Spark Open-Family Reunion

The Sparks have a golf tournament/family reunion every summer. We can rarely attend because of our travels with Cru but being that we were in town this summer AND that it was just two hours away in Park Rapids, we were glad to make it! It was so fun to spend time with extended family!

 Second cousins playing hard!

 The weather was nice so we spent some good time on the water. Our family is the only family that doesn't golf so we had some extra time in the lake too:)

 The whole gang!

 The second cousins. Alex and Connor are 13 and they were so great with the little ones!

 Tim's cousins and spouses 

 Tim's cousin Amanda has a boy, Harrison, who is also going into kindergarten this fall. The three boys bonded quickly over sports and wrestling:)  

 Cros and Reese having a deep conversation:) 

Roseville Fire Station and Friends

While in the Cities a couple of weeks ago, we met up with our friend Heather Newcomb and her daughter, Maggie. Her husband Tim was working and couldn't join us at the park:( The Roseville Fire Station was next to the park we were at and they were having an open house so we wandered over to check it out.

 The boys go to meet firemen...

 ...try out the hose... 

...put on the gear and sit in their trucks.

 They LOVED it!!!

The Spark Pool and Ezra

We have been on the road so much this summer. After NYC, we spent another 5 days in the Cities working on funding for our ministry, getting time with our families and giving a ministry update at a church in the area that supports our ministry.

 If it's not obvious, the boys love their cousin Ezra:)

 1, 2, 3, JUMP!!! Mimi and Gramps got their pool fixed and the weather finally cooperated. The boys were loving it! 

 Tim joining the boys for some diving board tricks:) I can only imagine what this will be like in 5-10 years! 

 Best of buddies!

Jumps and Dives

And one more shot of Ez:)

 While I was in NYC Mimi and Tim took the boys to the Mall of America. They hung out by the Lego Store most of the time:)

A little ice cream cone with Great Grandma Gigi. 

Cru Friends

Our dear friends, Dave and Heather Laughlin, are moving from Wisconsin to Orlando with their three kids. We were able to meet up with them for a quick goodbye before they headed south. Oh we will miss them:( Josh and Jen Duey also joined us, so there were 8 kids under the age of 7. Crazy times! After a couple of minutes we realized that conversation would be impossible so the guys went out to dinner and the girls fed the kids and then we switched. Win-win!

These 8 kids had some ENERGY to burn!!!  

 This was the best we could do for a group kid shot:)

 Pre-Scavenger Hunt celebration! 

The hunt lasted for 5 minutes and then it was off to the races! I wish we all lived closer! 

Crosby's June and July 2014 Update

 Crosby loves to wear sunglasses! 

 Horsing around with Dad. Isn't that laugh/smile the best??!  

 Loving on baby Caroline any chance you can get!

 Cruising on your Strider bike. We are hoping to skip training wheels for you. We'll see!

 Cheering on Carter at his tball game!

 The mosquitoes love you

 Ahhh sprinkler fun! 

 Blue shirt, blue tongue!

Hop scotch and skipping Crosby style!

Crosbyisms from the past two months:

-Crosby: "What are you doing?"

Me: "Fixing things."

Crosby: "Why?"

Me: "Because I like to fix things."

Crosby: "Oh, I like to break things."

-You are potty trained!

-I was watching Crosby from a far at the park the other day. He was pushing an empty tire swing and yelling to his "imaginary blue dinosaur". Then he started belting out "Let it Go" at the top of his lungs. Oh I love this little man!

-I love the way you say your words Crosby. Your favorite expression lately is, "It's not working" but it comes out werrrrking!

-Me: "Crosby get your clothes on. We don't run around the house naked."

Crosby: "Yes we do. My grandmas taught me that!"

Cooper's June and July 2014 Update

 You were trying to imitate the smiley face but the sun was too bright:) 

 Papa and Nana found some hockey sticks for you boys. You have especially enjoyed playing on the driveway this summer.

 I was working in the office one morning and you stormed in like this!

 Chilly at the pool

 You learned how to spell your name this month. You still need help writing all the letters but you are super proud!

 You built a phone out of legos and asked if you could call Rachel (a student involved with Cru that often babysits for us). 

 4 year old cousins!

 When we were at Mimi and Gramps in July we went to a park and saw a cheer leading team practicing. You came home and insisted that we try out some of the stunts. 

 You are getting way better at the monkey bars. You always want to keep up with Carter!

Cuddling with mom!

Cooperisms from the past two months:

-When playing sports with your brothers you get frustrated if you can't win. Then you'll ask to be the coach so you "can make up the rules and tell everyone what to do!"

-Me: "Cooper you're the best!"

Cooper: "No, I'm not the best. God is the best."

-"If Jesus died for my sins, why do I still get so angry at my brothers?"

-An 8 year old at the park called Cooper "Cooper Pooper Scooper". I overheard him say, "I will not stand for those jokes and potty talk." The kid looked at him and then they kept playing tag. I guess he solved that problem:)

-"Who is bigger, Goliath or Optimus Prime?"

-"Mom if we have a Summer Bucket List are we going to die after summer is over?"

-Cooper came out one morning and told Tim that he wanted to wear his Justice League shirt more than his Hawkeye shirt because "The Justice League are more like God. They fight for justice and defeat evil."

-Me and the boys were having a deep conversation about heaven and what it will be like. I used the word paradise at one point and Cooper said, "If heaven will be like paradise then it will be like Candyland without the Licorice Lagoon." Exactly

-We were hanging out with Mimi and Gramps and talking about how so many things at their cabin were made in China. I said something about Crosby being made in Mexico and Cooper being made in Wisconsin (tmi, i know). Mimi told Cooper he was a cheese head! Cooper started crying and we could not get him calmed down. After many tears and many minutes passed, Cooper said: "I don't want to be a cheese head...sniff, sniff....I want to be a Hawkeye."

Carter to Cooper: "I'm going to marry Annalise." (A staff friend's daughter)

Cooper: "No way. I am."

Carter: "Anna and I already decided. She likes us both but I'm older so I get to.

Cooper: "Err. Fine. Then I'm going to marry a girl that owns the Lego Movie, Star Wars and Frozen."