The Gumps

Mom loves to make Easter Baskets!

2009-04-29T13:31:00.001-07:00

My mom loves to make Easter Baskets and she and dad stopped by before they headed out to the Dominican Republic for vacation to drop them off. Zach and I got some sweet goodies and Tallis got books, bath time goodies, and toys. He is not even here yet and he is getting Easter baskets! Do you think he is going to be spoiled??

April 6th: 32 weeks and 2 days...

2009-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the time has gone by...I've really been growing lately, or should I say Tallis has been growing. Just 8 weeks left...and that's if I make it to 40 weeks! 37 weeks is considered full term so it's time to start getting ready!

A Busy Saturday...

2009-04-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 4th, was a super busy day. I had 2 baby showers to go to and wrapped up the day with a lingerie shower..whew! We had a lingerie shower for Lindsey at "The Wine Cellar". It was so much fun. We had the cutest little waiter (who I think had a crush on Katie) and the conversation was a pleasure as usual.

Jade and I at Lindsey's lingerie shower.

All of the girls...Starting in the back, Suzette, Courtney, Katie, Lindsey, Tiana,Jade,Kristie, Megan, me, Brittany, and Callie.
Katie, me, Megan, and Callie enjoying some yummy treats. We had a cheese tray, salmon board, bruschetta, fresh fruit, and cookies. Megan made cookie from scratch (unheard of in my house) and they were shaped like little bra and panties, so cute!
Elissa is due really soon with Baby Jack and I can't wait to meet him. Courtney hosted a beautiful shower for her and she got some great things. I know Tallis and Jack are going to be great friends!
Kayla also had a baby shower on Saturday...I didn't get to stay long, but long enough to visit and catch up with some girls I hadn't seen in a while. Kayla is naming her little girl Ireland...I just love that name and I know she will be as beautiful as her mommy!!

Tallis's Nursery

2009-04-01T18:45:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of Tallis's nursery...It turned out to be perfect. I absolutely love it!! I could have not gotten everything pulled together without the help of my in-laws and my parents, and of course my wonderful hubby. Barbara, my mother-in-law made all of the bedding and window treatments AND painted the strip on the wall. It's finally all come together and now we are just waiting on little Tallis to get here:)

Lindsey's Engagement Party

2009-03-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

We had Lindsey and Cassidy's engagement party at Uncle Gaylords March 7th. It was great. It's always fun getting together with friends! Zach was out of town playing, but Tallis and I had a blast....especially the strawberries!

The beautiful bride and the bridesmaids at Lindsey's engagement party...I'm surprised there aren't any cats in the background. Have you been to Uncle Gaylords lately? Wow, it's like a cat sanctuary or something.
Jade, me and Kristy
Future Mrs. Begnoche, Megan, and me. It was great to see Megan. Now that she lives in Tulsa, we don't get to see her as much:(

Nashville Trip

2009-03-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last month Zach and I got the opportunity to go to Nashville to record a music video for his new song "Say Goodbye Slow", you can listen to it at www.myspace.com/zachryan. It was soooo neat! There was hair and make up and a wardrobe team. Zach did great of course... he's a natural.

Julia Arnold was the girl hired for Zach's video. We hit it off great! Not only is Julia a cutie, she is super sweet and definitely knows what it's like to be married to a musician. Her husband is the lead singer in the band Anberlin and he was touring in Australia during the video shoot (I thought I had it rough). She was flying to Japan the next week to meet him for his tour. Jason Epperson was the director for the video and he was very creative. Jason was on the reality show "On the Lot". It was such a great experience. They shot for 12 hours for a 3 and a half minute song...I can't imagine what it's like to shoot a movie!
This is me, Melissa, and Mrs. Ingrid. Melissa is married to Dave Wilson who is one of Zach's good friends and has started a label in Nashville. They are working on pushing Zach's music in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida.
This is Jason and Zach looking through the clothes to choose different looks for the video. There were several locations including an unbelievable house that had an elevator in it. It was wild!
We finally made it to Nashville...This was an adventure in itself. First of all, Zach played a show in Eureka Springs Saturday night and did not get home until 2:30 and we had to get up at 3:30 to catch a plane in Tulsa at 6:20. We got to the check in and Zach had forgotten his wallet in the car so he had to run all the way back to the parking deck to get it...he was a bit frazzled. So we finally landed in Nashville at 10:45. They started shooting at noon and finished up at midnight...Then we had to wake up at 6 the next morning to catch our flight back to Tulsa and drive home to Fayetteville. We were exhausted!!

Bishop came to visit.

2009-02-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

This is Bishop Barton who may be the best baby in the whole world. I hope Tallis will take notes from him:) Bishop came to hang out why Mom and Dad (Courtney and Chris) had a date night. Bishop loved playing with Jack, our miniature chihuahua, and Jack couldn't get enough of Bishop's attention. It was precious! Oh and to see more precious moments from Bishop, check out his blog at BishopBarton.blogspot.com.

