Summer is....

Summer. Just the word brings excitement weather you are 3 or 93. Summer brings memories of back yard BBQ's with friends, watermelon, fresh tomatoes bought at a local fruit stand, small town snocone stands, and lots of fun with family and friends. There is something about summer that when it begins you feel as though it will be here forever.....and when it is over brings a realization that nothing is forever.

Here are a few things of what summer was for us...

Summer is loosing teeth

and gaining new sons and daughters.

It is never being so busy that you can't have time for the people that matter most.

It is playing dress up with Daddy's glasses and hat.

It is rides on the church bus for ice cream with Papa.

It is trips to the nail salon for girl time.

Summer is making time to get away and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Summer is overcoming fears that bound us for so long and realizing that thing that we feared all our life was nothing scary at all!
(Brailey used to be frightened of people in a costume)

Summer is lots of time spent at the pool and playing basketball. With sunburnt cheeks.

Summer is taking time to get away from it all and gathering with people you love for cook outs.

So tonight I am just looking through the pages of my life and all I can say is thankful. So thankful God allowed me to be Rylan and Brailey's mommy. So thankful to be given the gift to bring them up in the things of God. So thankful to be their mommy. Tomorrow Brailey starts 1st grade. I am overwhelmed in emotion. One part of me so thankful for the little girl that she has become and the other part sad that the baby she was is now over. Saying goodbye to the care free days of summer and going back into homework, field trips, and full schedules. I wouldn't have it any other way.....

So now the house is silent the night before with backpacks ready, lunchboxes full, and a little girl ready to face anything the world will bring her way.....

Well it is here Christmas packages wrapped or not. Shopping done or not it comes. Every year it comes so quickly that sometimes it catches you off guard. Things may not all be done as you would want it to be. You may not be ready for a Southern Living magazine shoot right now. Every year what surprises me about Christmas is weather I have every detail ready or not the memories that are made always take my breath away.

Time with family is so precious in this time of year. I love getting together with all the family we love so much. Getting to talk and catch up on all that has happened since we last saw each other. My son getting to learn about guns with his great grandpa. This will probably be a picture that will forever bring a tear to my eyes.

My son being the wise man in the Christmas play. He took his roll so seriously...saying he "wanted to be wise". So precious watching him and Brailey sing their little hearts out. What will I do when we don't have a Christmas program to attend one day? Let's not think about it!

Christmas shopping to do and the rain was pouring down. Brailey and I decided it was time for a mommy daughter picture. When we got out of the car we ran in the rain. Who cares my hair got crazy our jeans were soaked but we laughed so hard. I will never forget the feeling of her little hand in mine as we ran as fast as we could to the doors.

When you have five kids and things get quiet that means trouble. We go look and all five are in the leaf pile that their uncle had racked. So precious. I am still scrubbing dirt out of places from that moment. They had so much fun.....Nana's house had a trail of leaves a mile long.

You see weather you have everything perfect or not Christmas is upon us. Why not just enjoy the moment that you are in right now the way it is instead of trying to make it your version of "perfect". After it is all said and done no one will remember the presents or the gift wrap. No one will remember what wasn't done around the house....What the will remember is the laughter, the smiles, the great moments spent together. Take time to enjoy the wonderful most precious present you have around you everyday.....The people you love.

From my family to yours

Merry Christmas!

When is it ok to put up Christmas decor?

When is it ok to put up Christmas trees and decorations and when is it too soon? People all have their own reasoning behind it. There are those that say that it is way to soon if you do it before Thanksgiving. For those of us that drive a long way and stay the entire week of Thanksgiving it is almost as though not setting it up after Thanksgiving just isn't soon enough....

Well Chiks at the Sparks house it is Christmas...well it is on it's way to being that way! I always set up the week before Thanksgiving due to the fact that we go way out of town each year to be with Bryan's family. So I have been working on it for the last few days...Shew it is a lot of work!

I love Christmas!!! I have been in full blown baking mode and wanting to make all of the yummy treats. So that I don't gain too much weight I have been sure to pass along the sweets to dear friends and neighbors (thanks guys!)!!

