Jack and the Sparkettes

A few months ago there was a ward talent show.  The kids wanted to participate so we formed a rock band.  We gotted all punked out and each had a musical instrument and sang our little hearts out to 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  I don't think we were amazing but it was well received and the kids were all very pleased with themselves.  It was really fun to do that with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After the kids and I did our little ditty I did a solo of a song I made up for Joel for our 10 year anniversary that was the week before the talent show.  The words (more for my benefit than for yours) are as follows:

 

When I was just a girl,

I used to think of what life would unfurl.

But I was only eighteen, it was still yet to be seen

When I met you.

 

It all started at FHE.

There was this guy kind of into me.

So I turned to my side and to my surprise

I looked no further.

 

'Cause you were all my dreams come true.

You said you loved me too.

Would I marry you?

 

At first it was you and me.

Then pretty soon we were three.

And then we were four, add a couple more:

A happy fam'ly.

 

Now everyday you go to work

And the kids can drive me berserk.

Though it may seem mundane I'd do it all the same

In a heart beat.

 

'Cause all my dreams are coming true.

It's all because of you.

I sure love you.

 

And as the years go by,

You've been there for every tear I've cried.

Through the ups and the downs and all sizes of towns

We're in this together.

 

'Cause all my dreams are coming true.

I owe it all to you.

I sure love you.

 

When I was just a girl

I used to think of what life would unfurl

But I was only eighteen it was still yet to be seen

And then I met you.

 

You are all my dream come true.

I'm so in love with you.

I'm glad I married you.

Charly turned 3....Four months ago.

 

 

 

Yes, that was a Costco cake.  No, there was no party.  Just us.  I think I single handedly ate 95% of the cake.  Charlotte is the most adorable little girl.  She is my sunshine. 

Well hello there

This past Sunday Jack pulled out the book of the first few years of this blog.  It is great.  Reading it made me think that I need to do better.  We have every detail of Jack's infancy recorded but barely anything of Sammy Boy.  I haven't been taking as many photos.  And it is no shape way or form reflective of my feelings for Sam.  I am totally enjoying him.  He is so absolutely adorable.  But man, having 4 kids in 5 years is crazy.  It is busy.

We have been so busy.  Doing what?  Nothing in particular.  Just being us.  Hanging with my brood.  Holy smokes I love this crew.  Things are crazy, busy, lots of crying, lots of laughing.  My heart is full.



As mentioned, I have been taking a lot less photos.  But between Jack and Sage and my camera and the iphone we have a few pics.  Perhaps not professional quality but sufficient for sure.  So get ready.  Prepare yourselves.  My hope is to some catch-up blogging through pictures.

Bill's Party

When Bill and Katherine came last year for Thanksgiving, Bill's brother Chip threw a party for him.  Instead of driving around and seeing a bunch of different people, Chip invited everyone Bill has every known to come see him.  Well, we are not sure of the reasons why but Bill did NOT want to do it.  He was totally kicking and screaming the entire time before hand.  I think he thought people would be all sad and mopey and have it be a living memorial.  But oh no.  It was AWESOME.  Really.  There were tons of people there. TONS.  People that Katherine didn't even know.  There was a car show that same weekend and so several people brought their old cars to the party.  And if you knew Bill, you knew that cars and car shows and also his buddies, some even from elementary school, are the ultimate.  It was really a huge party, lots of food, lots of laughter.  Everyone who went had a really great time.  Even the kids had a ball.  Bill loved the party.  LOVED it.  He told everyone about it afterwards and still talked about it right up to the end.  It was a beautiful gift from Chip and his wife Nikki. 

When everyone left we took the camera out and took some photos of the family.


My kids plus cousin Sydney, and Joel's cousins' kids Ana and Lily

Group shot:

 

Brothers:

 

Sparks men:

 

 

 

Eleanor Helen Alldridge AKA Grandma Alldridge

Eleanor Helen Alldridge
October 21, 1926 -
March 22, 2013
Resident of San Lorenzo
Loving wife & mother. Survived by her children Katherine Sparks, Eileen, Thomas and brother Manual Costa. Grandchildren Joel Sparks, Zachary and Natalie Alldridge, great grandchildren Jack, Sage, Charlotte and Samuel Sparks. Hobbies were reading, mysteries of all kinds crossword puzzles, gardening, cross stitching, and an awesome pie maker, especially Lemon Meringue. She liked to be called Ellie. She will be greatly missed by her family.

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Seriously - Katherine (Joel's mom) lost her husband and her mother 2 weeks apart.  My heart aches for her.  And also for Katherine's sister, Eileen, who lived with their mom.  Eileen and Grandma were best friends.  This is going to be very hard for Eileen.  Lots of love from my heart is headed her way.  I did now know Grandma Alldridge very well, but the few times we met it was always in her home and she always fed us well and she enjoyed seeing the kids! 