My dad and Bishop hanging out. I didn't know dad knew baby talk, but he definitely does! He is going to be such an unbelievable grandpa...Dad is still not sure what he want's to be called. We are thinking Q Daddy. I think it's pretty cute.

24 Weeks and counting!

2009-02-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

1-31-2009...Wow! Tallis sure is growing fast...I woke up one morning with this tummy. Tallis is about 8 1/2 inches long from crown-to-rump and weighs about a pound and a half. He has being so active lately. He has been waking me up and night and putting on a show...He likes to start around 8pm. I think he has his days and nights mixed up.

Did you know that after your 24th week, the baby can actually live outside of the womb!?! And by the end of this week, the ears will be finished developing and his finger nails will be fully grown too.
I feel so blessed to have had such a great pregnancy so far. Yes, I was super sick for the first 18 weeks, but the last 6 weeks have been so great, I've already forgotten about it! I can't wait for Tallis to finally get here...We are almost done with the nursery!

Texas Game

2009-02-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that the Hogs aren't having the best year ever, but we did get to see one great game...We beat Texas and it was super exciting! It was Tallis's first basketball game and I think he may be good luck. I guess we should go to another game so we can start winning again!

Zach and his dad, Bruce, at the Texas game...It was a good one!
Barb and I having fun at the game (probably not enjoying it as much as the guys)

New Baby Bump Pics...I'm half way there!

2009-01-02T14:45:00.001-08:00

So we have found out we are having a baby boy, it's so exciting! Now we have started on the nursery and picking out colors. There are so many cute things out there, it's hard to choose. We've gotten the crib, which is really neat. It converts into a toddler bed and also into a full size bed. How genius! Here is the latest baby bump picks, or the phrase that's been given, "The Gump Bump". This is 20 weeks (or 5 months for all of the guys out there). I can't believe how fast the time is going by. I am really able to feel him moving around now, especially at night. I think he's a little confused on the sleeping schedule. Zach got to feel a couple of kicks a few nights ago. It is absolutely amazing, that's the only way to describe it.

20 weeks and counting... my jeans are starting to get a little snug:-(Here is The Gump Bump at 16 weeks. I was still super sick at this point, but right about 17 weeks, I started feeling much better.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from New Years Eve. Boom Kinetic played at the UARK Bowl in Fayetteville and it turned out to be a great time. This is Zach setting up his new Christmas present from my dad, a wireless guitar system. So now when he jumps around on stage, he won't get tangled up in his wires. He was really excited about it.

This is my tennis coach, Zach. I was so glad to see him out since we haven't had practice in 2 weeks. Okay ladies, he is cute and single, and not to mention an awesome tennis player!

Allison, Liz, and me about to wrap it up...It has been a long night on high heels, dancing, and water (for me anyway).

Me and Zach before the big show. How cute is my new leather jacket. Zach got me that for Christmas, he did so good!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Gina, Mom, and me on Christmas morning. We woke up at 5:30 to open presents because we had a big day of traveling and family Christmas's ahead of us. First we drove to Nashville Arkansas to have Christams with my dad's side of the family (about a 4 hour drive). My Granny and Pop live on a cattle farm and we always visit on the holidays. Then we left there around 3 and headed to Little Rock to have Christmas with Zach's mom's family (about a 2 hour drive from Nashville).
Zach had a full blown photo session with Jack in his Christmas sweater. This was the cutest one, Baby Jack loves to pose for the camera!

Zach got me a new MAC Notebook for Christmas ( although I think he secretly got it for himself), we told each other we weren't going to do anything big and he goes and gets me this...What a great husband! Oh, and since Christmas, he has really enjoyed my Christmas present.

We celebrated The Gump Christmas on Christmas Eve this year since we had such a busy Christmas Day. We all put on a new Christmas present for the picture. I'm wearing my new maternity vest, Z has on his new scarf, Jacob is wearing his new sport coat and Bruce is wearing his new Razorback hat and fleece vest. I also got a sewing machine, I have no idea how to use it yet, but I can't wait to learn. My mother in law, Barbara, cooked a fantastic Christmas dinner and wonderful dessert, Yummy!

This is Christmas Eve at Mimi and Pap's house. These are all of the ladies...We had so much fun, and yes, ate way too much!

Here are Mimi and Pap with all of the grandson's....I guess boys run in the family, and one more on the way:-)

Rock Band Rocks!

2009-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

If you've never played Rock Band for the Wii, it's a must. Zach was out of town a few weeks ago, so I visited Lindsey and Cassidy and we had a Rock Band party. It was soooo much fun!

Here are Jade and Caden on the vocals, Zach on the guitar, and Cassidy on the drums...Cassidy wouldn't give up on the drums because Lindsey and I scored higher than him.

