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!