Today was a celebration....it was the passing of the torch, from 7 to 8. Well, although that was really a few weeks ago...the official party was today!

Chloe, my reader..my book worm..(Definitely her fathers child there..) had a perfect birthday bash today...thanks to her father's love of reading! When the little postcard arrived in the mail to announce the Junie B Jones production of 'Jingle Bells, Batman Smells..PS: So does May', Fred quickly said, "Chloe, wouldn't that be a cool birthday party!" I however quickly thought, "There is no way she can only think of 3 friends to take with her(and of course 3 siblings)."

I thought it wouldn't work. But we found a way and she was able to invite some sweet friends!

On December 21st, it was in the 70s! The girls played outside until we headed to the show!















It was really a funny show. And once the burping began, the laughing never ended!






When it was all over, we had the surprise of meeting the cast! What a hit! The kids LOVED doing this!
Laurel and Mr. Scarey!
Chloe and JUNIE B JONES!

Herbert, Liberty and Lily!
Laurel thought Herbert was pretty funny!
Chloe and May! Chloe really liked May!
Ella getting an autograph by May!
Hailey, Sarah and Laurel waiting to meet Sheldon. He makes Chloe's dad laugh hard in the book!


We came back home for some lunch and more fun! The girls were hungry, and ate snowmen, Santa and Christmas Sandwiches.




Loved so much by her Aunt Gigi, Chloe received the most amazing cake balls! This was a gift to me as well, so I didn't have to make a cake! The kids loved it all!




Happy Birthday Chloe!!!!!

Birthday Celebration

Today was a celebration....it was the passing of the torch, from 7 to 8. Well, although that was really a few weeks ago...the official party was today!

Chloe, my reader..my book worm..(Definitely her fathers child there..) had a perfect birthday bash today...thanks to her father's love of reading! When the little postcard arrived in the mail to announce the Junie B Jones production of 'Jingle Bells, Batman Smells..PS: So does May', Fred quickly said, "Chloe, wouldn't that be a cool birthday party!" I however quickly thought, "There is no way she can only think of 3 friends to take with her(and of course 3 siblings)."

I thought it wouldn't work. But we found a way and she was able to invite some sweet friends!

On December 21st, it was in the 70s! The girls played outside until we headed to the show!

It was really a funny show. And once the burping began, the laughing never ended!

When it was all over, we had the surprise of meeting the cast! What a hit! The kids LOVED doing this!
Laurel and Mr. Scarey!
Chloe and JUNIE B JONES!

Herbert, Liberty and Lily!
Laurel thought Herbert was pretty funny!
Chloe and May! Chloe really liked May!
Ella getting an autograph by May!
Hailey, Sarah and Laurel waiting to meet Sheldon. He makes Chloe's dad laugh hard in the book!

We came back home for some lunch and more fun! The girls were hungry, and ate snowmen, Santa and Christmas Sandwiches.

Loved so much by her Aunt Gigi, Chloe received the most amazing cake balls! This was a gift to me as well, so I didn't have to make a cake! The kids loved it all!




Happy Birthday Chloe!!!!!

What can she do..........

So this is inspired by a newly found friendship...

If you have ever had a child that is TRULY behind in areas, you will relate. And I am not talking about the child who walked 'late' in terms of all of her peers. Or the child that did not say their first world until 2. I am talking about the child that when you go to the doctor, you cringe to go through the check list of items because you know it is pointless.

However, in life, it is not what we cannot do that makes an impact on the world around us. It is what we can do. It doesn't mean we don't long to be able to do other things. It isn't that we don't long for our children to achieve the things we dreamed of. But life at its fullest is about being able to do the things God has given us the ability to do, at the best we can do it. To take the gifts He has given us and to make them AMAZING!

So, let me share about my gift from God, Savannah Jane. And let me share what she CAN do:

She can smile so big that you see all of her teeth.

She can eat more mashed potatoes then her brother.

She can scream at me until she sees I have her milk, and then giggle until it is ready.

She can breath on her own at night, and I have never had to worry.

She can run, not walk to every destination she has!

She can find every tiny missing Lego and put it in her mouth for an hour and never swallow it!

She can sneak up the stairs without anyone knowing.

She can climb up on top of the piano and balance!

She can turn the pages of her sweet books.

She can say "Mamamamamamamamamamama" for what seems to be an hour at a time!

She can spin in a circle over and over without falling down.

She can chase me through the house and laugh so hard it makes me laugh!

She can swing for hours.

She can wear green like no ones business!

She can hold her own with the biggest of bows!

She can rip a hearing aid and throw it farther than any major league pitcher could!

