Update

I know that I am the worst blogger ever! Maybe I will get better with time. Our lives have been a whirlwind these past few months. The Lord is teaching us so much about His provision as well as His grace. Some of you know the specifics of the past several months, but to those who do not let me give you a brief update. As many of you know our original plan was for Alex to finish graduate school in the Spring of 2009 and following that we were planning to go to Italy as missionaries probably with Campus Crusade for Christ. The Lord has given us both such a strong heart for missions, and we both feel much at home when serving in another country. Yes, we were even planning to take the baby! Sterling's arrival had nothing to do with our decision to remain in the States. However, after much prayer and council we both feel that the Lord is leading Alex to full time youth ministry at this time. He has such a gift with young people and they really love and respect him as well. (I guess part of that is because he really is still a kid himself.) We both really began to walk closely with the Lord in jr. high and high school because of time invested in us, and are both excited about the opportunity to serve the Lord and the next generation in this capacity for as long as He allows.

Our first plan was for Alex to come on staff with our home church in Tuscaloosa as they were looking to hire a youth minister. However, God has other plans for us. Over the past month we have been trying to determine where the Lord would have us serve, and it has been a very tough process at times. However, the Lord is ever faithful in His provision for us. He continues to provide for us and bless us during this time of transition. We are still looking for where God would have us serve and would covet your prayers during this time. We do not know what the next several months and weeks will hold, but we know that He already knows the details. He has truly been stretching our faith during this time as we are also awaiting the arrival of Sterling. However, we have learned that Our Father's provision is better than anything we could provide for ourselves, and we know that His will cannot be thwarted. It has been interesting that the Lord would have me do a Bible study this fall called Faith Pointes by Barbara Barker and through out the book she reminds the reader that God is never late but He is seldom early. How true that has proved to be, but it has been so comforting to have read her story in which time and time again God proved to be faithful to her and her family in miraculous ways. We are just excited to see now where the Lord will take us!

Time Flies

Wow! The time continues to fly at incredible speeds! I feel like it should still be September and it is already October I can't believe that Sterling will be here in 10 weeks or less (hopefully not more!) The only hints of October, besides birthdays, have been this wonderful cooler weather and my fall favorite, Candy Corn!

Alex and I have both been very busy with work and other things so I guess October just slipped away from us. He has loved working with the youth at our church. He has been busy going to volleyball and football games and can't wait until basketball season begins in a few weeks (we have VERY athletic students). I have been busy not only trying to get ready for Sterling's arrival at home but at work as well. And on top of that we are preparing to move into our new church building soon!

One highlight of October was getting to see Alex's family last night for our niece, Georgia's, first birthday party. We had such a great time! It is weird to think that we may have a baby the next time we see them! We are going to be in South Florida for my precious cousin's wedding at Thanksgiving, and by Christmas I could be Tuscaloosa bound.

Anyway, after a fun party, and a good helping of cake, candy, and ice cream for the kids when moms weren't looking, Nanie (Jane) wanted a picture of all of her grandbabies. So we cleaned them up and sat them on the couch with more cameras than the paparazzi ready for smiles and poses. Note: these are kids who have been trained to take a good picture from birth. However, they had other ideas. It was so funny!! Instead of sitting still and taking a picture, they were wrestling and playing with one another. They weren't still for a second! Adeline (the oldest and the mother of the bunch) was occasionally bribed with getting a sucker with which she responded by sitting very still with a beautiful smile and trying to instruct the other children that they too could have suckers if they would be still. Unfortunately,her persuasive powers are not fully developed on toddlers yet. So, she quickly went back to playing on the couch with the cousins. We were all laughing hysterically, especially listening to Adeline and Tripp's comments, as they have both become quite the chatter boxes. It was so fun to see them enjoying one another. I thought about my own family and how my cousins were such a huge part of my life, even though we only saw one another once or twice a year. I thought about how thankful I am that our kids will have cousins close to their age and hopefully they will always enjoy one another as much they did last night!



Birthday Girl grabbing the candle before anyone could stop her. She is really quick!

Enjoying her cake, she was a pretty dainty cake eater.

It's ON!





"Georgia is sitting on me"

Long Time, No Hear

Wow, It's been a long time! Over a month since my last post. I warned everyone that I wasn't good at this!! Anyway, we have had a LOT of changes in the past month to keep us really busy. We have moved into a new apartment, which we are loving, so we have been spending a good amount of time getting everything in order (we still have a way to go). It's funny how you can move to a place with more space, but suddenly once baby things start coming it quickly gets filled! When we moved in we made the nursery the dumping ground for all of the things that do not have a place yet. And that was the smart thing to do at the time because we had no baby furniture. Now, we are beginning to acquire more things that actually go in that room, so we are having to sort through everything.