With all this Christmas setting up the kids had the biggest bubble bath ever the other day...Too much bubbles got put in and this is what we got! It was hilarious how much fun they had in the bath tub. There was maybe about 12 inches of water and about 2 foot of bubbles. The kids loved it....I thought I would share with you hope this makes you smile!

So weather you are putting up Christmas like me right now or later post pictures cuz I want to see your winter wonderland at your house!

Personal inventory......

I love that song by Michael W. Smith "I'm coming back to the heart of worship". What I like the most about that song is when he sings...

You're looking into my heart......looking into my heart.......

Wow think about it for a minute.....Jesus......Looking into your heart....

If we all got real for a minute and really meditated on that line & took time to think about what is in our heart. What is in there when no one is around no one is looking what are those things that are deep within us?

Around this time of the year I always think about goals I had coming into that year. Was I successful after those or not? Did I make the best use of my year or is there room to do better in the next year....if yes then how....

Every good business takes inventory of their merchandise so they know what they have. Shouldn't we do the same thing in our life?

Questions to think about

God: Am I......

Actively choosing God and His ways at every decision, word, moment, thought and step each day?

Consistent in my quiet time?

Daily spending time with God in prayer and Bible reading?

Husband: Am I.......

Praying for him DAILY?

Being a help meet to him?

Preparing for my husband daily?

Spending time with him?

Positively responding to him?

Noticing, regarding, honoring, preferring, esteeming, praising, admiring and loving him?

Bending or bucking with submission?

Being predictably happy?

Giving away to others what I haven't given first away at home?

Children: Am I.....

Spending quality time with them?

Praying with them daily?

Teaching them to follow God by my words and actions?

Home: Am I managing my home effectively. ....

with finances and budgeting?

with housecleaning?

(Managing it instead of it managing me?)

with planning meals and shopping wisely?

by taking care of needs at home?

Others: Am I......

Loving others correctly?

Serving others?

Preferring others?

Self: Am I......

Growing in my walk with God?

Eating properly and exercising?

Making sure I am healthy and give myself rest when needed so I can be what my family needs?

You see I don't think that I am perfect. I wish I could say I could put a big check mark by all of these questions as though I have done them all. But you know what I am just like you a normal person with real issues and real life comes along the way and distracts us. That is why it is so important that we look inward to our self and see what we can do better. Being a good mom and wife is a process not an overnight thing. It is a daily journey with lots of mistakes along the way!

K-3 Graduations, road trips, new members to our family, lake, and good times!

Well I have missed all of you! Things have been so busy around here! There has been so much going on! I took pictures a long the way though knowing that I wanted to let all of you in on what I have been up to!

For starters Brailey graduated for her K-3 program at her school....she is very excited mommy was a little teary.

Do you see my little baby up there??


Once again Brailey loves pictures.....Rylan not so much.

This was at her after graduation party!


We got two new members to our family two goldfish. One named Henry (my son's) and Little Miss. Sunshine (my daughter's).

This is bear asleep in the car holding the bag with his fish.

Brailey was so excited to get Little Miss Sunshine home!!

All of my family always goes to the lake on Memorial day weekend. So off we went to the lake to spend time with the family! There is nothing like getting away from everything for a while and just enjoying nature and your children!

Brailey will never pass up a chance to have her picture taken. Bear on the other hand didn't want his picture taken that day!

Then it was off to Bryan's hometown for his cousin's high school graduation! No trip to the farm would be complete with out hay rides, Popsicles and rides around to see all of the animals!

This is Rylan and my nephew Ian.

Rylan and Aunt Brenda

Ian eating his Popsicle!

My beautiful sister in law and her daughter Zoe and Ian.

So that has been my last two weeks! It has been fast and furious. Brailey's 4th birthday was yesterday and it was wonderful! We are having her party on Saturday and she is super excited! I hope all of your summer's are off to a great start mine sure is!

Funny things.....

Church nights are always crazy. I am the administrator at our church along with being the youth Pastor's wife, women's pastor etc. So every time church is over I am always flooded with lots of questions about things....

So this Wednesday was like every other. I had a line out my office door with people wanting to ask me something.

I leave and my head was hurting so bad. I was talking to my hubby telling him the music in youth started my head to hurting then I said there was a lot of people after church needing things.... I tell him "There was a line out the door". My kids are looking at me wide eyed.