She can take a day that others including her mother, may think is impossible to get through, and find happiness in the strangest places, only to remind us that is isn't about us at all...it is about what He has given us... little gifts that we can make AMAZING!

I love this girl!

Birthday Wishes and Wedding Blisses

Wow. I cannot believe that 2 years have passed. 2 years seem to have flown by me yet, aged me not so gracefully:) But in the eyes of my sweet 2 year old, I know I am the smile she sees everyday. I am the one that holds her and loves her and knows what she needs even when she doesn't tell me. (well and her daddy and ninny!) But what I know about the past 2 years is the gift of change. Sometimes we don't like change. Sometimes we yearn for change. For the past 2 years, we have been given change and have had the opportunity to decide what exactly we will do with that change. For our family, we have fought it, embraced it, wondered about it, loved it, hated it. That change has just laid in our hands and said, "So...you got it.. you asked for something new, something different, something to 'change' your life...what are you going to do with me now?"

So, the form of change has come in the MOST PRECIOUS little bundle of red hair. The MOST DARLING little girl full of exploration. The MOST INCREDIBLE giggle of true joy! The MOST PATIENT soul waiting for her mom to figure it all out! So to my little Nana Nana Boo Boo..

Happy 2nd Birthday! Without a word, with just your laugh I know you loved your day!

Adios Summer Days of Slumber

Well, for the Sparks Family summer is basically come to an end. The days of slumber, the nights of fun. Really we didn't sleep as much as I would have loved during the summer. For Savannah, learning never takes a break. For the other kids, school setting did break. But we all looked VERY forward to starting school. The first 3 children in my life started back last week. So we have 3 solid days of school down. Everyone is still in the 'Green Zone!' I will take the first week as a success!

Getting ready for school is a chore! I admit I am tired after the first day! But, I always take a picture of the prepared clothes and bags. Someday I know I am going to miss this! And in 2 weeks I will add 2 more kids worth of bags and clothes to this craziness!

On the first day of school the kids get an "Official" first day of school breakfast! School colors and all! They love it and the little girls were looking forward to their first official PCA breakfast!

My sweet Laurel Emily. 5 Years old and heading to Kindergarten. The night before she had a million questions for me about the day ahead. She wanted details of what was going to happen. She admitted she was a little nervous. But the excitement of it all took over. Laurel is my tender hearted little girl. She is the one who will pretend for hours and play with dolls. I prayed all day for her to find friends and feel safe at school. Prayers were answered!

Sweet Chloe Marie. My leader in my house. My first baby! 2nd grade and she is all grown up! She wants to take care of her sisters at school. She doesn't want to see anyone not included. I can count on her to be a friend to everyone that passes by her. My prayer for her was to feel loved by her teacher and class. To continue to be a friend to everyone, but to be discerning with those who may take advantage of her kindness. I am still praying for her!

And Anabelle Christine. My little sprite! My spunk! My independent 5 year old. I look at her and feel like she has grown up in a blink of an eye! No matter how much I try to hold her tight to me, she pushes away because there is an adventure that must be conquered! I prayed as Anabelle went to school that day that she would be still and quiet..learn what her teachers have to give her. That little red head is going to do something HUGE in life. I have known that since she was born.

Watching the 3 girls hold hands and walk into school I felt thankful. Thankful that they were excited about school. Thankful that they were healthy enough for school. Thankful that God allowed us to go to such an amazing school. But at the same time I had to hold back my tears. Especially for my 2 little kindergartners. Chloe was 6 months older then they are when she started school. So to me, they are so much younger! I remember sitting around with Fred when they were just starting to coo and talking about how neat it will be to hear them talking one day! And now, they are going to be reading and doing math and all sorts of things. I have to admit,I wish I could see them in their class room!

My sweet friend Joy took this picture! It means a lot to me because it is our entire family. We all celebrated walking the girls into school. Corbin even got to see a lot of his little pals because they had older sisters and brothers going to school that day as well. Savannah got loved on by moms that I haven't seen all summer. After Joy took the picture, I looked at it and said a prayer for her. Her 3 kids all started school that day as well. And her 1 sweet Connor was getting the ultimate lesson, at the foot of Jesus. 8 years old, and he knows more then we do. Amazing and yet bitter sweet. So this picture tells a bigger story to me then another family photo.

Dr. Taylor is our Head Master. I almost hate calling him that because it sounds mean and cold and he is anything but. PCA is blessed by him. Chloe was standing behind him and begging me to get a picture. It think it was more wanted then when we saw Mary Poppins in Disney World!

