out our swing and you can tell from the face, she loved it! I am so glad Addi has a cousin so close in age. They are so much fun to watch them play together.
Help!!! I'm in my baby jail!!!

Vegas Baby!

2009-08-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

2009-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Chad's birthday with another enchilada dinner, but this time I didn't have to cook. Chad's mom made is favorite meal for her little boy. We had a great dinner and enjoyed some yummy cookie cake, another favorite. Since Chad was celebrating his 35th, the girls and I made him a list of our 35 favorite things about him. He loved it and actually got a little misty-eyed (very rare occurrence)! His mom and dad also gave him a new electric air pump that he loves. Now all of the bikes tires can be quickly aired and we have no more flats!!!! Yeah for Daddy!

July 4th!

2009-08-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Addi Boo

2009-08-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Just had to add a few cute ones of Miss Addi. She is getting so big!

Audrey turns 7!!!

2009-08-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Audrey celebrated her 7th birthday with a gymnastics party. All the kids had a blast and little Audrey ran herself ragged. She had a great and busy day, but had to end it with her favorite meal: homemade enchiladas. I was so tired by the end of the day, but I had to cook them for my baby.

Jo Bros

2009-08-17T13:02:00.001-07:00

Audrey and Ava had their first concert experience (at the age of 5 and 7) by going to see the Jonas Brothers. Shayne brought the girls and Carrie brought Taylor and a friend. Before the concert, Audrey acted like she didn't want to go and was not looking forward to it. Well, she ended up having a blast and Ava didn't even want to go to the bathroom because she didn't want to miss anything. Chad was a trooper for taking us. He was one of the few lucky dads that were there. He and I were more excited about seeing the new Cowboys Stadium. It was amazing and we all had a blast. It reminded me of my first concert: NKOTB.

My Baby turns 5!

2009-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ava celebrated her 5th birthday with a Build-A-Bear party. I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be a very easy and fun party. It was fun to see Ava interact with her little friends from Pre-K. Her favorite gift that she received was her pink Nintendo DS. She and Audrey play games against one another all the time.

Disney Part 2

2009-08-11T12:30:00.001-07:00

The second phase of our trip began when my Mom and Dad surprised the girls and showed up at Disney World. The girls were so excited and I am so glad they were able to come. Disney, to me, means spending time with my family. They have been bringing me almost every year since I was a little girl. It is a very special place that fills my heart with sweet memories and now I get to make them with my girls.Addi's favorite character was Tigger. He was so cute with her and she watched him bounce all over the room. She would barley take her eyes off of him. It was so funny.

We finally rented the girls a double stroller the day we went to Hollywood Studios. Never again!!!! They fought the entire time. We went on Star Wars weekend and the characters were everywhere. Storm Troopers were on the roofs of some of the buildings and Ava asked me what they were. I told her they zap little kids that acted ugly. Only worked for a little bit, but I gave it a try!!!!

In all my many years, I think this was the first time I ever saw a parade float get a tow!
While eating at Tony's, we were sitting close to Gwen Stefani and No Doubt. Her boys were adorable and it was neat to see her. Too bad her hubby wasn't with her. I used to have a huge crush on him!

After spending 7 days together, the last day was a little emotional. We were all on each other's nerves. Ava was having an extremely bad day because she was soooo tired and would cry at the drop of a hat. This picture shows her in the airport having to stick her nose to the wall. She had been a little ugly and didn't like that punishment. I thought it was hilarious! Great way to end a trip!

Disney 2009 Part 1

2009-08-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Disney World trip this year was a blast. Can you ever go to Disney and not have fun? Anyway, the trip was special because it was Addi's very first trip and we also celebrated Brad, my brother-in-law, and Megan's beautiful wedding. It was an absolute fairy tale. The chapel was amazing and the bride was even more amazing. Here's a quick picture of her and her sweet dad as they were "walking" down the aisle. (It was more like a sprint. hahaha) Madeline was a beautiful little flower girl with a dress to match Megan's. So thankful she has her in her life.

