June 28th 2009

{Photos: Ron; Ruthilyn; Tiffani & Sammo; Jonah; Sammo}

This was the first day of our 6 week adventure! June 28.09. Chris(our friend/boss) likes to be efficient and 'kill two birds with one stone', so he scheduled his business trip(with Ron, another friend) at the same time as our trip to Cali. Their trip was only to last a few days, and ours 6 weeks. The 'second bird' is giving my hub some experience pulling the 35' RV with Chris in the truck to throw out any concerns Steve may have about pulling this monstrosity of a vehicle for 6 weeks!

The three guys rode together. My dear sister, Tiffani, accompanied us on this trip to provide us with a babysitter(and to get a sane break from family), so she rode with me! We split the up the boys to get a taste of what it would have been like had we only had one child, and although the quiet ride was nice, it can never happily replace the rambunctious boy-noise that comes from having lots! Jonah went with the guys, and Sammo stayed with us!

I've tried terribly to enjoy driving, but unless there is a stick to shift, I'm afraid that I'm rather bored by driving and it lulls me to sleep, more often than not. (That's why I'm a writer and not a driver!!) Anywho, a while into our drive my sis and I were having quite a difficult time keeping my eyes on the road, so I radioed the guys with the two-way, calling in for back-up! Ron was fantastic and traded me places right away! I slept in the backseat of the guys' truck(in rather odd, uncomfortable positions) while my darling sis lent her ear to Ron's chatter! [Those of you who know Ron, know he does not chatter, and are laughing at this thought!] After a couple hours of very beneficial sleep, I was primed and ready for the long haul, or rather...what was left of the haul! We arrived in Reno and slept for the night!

The following day is recorded under 'Monday, June 29th, 2009' further down on this blog! Happy reading! ~Mama Sparks

Summer of 09

So, it's been a while to say the least! A lot of life has happened since I last wrote! I'll try to fill you in without overwhelming you!

The last time I filled you in was in June!! JUNE!!!!!! It's October now!! I need to make some sort of commitment right now to post at least once a MONTH! Maybe then, my following will grow!! This is ridiculous!! Ok! I'm done! just had to get that out! Now I can begin again, fresh and new!!

In May the Lord sent me an invitation to give up sewing! In June I said 'yes', and you can read about it here! [Just a little info that I found really helpful...right clicking the link will give you opening options such as opening link in a new tab! When you are as non-computer-savvy as I, these tips are things to dance about!]

It was also in May that my hub shared the news that we were going to be gone for 6 weeks straight and that we'd be traveling like carnies for two years! (That '!' was birthed from Sarcasm and a smart guy named Alec.)

We left for our 6 week adventure in June. July flew by and we were back home by the second week of August! I'll be adding pictures to the blog, to tell this story, soon!

We were home for four weeks and back on the road quicker than we could believe! September 9th we drove to SLC for a fair, and returned home the 21st. Home never looked so good! ...or smelled ...or sounded ...or felt so good!! ...it even tasted the best it's ever tasted! (Yes, I stole a lick once the kiddos were back inside, out of sight. No worries-I have not taught them how to read quite yet, so my secret is safe... for a while anyway.) This was officially the worst, which then makes it the longest, trip to date!! It seemed like two y e a r s. So bad, in fact, that the boys and I (mostly I) opted to sit the next week's show out! With that, Steve was home for a week, and then off to Sacramento, alone... We [happily] bid him farewell and waved like madmen (again, mostly me) as he drove out of sight! With three less travelers and no diapers to change, his trip was shortened by two days, and he was home in a flash!

{All this talking has dried my throat. *sip* Ahh! That's better!}

We leisurely enjoyed the following two weeks together, and again decided that the boys and I would stay home for the next show. Which is happening now. As I write this. And is only a two day show!! My hub will be back home before we wake on Sunday!! And just in time for church...if we went to a normal church. But then we'd have to be normal.

So, there it is. Well, not really. But most of it, anyway. That's how our summer of 09 flew by(and druuuug on).

