"Sparks R Flying"

3, three

2010-03-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little girl turned 3 this past week! & we made the big announcement that she would also be a big sister to baby sparks #3. Her birthday theme was a cow/farm thing. We had a cow train, picture area with hay & fake barn doors, a red wagon w/ hay & a bounce house to keep the kids entertained. Of course we served burgers (& hot dogs) for lunch. Then we had everyone come inside for a video before cupcake time. We showed Ava over the past 3 years of various vacations, playdates, etc. Then the end we said something like "& speaking of 3", where we showed a video clip of me explaining to Ava that she is going to be a big sister (& that's what her shirt said). & that when her dad got home, she would tell him she would be a big sister. It took a couple of people a little longer to "get it" then I thought (my mom), but in the end everyone's excitement is what I really wanted to see. It's wonderful to share such special news with people that have been on our "journey" with us.

So, here's to threes!

Love is... CHRISTmas

2009-12-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas brings alot of different emotions. Excitement, caring, giving, loving, sharing. But sometimes I catch myself being negative... with the hectic schedule, attempting "fairness", spending too much money. Priorities and prospective I'm reminded of.
Bottomline, it's a time of year that I get to spend the most time with my family. And that, is love.
We went to Chattanooga with the Summers/Pounders/Carroll families the weekend before Christmas. We had a wonderful lodge overlooking downtown. Brian, Ava & I had the "basement" level... I affectionately named the "basement bungalow". We spent a day downtown at their riverfront carousel & dinner at Sticky Fingers. We also went on a train ride, which was a big hit. We have Christmas tradition where my brother-in-law reads the Christmas story & my dad says the Christmas prayer. My sister makes this amazing breakfast, her homemade biscuits included! Then we let all the kids open their gifts first, they get to play while the adults open their gifts. It seems to work out great for all.
Christmas day we stay at our home & Brian's mom is there for the morning festivities. Big breakfast where chocolate gravy is a tradition. Ava took a bit of time to get excited that morning, but once she started opening gifts, she loved it. We are all about "less is more". Her "big" gift was an art easel.
New Years around the corner, we are up in the mountains of Gatlinburg with friends. I love vacations and am so thankful that we are blessed to be able to "go and go". I joke that Ava has seen more of God's country in her 2 years, then I did before being an adult. It's nice to be able to enjoy all these firsts with her.
Happy 2010 to all!!

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...

2009-09-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled (after two previously failed attempts)... I have some great photos of Ava at 2 (well, 2 1/2). I met a neighbor (last week), thru a neighbor and she is so talented, but says she's still "learning", so she offered to practice photography on Ava. Heck yeah! I'll let her. Anytime, anyplace. One of my fav is of Ava holding her lovey... she loves her lovey & sleeps with it (has 2 others) every night. The super special side note, is this one was Maddux'. Hence the title of this blog :) The photographer is anetteball.blogspot.com

The past couple of months have brought lots of time with family & friends! I love the social life and think it's a blessing to be surrounded by so many wonderful people! Brian & I celebrated our 8th anniversary this month. Woohoo! And our gift, is decorating our living room wall. Ha! I've been trying to figure out what to do with this massive wall we have in our two-story living room. A friend and I went browsing and brainstorming last week and I think we have our "gameplan". Yeah! Speaking of games, ROLL TIDE!! Loving that Alabama football (and SEC football and NFL football) is back in full force. Enjoyed watching the game with our neighbors, eating good ole BBQ and the icing on the cake... Bama won (of course)!

Ava has accomplished alot these past couple of months. She is fully potty trained! "potty dance, potty dance". It took about two weeks of alot of consistency and reminders. I kept her on the hardwood floors in a camping chair those two weekends when at home and even though "accidents" happened, it seemed to scare her and she wanted to do everything she could to get to the potty. I did everything to encourage too... have her sit on the potty for several minutes, offer gum/candy rewards; and when she went #2, she would get a poo-poo puzzle prize (TMI)! Speaking of puzzles, she's learned how to do all of her puzzles (she has ~6) and loves to "race" with one of us to see who can complete the fastest. And she's been learning how to count things, the main "trick" was I have her touch things as she counts them; just looking or pointing didn't do the trick. Brian is now trying to teach her subtraction. Goodness!

