Life Changing

When I think back on my life, I can think of a handful of moments that have been truly life changing. You know, when your life is heading one direction and in an instant everything changes. These moments have come in the form of a phone call, a job offer, a question, one spoken sentence, and most recently in the form of two little pink lines on a home pregnancy test.
Since Matt and I got married 4 1/2 years ago, we had spent time discussing the time when we would feel ready to expand our family. For several years of our marriage we were in graduate school or adjusting to new jobs, so we knew it would be awhile before we would be ready to take that next step. We also valued and cherished the time we have shared as a couple in our marriage and were determined to develop a strong marital foundation before adding children to our family. After prayer and discussion, we decided that after 4 years of marriage, we had reached a point in our marriage as well as financially and professionally, that we were ready for the next phase of our lives.

Honestly, I expected to have some difficulty getting pregnant. I've known several couples who have struggled with infertility, and I wanted to be prepared if we had problems. I think this is probably a common fear for most women. That fear combined with a crazy summer out of town work schedule for Matt led me to believe that getting pregnant wouldn't be a quick process. So at the end of August, when I knew there was a possibility I was pregnant, I thought the chance was slim. There was no way I was going to take a test with Matt being out of town (I wasn't going to tell him over the phone, and it would have been torture to keep that secret to myself) so I planned to take a test the weekend when he got back from his trip to Florida.

He got home from Florida on Friday night and we had planned to spend the day together on Saturday. That morning we got up and headed out to breakfast, something we rarely do, but we were celebrating Matt's homecoming. Afterward we drove over to Lowe's to look at ceramic tile for our kitchen. We wanted to get some prices because we've been planning to use some of Matt's overtime pay to tile our kitchen. We got home from our outing around 11, and Matt said he wanted to wash the car since the weather was so nice outside. I hadn't told Matt about the possibility of me being pregnant or that I planned to take a test, because I was just so sure it would be negative that I didn't want to get his hopes up. I planned to take the test, read the negative result, and go on with our weekend not having to wonder any longer about the results. So, when he headed outside to wash the car, I knew that was my opportunity to be alone and take the test. I took the test and watched as the pink dye began to spread into the test window. I knew that the first line was the test line, so when I saw the first pink line appear, I was in total shock. I sat there for a moment trying to control my breathing and whispering "Oh my goodness" over and over again. Then I knew it was time to share the news. I've never been a wife who had an elaborate plan of how to tell her husband she was pregnant. Basically I wanted Matt to know as quickly as possible so we could share in the initial joy and excitement together.

I left the test on the kitchen counter and ran outside to get Matt. I stood in the garage and here's how the conversation went:

Me: "Hey Matt, can you come inside for a minute? It's important"
Matt: "Is it a bug?" (Honestly, that was good logic on his part because I would definitely make him come inside immediately and kill a bug, if I saw one in the house)
Me: "No, it's not a bug, but I need you to come here. I have something to show you."

He dropped his sponge and walked inside. I picked up the test, and with shaking hands and still in shock, I held it up for him to see. It took about two seconds for it to register what I was showing him and then this is how our next conversation went:

Matt: "You're pregnant?"
Me: "That's what this says"
Matt (wrapping his arms around me), "You're really pregnant?"
Me: "That's what the test says, but I'm not sure I believe it"
Matt: "Well, take another one"
Me: "I just went to the bathroom. I can't take another one right now"
Matt: "Drink some water then"

We spent the next few minutes hugging, smiling, and thanking the Lord for such an incredible blessing... and then I took another test.

This time I used one of those fancy digital read out ones. Matt came in and asked what it said. I told him that we had to wait three minutes to find out. He looked back down at it and said, "Um, baby, it didn't take three minutes." I looked down and saw the digital letters spelling out pregnant and I lost it all over again, shocked, excited, and so very grateful. We just couldn't get over how blessed we are to be given this little miracle.

I ended up taking a third test just for fun, because they came in packs of two

After we both calmed down, we went back to finish what we were doing before our lives changed forever. Matt finished washing the car and I did some work in the kitchen. That afternoon we did a little shopping. We ran to the book store to get a pregnancy book and a baby name book and went to a few other stores looking for ideas of things to get to tell our families the news. One of my favorite memories of that day was seeing Matt beaming the entire day. I would look over at him when we were in the car and he was just always smiling. He never stopped smiling the whole afternoon and evening, and his smile was brighter than I've seen in a long time.