There is also more about how I really began to focus on my writing and how I created a website with the help of my friend, David! Please, do not waste your time reading it. (Unless you are enjoying a cozy cup of joe or a delightful glass of wine!)

Thank you for reading my life; at least the parts I choose to share with you, anyway!! I'll add photos soon..and will post before the winter sets in!! ;)
~Mama Sparks

Stepping back for a look, I can see that this is a bit overwhelming, and I have an impulsive urge to apologize. But then I smile, because I realize that you have just got a real taste of me! I am often overwhelming!!! Cheers!!!

Sunday, June 5th, 2009

Happy Christ Birth Day to my 18 yr old sister!!! Tiffani accepted the Lord today!!! We went to Harvest Valley Church today, our first Sunday in Pleasanton. The worship was amazing as well as the sermon which spoke of 'freedom'. After the sermon, Pastor Derrick offered a time of prayer and accepting the Lord. Tiffani was praying beside me, and sensing that the Lord was doing something wonderful, I peeked over at her on my left. She was so beautiful as she stood, arms folded, hands holding her heart, head slightly bowed, and tears framing her face. She was nodding to the Lord, and I gave them a moment before I approached.
"Do you want me to pray with you?", I ask. She answered 'yes' with both her mouth and her head.
I was so overcome with joy and thanksgiving for the Lord, that I joined her in tears, and we made our way to the front for some prayer with some of the older women! I could barely keep from jumping up and down! I was soooooo excited! I have been dancing with the Lord for nearly 6 years, and was soooo happy that my sister has decided to cut-in! LORD, YOU ARE WONDERFULLY AMAZING!!!!!
After praying with Tiffani, Kyra introduced herself to us, (that's what I love about the body of Christ-no need to know each other to share a life-giving prayer! Kyra prayed with us first, then introduced herself!), and we talked for a bit. After learning that we were going to be here for three weeks and wanted to be involved, she invited us to their Tuesnight worship and their Wednesnight life group. I was very excited to know that the Lord wasn't going to let us drift away while here in California!

Mon. June 29th, 2009

Living like carnies, we travel from city to city, selling our product in a booth. Six weeks lay ahead of us, as the RV is in tow. We began our adventure yesterday, leaving Boise in the early afternoon, and sleeping in a Reno parking lot last night. Driving straight through with two fc's could prove to be explosive for the Sparks! The fc's are buckled into opposite ends of the backseat with my sister, Tiffani, separating them. Laptop open, she plugs in the first movie of our trip. We're leaving Reno. It's Monday, June, 29th. Destination: Pleasanton, Ca.; for a few weeks anyway.
"I spy with my little eye" fills the driving time after the movie expires. Excitement fills the truck as we arrive to our temporary address. Two days of traveling, twelve hours of driving, and another hour of getting the RV situated for living, and we are finally ready to really begin our adventure! Hello Pleasanton, California!

Thursday, the 14th of May, 2009.

I have mentioned that my 4 yr old firecracker has become quite aware of the long drive to Cali, but did I mention how much he despises it?! He screams, even when you suggest driving to California. He dreads so much about the drive; the loooooooong roads, sitting up in his car seat when he wants to lay down to sleep, and being confined by straps when he wants to stretch out and run, are just a few of the reasons for his protesting.

Thursday, the 14th of May, 2009.

Smart relations!

My 4 yr old fc has become quite aware of the long drive to California and back. As we were looking at the lizard photo on the blog today, Jonah pointed out how long the lizard's tail was and related it to the length of time it took to drive back home! So smart!

The ups and downs of 4.30.09.

Thursday April-30-09 Jody's house.

Our last night at Jody's house held quite a range of emotion.

We pulled the dune buggy out of the kitchen and into the living room to discover the flat tire that was producing much more resistance than the carpet. Our excitement was robbed by the disappointment of our finding. Jody popped the tire off and ran down the road to fill it up for some temporary enjoyment. He returned victoriously, and brought back with him, the excitement that had so quickly been depleted from the hearts of us all. Having regained our enthusiasm, we proudly marched down the steps to our much anticipated adventure...to ride the dune buggy!

