Category Archives: Family & Friends

Deck Staining is…FUN!

by Sparkbark | 1 Comment

We are actually enjoying this process. The bid for getting our deck spray/stained was $650 so we decided to do it ourselves. And it has taken a long time. And we really haven’t had any help from anybody (even though we’ve asked some people who shall remain nameless…). And we haven’t died. Yet. We are so excited and actually having fun! We power washed it a couple of weeks ago, cleaned the floor with cleaner and then sanded last week and then today we got the upper rails and most of the stair rails completed. Monday or Tuesday night we’ll finish the floor and stair treads and beams. Yeah for us! Hard work feels good…now if only the “red cedar” semitransparent oil stain we picked out didn’t look like dirty pink…oh well there’s no going back now! We hope it will look sophisticated to our prospective buyers! God can change the color in their eyes if we pray hard enough, right! Just kidding…maybe the fumes were too strong…

Click HERE to see a page with the color of Red Cedar that we chose – looks great, right! We thought so, too. Well, lesson learned: always sample on your actual wood (which, is actually cedar). I’ll post pictures in the light when it’s all done – it’s really not bad!

Kids & Stealth Vegetables

by Sparkbark | 2 Comments

Feeding vegetables to your kids a challenge? Me, too. Fortunately my kids enjoy one or two vegetables without a fight – if only each kid enjoyed the same ones so that none would go to waste! There has been much talk in the media lately about “stealth vegetables,” i.e. hiding veggies in your kids food. This sounds ingenious but also sounds like too much work to me. I really loved this article from Wondertime. Very, very good read. Read it here. Enjoy! Take THAT, Mrs. Seinfeld!

Four Little Pyromaniacs

by Sparkbark | 2 Comments

I have four little pyromaniacs, but only one who felt the need to involuntarily dance/convulse along with the fireworks…every single time one went off (thus the 2 different videos). I think I’d better watch this one as he grows up!

Houston…We Have A Problem!

by Sparkbark | 4 Comments

So the only real problem is Donnie and I both despise the heat but it looks like our attitude needs to change quickly because we’re headed to Houston instead of Hotlanta (yeah, and we thought Atlanta was going to be hot). I’m sadly looking around at my favorite winter coats, pullovers and jackets and can’t even conceive of life where it’s Omaha-Summer-Humid-Hot ALL YEAR LONG. Yikes. We’re going to need more than a few prayers in our behalf for this adventure! I keep telling myself this is what I said about Sandy, Utah before we lived there and it became one of our favorite places in the world. Well, at least maybe I can sweat off those last few pounds…just looking on the bright side!

In Memory of Aunt Pauline

by Sparkbark | 1 Comment

Sad, sad, day! Dad held it together well for his sister’s funeral this morning but my Aunt Edna (his other sister) didn’t hold it together as well. Their brother passed away in February and the last 5 years or so have been brutal. Let’s see for my side: Aunt Violet, my brother Ron, Uncle Gil, Uncle Ken, Aunt Arlene, Aunt Toodie, cousin Dennis Sheehan, Uncle Donnie – so including Aunt Pauline that’s nine. For my hubby’s side: his Grandpa and Grandma Rolfson and sister in law Erin. I’m tired of funerals. I can only imagine if I feel that way how my parents must feel…

I do have one actually funny story from the funeral. Pauline had been baptized but was not an active member of the Mormon church. Her kids and hubby had never been baptized. They agreed that Dad could dedicate the grave. When he finished, he said the minister came up to him afterward and said, “I like that part about the Melchizidek Priesthood.” I asked Dad if he explained authority through the restored gospel to him and he said he did not. Now I’m afraid the minister will just put use that phrase whenever he likes. Yikes!

Stupid Husband Tricks

by Sparkbark | 3 Comments

I think these photos speak for themselves…though I am glad the work is getting done! He even told me to dial 9-1- and wait for the last digit. Crazy man. Can anybody relate?

The Highlighter Cabin

by Sparkbark | 9 Comments

I heart Mike and Julie. We just enjoyed the best weekend! Big thanks to our friendly neighbors who took us up to their Highlighter Cabin. The kids had so much fun packed into one day and two nights that they’ve ever had. It might as well have been Club Med or a spa for me because Julie planned and cooked every meal and provided paper and plastic utensils so there was no cleanup. You heard me right. I felt like I had signed up for the best vacation ever. AND we got to take the dog. NO kidding.

Ben spent most of the time playing with Marcie and her kennel.

Cole had his first tubing experience! We loved their 1971 boat (we are such boat newbies).

The cutest little “island” in the middle of the lake where we played in the sand for hours!

