HOUSE REMODEL

Look out Family Life Church's worship team here come the Sparks band! Rylan got a new set of drums for Christmas and he is determined to learn how to play before January 1st. Each morning I drink coffee to a beat it is so sweet. While Brailey plays away on the keyboard and sings into the mic. My hubby with ears covered is acting like he doesn't enjoy it, but the whole time is smiling from ear to ear knowing that the musical talent got passed down to them. It sure didn't come from me! The only person that likes to hear me sing is Jesus.

Really Rylan was a baby and I was singing and he told me "Mom don't sing just drive." Out of the mouths of babes. So it has been musical to say the least around here.....
We are also in phase one of a remodel. I don't know what I was thinking but we have got it all torn apart. You really don't think that you are a neat freak until your house is out of order and you are having to swallow down serious anxiety to just get rid of all of the clutter. I will be so glad when it is all done. I will keep you all posted with lots of pictures of progress made.

For now though it is back to work for me!

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!

A Christmas like no other

In Luke chapter 2 is a story that will be told a lot this time of year. It isn't about last minute Christmas shopping. It isn't about getting what you want or didn't want for Christmas. It isn't about making the best green bean casserole. What it is about is the birth of Jesus.

In that chapter you will see it said twice Mary pondered these things in her heart. You see Mary had her baby in a stable. There were animals all around. She didn't give birth in a maternity suite at Baylor medical. She was in a stable. A stable means poop. You could say it literally stunk where she was. Can I say this where you are right now may stink. Things may not be going your way life maybe really hard....Can you do one thing this Christmas can you take the time to enjoy right where you are?

If this sounds like where you are I encourage you to listen to this full message by clicking here. I hope you too will take time to ponder this time in your heart this holiday season.

HOLIDAZZLE

This Saturday is our annual Christmas party at Family Life Church! We will be having an ornament gift exchange and a free brunch! We have done this for 5 years now and we always have the best time. Saturday December 12th I hope to see you at Family Life Church at 10a.m.

I am going to be sharing a word about enjoying life today right where you are in the midst of anything you are going through enjoying that moment. The other day when I was reading my Bible I came across 1Kings 19:6 Elijah had just gotten done with a big battle and he had fallen asleep. An angel woke him up and in the amplified it says "behold there was a cake baked on the coals".

You know what this tells me? God loves cake! God loves to celebrate! He likes a good party! I think in the midst of it all that God was not only providing food for Elijah, but He could have made anything for Elijah. After all He is God. But God picked cake. I think in the midst of the battles in your life, no matter what is going on take a moment to have cake. Enjoy your life right where you are.

I am taking time this week to eat cake. To enjoy my life right where it is. God loves the party, and it is going on everyday of your life. All you have to do is take a moment and enjoy life today and everyday!

The best apple pie you will ever have!

WOW Thanksgiving was wonderful wasn't it? I love getting together with family laughing telling jokes, and enjoying memories being made. There is something so special getting together on Thanksgiving to think people for hundreds of years have done this very same thing. How special is that to think about that?

I will say this Thanksgiving I finally realized that no the rest of the world does not have Thanksgiving. I was shocked to learn that our friends overseas were not celebrating with us on Thursday, but then I realized DUH pilgrims, Indians, big boat....Never realized that before!

So I have to tell you I made my first apple pie the other day....It turned out GREAT! Ok girls hands down this is the best pie you will ever eat! My hubby loves loves loves apple pie and he even will say this is the best pie he has ever had! I know you will love it too!!

Crunch Apple Pie

Refrigerated pie crust (comes in pack of two)

Filling:

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. cinnamon

dash salt

1 t. lemon juice

10 oz. Motts cinnamon applesauce

(yes Motts I have tried all different applesauce didn't turn out as well)

4 c. Peeled sliced apples (Golden delicous)

3 T. butter

Topping:

6 T. flour

2T. sugar

2T. brown sugar

dash salt

Vegetable oil

Time to put it all together!

Step 1.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Step 2.

Mix all your filling ingredients but butter.

Put into pie shell then dab butter pieces all over.

Step 3.

Mix up all crunch topping do enough Vegetable oil that the flour mixture is just barely moist. There should be some that doesn't even get any oil. (about 3Tablespoons)

Step 4.

Cut your second pie shell in to pieces and piece

across top of topping in the first shell.

Step 5.

Put crumb topping all over top of pie.

Step 6.

Place in oven and bake till crust is nice and brown!

(Mine takes about 35-40 minutes so be sure and watch it!)

Hope you all love it as much as my family and friends have and do! Let me know how it turns out! This will be a great treat for you to make for all of your Christmas party guests!

Faith comes by hearing.....

In Romans 10:17 it says that

"faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God".

So where does faith come from? By hearing the word right? That is how faith is built up in our heart. When I saw the biggest change in my life is when I decided to start watching what I was listening to. A lot of people think this just means music but it is so much more than that. You can be feeding your spirit all day long. Yes get good worship music but also get some good preaching.....

Here are a few that I recomend.....Don't just listen to it once but listen to it time and time again! Listen to it until it isn't just something you hear, but it becomes part of you.

You can always get great preaching here to listen to my amazing husband, my wonderful Pastor or myself.

Then you can always listen here. This is Pastor Benny Perez at The Church at South Las Vegas.

Get some word today it is something that has changed my life and I know it will change yours also!

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!