Elise's birthday is today.
Also, the kids turned one the other day. We got some great pictures of them smeared all up with cake. I put them on Facebook, but I need to move them to Flickr so we can all see them.
We need to make more of an effort to post here, we both know that. More to come.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
February 8th
Good Morning!
So, last week I turned 41. I expected it to be one of those "nothing" birthdays, since (a) 41 is hardly an interesting benchmark, and (b) the kids have really captured the spotlight around here, as it should be. But Elise had other plans, and set things in motion so that I could have a pretty wonderful birthday, and really, birth-week.
In the past few months since the México trip, I've been doing a few things around here. First, is that I recorded and produced my first full-length record album, Shabbat Rocks -- a Jewish kids' record. It's selling well, has almost paid for itself. Second, I've been teaching myself to code on Android phones (that's Google's phone system.) That one's a lot of fun, but hampered somewhat since I don't have an Android device. Third, I've been building some embedded devices, putting an Arduino microcontroller to work controlling some sophisticated lights. And I've still been doing a little paying work here and there for the Mansell Group, who bought the old Accucast business from PGS.
And spending a lot of time with the kids as they grow up. Meredith is almost at a crawl -- she rolls over and over to cover the distance. Fisher isn't going to crawl before he walks, probably. When he's on his belly, the only trick he knows is to roll over to his back.
So, last week I turned 41. I expected it to be one of those "nothing" birthdays, since (a) 41 is hardly an interesting benchmark, and (b) the kids have really captured the spotlight around here, as it should be. But Elise had other plans, and set things in motion so that I could have a pretty wonderful birthday, and really, birth-week.
In the past few months since the México trip, I've been doing a few things around here. First, is that I recorded and produced my first full-length record album, Shabbat Rocks -- a Jewish kids' record. It's selling well, has almost paid for itself. Second, I've been teaching myself to code on Android phones (that's Google's phone system.) That one's a lot of fun, but hampered somewhat since I don't have an Android device. Third, I've been building some embedded devices, putting an Arduino microcontroller to work controlling some sophisticated lights. And I've still been doing a little paying work here and there for the Mansell Group, who bought the old Accucast business from PGS.
And spending a lot of time with the kids as they grow up. Meredith is almost at a crawl -- she rolls over and over to cover the distance. Fisher isn't going to crawl before he walks, probably. When he's on his belly, the only trick he knows is to roll over to his back.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
New Year's Thoughts
Supposedly Joseph Campbell said, "We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
This pretty much sums up 2009, and should probably become my mantra for the next several. I think there is great merit in planning though, and I will continue to plan my choral rehearsals. (And our new Sparks family giant wall calendar will keep important dates and appointments in 2010.)
However, in life the best things that have happened to me have not been planned. Fisher and Meredith weren't "planned" per se. Being older and over-busy, I had planned that it would take a bit longer to happen. And I sure didn't plan on twins. In fact, that whole concept had never entered my mind.
I didn't plan on directing a college choir; that happened almost by accident, too. And I didn't really plan to do it for very long, but it seems to be steady work for the immediate future.
I planned on having my dissertation done prior to this year... But then again, GSU needed someone to give an assistantship to, and it is serendipity that I was still unfinished and there to receive it.
It was also quite unplanned that I am not officially back working at church. This is surely the longest maternity/academic leave that a part-time employer has ever tolerated. I hadn't planned to receive such grace from my pastor or choir.
And so it goes. I'll leave 2010 quite open to whatever is waiting. Considered as a whole, I--like George Bailey--have a wonderful life. It is quite better than I ever could have planned.
This pretty much sums up 2009, and should probably become my mantra for the next several. I think there is great merit in planning though, and I will continue to plan my choral rehearsals. (And our new Sparks family giant wall calendar will keep important dates and appointments in 2010.)
However, in life the best things that have happened to me have not been planned. Fisher and Meredith weren't "planned" per se. Being older and over-busy, I had planned that it would take a bit longer to happen. And I sure didn't plan on twins. In fact, that whole concept had never entered my mind.
I didn't plan on directing a college choir; that happened almost by accident, too. And I didn't really plan to do it for very long, but it seems to be steady work for the immediate future.
I planned on having my dissertation done prior to this year... But then again, GSU needed someone to give an assistantship to, and it is serendipity that I was still unfinished and there to receive it.
It was also quite unplanned that I am not officially back working at church. This is surely the longest maternity/academic leave that a part-time employer has ever tolerated. I hadn't planned to receive such grace from my pastor or choir.
And so it goes. I'll leave 2010 quite open to whatever is waiting. Considered as a whole, I--like George Bailey--have a wonderful life. It is quite better than I ever could have planned.
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