God Made Dirt, so Dirt Won't Hurt!

Thusrday April-30-09 Jody's house.

Time sure flies when you're in the dirt! Running! Jumping! Playing! Such fun! The miles of what seemed at first to be God forsaken desert, proved to be a God-blessed playland for the boys! All of them! Already it's Thursday evening, and we've been having so much fun that we've forgotten to take the dune buggy out! We need to do that as soon as we are done with dinner!

Loads of Fun!

Tuesday April-28-09 Jody's house.

The fc's have been loving the fun out of Uncle Jody! From tickle-tag in the house to playing cars in the dirt, there isn't much Uncle Joe wouldn't do with them! Sammo even found pleasure out of reading the cookbook with him! I'm sure that by now he was looking forward to Tay being there even more than my fc's were!


Wednesday April- 29-09 Jody's house.

Two little firecrackers + one 6 yr old = loads and loads of fun!
Taylor joined us today, and the three of them never stopped running until total exhaustion wiped them out! Tay reluctantly got up at 6am the next morning to go to school, while my fc's fully recharged with well over 8 hours of sleep. Tay got home around 4pm, ready for sleep, and the boys greeted him enthusiasm, toys, and a plan for the evening. After lots of moans, for opposing reasons from both parties, they came to an agreement and were found sitting happily together in the glow of the television screen, video game controllers in hand. They all won! Tay got to rest and the fc's got to play!

Lizard Grub!

Monday April-27-09 Tucson, Az. Jody's house.

We awake to a house already warmed by the morning sun. It feels like noon. I search for my phone among the bedding, and check the time once I find it. 6:58am. What?!? Not even 7am, and already the heat has filled the bedroom! Jody will be home in an hour and a half. Steve begins breakfast, and I jump in the shower.

By 8:30am, we Idahoans are roasting and the natives are just beginning to crawl out of their slumber and stretch in the warmth of the sun. Jody stepped outside for a moment, and was calling Steve to the door in whispered excitement before he even had a chance to close it. We quickly made our way to the door, fc's at our heels, and were halted by Jody's 'shhhhing' and pointing arm. We followed his pointing arm to the rock yard where we spotted the source of his excitement.

A well camouflaged lizard had just caught his bright orange spider breakfast, and we had the privilege of watching him enjoy! Joe and Sam we sitting on the steps trying to see what the fuss was all about. The 5 feet that separated them from the feast may as well have been 50! The camouflage was amazing! Once they discovered him, their entertainment lasted at least 10 minutes! They were captivated! Seeing the lizard was awesome, but the opportunity to see him devour a spider was absolutely incredible!

They were sooo excited they could hardly keep their excitement from exploding into a loud roar! However, they managed to keep it in and it bubbled within them making their bodies bounce uncontrollably, shaking the freestanding steps!

We took lots of photos and discovered two things: I need to get a better camera, and Jody needs to get internet access so he can email the amazing photos, he took with his camera, to me!!!

What fun boy-stuff the dirt brings!!!

Dirt!

Monday April-27-09 Tucson, Az.

We arrived at about 1am and could see nothing but dirt for as far as our headlights would shine. Dirt roads. Dirt driveways. Dirt yards. Dirt! Dirt! Dirt!

Steve's excitement rose just as quickly as my need for a shower. He could taste the fun from within the confined space of the pickup cab, and I could feel the dirt enveloping my body as though metals shards to a magnetic host. With each rotation of the large truck tires, another layer of dirt settles on my skin and another fun adventure enters Steve's mind.

He's dreaming of dune buggies and dirt bikes. I'm anticipating rich steamy fragrant lather sliding down my body, taking the layers of dirt with it. He's greatly looking forward to introducing our little fc's to the wide open spaces of boy heaven! I'm greatly looking forward to reuniting them to a nice hot bath!