I am now a proud owner of an iphone! Even though I "blossomed" late with this piece of technology, I feel I have caught up mighty fast! I love it. I love that I can be productive on the go. As a mommy, a full time working woman and a wife with a social life... it's the best "tool" in my toolbox :) I need to see if there's a good blogging app... ha!

This month I enjoyed a week off from work (not planned by me, but it came with the "bad economy territory"). I used it as my "get er done" week and worked really hard to clean up a few things in the house, enjoyed some me time, hosted a neighborhood playgroup and spent lots of time with my little mini-me. It was a blessing in disguise.

Hope this finds you all well! We're blessed and happy, that's for sure! Keep in touch!

Sparks Sparkler

2009-08-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

So... our 4th of July was full of festivities this year, thanks to our 'hood :) I can't say enough about the great neighborhood we have now called home for ~10 months. They had their annual 4th of July parade that the event lover in me, had to participate in. You decorate strollers, wagons, bikes or even golf carts (someday that will be me)... & parade thru the neighborhood... firetruck leading the way. As you can tell from the pic I had fun decorating Ava's stroller (the jogging stroller I found on craigslist for $20, woohoo!). Her sign said "Sparks Sparkler" and we threw out bags of red hots that said "sparks are hot... red hot... happy 4th of july". We ended at the park where a bounce house, pool, firetruck tours & sweet stop sweets were ready & waiting. I hope you all enjoyed your time with family as much as we did.

Now, I'm sad because it's already August & the summer is trying to end on us!

Happy summer, summer time!!

Beach Bums

2009-06-17T20:37:00.001-07:00

It was so nice going to the beach with family for almost a week. We usually do those long weekends, but we stayed 5 nights this time. I haven't been to Gulf Shores in 5 years. We are usually Destin beach bums. But I must say, Gulf Shores is recovering well! We loved eating/playing at the Hangout (foosball tables, live band, sand pit for the kids, open air shopping), LuLus (sand, sand everywhere!, ate on the deck outside, watched dolphins, yummy food) & then to the Wharf where we road their famous ferris wheel, did a little souvenir shopping and dinner at Guy Harvey's on the deck overlooking the marina (my dream boat was out there).

I love the summer and really enjoy taking a day here and there to spend it with Ava. I get so sad thinking about the hours she's at "school", but I am thankful that God has blessed me with a job that has semi-flexible hours and tons of time off (even though one week includes a furlough week - no pay - that was just announced).

Before we left for the beach, Brian's sweet Grandmother passed away, she was 92. Pretty amazing, huh? Her name was Callie... which is who we named Ava after and I'm so glad we did. She's the last of our grandparents here on earth. It reminded me how much I miss my grandparents, and how thankful we all should be to have any that are still in our lives. Their legacy is just something we should be honored to have some part of.

Hope you all are having a great summer! We sure are :)

2 on 2/22

2009-03-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is growing up so fast. We had a fun Princess/Castle themed party. We had a "character" princess come dressed up for pictures w/ the little ones, we had a castle cake and castle bounce house. Birthday parties these days are just over the top... but the party planner in me can't simmer it down... :)

Enjoy the pic of our sweet little girl beside the inflatable cake we hope to take her picture in front of every year until she's 22... well maybe not 22... but at least 10 or so...

Fa La La La La.... & Facebook

2009-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

Thought I needed to post a picture of Ava at Christmas. Although we explained over and over the true meaning of Christmas... at her age she knew that every manger scene in the house had "baby Jesus" and that we would sing "Happy Birthday Jesus"... there's only so much a 22 month old could comprehend. Toys are easily comprehended :)

After 4 months we are settling into the new house, but as my decorator thumb keeps popping up... I keep telling myself, "one room at a time, one room at a time". We absolutely love our new location, central to everything.

Finally, I have now become a "facebook-er"... so as much as I hate to say it, I probably won't write more than quarterly here. But I'll keep it up. I love the name of my blog (sparks R flying)and wouldn't dare give it up! So if you haven't joined FB, please do! I have lots of pics out there. It does kind of freak me out how that even though only friends see my page there, I feel like I've given up any privacy I once had... good ole technology.

Happy 2009!

Yes, We're Thankful...