I really can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has gone by. (However, I hear I still have the longest trimester to go, maybe Sterling will make his debut a little early!) There are so many things that I have put off, thinking it was too early, or trying to wait until we moved. But all of a sudden, I realized, I don't have that much time left! I know things are going to be hectic with the holidays coming up and I don't want to be rushing around like a mad woman anymore than I must! So, to that end, I feel like this month has been all about swiping that credit card! I bought a beautiful second hand dresser and have been working for the past week to repaint it. Lucky, the weather has been gorgeous this week, because I have been doing most of it outside for ventilation. It has been an interesting experience as I have never tackled a project quite like this. I have stained furniture and refinished furniture, but this is requiring some creativity and improvising and has been a lot of trial and error. I am really excited about how it is turning out, but I am pretty sure that I do not want to paint furniture for a living (unless I had a large studio with plenty of room and all the right tools!) Anyway, I'll post a picture of the nursery once it is all ready! It may be a while since there are still projects to come. Custom made bedding should be a fun undertaking! That reminds me, the crib should be coming sometime today. Alex will have his own project! (We really need to clean up that room!)

It has been a little overwhelming moving AND getting everything ready for the baby, but the Lord has been gracious to me. It would have been close to impossible aside from the fact that I am only working part time right now. It has been such a blessing to be able to be at home more. And when I come home I am not worn out like I was when I was working all day long! It is amazing to someone who was a teacher, on her feet all day with a classroom of small children, that sitting at a desk all day could make you so tired. Alex has begun working part time as well with the youth and is loving not being "under house-arrest" as he so lovingly referred to his old job.

As you can see we have been living in a whirl-wind since Labor Day. But the Lord continues to be faithful to us and provides for our every need in abundance, and we marvel at the journey.

It's A . . .

BOY!! Alexander "Sterling" Vaughn, Jr. We went in for my 20 week check up and he definitely wasn't shy! Actually, the doctor said, "Well he sure is a proud little boy!" And I thought to myself, "Well, he is a 'Vaughn Boy' I guess I shouldn't expect any different." :) The doctor assured us that it was a "him." She also said that everything else seemed to be great. The heart beat is 158 and the estimated weight is 11oz. It is so amazing how much they can see on the ultrasound at this point. She pointed out all of his organs; we could even see the chambers in his heart. She checked everything from functioning kidneys to his lip and palette. Everything looked great. He was so cute holding his little ear and moving his mouth. He is definitely an active little boy!

Acrobatics

So, many have been asking if I can feel the baby yet. The answer is "YES!" For the past week or two there has been no mistaking the kicks and rolls I have been feeling. I'm sure now that I have been able to feel it much longer, but when it is the first baby it is definitely hard to determine baby movements from other things going on inside. But it comes to a point where there is no mistaking it. It has been so wonderful to have that assurance that everything is okay in there. I can tell that the baby is becoming more active every few days (or I guess it is really just getting bigger!)

I am also definitely showing now, and had to get maternity clothes. Which, by the way, are much more comfortable than regular clothing. I will have to post a picture soon of the growing belly/baby. Hopefully this time next week we will be able to answer the question that all want to know is it blue or pink! Thank you for continuing to pray for us and this little one.

Thy Desires are Granted in What He Ordaineth

So, I really want this blog to be about more than just the kids. However, I have not gotten into the habit of updating it yet so that is what it has been so far. One thing that I have wanted to share is a love of good hymns. One of the most precious ways that the Lord speaks to my heart is through songs about Him. It is amazing how hymns, like God's Word, can be read and sung multiple times, but you hear it once more and it speaks directly to your heart in a new way. Anyway, I was driving home from work the other day listening to "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" and was moved to tears over the wonderful truths in that song.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, and so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with his love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

The Lord has used this song in my heart many times. But last week the second verse really was a testimony of what the Lord has been doing in my heart and life over the last few weeks. The details are still being worked out, but the Lord is really doing some amazing things in our lives. I am seeing some things that have been desires of mine for years being granted in the Lord's perfect providence. I have definitely wondered what the Lord was doing at times as it seemed that He was calling me one way and leading me in another. But I have followed where I have believed He has directed, and now it is so amazing to see His plan unfold in ways I would not have imaged.

So, as the Lord asked me last week "Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been granted in what I ordaineth?" my resounding answer to Him was, "Yes, Lord, your ways are not my ways, but when my desires are according to your will they will be granted in what you ordain." What a mighty and sovereign God we serve! He sets our paths before us and nothing, no nothing can thwart His plan. He ordains our steps, and even when we can't see where they are leading, He knows exactly where we are going. And just like Abram we must follow where He leads even when He doesn't show us where we are going.