Gabe had the most fish caught – at least 11 and I wasn’t keeping track! He had bluegill, crappie, catfish, largemouth bass and a white bass. I think. Very nice casting skills for a 7 year old!

Jack caught his first fish or two – including the cutest catfish. I say they’re cute while they’re kittenfish but when they get to be catfish…ugly!

Not to be outdone by his boys (cough cough), Don had a little fun fishing as well…THANKS, MIKE & JULIE (and Marcie the dog)! WE HAD A BLAST. Call me if you need some Prozac. I don’t actually have any but I could probably talk you down off the ledge.

We’re Off to See the Wizard…Or Not!

by Sparkbark | 1 Comment

Blurry pic. I know. I obviously didn’t take it and it’s the only one we got of all of us! So my sister has been spoiling us with tickets to cultural and sporting events and we went to the Rose Theater downtown to see The Wizard of Oz with the kids and the elaborate show is normally 160 minutes with a 20 minute intermission. Part way through the first half the fire alarms went off and we were asked to evacuate. Lots of kids. Crazy. Cast and pit also evacuated. Fire department comes. Building cleared. Find our seat. Lots of kids (again). Just before intermission it happened again which put the end of the show near 11 p.m. so we bailed at intermission and went to Jimmy John’s for sandwiches and tried to get some genealogy copied at Kinko’s (another post – beware – it’s not friendly; let’s just say Donnie ran from the store to avoid the altercation and embarrassment). With the storms at Rosenblatt last weekend and the fire alarms at the Rose Theater…we’re not going to have much to do with any roses anymore. Certainly not even considering any town with rose in the name in Georgia! We don’t want to curse ourselves…

Mother of the Year Award

by Sparkbark | 4 Comments

…is not coming to my home anytime this year. This afternoon, Don came back from a business trip to Houston. He hasn’t traveled for work in about 7 years so I was completely unused to the 24/7 single mommy routine. I went to Target for milk with all 4 boys the other night (quite late which I try to never do with kids) and came home with probably $100 worth of items – most of which was chocolate. When will I ever learn that doesn’t solve anything? Surprisingly enough there was no chocolate left anywhere in the house today – I was sure to share with my four chocoholics. Who invented Cocovia chocolate? I’d like to go back in time and erase that invention. I think it’s the Dove chocolate people – way too creamy. Plus Chocolove candy bars. Why did there have to be a clearance sign over by the chocolate candy??? Also, cereal was eaten for many meals. Hardly any vegetables in sight. All the rules were broken. Good thing he only travels once every 7 years or so or we’d be in serious health trouble. We’re going to have veggies with every meal from now on just to make up for it. In my defense, at least $20 was actually for milk and another $20 went to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith DVD so there couldn’t have been more than $60 in chocolate! Oh, my, that sounds even worse…I’d better give up now. How much running will it take to burn off this week? I don’t even want to know although I probably need the stress relief. I think a good, long run is in order for the morning. Perhaps I really should buy those socks that have “Run. Chocolate. Repeat.” embroidered on them. They sound right up my alley…

Rosenblatt Stadium – Go Royals!

by Sparkbark | 3 Comments










Okay, I’ll admit that don’t really know anything about baseball (really). Lili & Ron took us to an Omaha Royals game at Rosenblatt Stadium (you know, where they hold the College World Series). We were super excited to go since Omaha is tearing it down and the land will go to the zoo and it would probably be the last time our kids could visit the historic place. Ron informed us that the game was all about eating unhealthy snacks every 3 innings so we lived up to it: cotton candy, sunflower seeds, hot dogs, soda, dippin’ dots. I’m surprised nobody threw up! We left after the 4th inning due to a delay of game (thundershowers) but we had a really, really good time – THANKS, Ron & Lili, for a great night out for the whole family! What a treat!

Garage Sale, Toys & Transfers!

by Sparkbark | 3 Comments

Mounds of Garage Sale Material!

Um…here I go again, round two, getting the blog up and redesigned on my own website.  My current XHTML and CSS knowledge is extremely lacking.  Much to read, investigate, learn and attempt.  I’ll get there – eventually!  I already have a client wanting a website for their dental office so I’d better get cracking.  

In other news, we had a huge garage sale this weekend and it went fairly well.  Still too much junk, I mean stuff, to get rid of.  I didn’t realize how much accumulates the more kids you have.  At least now I know where all of the unmanageable “piles” are coming from that have been appearing from room to room.  My kids have too much stuff!  I’m discovering that a garage sale is a surefire way to curb excess spending.  It will be awhile (I hope) before we indulge in that kind of behavior again…at least I can hope!

In family news, we don’t have much info about our transfer to Hotlanta as Don has taken to calling it.  We hope to get some information soon!