Addi slept through her first limo ride and , of course, woke up right before the ceremony. But she did great sitting with Nana and Papa.
My in-laws were looking good!

I should have gotten a picture of us with Chad but everything was kind of rushed and my brain couldn't think of it.
The girls loved riding Dumbo. I think Dumbo is a favorite for everyone! (except Chad, we had to drag him on!)

While the guys played golf, all the girls went to have lunch in Norway with all of the princesses. It was great and the girls were starstruck!

Little Addi was such a trooper during our seven day journey. The earliest she went to bed was 10 and the latest was around 1. She can hang with the best of 'em. Her favorite was It's a Small World. She loved looking at all the babies!

May

2009-08-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

May, as usual, was a very hectic month. We were busy with all the fun end of year activities. Ava graduated from pre-K this year after attending Quail Springs Baptist for 3 years. We will miss that school because the teachers always treated my girls so well. Next stop, kindergarten! Yikes??? The girls were able to show off for their families at M & M Olympics at gymnastics. They had a blast this year and quickly fell in love with gymnastics. They were so proud to receive a trophy at the end of their session.

This was Audrey's trophy from Studio J for being in dance for three years. She did hip hop this past semester and decided it would be her last. Next year, she is only doing gymnastics.

Audrey, Ava, and Madeline were all in the same recital and they did a great job!

Nana took us to see The Lion King when it came to OKC. Wow! What a show! It was amazing.

Ava loved going to school this year because of her special teachers- Ms. Suzanne and Ms. Lindsey. She loved them and they loved her. We had an awesome year of Pre-K thanks to them.

My Birthday part 2- in Texas

2009-07-21T13:15:00.001-07:00

With my family, we went to Maggiano's for lunch. As usual, it was delicious. (Didn't help getting this baby weight off :) ) We had two cakes, of course, my Mom had to bring a huge cake and then we got this cake there with the yummy fruit.

My Birthday in OK

2009-07-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

This year I turned 33! Ugh. I'm starting to actually feel my age. Don and Janice took us to Mammasita's on Lake Hefner. The food was very yummy and I was so excited to get new flatware! All my spoons seemed to have disappeared. :)

Easter

2009-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter weekend in Sherman with my family. The kids loved fishing and coloring eggs with their cousins. Addi had an ear infection and was feeling pretty bad. She didn't get to wear her new Easter dress. Oh well, hopefully next year.

San Antonio

2009-07-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of April, we took a quick trip to San Antonio. This was Addi's first plane trip and she did great. I tried to slip her the pacifier, just in case, but she just chewed on it and spit it out. We rented a car and ended up getting lost several times. Thank goodness for the maps on my Iphone! They saved the day. We loved eating at Casa Rio and hanging out on the Riverwalk. The girls loved Sea World and I drug them to see the Alamo. The highlight of the Alamo for the girls was the sno cone stand outside.

Random

2009-07-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Addi loving on her Meme and Papa.

Chad bought the girls their very own fishing pole. He took them to Hafer park and didn't catch a thing!!:( Now, they love fishing at my parent's pond because the fish are always biting there!

Sweet baby girl.

Addi's first zoo trip. It was a nice cool day.

Ava loves to help Mommy.

We took the girls to see the Baylor boys play in the Big 12 Championship game. They just like going to games for the snacks. Very important! Don't ya love Audrey's face. Have I mentioned that she just LOVES pictures. Hahaha!

January

2009-03-07T14:13:00.001-08:00

January started off with a party, an OU National Championship game party. Well, it didn't go as planned because the Sooners played terrible. We had good food, good friends, but terrible entertainment. Oh well, the girls looked cute and they had a blast! Our house cleared out before the end of the 4th quarter. Sooner fans do not take losing very well!!!!Addison wondering what the heck she is sitting in. One of her Christmas presents was a Bumbo seat. She still isn't too sure of it.