As I long for my loofah, we approach Jody's house. The dirt from the road led us up the driveway and kissed the foundation of the house. Half the front yard is dirt, and the other half is decorated with rocks and stepping stones, in hopes of forming some sort of boundary for the yard. As we get out of the truck, and make our way up the dirt driveway/yard, we notice that aside from a few brown patches of dried brush and the rock yards, there is no distinction between road, driveway, or yard. We are completely surrounded by dirt!

We go inside-Steve filled with the excitement and anticipation for the sun to rise and the fun to begin! I am filled with the excitement and anticipation of loosing 10 lbs of dirt when I jump into the steamy red-hot shower! Inside we find a dune buggy! Excitement pours from Steve, and I can taste a little hint of it on my tongue! I can't wait to see the boys' expressions when they are riding it with him!

We all go to bed excited for the dirt that awaits...even me!

Bakersfield Friends

Sunday April-26-09 Bakersfield Ca.

Last night in the hotel lobby Jonah and I met Somer and her two kiddos, Nickole and Jacob! God put them in the room next to us, and we planned to hang out after her children had their baths! We quickly became friends as the three kids jumped on the bed in the hotel room, and we chatted about life. It was our last night in Cali, as we were headed to Arizona after the show closed this evening. They were there because of some unfortunate things going on with their home, but what a blessing in disguise, for if they hadn't come to stay, we wouldn't have met them!

We went to church with them this morning, and then to McD's for some apples and fun! After several trips to the bathroom, and lots of laughter, we headed to the park, first stopping by the hotel for some park-appropriate attire. Somehow, a skirt wasn't designed with the intention to chase kiddos in the playground!

We had fun chatting between the frequent sprints to stop the two year olds from running into absolute misfortune. Sammo tested my sprinting ability(and my heart strength) when he went climbing the curved ladder made for a teenager's leg span, and put in place just to insure parental supervision of anyone under four foot. It was so unbelievable that it should have been caught on video! He started climbing, and I started sprinting. With each rung that was left behind as he climbed, I ran harder and faster. Buckets of sand were flung into the air as my feet dug into the ground, propelling me closer to my child. He reached the horizontal section of the ladder just as I slid into arm's reach...he lost his grip and his body slipped through the fifth and sixth rungs, and I caught him! A collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the park-all from parents in sprint position ready to intercept, had I missed! His top half fell fist, and the only thing left holding the rungs when I caught his belly in my arms, was his left ankle. He would have landed on his head and neck. Praise the Lord for that burst of Super Mom Power when our young are in danger! I can't run that fast to save my own life! Good thing I changed out of that skirt!

After the excitement had died down we were handed a ticket for free pizza and an entry form for a basketball drawing. The local Calvary church was doing a youth outreach, so we went to check it out(mostly to take advantage of the chance to sit for a moment of rest!) We met some really nice teens, and all four of the kiddos had their names put in the drawing. After some time to down some pizza and visit, Nickole was asked to draw the name of the winning child, from the tub of names. She drew Samson's name! What fun! Steve was wanting to get the boys a basketball, and now Sammo had won one! Thanks Nickole! You are excellent at drawing names!

We shared excitement and good lessons(as it was hard for Jonah and Nickole to accept that Sam had won), and then Somer and I had spotted the Lord's saving grace! We were tired of running, but knew our time together was nearing it's end, so we didn't want to leave yet. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away, was the fenced in tennis courts! Wonderful!!! The kids could run and bounce the new bball, and we could sit in the shade and chat some more! It was quite nice! They played and ran and bounced and played and sat and played and bounced some more until Steve called and it was time for us to pick him up and start our journey to Arizona!

Nickole and Jonah had to be torn apart. Jacob and Samson are two, so they didn't care much that we were leaving. Somer and I exchanged info and thanked each other for the new friendship. We drove off, Sammy passed out from the fun of the day, Jonah asking if Nickole could come to our hotel room to jump on the bed, and me thankful that the Lord loves me enough to connect me to a sister 800+ miles from home!