Earl DeOnge Tanner AKA Grandpa Tanner

 

 

Earl DeOnge Tanner, son of DeOnge Woodland Tanner and Ellen Mae "Nellie" Hilton, was born in Ogden, Utah on January 18, 1922. He passed away on March 10, 2013, at age 91, surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Louise Lyon and is survived by six children; Earl, Jr., Todd (Kathy Vail), Alison (Robert Wright), Victoria (Joseph Southerland), Pamela (Michael Allen); and David (Stephanie Ririe); 21 grandchildren and 31 great-grand children.

Earl was the first of ten children. His childhood memories include using warm bricks to heat his bed in winter, swimming in irrigation canals, shooting BB guns, sledding down Ogden's 32nd street and reading Tarzan. He loved his extended family and rich heritage.

Earl graduated from Ogden High in 1939. He went on to Weber College where he lettered in track and graduated valedictorian. He began law school at the University of Utah, then halted his studies to become a full-fledged member of the Greatest Generation. He served in Africa and Europe in the US Army Air Corps where he was involved in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy.

Upon returning home, he resumed his studies while living at the Sigma Chi fraternity house. Soon, Earl won the heart of the U's homecoming queen who fell in love with his irrepressible optimism and smooth swing dancing. They married March 22, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple. Loving Mary Lou and their six children became the focus of his life.

As part of his distinguished legal career, Earl was a founding member of the Utah Bar Foundation. He was also active in real estate, business and mining ventures. He incorporated the Virginia Tanner Children's Dance Theater, helped develop a bussing policy for Granite School District and served on the Holladay-Cottonwood Community Council.

Earl enjoyed playing tennis, swimming beyond the ocean breakers and writing poetry. He was a gifted gentleman farmer who shared his bounteous crops of peaches, apples, pears and plums with all.

In 1993, Earl and Mary Lou served a LDS mission to the Washington D.C. Temple Visitor's Center. He felt his greatest success in life was raising a large, close-knit family who love one another.

Friends and family are invited to join us in honoring our beloved father. A viewing will be held this Friday, March 15, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday, March 16, from 10:30am to 11:40am. Funeral services begin at noon. All services will be held at the LDS chapel located at 2625 East Milo Way (4910 South) in Holladay, Utah. Interment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

 

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I do believe that I was Grandpa Tanner's favorite grandchild.  But then again, I think he made all 21 of us feel that way.  I am so grateful that Grandpa is back with the love of his life - he has woken up dissapointed every morning that he was waking up.  For me, this is the end of a legacy with Grandma and Grandpa both gone now.  They left a special gift of family love.

George William Sparks, Jr AKA Bill AKA Dad

 

George William “Bill” Sparks Jr. was born on March 31, 1942, in Alameda, California, to parents George William and Elizabeth Cross Sparks. He died on March 9, 2013, at his home in Irrigon, Oregon, at the age of 70 years.

 

Bill was raised in Berkeley, California, graduating from Berkeley High School in 1966. He worked at the family business, Auto Radio Headquarters, owned by George Sr. from the time he was a teenager. Bill’s father died in 1965, and he and his brother Chip inherited the business. They operated the business until retiring in 2000. Bill was united in marriage to Katherine Alldridge on May 3, 1980, in Minden, Nevada. They moved to Irrigon, Oregon, in 2000 where they have lived since.

 

Bill loved restoring old cars; his favorite was a 1932 Ford Coupe that he took to many Good Guys car shows with his family. He enjoyed time with his family, gardening, and car shows.

 

He is survived by his wife, Katherine Sparks, Irrigon, Ore.; sons George Sparks III and his wife Amy of Matthews, N.C., and Joel Sparks and his wife Morgan, Hanford, Calif.; daughter Amy Harmount, Capitola, Calif.; brother Joel (Chip) Sparks and his wife Nicki, Danville, Calif.; grandchildren Peter and William Sparks, Sydney Harmount, Jack, Sage, Charlotte and Samuel Sparks; nieces Allison Hatfield and her husband Brian, and Ashley Curiel and her husband Valente.

 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Joshua Sparks.

 

A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 15, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boardman, Oregon. Burial will follow at the Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon, Oregon.

 

Contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Pioneer Memorial Hospice or the American Heart Association.

 

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Billy boy.  Ah, my Bill.  Joel's dad was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer October 2011.  He had undergone radiation and chemo and rarely uttered a word of complaint. 