We met my family in Dallas to celebrate my mom's birthday at Abuelo's. It was great to see everyone, but it always ends too soon. I wish I could spend more time with them. :(

Anna Helen was tired and slept through lunch. She is getting so big!
We had a heavy sleet storm with lightening, thunder, the works. The girls were out of school for a few days. Ava is such a goofball. I don't think she will perform the face plant again because she was frozen after that!
The girls on the back patio.

Who's Who????

2009-02-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

From the first minute I laid eyes on my little Addison, I knew she was an exact replica of her big sister, Ava. They both were born with a full head of dark hair. Now, when I go through pictures, I have a hard time determining if the pic is of Addison or Ava. Take a look and see what I mean.

If you can't tell, the top three are Ava and the last two are Addison. They look like the same baby to me. Can't wait to see how she grows. (Oh yeah, I have to add that I think Addison's nose looks like Audrey's: Audrey tends to get a little upset that I always go on and on about the similarities of the other two!)

Christmas

2009-02-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

December went by in a blur! We stayed very busy with many school parties and celebrations. The girls loved helping decorate the tree. This year we downsized our Christmas decorations, just didn't seem to find the time (or energy) to put EVERYTHING up. Oh well, maybe next year. Oh wait. Next year, I will have little one running around pulling everything down! So, maybe we will be lucky to get up a tree next year!

Audrey at her school party.

Celebrating at Nana and Papa's!

Brad, Megan, and Madeline.

Addison's first VERY strong opinion: she hates hats!

We took the girls downtown to go tubing and ice skating. We had a blast!

Two little old ladies sittin on a couch! Addison and cousin Anna Helen.
All of the grandkids (minus Jacob and Taylor) at Meme and Papa's.
Ava loves her Aunt Shayne!
Jonah and Jacob getting some Chad 'love'! The entire group went bowling and had a blast!

The girls loved New Year's Eve. They toasted with their 'champagne' and didn't go to sleep until around 12:30 or 1:00. (Not sure of the exact time, I was already asleep) The bottom picture is a shot of their now infamous "Fashion Style". This is their nightly show they put on for us.

One Hot Mama

2009-01-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Addison had her first photo shoot at 6 weeks old. Of course, my sweet, laid back baby grew a couple of horns for the day! She was having none of it! The poor child cried almost the entire 2 hours the poor lady was at our home. Needless to say, this little momma was sweating to death trying to get this child to 'just get one good picture'. Well, they did turn out better that I expected and the big girls did a great job for the camera. Here are a few of the pics.

Welcome to the World!

2009-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

Addison Faith arrived into the world on October 16, 2008. It was a great day. My c-section went easy as did my recovery. I enjoyed staying in the hospital for three days and having people take care of me!!! The only bad part about the hospital stay is that I had a terrible reaction to the pain meds and was itching my skin to death. I think I made claw marks all over my body. At the end of the stay, Addison was jaundice. So, the day we arrived home, there was no welcoming committee with this one. Just the poor guy that brought the bili lights that the baby had to sleep under. She hated the lights and hated even more the poor lady that came to prick her heel every now and then to check her levels. Her jaundice was finally cleared up after I had to stop nursing her for 3 days and be on formula. Thankfully, she switched right back to nursing as soon as she was better.
Before the baby, Audrey was NOT excited about this new addition. So, I was pretty anxious to see her reaction after the birth. Well, at first she was stand-offish and didn't want people telling her to 'hold the baby'. She did warm to the idea and quickly fell in love. Ahhh. Makes Momma's heart melt.
Here are a few pics from October.

This is me trying to smile before leaving for the hospital. Way too early! Proud Daddy! Proud sister.
Swollen Mama!

Peeking at their new 'doll'.

They liked Mommy's cool bed with all the buttons. My Daddy with his 10th grandchild. (8th granddaughter)
Meme and Addison.
Proud Papa Pumphrey.

Poor baby under her bili lights.

Nana and proud cousin Madeline!

Audrey dressed up as Ariel and Ava was TinkerBell. Check out the wig!!!!Baby's first Halloween and didn't even know it!
We went to Waco for cousin Alli's bday party and got to meet my new niece, Anna Helen. She was born one week before Addison. They will be great playmates!
Addison was imposing on Anna's space! Aren't they adorable?