I tell them come on it is time to get ready for bed mommy doesn't feel well.

We get in the bathroom to brush teeth and Rylan asks....

"Mommy why were all those people lying to you??"

Then Brailey...

"Mommy there was a real lion in your office that gave you a headache?"

Life through a child's eyes....priceless.

Busy busy week!!!

So things last week were really crazy. Isn't it funny how just adding a few things in your week can make things kinda go nuts??

Well for those of you wondering....Yes I am still on my live it! Mercy that thing leaves me starving. So when hubby is gone I have to make a little peanut butter pie with my best friend! Or have some yummy ice cream! You know a girl still needs a little sweet right?? I know you aren't supposed to have sweets on a diet. BUT I am not on a diet I am on a live it. So I get to make up my own rules for the live it. Rule #1 is I still get sweets!!

So Sunday we had a BIG Easter service. There was a lot to do as when you are in ministry Easter Sunday is a HUGE deal. So there was a lot of work to make Sunday a success and boy was it! We had a total of 209 people there this Sunday. Seeing as how at the first of the year we had around 90 pretty stead to know 209 that is a big deal!!! We had a Easter Egg Hunt with 1,500 eggs and 5 bikes to be won. Our children's church pastors did a great job with that! Everyone that came had a blast! There is nothing like seeing kids squeel with joy while hunting eggs and bouncing in a bounce house. It really did make my heart smile.

So after I locked the door to the church Sunday around 3 p.m. I looked at my kids who were at that point very done with mommy working so much. My son was so sleepy he could barely hold his eyes open. I load them up and go home. I put Rylan down in his bed for a nap. Since hubby was there I looked over at Brailey and asked her if she wanted to do something fun with mommy. She screams YES!!!

So we load up and go see the Hannah Montana movie. It really was a super cute movie. I really did like it....and Brailey.......She loved it! She was squeeling the whole way through!

It is always nice to get that one on one time with your babies!

I always try to make it a point to get each one of my kids a lone and have one on one time with them. There is something so special about doing that with them. That way you can just love kiss and hug all over them and not worry what the other one that isn't in your arms is doing.

So that was our Easter Sunday. How was yours?

Did some one say work out???

I know what you are thinking!!! Crystal why do you start off a blog with a picture like this? Today we are starting not a diet but a live it!! I hate the word diet it just sounds bad.....but a live it that sounds fun.....right?

So I know that in now way do I resemble this girl in the above picture. I remember the days though....You know before you had two kids. That I could go somewhere in my bathing suite and not want to just stay in my clothes. I mean really why can't I get into the pool in a pair of capris and a t-shirt?? There is something having children can do on the body that is well.....how do you say.....Just makes it not look like this girl. Especially after you have nursed two babies! Because mine don't look anything like this girls! LOL Are you thinking "Why am I reading this?"

So my hubby is wanting to loose weight and so I am being a supportive wife and doing it with him! Not only are me and hubby doing it, but my father in law and CD. We are all doing work outs too!! I don't want to loose weight I just want to loose the stuff that flaps a little more than it used to like:
*My arms in church when I clap.

*My stomach how it bounces when we hit bumps in the car.

*Not have to "suck in" to put on jeans in the morning.

*To walk out in my bathing suit and not be so embarrassed.....Can I HAVE A WITNESS??

So I am excited.....I really am. I am looking forward to being a more healthy me.

One busy week!

My precious baby boy Rylan. For those of you that now us know that this is my bear bear. He is the sweetest, funniest, easy going kid I have ever seen. I don't think that it is just because I am his mommy either....

Since December 1st we have been battling ear infections. He as of this point has been on 6 rounds of antibiotics since then. He literally has gone from one ear infection to another. So our pediatrician finally referred us to a ENT to see about getting tubes. Sure enough he is going to have to get them.

So next Friday we will be in Rockwall getting this procedure done. It is really emotional for me to think about I think because ever since he was born it has been a battle for his health. From getting ill right after birth, almost having to have his tonsils removed to now having to have ear tubes. It is really heart breaking to hear him scream when we walk into a doctor's office.

I know that God is going to do big things in Rylan's life. I know that everything is going to be ok. There is just a part of my heart that is a little sad about him having to go through all of this.