That Saturday was a day we will both never forget, the day when we discovered we were no longer a family of two, but a family of three! We give God all the glory in giving us this child, and I still have moments when I think to myself how undeserving I am of all these blessings in our family. God has been so very good to us.

Oh, and because of the conversation we had that day when Matt was washing the car, Baby Baugher is affectionately known as Lovebug (until we know the gender and can finalize a name).

The Lord Has Done Great Things for Us...

...and we are filled with JOY!!!

I'm pretty sure everyone who reads our blog has already heard our recent news, but I still wanted to make it "official" on the blog. And beware, because now that the news is out on here, you can expect there to be lots of new posts about Baby Baugher headed your way :).

Remembering Papa

I got a tearful phone call from my mom Wednesday morning shortly after I had gotten to work that my grandpa had passed away. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer at the end of July, so we had all been preparing ourselves, but I was in shock when I heard the news. My first thought after I heard the news was how badly I wanted and needed to be with my family. I immediately called Matt at work and asked if there was any way we could leave for Weatherford that day. He is such a good husband and worked things out at work that we were able to leave town that afternoon, and made it to Weatherford Wednesday night. We made it to my grandma's house just in time for dinner and shared a meal with my parents, grandma, and aunt. I was glad to get a chance to spend some time with my grandma without a house full of people around.

The next day, my mom had to work in the morning, so Matt and I took our time getting ready and ran a few errands. We met my mom and Barry for lunch, and then Barry and Matt took off for OKC, while my mom and I went back to my grandma's. Barry had a doctor's appointment that afternoon in OKC that he really couldn't miss, and I was thankful Matt was willing to go with him, so Barry didn't have to go alone. The preacher doing the funeral came over to my grandma's house that afternoon and most of the family was there and we all sat around sharing stories about Papa and how important he was in our lives. One of the things that stood out to me the whole weekend was the legacy that Momoo and Papa have left. There was a houseful of people who had been directly impacted in so many ways by Papa. Momoo kept saying the whole weekend how great a day that was when she got to hear all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren sharing about the important role Papa played in our lives. Some of the highlights included how Papa loved living life. He worked hard and was able to retire at age 50 and then he and my grandma traveled and enjoyed life. My mom and aunts talked about how their family always valued vacations and making memories. We talked about how supportive Papa was in every decision we made and how he was always there for all of us at all our school events and anything else that he knew was important to us. We smiled when we remembered his laugh and how he loved giving people a hard time. We laughed about the stories he told, marveled at the faithful, loving 54 year marriage between him and my grandma, and cried as we thought about the hole that was left in our family.

One of the things that my cousin mentioned that really has stuck with me is that although we are sad and miss Papa, his death is not a tragedy. He had a great life. My grandma said when the doctor gave him the news about his cancer, he told the doctor that it was okay because he had had lived a full life, and he truly had. I thought about how honored and blessed I would feel if 50 years from now, I had a house full of family sharing stories like we shared about Papa that day. He was a wonderful man.

Thursday evening, we went back over to my grandma's after most of the other family had left for the night. As we were talking about Papa, Momoo mentioned that she had some photo albums and asked if I was interested in looking at them. She pulled out more than 10 albums ranging from the 1920s up to just a few years ago. I sat on the couch next to her as we browsed through the albums. She shared stories about her family, her mother, Papa, their vacations and lots of fun stories about my mom and my aunts. It was a reminder to me to keep updated on all my photo albums because it was just a sweet time hearing my grandma reminisce about her life and her family. They seemed like a fun couple who had the privilege to live life fully. At one point, she was pointing out a picture of her mother and said that the picture had been taken on Momoo and Papa's wedding day. I asked if she had a wedding album, and her eyes instantly lit up. She ran off to find it and I sat and listened to her share about her wedding day, her attendants, her dress, and how weddings were different back then. At one point, I pointed out how happy she and Papa looked on their wedding day, and with tears in her eyes, she said, "You know as much as I loved him then, I love him more now." I want that kind of marriage and am honored to have such a strong example to look to. I know they fought and had stressful and difficult times in their marriage, but their faithfulness and love carried them through and strengthened their commitment.

Friday morning was spent running errands and finishing up details for the funeral on Saturday. That afternoon we went back to my grandma's to visit, and as soon as we got there, she said, "I got some more photo albums out if you want to look at them." We spent more time that afternoon and evening looking at photo albums and time laughing about funny pictures of my mom and grandpa. It was a special time with my grandma that I will always remember.