 

Bill was a diamond that could very easily be overlooked.  If you didn't take to time to see really him, you would miss it.  And, my goodness, what a shame to miss it.  He was patient but was no pushover.  He was kind, had a lot of know-how knowledge, was always there to help, he was thoughtful, and really had a good, soft spoken heart. Bill was a good good man.  Everyone who knew who him loved his deeply.  Myself included. 

 

There have been 3 deaths in the space of 2 weeks in our family.  This one was the hardest.  Yes, we knew it was coming, but even still.  It is hard.  Joel and his dad were very close.  Bill is sorely missed.

 

 

Recent Projects

Here are a few pics of a few wood projects I made recently.  I am totally stoked by them.  Really. 

Picture frame I designed and built for Joel to take to the office:
 

Tree bench.  It is on blocks in this pic because I wasn't patient enough to paint them before I made them.  So they are just drying here.  A second one is already cut but I am going to seal the wood up first before I assemble.  You can see the planter boxes I made after Sammy was born in the background.  The fence Joel built last year.  He did a fantastic job.  I have had the kids start to seal it, but there is still a long ways to go.  And then there is sprinklers, grass, outdoor kitchen/eating area, tramp....okay, I'll stop myself.  Obviously I have big plans for the backyard.

 

The see-saw.  This was the big Christmas gift from us to the kids.  I also made them aprons which I don't have a picture of.  The kids have enjoyed this so far:



Next project (after the 2nd tree bench) is going to be loft beds for the boys' room with desks and bookshelfs underneath.  I think it is going to take me a long time to build it, but Jack has lots of big ideas for it.  I'm totally loving it.

Overheard

(Pictured with Back Pack Bear from her Preschool.)

Overheard the other day while Jack and Sage were playing in mud:

Sage: "I love mud."
Jack: "Me too."
Sage: "But do you know what I love more than mud?"
Jack: "What?"
Sage: "Heavenly Father and Jesus."

That is right - she loves God more than dirt...

2012

The year is over.  This has flown by.  I have been slacking on blogging and taking pictures (I can't even find my camera) and I didn't even get a Christmas card done.  Wow.  I want to do a catch up here.  It is going to be wordy....

 

SAM: 

My goodness.  I have totally enjoyed this guy.  He has been a joy.  Absolutely adorable.  Joel thinks he is the best looking baby yet - and he has had stiff comptetition.  He is still quick to smile and has this infectious laugh.  A real happy guy.  He has 5 teeth, with one of bottom teeth totally crooked.  We call it his snaggle tooth.  As soon as it came in I could see braces in his future.  Unless he is fine with it, then no worries.  He even makes the snaggle tooth look cute.  True story

 

Sam is officially weaned.  He turned 1 in December.  He eats pretty much anything and everything.  He is not walking yet.  Before Christmas he had taken 7 steps, so we were pretty sure he would be walking by Christmas.  But then we went to Joel's parents house for Christmas and he totally regressed.  By the time he got home he had forgotten how to even stand...that boy.  He has been at the no standing stage since.  That is until last night.  He out of nowhere took 15 steps across the room while carrying to folders.  It was amazing. 

 

Sam LOVES balls and balloons.  LOVES them.  He also LOVES Sage and Charlotte.  He loves being adored by them.  He is getting a sense of humor - he thinks that it is funny to do the opposite of what you ask him.  "Come here Sam."  He looks at you, laughs, and then crawls as fast as possible the other way.  He thinks he is hillarious.  "Get out of that shelf Sam."  Hysterically making and beeline towards it to pull out all of the books out.  This boy is going to be trouble. 

 

 

CHARLOTTE:

Oh Charly horse.  What to say about this girl.  She is at one of my favorite ages, so it is so fun.  I adore her.  She is hillarious.  She has lots of personality.  She too is quick to laugh.  And her laugh is infectious.  There is so much joy in it.  So unhibited.  So true.  I love it.  Charlotte's bangs are finally starting to grow out, making it easier to get her hair out of her face.  When you can actually see her face: breathtaking.  Really stunning.  Her eyes - wow.  And her teeny tiny nose - adorable. 

 

Charlotte's speech is developing quite along.  My favorites: she always says "me" instead of "I".  She says "For reals" a lot.  She sings the theme song from The Muppets movie as loud as she can over and over again.  I love hearing her at the tops of her lungs singing, "I've got the whole wide world in the palm in my hands" "I've got everything I need right in front of me" "I can't seem to wipe this smile off my face".  And she does this while dancing a jig in front of the mirror.  She is joyous.

 

She has been really into dress-up lately.  I swear she changes at least 5 times an hour.  Lately she has been obsessed with talking about bottoms and showing hers off to people.  I never would have pegged her as our exhibitionist, but there you have it.  Lately she has regressed in her potty training - wetting her bed nightly.  She didn't care the consequences.  So we started an incentive program of getting something special if she keeps her bed dry.  That girl obviously had total control.  She has had exactly ZERO accidents since then...