We picked up Daddy, played for a short time, packed our life back into the truck, and headed to Jody's house in Tucson Arizona, almost 600 miles away!

Caniforna!!!

Wednesday April-22-09 Neither here nor there.

As the sno-capped mountains fade in the rearview and California sits on the horizon, Jonah's excitement grows! "Yeah, Caniforna!", he screeches with enthusiasm from his carseat! I think he's even more excited than I, about going on this trip with Daddy!

We decided yesterday, to go with Daddy on this 14 day trip to California and Arizona! Preparing a family for a 14 day, 4 hotel, 1 family reunion trip takes more than a few hours, and that was all we had! We left our house in an upside down cluster of laundry and stuff, and quickly found caregivers for our dog and fish, all in the time it takes one to eat and shower! Yikes! I have quite a treasure of mess that patiently awaits my return. But until then, I shall share in my 4 yr old fc's explosive excitement for Caniforna!!!

Sparks Will Fly!

I am, by nature, a Princess. I love pink, and anything that sparkles. I prance, because walking is for 'norms'. And I hold up my pinky whenever I drink from my tea cup. The flip side of this wonderful blessing that I am, is not quite as dainty or beautiful. Do NOT fluff my ruffles when I'm tired, nor push any of my buttons, or simply hope for anything of me at all! ALWAYS bring sweetened coffee when waking me, as I am made of sugar and need to be refilled every day! And NEVER EVER try to pick a fight with me, for I fight to win! This is me in a nutshell, or rather a pumpkin!

Somehow, my hubby, the norm that he is, doesn't quite understand this. I began my first job in 4 yrs and 9 months, on Wednesday, the 25th of this lovey month of March. I got home about 6pm, spent about two hours on the phone and playing with my little firecrackers, and then the rest of the evening with my hubby. I do not have to be back to work until Monday, so I have a beautiful four day weekend that lies ahead of me! My Dear Hubby, however, must be to work at noon on Thursday, the 26th. So, we wake on Thurs, enjoy lounging around in jammies, playing online, watching cartoons...just chillin. I have plans to clean our palace after he leaves for work, as he'll be gone for 10 hours, and I have nothing planned for the day. ~You must know that Princesses do NOT clean! They have servants to do this for them. Real ones do anyway.~

DH is a little upset because I still haven't cleaned any of the palace, and he's cleaned almost all of it, by now! He gently asks, in that sweet way that DH's do, if I would tidy up the palace. I happily said "Of course!" with a little skip in my prance as I made my way to the stove to retrieve my breakfast ~my butler is on vacation~!

That was obviously NOT what he wanted to hear. He immediately made some snide remark about how my job wasn't really work, and that I needed to get off my lazy something or other, I don't quite remember, all I heard was that my job wasn't really work. How dare him! This Princess spent eight looong hours listening to an employee handbook being read verbatim by a mono tone voice! NOT WORK?!? What does he know?!!! It's not like he has to sit for eight hours a day...he gets to stand and excitedly talk to hundred's of people for an average of 10 hours a day! I'd like to see him do my job! He wouldn't survive three hours!

His snide remark bit me quite hard, so I snapped back with, "What do you want from me?! Do you want to fight?! Let's fight!!!" He walked away saying, "I don't want anything from you." ~I was of course happy, because Princesses are quite happy when they win!~

I attempted to eat my breakfast, but couldn't. I felt soooo bad for the way that I had treated him. My DH works sooooooooooo hard for me and our firecrackers. The least I could do was get off my lazy bum and give him a clean palace to come home to!

He came to kiss me goodbye~I wouldn't have kissed me goodbye after that~ and I apologized to him as he leaned in. "I'm sorry for being such a Princess and picking a fight with you." Then we both held back our laughter and he said, "That's just what Princesses do!" He laid one one me with that comment and we both came away laughing!

It's wonderful when sparks fly in both directions!!!