2008-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

What a great Thanksgiving! We did the "grand tour" of North Alabama to visit family; what a memorable road trip! We loved hearing Ava tell her namesake, her name, so sweetly; "Grandma Callie"... and she loved hearing it.

Then off to a cabin for a BIG FEAST with the Summers/Pounders clan. And the grand finale with the Sparks family to enjoy dinner where no work was involved... ahh... thankful for dining out!

Wanted to share a family photo from the day... Ava really does smile more often than not, but she seems to "freeze" when I point a camera at her!!

Wishing you and your family a VERY Happy Thanksgiving... all year 'round!

Bzzzzz...

2008-11-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

As you can see, Ava was a sweet "Bee" and her daddy was GI Joe.

On this particular day, daddy "got stung", but I don't think it hurt at all :)

Fall Fun

2008-11-02T19:13:00.001-08:00

Happy FALL!! We've spent the month of October enjoying lots of festivals, family visits, pumpkin patches and costume creations!

(Not to mention the BIG move in September) I think we're settling into the new house. I still have lots of things on my "I want to decorate" or "I need to do" list, but I've just decided everything will be a new fun project and I need to tackle them one at a time! As far as the new diggs... I love the location. The drive home from work (the last five minutes of it) are the best... like I'm driving into the mountains... or dare I say, a resort? Ha! Ava loves that her bedroom is on the same floor as us and I love that she can "play and play" in there all she wants because I am almost always an eye-shot away. We all love the back deck as a peaceful getaway!

November will bring us more social events and family functions. We are looking forward to celebrating my parent's 50th wedding anniversary!! And we have plans to head to the Carolina mountains, then Thanksgiving staying in a cabin in North Alabama with fam.

Until we blog again... rls

Long time, no write!

2008-09-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile. Between moving and trying to get the new house in some kind of order, the blogging has slacked off!
I hope this finds you all well. In times like today, we all just look for some encouragement. In times like today, you learn what's most important in life.
I thought I'd pass on a little verse of encouragement...
Psalm 27:1The LORD is my light and my salvation;Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life;Of whom shall I be afraid?

I thank God every day for his blessings. For the lessons I learned through the days with Maddux, for the appreciation I have for the days we spent holding him tight. And the appreciation I have for the days with Ava. The days with our parents, grandparents, siblings, extended family and dear friends. I appreciate the times of laughter, of silence, of walking and talking.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
Don't let "anyone" tell you otherwise...

ROLLLLLLL... T-I-D-E ROLL!!!

2008-08-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

"+" people

2008-08-30T16:01:00.001-07:00

Do you sometimes wonder why certain people cross your path? Or why you have a brief encounter with someone that makes a lasting impact on your life? This past week, has been a week full of them. From a brief conversation on the phone with a lady that just had that "soothing" voice you could trust with your life (almost, ha), to the big CLOSING on our house and to my State Farm agent.
At our closing (yep papers signed and check is in the bank) I sat at the attorney's office laughing histerically at the attorney whose sense of humor could compete with my husbands; and the first time homebuyer sitting across from me with a grin he couldn't wipe off his face; to the very professional realtor that represented him. What a great experience it was. And all the thoughts I'm "worried" about - leaving this house I've grown to love and made many memories at - faded for that one hour.
Just some good, positive people. The world needs more of!

Happy Labor Day weekend!

...and friends are friends forever.

2008-08-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Don't you wonder why things happen? Well, our family has probably asked that many times in the past few years. Even though we will never have all the answers, we still believe, trust and have faith in God.
As most of you know, July and August were a pretty "hectic" couple of months. My father, sister, father-in-law and my brother's father-in-law (whew)... all endured surgeries of some kind. Some planned, some not. All are well and recovering today. And thanks to many of you for your thoughts and prayers. I'm reminded of the wonderful support group we have and couldn't imagine not having "you" by our side. We talk about how good friends are hard to find. But I know we have a core group of friends who have endured the worst of worst and the best of bests. You know who you are, and I send a HUGE kudos your way!
When my sister was visiting recently, we talked about why God brought me to Birmingham, of all cities. But after Maddux, my dad and her... utilizing the incredible staff at UAB... I am thankful that we chose this area as our home. It's a little "medical hub" if you will.
Again, thanks for all your prayers for our family, once again, I knew I could depend on you!

