Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

The Merriest Monthly Muster of All

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December has always been my favorite month of the year.  I love that the entire world is celebrating Jesus – even if some of them don’t know it.  I love the decorations and music and shows and family gatherings.  I even love wrapping presents in pretty paper.  And even though some hard things happened in the last 30 days, I still got to celebrate and see Jesus all over the place.

 

My Shelby saw her orthopedic doctor for a follow up and we rejoiced in the news that her scoliosis is not progressing.  No surgery for the foreseeable future and we say, “Praise God!”  My husband had a doctor’s appointment as well, for his first colonoscopy.  He received a good report too.  Yay!

 

My youngest said “goodbye” to her volleyball career with an end of season banquet.  She received the award for being “most social”.  A good indicator that she made the right decision to hang up her knee pads.  Then she treated us to her Winter Choir Concert.  Thirteen fans came to hear her sing.  Both sets of grandparents, brother, sister, niece, nephews, and an aunt supported her with us.

 

Allie’s Jazz Choir also raised money for the program as Singing Christmas Cards.  The director rents them out to sing at holiday parties.  I got to chauffeur some of the group from party to live nativity.  My sister and I enjoyed their music and the rest of the church festivities at the last stop. 

 

Chuck was briefly called to the mothership in Bentonville for a meeting, while the girls and I held down the fort and hosted my bonus son’s family for a surprise visit.  In between those, the hubs and I snuck in two movie dates!  We enjoyed Last Christmas (even though the ending had been ruined for me) and Ford v. Ferrari.  At home I forced the viewing of Christmas at Rockefeller Center, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph, and The Year Without a Santa Claus.  I even watched some Hallmark movies while baking this year.  When life gets messy, something simple and sweet hits the spot.  And then everyone enthusiastically participated in Elf – our favorite.

 

As a family we went to a Cirque Musica production called “Holiday Wishes”.  My husband and I won them in a silent auction for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation a few months ago.  I can only say that it was…weird.  That’s my best descriptor.  And Cirque Musica may be the C team of the Cirque family.  We also watched my niece Cora dance in a festive show at the Gaylord Texan.  That involved expensive parking, a shuttle bus and wall to wall people.  But Cora is A team so it was all worth it.

 

And now as I finish writing (even though I won’t publish until the end of the week), all the baking is done and the presents are wrapped.  We anxiously await Christmas eve services, time with family and a visit from Old St. Nick.  What?  I still believe.

 

If right about now you are thinking that you can’t relate to all my merry-making this year, let me point you back to last week’s blog.  We had concerts and parties and shows, but we are also had something really heavy and hard drop into our laps.  Because it is not really my story, I’m not at liberty to share the details.  But I do want you to know that if you are hurting this Christmas, I understand.  Even when life gets hard, Christmas is worth celebrating.  The Eternal One entered time.  The Lord of Glory veiled that glory in a human body for us.  And even though He came as an infant, He lives still.  Jesus saves people from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin and eventually from the very presence of sin. (from Bible commentary)

 

Hallelujah!  And Happy New Year.

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!

 

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Hearth and Soul Link Party,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

Legacy Link Up, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

 

Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

So Long September

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Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

With temps still over 90 degrees here in the beautiful Dallas, Texas area, it’s hard to believe that we are knocking on October’s door.  But the calendar says it is so.  We filled our September days with school, work, eye exams and dermatology appointments, church, and tending to loved ones with medical conditions.  I got to attend open house at the high school for the first time.  Walking my daughter’s schedule at this 3 story behemoth left this country girl breathless and overwhelmed.  It sure dwarfs the two hallways that made up my 3A school.  I guess that’s one way these kids put all that energy to good use.  And once I finally found it, I helped decorate the girl’s locker room to commemorate the start of volleyball district play.

 

Allie’s team competed in a couple of tournaments which gave me a little PTSD from the club volleyball season.  Our girls brought home gold from the second, but Allie brought home a concussion.  This is our first foray as a family into head injuries of any kind.  And even though it is slight, trainers and doctors take these things very seriously.  She has to be symptom free for a week before she can be cleared to play, and so far she has experienced headache, nausea, dizziness and light and sound sensitivity.  She is currently doing physical therapy specifically for concussions (which I still don’t completely understand what is – for the record).  I had no idea this kind of PT existed, but apparently a combination of ocular exercises, balance work, cardio, and hand eye coordination drills can help the brain reorient more quickly.

 

On the 19th, a new Sparks was born.  A little 5lb 13 oz sweet niece for Chuck and I named Dylan.  Can’t wait to meet her in person.  And I am adding new gray hairs every day because Allie has her first high school boyfriend.  Jesus be near.  She is also getting involved in Young Life – where Jesus IS near – and had fun at their annual Crud War.  A massive outdoor food fight the likes of which her clothes and our car interior may never recover from.

 

Chuck and I went to the theater on a double date to see the Downton Abbey movie.  After months and months of waiting, it did not disappoint.  At home we watched the John Crist comedy special I Got Questions and Too Funny to Fail – a documentary about the rise and fall of The Dana Carvey Show.  I always loved his characters.  I read Giddy Up, Eunice:  Because Women Need Each Other.  I was ready for a light and funny snack and I love the podcast the author Sophie Hudson does with Melanie Shankle.  I’ve also started reading, and discussing with a friend, Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families:  The 5 Love Languages for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities by Gary Chapman and Jolene Philo.

 

I finished the month by turning another year older.  I am now officially closer to 50 than to 40.  A moment to cry about that, please.  But I got to celebrate with a girls’ weekend and then with my twin sister and PawPaw surrounded by family.  I can’t think of a better place to be, and I’m so grateful.  I’d love to hear what you did this month.  What you read or what you watched.  Drop me a comment below.  And don’t forget, I love you, I thank you, and I hope October treats you well.

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of sharing it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!

 

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

Dream Team link up, The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Different Dream,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

A Blogging Good Time, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

 

 

Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

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