FRESH!!

The highlight of the Colon family Saturday night. . .time to get ready for summer. It was a family event as the girls giggled while Kevin decided to shave it all off .

Sharefest '08

Every year in May, Boulder County churches come together to serve in schools and various places throughout the county. Many work in the schools where they meet. Others help out at neighboring schools or entities within the community who could use some extra hands for a day just to get on top of the cleaning, yard work, painting and other work that needs to be done.
For 2 years now, Cool River has volunteered at Heritage House - a home for teenage girls. Prior to that we worked one year at Eldorado K-8 where we meet for church.

This is the first time that my girls have been old enough to really lend a helping hand. It was a lot of fun to serve alongside them today as we worked at sorting clothes that had been donated to the Heritage House clothes closet.

Does your family make it a priority to serve together? If so, what do you enjoy doing?

We Are Practicing Our Walking Skills

This morning I woke up to such a beautiful day. It's the kind of a day that makes me want to jump in the van and take the kids to the park, run through the sprinklers or take a hike in the mountains. You know those kind of days. . . But recently, just as I'm sure you can all relate, I find myself second guessing just piling into the van for the unexpected outing. Lately, I am more likely to stay home and wait for all of the errands to pile up so I can take care of them in one giant sweep of the town, taking every shortcut possible and never stopping to smell the roses. Van rides are now more about efficiency than recreation. And as gas prices continue to soar, I'm sure this will continue to become more and more our reality.

So, today we decided to practice our walking skills. Here are a few pictures of our time outdoors.






Safeway grocery store is only about a mile away, so we leashed up ECO and set out. Believe it or not, we actually made it there and back without my having to carry a single girl or a dog! Success!!! We purchased food for dinner ($8.75 for 2 chicken breasts!!! - okay they are organic). . .actually ran through some sprinklers. . . and made it back home in time for lunch.

And now comes to my great admission. . .slowing down and taking a walk to the grocery was WAY more fun than jumping in the car to speed there, grab what we needed and run back in the door only to conquer the next thing on my to-do list. Am I happy that gas prices are soaring? Happy? Are you kidding? I hate it. But I am happy that it is causing us in little ways to slow down and enjoy the moments a little bit more instead of just waving as they pass us by.

Just a Beautiful Moment of Rest for your Day

I have been introduced to this guy named Todd Smith from the Christian music group Selah via my friend Pete's blog. You can read more about Todd and his family story here. It's pretty amazing. Anyway, today when I listened to this song it touched me and refocused me and slowed me down. Maybe you need a little taste of that in your day today as well. Enjoy. . .


Todd Smtih "I Surrender All" from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

Maria Sue Chapman's Memorial Service

For those of you who have been reading my blogs about the Chapman's, you may also be interested to read a blog giving the details of Maria's memorial service. God was honored in a huge way. Get ready to cry again.

School is OVER!!!!!!!!! Welcome Summer!

Breckenridge Day 3

Yesterday I had a girls day out with Emma, Claire and Olivia. If you read Kevin's blog, you have already seen what he was up to - work. . .so he says. The funny thing about that is how much better he had miraculously gotten at Wii golf and bowling when I challenged him last night. . .anyway, the girls and I braved the snow and set out to patron the shops of downtown Breck. Peek a Boo Toys was the obvious first stop on Claire's itinerary. An hour later we came out with a few treasures and more Frontier airline miles added to my credit card.


Next it was off to our favorite spot - I wonder why?. . . .


A few silly pictures along the way. . .




And, of course, what outing could possibly be complete without a final stop. . .you guessed it. . .Starbucks (hey, it was cold and snowing outside!!)



Today is our last day of vacation. It's 10:30 and I'm still in my robe. But there is so much more to do. So until I have more stories and pictures to share. . .

Images from Breckenridge

Giant Pancakes for breakfast

Comfy Robes
Silly Girls and Daddy
Thursday morning snow

Naps instead of watching Hannah Montana

Update on Chapman Family

Here is a link to the website that the family created for people to send their thoughts and prayers. You can also find updates here and meet Maria.

Tragic Hits the Chapman Family and the Reality of it Hits Me

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I absolutely love Steven Curtis Chapman. His music changed my life as a teenager and discipled me through my earliest years. I have followed him and his family for a long time - especially since their family started growing due to the amazing experience of adoption.

That is why tonight I sit here completely speechless. My heart is beating fast. Tears want to come. As I write I am in complete shock at the news that just came my way. . .



Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Maria, one of the Christian singer’s six children, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Click Here to read the entire story

I'm sure you can also Click Here in upcoming days to follow the story further.

Once again, as I write, I am struck with such a sense of grief for his family. This truly is one of those things I can't understand. This man and his family have devoted their lives to sharing the hope of Christ with the entire world. Their lives are a testimony of hope and faith and goodness. And yet, as I sit here bewildered, something inside of me says that even in this tragedy, good will come. Little Maria's life will count for something grand as the story continues to play out. But I am sure that for today the grandness is impossible for the Chapman family to see. Lord, cover over them with your peace at this very moment - especially Steven's son.