September

2008-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-28T10:55:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-07-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

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!

Ava turns 4!!!

2008-07-09T19:14:00.001-07:00

Ava Hope Pumphrey was born on June 16, 2002. What an angel. She was such a good baby. I started waking her up at night to feed her, until people started telling me I was crazy. She slept great and was very easy. I honestly don't remember too much about this first year because we were adjusting to life with two little darlings. Time flies!
Princess Ava turned one with a party at Meme and Papa's. After she turned one, the fun began. She started getting into "Sissy's" toys and hasn't stopped since. she quickly became a Momma's girls and loved being on Mommy's hip the best!
We celebrated Ava's 2nd b-day in Destin, FL on the way back from Disney World. On this trip, we spent most of our time at the pool, instead of the beach. After 2, little miss attitude developed into a pure drama queen. Ava loves dressing up and playing with babies. My true prissy girl.
We celebrated Ava's 3rd birthday with lunch at Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. Mommy, Daddy, Audrey, Papa, Uncle Michael, Aunt Shayne, Uncle Philip, Abbi, Jonah, Amy, Alli, and Taylor were all there! It was so much fun. Ava had a beautiful cake and loved getting a hug from Cinderella.
My baby turned 4!!! How depressing! I can't believe how fast she is growing. The girls had a shared b-day party at Snip-Its, a kiddie salon. (Pictured with her friend, Jayden) They got to dress up in princess dresses, get their hair fixed, nails done, and make-up. After they were all fixed up, they got to walk down the red carpet. Audrey refused and Ava got to the end of the carpet and just cried. Too much attention!!! Ava is my little cuddle bug whom I never want to get any bigger. Her smile melts my heart and knows it!!! (and uses it against me!) Happy B-day, miss Ava!

Disney World

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Ava and Daddy on the Buzz Lightyear ride. Daddy beat everyone's score by a landslide. Audrey was second!
Daddy and his second love, the wonderful Mickey bar. Yum!
This year, they even got to do the cars since there was no line! Amazing. The first day we were there we didn't have to wait in line for anything. It was great. The crowds grew the next day. Bummer.
Beautiful Ariel and lovely Tinkerbell. We went to the special Pirate and Princess Party at the Magic Kingdom. It was so much fun. The girls favorite thing to do that night was hula-hoop. Yes, we were at Disney World and they went crazy over hula-hoops. Imagine that?
Our annual picture off our balcony at the Grand Floridian. What a great trip, but we were all extremely tired, especially the one with the bun in the oven!

Disney Cruises

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Audrey and Ava...aka The Beach Babes at Castaway Cay. This was Disney's private island. The girls loved hanging out at the beach. They played in the sand, gathered seashells, and made sand pies for daddy while mommy got a cabana massage! Heaven!!!

This was the Flying Dutchman from the Pirates of the Carribean. It was on the island just for looks, but so was Jack Sparrow!!!!
The day we went to Nassau, we spent the day at the Atlantis Hotel and Resort. It was fun for Chad and I to go back and show the girls where we spent our honeymoon. Audrey loved riding on the 'lazy river' (it wasn't very lazy, more like rapids) and Ava loved playing at the splash park and water playground.
We toured the huge aquarium and this was their favorite fish. We named him Ugly Fish. Original!
The girls got their hair braided the last day on the beach. The lady told me I wouldn't have to fix their hair for 2-3 weeks and that was money well spent. It was a quiet two weeks with no fighting over hairstyles or bows!!!! The girls loved seeing all the characters and were sad to leave the cruise. We had a great time and can't wait to go back, sometime.

First Blog

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Well, I'm finally going to start posting a blog about our growing family. My hopes are that I will not be a slacker and keep all friends and family up to date with the happenings within the Pumphrey clan. Thank you to my friend Sarah, who inspired me to create this blog.

This summer has already been very busy with our Disney Cruise and vacation, Ava turning 4, and Audrey turning 6. I can't believe my precious girls are growing so fast. Hope you enjoy watching them grow, too!