I was really concentrating in this one...After 2 songs my forearms were killing me and the next day I was so sore. I felt like I had lifted weights for a week straight.

Bad Sweater Party

2009-01-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

We went to a Christmas Sweater Party at our friend Corey's house over the holiday...we had a ton of fun and I think Zach took home the prize.

Ashley and Corey deciding if they want to steal an ornament or go for the surprise opening...

Dad and Daniel got matching cardinal ornaments during the dirty Santa ornament exchange.Family Christmas picture for next year...kidding:-)

Zach sang Jack and Tuk a few Christmas carols before we left for the party. You can tell Jack was really entertained!

What a stud...Who can deny a man in a super tight, woman's reindeer sweater with the perfect accessory, the snowman coffee mug!

First Annual Pig Roast and Toast

2008-12-16T13:05:00.001-08:00

So my parents bought some acreage in Cedarville this year and held the "First Annual Pig Roast and Toast" a few weekends ago. This is probably not for weak stomachs, but Dad picked out the pig from one of his neighbors there a few months ago. Needless to say, that pig grew a lot in the last 3 months. I love how they dressed it up with the orange and leafy garnish. The food was great and we had an absolute blast! Some of the guys stayed and camped out...too cold for me!

Kind of sad to think this pig was running around just a few hours ago...

My Uncle Moby and Aunt Dena warming the beans and cooking chicken. Dena wanted nothing to do with that pig...she prefers chicken!

Some of Daniel's buddies getting ready to dig in.

Daniel and Dad getting dinner ready.

We will probably have the 2nd Annual Pig Roast and Toast a little earlier next year...It was freezing!

Leslie, Gena, and Barb chatting before the big feast.

Hanging out on the four wheeler waiting for the party to get started. Yes, that's a helicopter in the background. My dad's friends flew in from Little Rock to join the party...They landed at the gas station in town to get directions to the R&T. Crazy!

Tiana's Baby Shower

2008-12-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

We had a baby shower for my girlfriend Tiana who is due to have a baby boy next month. Doesn't she look great?!? Baby Rowan is due January 24th (a day after my birthday) and I can't wait to meet him. Here is a pic with Jade (and Caden), Britts, Me, Tiana, Callie, Megan, and Lindsey. Baby Rowan got lots of cute stuff and Callie made some yummy finger foods. We had a great time and it was fun catching up with everyone.
Tiana, Britts, and Lindsey running the show. Ava was a big help with opening Baby Rowans gifts.

This is Caden, Jade's little boy, who just turned 1 and just started walking. We put a bow on his head and he didn't know what to think...He is precious! I can't believe how fast they grow up.

This is Ava, Brittany's little girl. She just turned 3 and Lindsey had gotten her a makeup kit for her birthday. Look very closely and you can see her beautiful makeup job. She was cracking us up. She put purple eyeshadow on one eyebrow and pink on the other. Oh, and she wanted to have her hair put in a high ponytail too. I love it!

Here's a before picture of Ava before she got into her new makeup kit...

3 Ways to Tell if Your Husband is an Over-The-Top Christmas Light Decorator

2008-12-09T12:54:00.001-08:00

Okay, if anyone knows Zach, they know he LOVES to decorate for Christmas...He started the project when we got home from our Thanksgiving journeys. When it comes to decorating the yard for Christmas, it's a major ordeal at the Gump house.
3 Ways to Tell if Your Husband is an Over-The-Top Christmas Decorator:

1) Your husband is highly ticked when you get home from Thanksgiving vacation and he notices that your neighbor already has his lights hung. He starts the project immediately-totally ignoring the Sunday afternoon Football games.
2) It's the coldest day of the year and snowing and that doesn't stop "Project Christmas Lights".
What better way to put you in the holiday spirit he says...
3) You have a knock down drag out fight in the middle of the Christmas isle at Wal-Mart because your husband wants to use net lighting (the lights that go over your shrubbery and bushes) to light your whole front yard and you say "ABSOLUTELY NOT" in fear that your neighbors will think you are the Griswold's cousins...That's right, a yard covered in net lighting right where your little Jack has to go tinkle...Can you imagine!

Thanksgiving with the family

2008-12-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

Wendy and I at Amanda and Lynn's house for Thanksgiving dinner. This was the 2nd Thanksgiving feast we ate that day...TOO MUCH FOOD! It was great seeing everyone and catching up.

Zach's brother, Jacob was in for Thanksgiving from Chicago. This Zach and Jacob taking a break from the Ping Pong tournament at the Pettus's. Josh, Z's cousin still stands as champ...

My brother, Daniel, and his girlfriend Gena at Granny and Pop's farm in Nashville AR. Yep, there is a Nashville Arkansas, but don't blink or you might miss it. Dad and Daniel had been there all week hunting on the farm...I'll never understand that!