Lord, don't let me take for granted even a moment of time I have with my 3 incredible little girls. Tears. . . .

(Later tonight just in case you hadn't cried enough. . .)
As I have been "googling," I found that SCC and his wife, Mary Beth, just released a new book entitled, "Cinderella, The Love of a Daddy and His Princess." If you know his music, you will recognize the title from his hit song "Cinderella."


This is what the book description says. . .
As the clock strikes midnight, remember...
Each moment we have to spend with our children is a blessing from above. But as we cherish this chapter of life, we realize the pages of time will keep turning. Alternating between the voices of a father and his daughter, Cinderella celebrates the blessings of childhood, family, love and life. You will be enchanted by this modern fairytale that teaches us how to hand our own Cinderella her glass slippers and let her go."

It all takes on a whole new meaning now. . . more tears.

The Coolest Trick Ever

So I just got back into the room from a junk food run to Conoco convenient store here in Breckenridge. And like so many of you have experienced before, the darn credit card wouldn't scan. You know that look that comes across the face of the cashier before he has to pull out the typepad and start punching in your number by hand? I hate that moment. It's almost as bad as that Visa commercial where the world is spinning just perfectly to the music until the guy decides to pay for his food with cash - then the whole world freezes and no one knows what to do. . .you know the one. . .that's what it always feels like. So in my anticipation of the dreaded cashier gritting of teeth, I have to tell you that today I was so amazingly surprised. The COOLEST thing happened. . .

Instead, this guy, with a smile on his face, said to me, "no worries, I have a trick!"
And what did he do next? The craziest thing. . .he pulled out a plastic bag and wrapped my credit card in it. Was he going to just throw it away? No! Not my precious Frontier credit card!!

But after wrapping my card in the bag he then proceeded to swipe the card again - yep, with the card inside the bag! - and get this. . .it worked perfectly!!!!!!!! He proceeded to tell me that a customer had shown him the trick not long ago and that never once had he tried it that it didn't work on the very first try. Isn't that cool?

So there you have it. . .another bit of useful knowledge from Amy. Now tell me this. . .have any of you readers ever heard of this before? What other "cool tricks" do you know of to share with me? As you can tell, I'm easily fascinated.

There's A First TIme for Everything

After 5 seasons of watching Dancing with the Stars, I am posting my first admission of defeat. I have never missed on picking the winner until last night. YES, I know, Kristi was hands down the best dancer, but for some reason I so wanted the underdog to win this time. So sorry Jason. I voted as much as I could. . .here are a few highlights from the night. . .

Literally SIGNS of the Times

Last Saturday Cool River volunteered at the annual "Superior Days" festival. I couldn't help but notice how very different festivals are in Colorado from the ones I grew up going to in Kentucky. Check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean (click to enlarge them). . . No doubt about it, I live in Boulder County! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!!!

Happy Late Mother's Day to our Family!!!!

Emma, Claire and Olivia perform at Golden West Retirement Center in Boulder with the Flatiron Youth Chorale. . .









We love you Gran, Katie, Grandma, Abuela, Mama, Titi Carol, Nancy, Kay and Gay!!! Hope you had a terrific Mother's Day!!

Reason #1 Why You Should Never Leave a Puppy Alone

So if you were planning on calling me today. . .don't bother. . .

Mother's Day Cool River Hike

Male Bonding

A typical Saturday night at the Colon's. . .Kevin and ECO putting the finishing touches on Sunday's service. ECO is not necessarily a "manly" dog, but in this household full of girls, he'll have to do. . .

Happy Mother's Day to Mommy from Claire

Notice I'm wearing the necklace that I wrote about in my previous blog. :-)

Emma's Piano Recital

We spent our Saturday afternoon attending Emma's piano recital. She did a terrific job. . .forgot her glasses, but luckily most of her songs were memorized. Sorry for the unsteady hand of the videographer. . .Enjoy!!

Emma's First Trophy

Just wanted to be the bragging mom for a moment and share a picture of Emma with her very first trophy. She earned it by scoring a "superior" in her first ever piano competition. Why don't you share what you are bragging about today. . .

$2.49 Mother's Day

Have I taught my girls well or what?

For those of you who know me well, you are probably aware that I am a super bargain shopper. I can sniff out a sale from miles away. I never buy anything (except food, of course) unless it is on clearance. The Target clearance endcaps are my best friends. And if it says 75% off you can always count on my attention being drawn to the rack for at least the next few moments. I think it drives Kevin crazy. But this frugality serves our family well. And the proof that I have passed this gene on to my children came out today as we were shopping in Dillards.