I know that this has been a little vague as to what is really going on, but as decisions have not been made definite we feel it is best not to share the details of what is happening in our lives just yet. When it all works out more details will come. However, please pray that the Lord will give Alex and I wisdom and insight into His perfect will for us.

16 Weeks, Almost Half-Way There

We had another visit with the doctor. I went in for my month four check-up. We weren't expecting to get another ultrasound this time but there was no one scheduled for the machine during my appointment so the doctor did one for us. It has been so much fun going to a family practitioner instead of a doctor who is only an OBGYN. The doctors at this office think it is as fun to peek in on the baby as we do (and I think they are supposed to do so many ultrasounds to kind of keep up their training.) Anyway, I saw my doctor's partner as my doctor was on vacation, and after the check up she looked at me and asked, "Do you want to go see what position the baby is in." Of course my answer was YES!! So, she took us in and did an ultrasound. It was really cool because this time she used the 3-D picture and we could really see the baby!! Hopefully, we will find out the sex at our next appointment, August 13, that is if the baby cooperates. Here is a picture of our little one at 15 weeks.

Vacation Bible School

So, Vacation Bible School is over, and it wore me out!! I know I would have been tired if I had been in charge of VBS before I was pregnant, but now, I was just useless. I had to come home every afternoon and lay down. I didn't think I really moved from my spot except to get something to eat! The funny thing is, before last week I was really feeling like I was getting some energy back. I was tired but not that "I can't move" kind of tired. Now I'm back to batting my eyes at work, trying to keep busy and moving to stay awake!

But on the positive side, Vacation Bible School was a blast! I think that our kids really enjoyed it. We partnered with another church in our community since we are without a facility. Between the two of us we had over 100 kids come through! Our theme was Jerusalem Marketplace which is a Biblically themed VBS. The kids dressed up in Bible costumes and got a taste of what it would have been like to be in Jerusalem during what we now call Holy Week. I loved the curriculum because the whole week was about the Gospel of Christ (not limited to one day like many Vacation Bible School programs). Monday, Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews (Palm Sunday); Tuesday, Jesus shared the passover with His disciples and washed their feet; Wednesday, the kids learned about how Christ prayed in the Garden for us and was arrested; Thursday, they learned about his death on the cross; and Friday, the kids learned that Jesus is alive and His followers found His tomb empty! Also, the kids also raised over $1200 for our VBS mission project, African Bible Colleges! We all had such a wonderful time and our volunteers did such a great job!

9 Weeks

We had a slight scare over the weekend. I had a small amount of bleeding, which was no big deal but the motherly worries have already begun, and it scared me a bit. I called the doctor and went in for an ultrasound. She said that everything looks great. We were able to get another peek at our growing baby, which is always fun. You can see how much it has grown! The heart rate has also increased and we could see the baby wiggling around. The Lord continues to protect this precious child He has given us and we are so grateful. We also want to thank everyone for their continued prayers for this child. We are praying that the Lord would be pleased to make this child a warrior for His Kingdom and a great defender of the Faith! (Which if it is a boy is what his name (Alexander) means!)

7 Weeks

So here is a picture of the baby at 7weeks 5days! Right now it looks a little like ET. The doctor said that everything looks good and I will go back in 4 weeks to have the next ultrasound! We will try to get the video converted so that we can post it as well. Then you can see the heart beating!

Faithful

"My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19

We would like to begin to document the ways in which the Lord has been so faithful to us, so that our family and friends can share in His grace with us! We continue to see God provide in immeasurable ways! We have been praying for the Lord's provision for several things for the upcoming year. Alex needed a part time job while he is in grad school. The Lord has allowed him to work at our church as a youth intern part time. We have also needed a new place to live as Alex will no longer be managing our apartment complex. Again, God has provided us a beautiful, yet affordable apartment that is actually bigger than the one we are living in now! We have also been praying about the future of our family and children. The Lord provided us with clear direction as to when He wanted us to begin multiplying our family. And now . . .

The news is true. We are having a baby in January! At this point I am 7 weeks along. I have had several days of mild nausea, but thankfully it has been not been too bad, as long as I keep eating! I am so glad that I have been experiencing this mild discomfort as it is a good sign that the baby is well. We are both so excited, a little nervous, and ready to be parents! Please join with us in praying that the Lord will protect this child that He has provided. We know that God will be faithful to provide us with the grace that we need in every circumstance!