We just finished eating way too much at Granny and Pop's for Thanksgiving Lunch. My Granny makes the best homemade rolls ever. I can never get enough!

Baby Bump...Here It Comes!

2008-11-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well, you asked for baby bump pictures, so here you go... I can't believe it, I woke up Saturday morning and there is was! This is 14 weeks and 1 day or for guys, 3 and a half months. I play tennis with a group of girls and our instructor, Zach, asked how far along I was and when I said 14 weeks, he said "So you mean 3 and a half months, I don't get why women use weeks instead of months, it's weird." Anyway, my dad and brother came by the house today and moved one of the guest beds out of what will soon be the baby's room. We will get to find out what we're having in about 6 weeks and then we can really get to work on the nursery. So fun!!

Our Weekend in Little Rock

2008-11-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

Wiley and Allison enjoying a little Priscilla Ahn and Amos Lee...It was a great show, but I have to say, I enjoyed the performance at Walton Art Center a bit more.

Me and Zach at the concert in Little Rock. I enjoyed Priscilla Ahn so much I bought a t-shirt. I'm such a nerd! She's really great though, check out some of her tunes below on my play list...

The Amos Lee groupies waiting outside the music venue "The Village". They opened the doors an hour late and it's amazing we are still alive since we were in the worst part of Little Rock. It was at the old IMax theatre on Asher. They had just had there liquor license taken away (not that it mattered for me:) and there was no heat inside, and the bathroom smelled like pepper, but it was well worth it...and note to self (and other women/pregnant especially), don't wear a jumper while your prego, you have to go the bathroom a million times and it's way too hard getting in and out of the darn thing! If you notice it looks like Coy is flying solo-Oh no, I'll leave up to you to ask Mrs. Puryear where she was for the first hour...Hahahahaha!

We stayed with our friends, Paul and Tiffany, over the weekend and had a fantastic time. I ate so much! We had breakfast one morning at Ozark Smokehouse, their chocolate chip pancakes are to die for. The next morning we ate at Satellite Cafe and it was great too. Their orange juice was the best I've ever had! Well, I'm so mad at myself for not taking pictures of Paul and Tiffany's super cute house, but I did get a picture of Z and their super cute puppy, Bella. She is a Shi Tzu and just precious! She was wearing her pink thermal jumper and her hair bow; she is so sweet, I would have brought her home! And check out Tiffany's blog at Tiffanyanns.blogspot.com, she just started embroidering on the side and does a great job!

This looks like trouble, right?!? Boom Kinetic played in Little Rock at Gusano's over the weekend. There was a great crowd, and as always, the music was awesome...I told Zach and Wiley I wanted to take a picture of them before the show for the blog, and this is what I got. Not surprising:) We went and ate at So the next day and it was yummy! That is a neat little place to eat if you are ever in The Heights area in Little Rock.

It's time to share the BIG news!!

2008-11-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

Surprise! We are pregnant! Well, we can hardly believe how much Baby Gump has grown since our last visit. We went this morning for our 12 week checkup and everything looks great. The experience today was absolutely amazing...I didn't think I would be so emotional, but when I saw the tiniest little legs and arms moving all around, I just lost it. It's a feeling that cannot possibly be put into words. As of right now, my due date is May 23rd...I'll keep you updated!

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we made a trip to the pumpkin patch with our friends and family; we were going to have a carving contest...I didn't know it would be so much fun. There were big pumpkins, little pumpkins, long and short and they even had pumpkins with peanuts growing on them...I wish I had taken a picture of that; it was a sight! Well, we never got around to the carving part, but we still had a blast. I preferred the baby pumpkins...so cute!

Tuk the wonderdog

2008-10-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here is just a little snippet of some of the amazing tricks of Tuk. He's a little out of practice, but we are thinking that he might need to be in movies since he is so incredibly smart...hehehe. Jack doesn't know any tricks, he's just cute:)

Our First Blog...Awwww

2008-10-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

This is our very first blog! We have been talking about doing one of these for a long time, so while sitting around today, we decided to get down to it. The weekend was extremely busy for us, but it was a whole lot of fun. On Friday night, my band played at Grubs down on Dickson street, we have done this for every home Razorback football game, it was a solid turn out, despite the Razorbacks having one of there worst seasons to date. ( I still believe though) Needless to say, I went to sleep around 3:30, woke up at 6:30 to get ready t0 head down to our tailgate spot at Hogparking.com with Abras parents. It rained on us for the first 2 hours of being down there, but eventually cleared up and became a beautiful day. The Hogs got whooped pretty bad, but we all had a great time. After a long day, we came home, and I fell asleep about 7. Woke up and went to church today, watching the Cowboys and about to cook some dinner. Overall it was a good weekend, and Im a little sad that its over. Until next time...

Zach