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize the importance of funerals in honoring our loved ones, aiding in the grief process, providing closure, and bringing families closer together. Papa's funeral was a great celebration not only of his life and legacy but also of the love of our heavenly Father. I heard my grandma tell the preacher when they were planning the funeral that she wanted Papa lifted up during the service, but she wanted God lifted higher. That's exactly what Papa's funeral was: A time to honor a great man and to give praise and glory to our Savior for hope that we will be reunited with Papa again. I was amazed at how well the pastor did in sharing about Papa's life. When we left the funeral I hugged him and told him that what he shared was my grandpa. He shared stories about how Papa always liked giving others a hard time, loved camping and fishing, treasured his wife and adored his children and grandchildren. He spoke of his faith and love for the Lord, and the legacy he has left in the entire town of Weatherford. After the service, and graveside we spent time fellowshipping with our family for the rest of the afternoon, catching up with cousins we hadn't seen in awhile, playing with the younger children in the family and even cuddling up with some precious little puppies one of which I'm sure will be the newest member of the Van Auken family. That evening we told my grandma goodbye and headed back to my parents house to spend some quality time with my parents and Jeremy and Anna before everyone headed back home on Sunday.

Family looking at photo albums

Barry's getting some practice for the future :)

Sweet puppies

As difficult and emotionally draining as the weekend was, and as much as our hearts are aching at the loss in our lives, the whole weekend I kept thinking about how blessed I have been to have such a great man in my life for 25 years. He has had a direct impact on my life in providing stability, consistency, love, and humor during my childhood and young adulthood, and I am so honored to be a living part of his legacy. My prayer is that Matt and I and our children will honor him in the way we live our lives. Just like him, I pray that we will love God, love our families, work hard, and experience life as fully as he did.

Tulsa State Fair

I'm really behind in blogging, but we've had a lot going on lately, and I've made myself promise to start blogging more regularly. I wanted to make sure and blog about our trip to the Tulsa State Fair a couple of weekends ago with our friends Matt and Erica. This is the third year Matt and I have attended the Tulsa State Fair and one of the only reasons we go every year is that the first weekend of the fair, they host the Oklahoma State Sugar Arts Show where cake decorators from all over the world compete in a huge wedding cake competition. The cakes are just incredible and amazing and so fun to look at, and they keep us coming back every year. This year the theme was mansions and monasteries, and each cake (in the master level competition) had to be inspired by an actual house. There were some really cool ones this year and the best part was the timing that we made it to the fair. The wedding cake competition is one of the most popular attractions and the lines for browsing the cakes are terrible. Everyone is stopped taking pictures, talking about the cakes and walking in different directions, and there are usually so many times, when we are just stuck standing still in line. This year, we got to the fair about 30 minutes before it actually opened, and whether we were supposed to or not, we managed to get into the QT center about 15 minutes before the fair started. We were able to walk through at our own pace and take our time looking at the cakes (some of which were still being set up). We'll definitely remember this trick next year and make sure to get there early.
I'm a pretty huge Food Network fan, and one of my goals at the fair is to try and spot as many Food Network celebrities as I can. They host weekly cake competitions, and this year I spotted three of the competitors I've seen compete in the challenges. I excitedly point them out to Matt, and he usually doesn't recognize them. This year, he remembered two of the three though.

Matt took lots of pictures of the cakes. Here are some of our favorites.

These first three weren't part of the wedding cake competition but there was a separate category for chocolate and lower levels of cakes


The detail work on the cakes is amazing. We were impressed by the hand painting on this one.



All the elements on the cake must be edible. Sometimes the flowers look so realistic, I swear they are real.


This was my favorite cake this year:
Besides the cake competition, the other reason we go to the fair every year is for the famous fair food. After looking around at some of the other exhibits, we stopped for lunch. Matt got an Indian Taco, and I had a corn dog and we all shared some fries. I enjoyed everything I ate, but regretted it later that night. Good thing the State Fair is just once a year
After lunch we walked around outside and looked at some of the other buildings, and then ended the day with another favorite, ice cream. Last year at the fair, we stumbled across a booth selling ice cream from this place and immediately fell in love. All four of us had been craving and waiting for that ice cream for a whole year. There aren't any stores in Oklahoma, so we have to depend on the state fair each year to fulfill our ice cream needs. Their ice cream is the smoothest, creamiest ice cream I've ever eaten, and we savored each cool, creamy bite. After our ice cream we headed back home for the day to relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Going to the fair each year is one of my favorite Fall traditions.

