Happy Birthday to Gabby!

Gabby decided she wanted an all-Dora 2nd birthday. Here are some pictures from our little celebration!

Dinner on the patio for the kids

Everyone helped a little with opening, and playing with, the gifts. So fun.

Happy 2 years to Gabby!

At the square

Tonight, we headed downtown where they show movies under the stars. We got there a little early and they had some pre-movie entertainment for us. I couldn't get the girls to look away for a decent picture. They were mesmerized! What might you ask had the girls in such a trance?

Belly Dancers. Yes. They were showing the movie Aladdin so, maybe they were going with the whole middle-eastern theme? Well, the girls got their groove on and stood up to dance along. Sorry for the blurred picture but they were having a good time. Hilarious, free entertainment.



On a totally different note:
Good Luck on your marathon run tomorrow, Mom!!!

Hints of Fall

There's just something in the air that is making me want to put up fall decorations, make caramel-dipped apples, go to a pumpkin patch, wear a jacket, have a bon-fire, drink cider and play in the leaves. A little early, perhaps, but don't worry, I won't put up my Christmas lights until after Thanksgiving.

First Day of Preschool

Carter has been soooo excited to start preschool. We got her school supplies a few weeks ago and I am now aware that all it really takes to make a kid happy is a new backpack. She was giddy this morning when she actually got to wear it to school. We hope you have a fun year Carter!

Babies

Baby Carter

Baby Gabby

Baby Sparks #3-Due to arrive March '09
Already a little social butterfly...s/he's already waving at us!
Carter insists this baby is a boy and wants to name him Andy. Gabby just wants to name the baby Dora whether it's a girl or a boy. They are excited to be big sisters!

Cardinals Training Camp '08

It has become a fun family tradition to go to Cardinals camp every year. Is it a coincidence that Robert happened to choose the school where his favorite football team practices every summer? Probably not. We will have to keep the tradition up, even after we leave Flag.

Gabby "The Bug Killer" Sparks

After being gone for 5 weeks, we returned home to find that a few bugs had moved in while we were vacationing. I guess that's what happens when you live in the forest. Carter cannot handle bugs and would come running in to tell us if she saw one. Meanwhile, Gabby would go grab a tissue and flush the bug herself. It's so funny because both Carter and I are too wimpy but the one-year-old is just fine! I think Gabby just really gets a kick out of watching Carter and I get squeamish!

Rocky Point

Ah, we got to spend this last week in Rocky Point with the Warren's! We are converted to life on the beach! Just the trip we needed before Robert's last year of school.

Carter getting her hair braided

Our little beach babe

Gabby, Micah, Carter, all excited to be in Mexico

Robert and Clark in one of their many races. Maybe they can train for the next olympics!?

Loving the beach

Gabs on the balcony

Goodbye Mexico! It's back to real life! We hope to be back soon!

Little Fish

Our girls have been swimming every day lately. It's way too hot to do anything else! Although the picture above looks like Carter is torturing her little sister, Gabby actually doesn't mind it. She loves putting her face under water. The girls had fun splashing each other and Copper if he walked by.

Relaxing summer day!

Beating the heat

The girls have been taking swimming lessons since we have been in Mesa. They are both making lots of progress around the water! Carter is finally opening her eyes and Gabs figured out how to "monkey walk" with her hands around the edge of the pool. Today, they had a little visitor...a frog, washed up from the monsoons, was swimming around the pool with them!

Roadtrip with the Warrens

We took a roadtrip to Utah with Clark & Maelynn's family for the 4th of July. It was pure heaven for the little kids: carnival, races, swimming, parade, rodeo, fireworks. Okay, it was fun for the big kids too!

Happy 4th of July!

...we're hitting the road! See ya in a few days!