Thinking outside the Box

2008-08-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

As the countdown begins on "Project Move", we realize how much we have to pack and what a big undertaking it will be to move from Pelham to Hoover. Only about 20 something miles from each other, but you'd think we were going cross country!

Things that cross my mind... will Ava adjust to her new room (even though all the contents will be the same), will the community be all I expected for our family to enjoy together, how many frustrating moments will I have between now and post move...

Honestly, we've said one prayer over and over lately. Asking God to bless this home as we "pass it on" to someone else, and to bless our new home as we enjoy many family memories there for years to come.

A funny story... you know how many times you've heard your parents (and that generation) mention that you can buy your kids all the toys in the world, but if you just give 'em a box, they'll play with it forever. Well, here's proof...

SOLD!!!!!!!

2008-08-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

We are happy to report that our "current" home sweet home has a contract on it! We will close on it September 8th, then close on our new home September 9th. The 8th is also our 7th wedding anniversary. What a big week! For anniversaries, Valentines and Christmas we usually get one "we" gift. Well, we've joked that this year's "we" gift... it's a house! HA! We have started packing and have a POD full already. Everyone says to take a room a night. With ~9 rooms and 20 days; I figure I can spread the packing love. I have been overwhelmed at the many things we have accumulated in the 7 years we've lived here. From the first few days of us being married living in a little one bedroom apartment, to growing a family in our Pelham home. It's been such a peaceful place. By the way, I told pretty much everyone I knew, but our house had a feature article written in the Birmingham News Sunday before last (titled Peaceful Paradise in Pelham). And that's where the buyer had read about it (thank you Bham News!!). A friend and I were walking to a restaurant and walked by a Real Estate stand... I pointed at it and said, "look, there's my house". It is kind of weird to think that your house is splattered all over town, but hey, it's an honor too. As I looked at the cover, I noticed there's a cross hanging in our kitchen that showed up shining on the photograph. When I hung that cross in our house, I wanted it to be visual through-out, and it is. You can see it from the LR, hallway, foyer, kithchen, dining room, catwalk, etc. It is a constant reminder of HIS love to all of us!
Now that I've rambled, I will close. Any packing/moving tips will greatly be appreciated! :)

Florida Fun Zone

2008-07-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been labeled the "Florida Fun Zone"... we went with some friends to the beautiful beaches of Seaside for an entire week! This is Ava's second trip to the beach, but her first she was only 6 months, so this one was much more enjoyable.

Her first trip out she wasn't sure of it all. She kept trying to "dust" the sand off her hands and when it wouldn't go away she kept looking at me saying "uh mommy uh". She is a little bit of a "miss priss" and hands being dirty just isn't her fav. Then she joined her dad for a walk into the water and she was completely intrigued by it all. We ended up at the pool most days and Ava showed us her swimming skills. Kicking and kicking; jumping from the sides... it was all new to see for us since most of her swimming has been with pool adventures with her nanny!

Our week included Bud & Alley's for lunch one day, Seaside for music in the park, outlet shopping in Destin, night golf on date night (reminds me how much I miss playing!), Shipwreck Island's water park on family day, Goatfeather's for dinner, The Back Porch for dinner, Pier Park in PCB (they are getting classy believe it or not!), lunch at the Gravel Road and the finale for us ladies... Spa Blu (one of my top 3 spas now, ha!). Lots of card playing and true "laughing out loud"!

A few nicknames came out of the trip that I thought I should share... "Ava the Behava" was bestowed on her by our friend James (or as Ava says "Ames"). Ahh, makes me proud! And the "Text Twins"... our sitters who came along to help with the little girls and did an incredible job. But lets just say their cell phones never seemed to leave their fingertips! iPhone guru - my hubby. He just got his new gadget before we left, so we had to hear ALL about it on our trip (of course I want one now). Good times...

We consider it a blessing to enjoy vacations and relaxation. I can't wait for many more memories and Fun Zones in our future!!