After successfully purchasing dresses for both Emma and Claire for a grand total of $32.29, we were on our way out of the store when Emma said, "Mom, look! 75% off jewelry!" Of course we rerouted to the jewelry counter. And as we browsed the rejected pieces of jewelry that filled the racks, Emma and Claire went off to the corner and obviously started conspiring about something. Then all of a sudden they started asking in their sneakiest voices, "Mom, do you like this,? How about this,? "This would be pretty on you, Mommy" I figured out pretty fast what they were up to. . .Mother's Day is only a few days away.

At this point I knew that I was going to have to search the racks for the best of the worst, and then do my best to make sure that they understood that THIS was my favorite of all without saying it. . .

It was so much fun to listen to them whisper and giggle as they thought I had no clue what was going through their minds. Their conversation. . ."$14.00??? That's a lot of money. . ."$5.00?? How about that?. . ."Mom do you like this one?". . .All the while I was looking for something that was both "me" and cheap at the same time. And there it was - a plain silver chain with a little tiny charm on it. . .Perfect.

So, I played the game along with them. They said that they wanted to buy something for someone very special. I said I thought they would like this, and showed them the necklace I had found. "Mom, can we use your credit card?" "You mean you don't have any money?" "Not with us." "Okay, but you are gonna owe me." "We know!"

So off to the counter we went to pay. And as I was instructed not to look, they slipped their treasure to the sales clerk. I gave the clerk a smile and she nodded as if she understood what was going on. She quickly hid the necklace in a box and took the credit card from Emma. Emma and Claire are really giggling at this point. Then the best news of the day came. . .The clerk announced to Emma and Claire, "That will be $2.49. Their eyes grew huge! "$2.49! What a deal!!!!! At which point they both looked at each other and in the middle of the jewelry department started giving each other high fives!!

My girls. . . yes, they are definitely mine! After watching this story unfold, that $2.49 necklace is going to be a great Mother's Day treasure. And this "someone very special" is going to love acting completely surprised on Sunday when I get to open it up. I hope I get to hear those giggles lots more.

Why Do I Love Homeschooling?

I love it because I get to be creative. . .

Now that the weather is nice, it makes staying home to get the days school work done very difficult. The sun seems to beckon to me very early in the morning and the thought of staying indoors instead of enjoying the day is not at all attractive.

So what did we do this morning? We took school on the road.

First we drove around looking at the last of the flowering trees in our neighborhood and all the girls chose their favorite ones. We talked about the life cycle of a tree and how the flowers would soon be fading away and new leaves would soon appear (science).

Next we stopped by the local Starbucks for coffee, Vitamin Water, hot chocolate and a steamer. And as we sat there enjoying the smell of the freshly brewed joe, we completed a lesson on dinosaurs and Noah (history). In the middle of it all we ran into a friend who works next door at Land Rover and said, "hello." (Can we call that social studies since I explained his job to the girls?)

Next we gathered up our books again and went to Borders. After browsing for a while we found a quiet corner and studied the Sumerians for a while (history). And although the High School Musical books were somewhat distracting on the wall beside of us, we again had a successful lesson.

We grabbed some Chickfila on the way home and I insisted on fruit instead of fries - thus prompting a dialogue about healthy eating and making good choices (health).

Now it is time to go upstairs and plant sunflower seeds in tiny pots so we can watch them sprout (science).

This afternoon the girls have choir (music). All in all, I think we have had a really successful day of school. Now do you see why I love homeschooling?

Take a Hike

The second annual month of May Madness at Cool River was officially kicked off today with a hike around Woneka Lake. We have started using May as a month where people can get out of the routine of regular group life and play a bit or change the pace before summer small groups start. Our family chose the hiking group. The girls loved it. We saw a muskrat, birds big and small, a snake and lots and lots of bugs and ants. I talked with many people that I typically don't have the opportunity. What a great Sunday afternoon! What have you done lately to connect with some new people either inside or outside of your circle of influence?

Derby Day

Every year on the first Saturday in May, the Colon family continues the tradition of watching the Kentucky Derby. With sweet tea and derby pie in hand, we and our friends, the Smith's (the only other family in Colorado who even knew the Derby was on today), make our picks and cheer on our favorite horses. It's the little piece of Kentucky that we like to hold onto and our girls love it. The horses are called to the track and the music begins. I wonder if I will ever get to the point that I can sing "My Old Kentucky Home" without getting teary eyed? And for the next few minutes we are transported back to the Bluegrass State that we once called home.

Today, Claire and Kevin's pick won. Too bad we didn't put a few bucks on that one. Claire actually picked first and second place. The picture above is of the girls official picks.

The tragic ending was an unexpected tear jerker. I could hardly believe that they had to put the 2nd place philly, Eight Belles, to sleep on the track after receiving compound fractures in her two front legs. Now you should try explaining that one to three little girls. Not so much fun.

But, despite the sadness of the race, Big Brown won BIG! Another year of Derby has come and gone. Next year the tradition continues.

Happy May Day!

Yesterday it was 80 degrees here. The sun was out. The trees were in full bloom. Spring had sprung. . .but not today! Welcome to my Colorado spring!