So why am I telling you all of this?

I am telling you because I just want you to be thinking of Bear. Be praying for total healing in his ear, be standing with us that everything is going to go great with this procedure, that there will be all of the good results that we are hoping to happen.

Isn't this the cutest cake ever!

On top of all of this we had a big birthday bash for Mrs. Sue West at our church! It was her 70th birthday party! I must say that it was amazing! She is such an incredible woman of God! She was so surprised!

This is what Patti made for Mrs. Sue

With birthday parties, doctor appointment, and getting back in the swing of school after spring break it has been a pretty busy week!



Crystal

Peep Peep little Chiks

Getting ready for Chik Nite

So this Chik Nite we wanted to do something to get the word out about Chik Nite this Friday. So we got the great idea of getting Chik peeps and tying them up with bows and putting our Chik info on them and then passing them out in the community!

So 163 boxes of Chik peeps later we are done!

*sigh that is a lot*

There is just something about them that just makes my heart smile! If you got one of these Chik peeps and that is how you got on our blog today welcome! We hope that you are coming to Chik nite Friday!!!

So on to other things that are going on with us Chiks.

We have a new member to our Chik Team! We all feel like she is going to be a great addition to the team. I know that she will bring fresh new ideas and perspective.

Mrs. Patti! Click here to read her blog!

So I got to go preach at High Point Church's M.O.P.S group this week. It was amazing! The Lord really ministered to the ladies there. I preached the message that I am going to be doing at this Chik Nite. I know that God will really move in your heart this Friday!

Along with going to Arlington and preaching and getting ready for Chik nite there is just regular mom stuff. School, cooking cleaning, and ohhhh yea my daughter decided to cut her hair. Not just a little but a lot. It really broke my heart. I told my friend it is one of those things you always say my kid won't do that. Then you walk in the bathroom and see a huge pile of hair. So I am a little sad about that. At the same time it makes me just say "WOW parenting never does have a dull moment does it girls?"

I hope all of you had an amazing weekend!

Crystal Sparks

Spring Cleaning at the Sparks!

Yesterday was Brailey's Valentines day party at school. The thing I love most about being a stay at home mommy is getting to go to events like that! Being able to watch her have fun and help the other moms out is so awesome!

She is my little posser!

So after the party I came home and I just popped off to hubby and said you know this would be a perfect day to clean out the garage! He just kind of laughed at me.....So I went about my wifely chores for the morning. Then I went looking for him......He was out there getting it together to start cleaning out the garage!

So I went and got on the clothes that you wouldn't ever want to be seen in public! You know what ones I am talking about! LOL :D

So you are probably wondering how bad was your garage? Ohhh girls it was so embarassing. You know the commercial where the girl pulls her car into the garage and there is junk piled all around the car? That was me! The sad thing is I don't keep my home that way! I am a neat freak I would even say bourderline OCD. So everytime I would pull into my garage it was like nails on a chalk board for me!


So we spent the whole day cleaning. It was such a beautiful day the kids played outside and had a blast while we slaved! So one truck load of giveaway stuff and one truck load of just trash we have a beautiful garage. Our closest friends came by because it was something they had so see to beleive!

So I found this in the garage I bought this a long time ago! I am going to do something cool with it so that is for a future blog stay posted!

I got to thinking about my junky garage and it made me realize that all of us have areas in our life like my garage was. Maybe it isn't your garage cleaned, but rather your finances, emotions, marriage, kids, or depression. We never intended for it to get out of control, but something happens and we loose grip on it. Once it gets so out of control we feel so helpless because the problem seems so big! Never let your problems get bigger in your view than your Jesus! All it takes is a little determenation. Some support from those you love and you can whip those out of control areas of your life back into shape.

Ok so on to something else! There are only a few more days for my great awesome amazing giveaway!!! So leave comments for your chance to win! You for sure want to be the winner of this book it is AWESOME!

So what am I giving away?

Jospeh Prince's book Destined to Reign!

And if one chance isn't enough leave a comment on Delighted Heart because she is giving one away also! If you visit her blog come back and tell me and you get tripile the entries!!

So leave your comments it always makes my heart smile to know that you stopped by! Plus I love going and seeing new blogs!!!!