Chloe and Mrs. Shrauner. We could not have asked for a more perfect teacher for Chloe this year. For 3 days now she has come home saying, at least 20 times, and at random moments, "Mrs. Shrauner is SO SO SO nice!" I love know she is loved on!

The sweet babies and Daddy at their table. They were excited when they found out they were sitting next to each other! And then add the fact that one of their best little friends was sitting there as well.

And this has to be one of our favorite families! They are a blessing to us! And there are 2 precious little girls between the 2 families missing in this picture! And 1 bubba!

This is probably a harder day on me then the first day. This is the 2nd day of school. When the girls let me know, "We can walk in by ourselves mom!" Man, that is a tough one to swallow!

Super Heros

This video is from spring break. Corbin and Camdyn(his cousin) in Denver. I laugh EVERYTIME I watch this!'>http://www.youtube.com/v/wmt1EdG_r7Q?fs=1&hl=en_US"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true">'>http://www.youtube.com/v/wmt1EdG_r7Q?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385">

Adam and Eve and a little stinky girl

So I got home from work on Thursday only to be created with a bit of a lie. Mom had already prepared me with the story, but I let the one involved tell me what happened.
The story begins 2 days prior. Anabelle had the privilege of sleeping in Chloe's room. It is always fun because Chloe has a lot of books to look at and has a lot if stuff Anabelle can get into. When she got up from her nap mom noticed red all over her shirt. Anabelle had an acceptable answer for it and they went on with the afternoon. So now we skip forward 2 day. Chloe came down stars with a toothbrush covered in red. She said it was in her bathroom. Mom took it and began to wonder. She went up to the bathroom and looked around. Then she saw sticking out from behind the toilet a little hand. She pulled it out and found this



This is Chloe's DeeDee doll from 1 year old. She loves her. She has been everywhere including Disney World!!! Ahhhh.
So I get home prepared for this. Mom takes me into the dim laundry room where a lifeless DeeDee lies. She calls Anabelle in to tell me what has happened. Slowly Anabelle silks in. Her head down with her protective warn pink silky clamped in her fist and her soothing sucking of her thumb, barely peaking out beneath her silky. I point to the doll. Anabelle begins to tell me she "didn't mean to." I said,"you didn't mean to ruin something or get in trouble but you certainly did mean to put lipstick on the doll.". Of course I asked her why and she really didn't have an answer because she was just being Anabelle. The first thing I pointed out to her was that she had disobeyed Ninny by not staying in bed and napping. Th second thing was that she shouldn't have ruined another person's property. If someone had done that to her pink silly I am pretty sure that we would need therapy for months! She seemed to understand. Then I said that the worst thing she did was try to hide her sin. Later we talked about Adam and Eve and how they tried to hide from God after they ate from the tree of knowledge. Anyway, at this point I made her go get Chloe to show her what she had done. In fear she did. I was proud of Chloe because she didn't flip out like I though she would. But she was very sad. She sobbed. She was crying the ugly face cry. When you are so sad your face just looks terrible. We went through the I am sorry for, asking for forgiveness, accepting forgiveness and remembering when we forgive we don't continue to bring it up again and again. Chloe said she wanted to be alone so she went into my office.
About then the phone rang and it was sweet LuAnne Ivy from church about volunteering. I asked her to call me back in 3 minutes.
So I went back to Anabelle and told her that she has officially lost the privilege to nap in Chloe's room. That hurt pretty bad. Them I told her she needed to pick her punishment. She tired to go easy on herself. But I gave her 3 options and she choose to not get a book that night. That is a big deal in our house. So I love on her and am about to answer the return call from LuAnne when..............
Laurel comes flying out of the office screaming, "Chloe just throwed up!!!". I run in there and her lunch is all over the floor. I looked at her and asked her if she was ok. She starts to gag and points at Savannah and yells, "mustard!". I look at savannah and grab her because she is about to dive into lunch!!! I smell her and realize she has a horrible diaper running down her leg!(tmi). So I ask Laurel at get some towels and tell Chloe to go into the bathroom. She holds her hand up that looks like she slapped it in mustard and starts to gag again. I can't help but laugh as I take stinky pants into the other room. Yet again another teaching lesson. I get done with the little red stink bomb and head back to Chloe. I start cleaning the office floor and say," do daddy and I ask you not to pick her up all the time? And when we break a rule, we are open to something possible bad happening. That is a consequence. And that is why you got poop on you and threw up. ". At that point I laughed and so did she. I got back to the phone and returned the call I think I gave Luanne a good laugh. My kids love tacos and usually I don't hear a peep out of them if we are eating them. So like an good mother I made tacos for dinner!