Miss Priss

Rhapsody was way overdue for a trip to the groomers, so I dropped her off this morning on my way to work. Typically when I pick her up, she is sporting a super cute bandanna that eventually ends up in her toy box. This time when I picked her up, this is the dog that came running out:






I was literally cracking up when I saw her. If you know my dog, you know she is anything but feminine and prissy. She's the dog that goes out of her way to find mud puddles to run in when we take her on walks. I thought she looked precious though and had to share. And secretly, I'm glad Matt's out of town, because those little flowers would no longer be in her hair if he were home right now.

Orange Power

We're coming to the end of the weekend, and this one was a great one. Matt and I were talking today and we both commented on the fun we had this weekend. The highlight of our weekend was watching OSU beat Tulsa! For the first time in seven years, we didn't buy season football tickets. There were several reasons we decided to opt out this year, and although I think we made the right decision (or I guess I should say Matt made the best decision. If it was up to me, we would have bought them.), something just seems a little off this year, not spending most of our Saturdays in September at OSU's football stadium. We're glad we got to make it to at least one game this year, and I think we picked a good one. It was full of great plays and exciting moments, and since it wasn't televised we would have missed all but one or two of the big plays that made the sports highlights. During that game, OSU broke the record for total offensive yards that was previously held back when Barry Sanders was playing for OSU. We saw great catches, big runs, and huge interceptions. I won't say we totally got our money's worth, because we literally paid an arm and a leg for the tickets, but I'm still glad we went.

Our house was full of orange on Saturday!

Barry decided he wanted to go to the game with us, and our friends Matt and Erica also had tickets, so we all rode down to Stillwater together Saturday afternoon.

Being in Boone Pickens Stadium at the start of an OSU game is always a great experience. The air is thick with excitement and anticipation (and because it's the Pokes, usually a bit of anxiety too).

Our seats were almost at the top of stadium, but we had a great view of the field.

Final score!

There's a rematch next September in Tulsa, and we're hoping to get to go.
We did do more over the weekend than just bleed orange though. My parents came in on Friday night. Jason and Andrea came over too, and we visited and played Settlers. Saturday morning we went out to breakfast and then ran some errands. We came back home and played more Settlers and watched a little football until it was time to head to Stillwater. We always have a great time when my parents come to visit.
The only downer to the weekend was that Matt headed back to Florida tonight. Hopefully, he'll only be gone for one week. I'm praying the really long trips are behind us now. Life is SO much better when he's home. We're staying positive though and counting our blessings tonight.

God's Timing is Perfect

I know I've talked a lot lately about Matt being in Florida for work. He's been out of town for 9 of the last 11 weeks, and it's been a rough time. If you remember from my last post, I had an especially difficult time coping with him being extended for an extra week at the end of August. We had both planned for him to come home for two weeks on August 20. We were both praying (and some other people too) that he would be able to come home on the 20. Instead on Thursday the 19 we found out that he was being extended and would not be able to come home until the 27th. I was extremely upset for a lot of reasons. I missed him so much and wanted him home. Turns out God had other plans, and looking back now, he was taking care of all the details.

If Matt had gotten to come home on the 20th like he was supposed to, he told me that he was sure that the way the project had been going that he would have only been able to stay home for one week and would have had to fly back to Florida on August 30. Because he was extended that extra week, he was able to be home the week of the 30 and went back to Florida yesterday.

I had been praying for weeks that Matt would be able to be in Oklahoma for the time when Barry's mom passed away. She had been sick for several weeks and I was concerned that Matt would be gone when she passed and wouldn't be able to make it back for her funeral. I needed him with me for emotional support, and I know Barry and my mom needed him home too. Joyce passed away on August 31 just a few days after Matt got home. God was working out all the details and out of the 3 weeks Matt has been home since the middle of June, he was in Oklahoma during the week of Joyce's death and the weekend of her funeral. If he had not been extended that extra week, he would have been in Florida the week she died, and it was unlikely that he would have been able to come home for her funeral. Our God is so good. When I think back on God's timing and how he worked everything out, I'm reminded of one of my all time favorite verses.

Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Even in the stressful time of Matt being away and the tearful conversations of him telling me he was extended, God was working the situation for good to increase our faith, provide for our needs, and show His grace in our lives. He knew the day of Joyce's death and orchestrated that Matt would be home for her funeral. He continues to prove his faithfulness in our lives over and over again.