Mr. and Mrs. Meierdeircks

The day of wedding (yes, the real reason was traveled to New Hampshire).
The girls snuck away for a leisurely lunch at Beth's favorite sandwich shop- just a quick walk up the road.

Madi and I enjoyed some Mommy-Madi time as I painted her finger nails and toe nails for the wedding.


The ceremony was simple, elegant and totally Beth and Sean.


Beth and Sean wrote their own vows which they shared with their immediate family and a few friends at Bedrock Gardens.

They exchanged simple, matching wedding bands as a sign of their commitment to one another and a brief, unexpected kiss to seal the deal.


After the ceremony, Beth and Sean utilized the beautiful gardens for their backdrop of their photos.








Pa had been threatening Sean with 30 hugs (one for each of the guests present) since the invitations had arrived.
It was a classic moment to capture when Sean received his first "welcome to the family" hug from Pa.

Of course, Rob did not want to be left out and quickly "jumped"in.


Pa and "my" boys

Ok- hugging done, back to being manly!


In between shots, the guests meandered around the grounds and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Lillian preferred walking with Pa.


Sean being Sean and Madi being Madi. A picture worth a thousand words!


The sisters together.

Sisterly beauty

and a good giggle





4 generations celebrated this happy union.


Lillian was less then cooperative for the photographer, thus the unique Sparkman family pictures taken after the other guests had left with our own family camera.

Thanks photographer- Madi

Like mother like daughter

Madi says "oh NO not again"
Lillian says "run away"

Walking together- everyone is happy.

Everything is better with a Nuk and a chair


After the ceremony, we drove to Porstmouth for a scrumptious dinner.
The restaurant was directly across the street from the ocean and although it was freezing cold and very windy, it was a great chance to try for another family pose.

Oh the classy (and memorable) faces of Lillian




Beth and Sean opened their framed invitation (their wedding picture to be added later) from Nana and Pa after dinner.

Between courses, Lillian enjoyed playing with Daddy's phone and helping him to answer his calls.

Madi loved writing and drawing in her new Hello Kitty diary about our trip.

The Dorsey/Sparkman dinner table.



Congrats Beth and Sean.
Thank you for letting us share in your special day.

Many blessings and much love to you both.

Bath Do's

What better way to enjoy bath time, then to try out a few new do's?

How about a Mohawk?

Or just a plain soapy flop.

No matter what, they were all cute.

Happy Birthday Niki!

In celebration of this milestone birthday (let's face it, every birthday is a milestone worth celebrating) Niki and I headed to a girls night out at Beef and Boards.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers gave us a few giggles and plenty of memories of our time together.

No birthday celebration would be complete without dessert.
Of course, nothing but something classy would do for the pair of us.
So we ordered chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches and toasted to many more birthdays together.

I am so glad we could be together.

Derry, NH-we're on our way!

Bright and early Friday morning (6:30 to be exact) we arrived at the Indianapolis Airport for our flight to the east coast. With just a short layover at Midway Airport in Chicago we arrived at lunch time for our special weekend in New Hampshire.

This was our first flight with Lillian since she was able to move around and it proved to be an eventful trip.

She had to sit in her "own" seat and preferred drinking her juice out of an airplane cup rather then her sippy cup. With her very secure cuddle strapped (no official seatbelt for her since she was technically a lap child) around her belly she enjoyed watching the plane land with Pa.

We finally compromised and squished her between Madi and I in her "own" seat.

A quick lunch at Cracker Barrel was our only stop before arriving at Beth and Sean's.

Throughout the weekend we enjoyed visiting the nearby caboose.

With Big Sister Madi on top of the world, Lillian was sure to hold on tight until someone came to rescue her.

Where did Madi go?

We also enjoyed the continual entertainment of the interactions of the cousins: Madison, Lillian, and Loki.
Especially Lillian and Loki- no loops for you!

Can I pet the puppy, please?

Nice puppy.

Which one will jump first....

Catch the bubbles- this was especially hilarious since both Lillian and Loki tried to catch the bubbles to eat them.


The beautiful weather was perfect for long walks on the near by trail.
It was great to meander through the woods, laughing and racing together.

Of course there is always time for a break

and some acorn collecting.

Lillian preferred walking with Nana

or riding on Pa's shoulders.


Our last evening together, we shared a family meal of homemade spaghetti, wilted lettuce, garlic bread, and warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream and playing games together.

Pa, Omi, Madison, Uncle Sean and I enjoyed rather long game of Phase 10.

Look out for Omi's monster face- she was not winning.

Meanwhile, Lillian and Daddy enjoyed playing with the Iphone in the living room and watching football. Lillian loves pushing the button to light up the screen.


It was a short weekend trip but a great chance for some family bonding.
Can't wait for Thanksgiving.

Madi's Now a Brownie

Its official, Madi is now in Brownies!

She is now a part of troop 1905 and has already had her first meeting.

In celebration of Brownies centennial year, Miss Emma sent Madison the official centennial shirt (Thanks Puffin!)