-posted on the go

Just going to lay back and live today!

Well, Wednesday started out as a normal day. Well as normal as any day for my busy little family. Fred headed off to work and I got moving. The first thing we needed to do was head to Costco and do that by 9:30a. Then we needed to get to speech therapy for Savannah by 11:00a. That all seemed totally reasonable. I got up and made pancakes, bacon, cut fresh fruit and made some glasses of chocolate milk, water and yogurt drinks. All the kids loved it. I was trying to think of the last week day we got to have such a fun breakfast and take our time! Savannah ate a ton and that always makes me so happy!
So, I bet it was about 9:15 when we were done eating. I thought about it and decided Costco could wait. I told Laurel and Anabelle and Corbin to hop in the bath. I couldn't remember the last bath they had! I need to just bring soap to the pool:) So they had a good time in there while I followed Savannah around the house and cleaned up some. The 3 middle kids made a nice mess in the bathroom. I made a few phone calls and then switched out kids. Savannah got in and was playing while I cleaned up the mess from the other kids. The phone rang and I talked to someone for a bit. I got Savannah out of the bath and saw it was already 10:50. We needed to be at therapy in 10 minutes! She had a little cold as well. So, I had her rapped in a towel and she was giggling and babbling. We were point to my nose we were mimicking.. we were doing all the therapy things she does.. so I called and CANCELED! I rescheduled for later in the week that was totally not convenient for me. But I wasn't about to break up this chance of interaction! It was great.
Finally around noon the other kids came in and asked when we were going to therapy. I told them we skipped it. They totally looked at me like I was crazy! I wanted to also try and go to Gardenridge. So, we jumped in the car. I asked Chloe to get everyone a granola bar and a lemonade. We all had a little snack until we got there.

(This was a bar stool I really liked, but I need 6 of them!)
Once there I let everyone sit on EVERY chair. Lay on EVERY bed. Put feather boas on. Pretend that a furry box was the monster from Monsters, Inc. Corbin shouted when he would see a particular door because he said it was the door from Monsters, Inc! I really went off the deep end when I died laughing at all the kids because they were modeling the coconut bras they found while I was looking for a butter dish(Fred broke mine AGAIN!)
(Chloe thinks this a cool pose)
It was about 12:45 and my mom called to see where another store was. She was near by so she stopped in. I didn't tell the kids, so when they saw her in the store they thought it was the craziest thing ever! I love how excited they get to see her like they NEVER see her(because they see her almost every day!)... So they wanted to take her back through this huge store and show her all the stuff again. So we did it all over again.
(Anabelle wants this swivel chair)
I bought a few things and said, "Guys do you all want to go out to lunch?" They thought I was crazy. We don't usually go out to lunch! We went to Jack and The Box and they said, "Mom..are we really going to go inside?" I said, "Yes!" And they all got very excited! To add to it, i bought them ALL a kids meal. We usually split something big and do pay for the toy and drink. Water seems to work fine with my kids! You would have thought it was Christmas! It was cracking me up! And then time to pick the drinks. I told them they could have ANY drink they wanted except the 2 diet drinks! Their eyes were huge! And then I hear..."Can I really get a Root Beer?" I said, "Go for it!" So the 4 kids sat at a table and ate. The toy was a book, each different. They loved the books. Mom and I sat with Savannah. I know my kids were a little louder then usually let them, but this was a whatever goes day. So sorry to anyone that we might have bothered!
We got home around 2:45 and I laid Savannah and Corbin down. But just before I did, Corbin said.."Mom I had a lot of fun with you today!"
Me too... Some days you need to just say, "Whatever goes!" I know I needed a day like that..but I didn't realize just how much all my kids needed that, especially Savannah!

Ms. Manners

Well, I wanted to give a tea party for Laurel and Anabelle. So, their cousin was coming in town that they adore. We planned it around her being here. Nothing fancy, nothing big. It was so cute. Ms. Manners taught them about being kind, sipping tea, and being polite. We also had 2 sweet neighbors help with hair and makeup. Hannah and Hayley were so sweet and helped me so much!

Every Birthday in our home starts with a blue berry muffin celebration!

Ms. Manners was a hit!

Anabelle, Hayley, Hannah and Laurel

La La loves this sweet friend!

And we love this friend too...I espeically love her mama!!!!

Oh, and don't forget how much we love these girls!!!!

That night we celebrated with a dinner and a special surprise from Aunt GiGi! Magic drinks!!!!!!!!

Happy birthday sister!

That is a tower of gifts!