Fun on the Fourth

2008-07-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great family weekend this 4th of July! It's wonderful being able to spend time together. We had a fun night at a condo development Brian manages where we had a beautiful view of the downtown skyline and perfect view of the Vulcan fireworks. Then on to the lake with friends where boat rides (jetski, paddle & pontoon included) commenced. Ava loves the outdoors and had a great time on her first boat ride. She even thought she was "co-captain" when her dad let her sit in his lap as he drove the pontoon (and she tried out the steering wheel). She still isn't so sure of swimming in the lake (got that from her momma)... she prefers water she can see her feet in when submerged. Ha!

We hope you all had a fun-filled long weekend relaxing and many good times!

FOR SALE

2008-06-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, we are selling our first "home sweet home". I get all choked up thinking about it. The first place Brian and I were able to purchase together. The first place we had our children. The first place we had a piece of the "American Dream". Since Brian works in the industry, I am surprised we've lived in one place for so long (7 years). We're looking forward to living in a new community that he has been involved in since its conception. It's a beautiful piece of "Heaven" here on earth... Ross Bridge!

Excited about the next chapter of life (and hopefully adding a blog title soon that says SOLD)!

One Day at a Time...

2008-06-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

ME & MR. DREAMY :)

This past weekend, was of course Father's Day. Last month, we had the pleasure of enjoying Mother's Day. As Brian and I reflected, we discussed how these days to us are bittersweet. Of course we miss our little man, but what an honor to be parents to him and Ava!

Mother's Day was celebrated all month... we joked. Brian took me to a B&B one weekend, on a shopping spree another weekend and a perfect day that Sunday to top it off. He's the best! So when Father's Day came around I knew I couldn't compare. We did make a week of it (at least). We went to the local Stardome for a show one night and then Sunday to my dad's church to watch Rick Burgess' son's eulogy. Brian also got a shopping spree, a much needed new watch and some extras he had asked for. Fun times had by all!

I am thankful for the father and mother that made me who I am (hope I make you proud). I'm thankful for the father and mother that made Brian the man he is. And I'm thankful for him making me a Momma (wink, wink)!!

So here's to all the parents, those who are here, and those who have gone on. We adore you.

"Nanny 911"

2008-06-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I did return to work 3 months after Ava was born. It was an extremely difficult decision but we knew it was the right decision at that time. Between our semi-flexible schedules this past year and things falling into place, God gave me a peace about it all! The past 6 months, my middle niece (Charity), has lived with us and taken care of Ava during the day. Ava has flourished and that one-on-one attention you just can't put a price on. Charity has been able to team up with other nannies to keep the social calendar of our little one full!! I do my best to meet them for lunch once a week, and work the early shift so that I can be home for a few hours before "night, night" time. As I told someone the other day, if we can't be with our child 24 hours a day, the next best thing is family care!

I don't think they planned this "look", but as you can see, they are both naturals...

The Men in My Life...

2008-06-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Maddux and "Big Daddy"... priceless!

1 Year and Counting...

2008-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Big Girl, that Miss Ava! She's already working on 16 months, but her 1st birthday was a huge milestone for us (2/22). We had a "nursery rhyme" themed birthday party. Her invitations had a picture of her dressed up in a Little Bo Beep/ Mary Had a Little Lamb get-up and we modified the rhyme, to fit the occassion. Her day was filled with bubbles, Edgar's yummy cake and lots of family and friends! Our "family tradition" on this one is - every year we have a moment of silence on Maddux' birthday and light the appropriate year candle. We save those to be used on Ava's birthdays. So her "1" candle was extra special! Thought you would enjoy a pic..

Let me introduce you, let me introduce you...

2008-06-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

After begging my husband daily to update his personal website, I've decided that I'd just create my own "space". Plus journaling is a passion of mine that I sometimes do not make time for. So here I am... killing two birds with one stone!

My name is Rebecca and I'm VERY happily married to a my $e*y hubby, Brian! We have two precious little ones. Maddux Cade, our son, who passed away at 4 months old. He's made the ultimate sacrifice of life and now makes us prouder everday, by reminding us where our focus is; on Jesus Christ! And the most outgoing little girl in the world, Miss Avary Callie ("Ava")! The little sister who thinks we are all here for her to brighten our world. Maddux has mommy's eyes; she has daddy's eyes. How blessed are we!

Sit back, relax and enjoy the future reads. From our life to yours...