 

 

SAGE:

Sagebrush.  I am sad thinking that Sage is going to start kindergarten in the fall.  I am going to miss her so much.  So is Charlotte and Sam.  She is really kind and sweet to be around.  She plays so nicely (except for when Jack comes home and then there is lots of crying) and she is really helpful (except for when you ask her to clean, then it is major melt downs). 

 

Sage had a goal at the beginning of preschool: learn to read.  She already knew her letters and many of their sounds.  Well, by golly, she is getting it!  She is able to sound out words and she is recognizing sight words.  Her handwriting is very nice too.  I'm totally impressed and proud of her.  She is feels good about it too.

 

Sage has found a friend from preschool that we frequently have playdates with.  It is so fun to hear her and her friend talk to each other.  This is her first real friend.  A friend that didn't come from being the same age and in the same class in church.  A friend she found on her own.  There has never been any girls her age that we knew.  So it is awesome that they have really clicked.  And I really like her mom too, so it is helpful.

 

We have been trying to help Sage find something that she is interested in.  Something that she enjoys and is part of her identity.  She is interested in art and dance/gymnastics.  I hope to be finding classes for her this upcoming year.

 

 

JACK:

Oh my Jacky Boy.  I love that Jack is not your cookie-cutter kid.  I love that he is totally just himself.  I hope he keeps this.  I hope others appreciate him.  I think his peers like all like him.  I mean, who wouldn't?  He's one of a kind, but not the strange kid.  He is very kind and loving and supportive of his siblings.  Jack has a good heart.

 

Jack's teacher in school this year is a much better fit then last year.  He is doing really well.  His reading is really amazing.  I love to hear him read.  His report card for the first trimester was perfect.  Well, except for his handwriting.  He is pretty sloppy.  But I am totally not worried about it.  I have terrible handwriting myself but fared pretty well in school. 

 

Jack's interests: *office supplies.  He has bags and bags full, yet we can never seem to find a pen when we need one.  *Tools.  Collecting and using tools.  *He is pretty tricky on his bike.  *He is going to do swim lessons again this summer.  *He really wants a goat.  We went to the zoo and he spent the entire time cuddling up with a goat.  Once we have fences we are all over that.  He is old enough for 4H too.  He would love that.

 

 

ME:

You might be able to tell, but I love and adore my kids.  LOVE THEM.  Passionately.  I really enjoy motherhood.  Having Sam being the best baby possible makes me think that maybe I could do another baby.  But I would probably end up with a cranky baby...then I would go crazy (crazier).  So this is the first time in almost 7 years that I haven't been pregnant or breastfeeding.  That is crazy.  My body is mine now.  But now I just feel old...

 

This year I have started getting into building things with wood.  I have done lots of different things and I can do them well.  But this, this feels different.  This feels like a passion.  I can't stop myself.  I LOVE doing it.  It feels so empowering.  I have never had a passion before, so it is exciting to me.  I've made several things and have a mile long list of things on my "To Make" list. 

 

At church I am still teaching the music in Primary.  It is fun.  I enjoy it.  They have made it clear that they are not releasing me for a while.  They like me there.  They have just doubled me up and now I am also the ward organist.  As many years as I have played the organ for, this is the fanciest organ I have ever played.

 

I am happy.  Really happy.  I really like it here.  I really love my family.  Life is so so good.

 

 

JOEL:

Joel is a busy busy man.  He is still working for Foster Farms.  He got a new position in a different mill back in July.  His new mill produces liquid feed.  The catch: they haven't replaced him from his old job.  So he is presently managing 2 mills (the old mill is fertilizer), though getting paid for one position.  He is tired.  He is burnt out.  We will see what the future holds for him.

 

Joel's dad isn't doing well.  So Joel has gone several times this past year to go visit him.  Bill has lung cancer and has done radiation and chemo and now hospice is going to make their move.  Bill and Katherine were able to come make one last hurrah back in November.  Bill's brother had a open house up in Danville and invited pretty much everyone that Bill knows.  Katherine said that there were people there that even she didn't know.  Bill went in kicking and screaming, BUT loved it in the end.  It was really awesome.  Very lovely.  Everyone who went had a very nice time.  We did go up for Christmas as well.  It too was nice.  Bill is a wonderful man.  We've been trying to get as much of Bill as possible.  He will be sorely missed.

 

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Looking forward to this upcoming year:

Charlotte turns 3

Sage starts kindergarten

Sam will hopefully start walking

Swim lessons

Family reunion in Idaho my fam.

10 year anniversary for Joel and I

More work on our little house

A new shop?

Goats?

 

We are happy.  We are so blessed.  Life is so good.