the journey

I've Moved!

2011-02-01T02:00:00.003-07:00

Starting in 2011 you can now find Amy and family at http://www.tallgreengrass.wordpress.com

More Sapa, VN

2010-11-16T20:17:00.004-07:00

Sapa

2010-11-16T20:06:00.003-07:00

More Images From Our Vietnam Journey

2010-11-12T00:57:00.006-07:00

Sa's House

2010-11-11T22:48:00.006-07:00

This is where we just spent the last 5 days. It is a homestay of our friends, Sa and Thuy. This was by far the highlight of the trip thus far. Sa is quite the host and Thuy prepares the absolute best food in all of Vietnam. It's all free range and organic :-)

Hanoi Friends, Market and Train

2010-11-11T22:36:00.003-07:00

Vietnam 2010 - Day 6 of the Adventure

2010-11-07T23:13:00.011-07:00

Hey everyone! Day 6 of the Colon Family Veitnam Journey and I finally got a chance to sit down this afternoon to hopefully share some pictures from our time so far if the internet connection treats me well. Today and for the next 3 nights we are in Bac Ha. It is in the northern mountains and we are staying with out friend, Sa. Kevin and the girls are our motorbiking around the countryside as I type. I can hardly wait to hear the stories of their adventures...just another story to add to the many we have accumulated so far. There is no way I can share every moment with you, but I'll do my best here to share some pics and tell you what our days have been filled with through today. Enjoy!

San Francisco to Taiwan. . .before the 14 hour plane ride.

In Taiwan and still smiling! Next stop, Hanoi.

Yum?

Claire drawing much too much attention as a crazy American on the Hanoi sidewalk.

Not your normal Vietnamese lunch - Al Fresco's (American food at it's finest. . .for Vietnam at least)
Exhaustion set in - rested before dinner at the City View Cafe.

Views of the city at dinner

Day 6 Hanoi - A day at Cafe Mocha, the zoo and home with Sherman, Becky, Hannah, Allison and Zachary (GVI family) and a night train to the mountains

Day 7-10, Bac Ha - Sa's homestay

Coming Soon!!!!!

A Time of Rest is Coming

2010-10-28T09:47:00.004-07:00

It's less than one week now until our family jumps on an airplane to travel to the place we have been dreaming of taking our girls for over 6 years. . .words can't even express how excited and full of anticipation I am.

Check out Kevin's blog for more info on WHY Vietnam and WHY now.
http://kevincolon.blogspot.com/2010/10/time-of-rest-part-1.html

And make sure you keep checking our blogs from now through November. We will be overseas November 3-18. Then the rest of the month is going to be spent in the mountains and celebrating the beginning of the holiday season.

Can't wait to share it all with you.

Pumpkin Pie. . .w/spinach (Shhhhhhhhh!)

2010-10-22T09:59:00.002-07:00

No spinach flavor at all. . .really. . .I promise. Just cover it with whip cream if you can't handle looking at the green. :-)

1 15oz can organic pumpkin
1+ cups fresh organic spinach processed into very tiny pieces (use food processor)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt (or other salt)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat free)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 9" deep dish pie shell

Mix pumpkin and spices
Add remaining fillings
Pour into pour into pie shell
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes
reduce to 350 and cook additional 30-40 minutes until cooked thoroughly

My Favorite Muffin Recipe

2010-10-21T19:23:00.002-07:00

Here's a yummy recipe that I adapted to be healthier and yummier. Try it and enjoy! (They freeze great, too!)

Amy’s Super Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini (can be less if you have less)
• 2/3 canned pumpkin or natural unsweetened applesauce
• 1 ¼ cup clover honey heated in microwave for 1 min. to thin out
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons milled flax (optional)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
Method
You don't need a mixer for this recipe.
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the heated honey, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the pumpkin or applesauce. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the zucchini mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnut in using.
2 Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a olive oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 20-22 minutes. Don’t overcook! Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

A Day of Sabbath with Gran and Pop

2010-10-17T19:08:00.012-07:00

Last week we had so much fun including my parents into our Sabbath journey. It was so much more than just a family showing their inlaws a good time in Boulder. Take a look. . .

We started the day once again at our favorite breakfast spot, The Original Pancake House. Can't beat it!

Then together we went to the hardware store, the grocery store, the spice store and the candy store. We did all of these things not because we had any specific reason for going. . .but just because. . .we stopped and tasted coffee beans, ate almonds, smelled flowers, enjoyed candy, smelled spices, walked slowly and basked in the sunshine of a perfect fall day. . .just because.

Then we finished the afternoon with a trip to the Humane Society. NO - not because we adopted a dog! No, no, no. Claire just loves it - so we went.

But I have to say that coming home was probably the best part. It was about a 25 minute discussion around our kitchen table that made the day complete. Each girl was asked to find a verse in the Bible, share it with everyone and then tell why they liked it so much. And then they wanted Gran and Pop to do the same thing. What a joy it was to listen to grandparents reading scripture to their grandkids and then taking time to teach them and share their hearts about why God's Word meant so much to them. It was priceless - another moment I'm so glad I didn't miss.

Thanks, God! You never, ever, ever disappoint. I love how we are together learning how to enjoy you.

Moments Almost Missed 10/4/10

2010-10-10T20:42:00.013-07:00

Okay, so I have to be honest. I didn't come home from this day of Sabbath with an overwhelming feeling of "Wow!" It was a good family day. We did some fun family things like going to the zoo and visiting Bass Pro Shop to look at the fish and climb on the boats. We ate some tasty BBQ, had some laughs and called it a day. It was fun. But it wasn't a "wow" kind of God day. I wasn't upset about it. Not at all. But it felt like we didn't do our best to experience God through it all. It made me long to do better next time. It reminded me to be more present, more available to the unexpected moments God might be wanting to share with us. It made me wonder if we missed something He was trying to show us. . .something more.

But to my surprise, this time, it was almost as if the "after party" was where God's presence chose to become very clear to me. It was tonight when I noticed it. . .God's hand all over our not so "wow" day, captured in photographs. . .

Sister's genuinely enjoying being sisters

A mom surrounded by her 3 healthy, happy daughters

Claire and Emma breaking through their fears and feeding the birds

Preteen Emma loving on her daddy

Giant smiles

A boost from big sister

Girls joyfully playing ring-around-the-rosy in the rain without a worry in the world

Basking in their country roots, running here and there, remembering their times in KY riding 4 wheelers and going out on the boat

You see, I just learned a good lesson tonight. It really was a "Wow!" day. It was a "wow" day because we were together, we were a family, we are healthy and blessed. There is joy in every moment. . .if you just take the time to look for it.

Emma said she saw God that day in the baby giraffes. Claire said she saw him in the rescued sea lion without a tail. We all agreed He was there as they ran and giggled in the rain. Yes, another "wow" God day after all. I'm glad I didn't miss it.

Waking Up Before the Sun 9/27/10

2010-09-28T09:48:00.009-07:00

5:45 am. . ."Girls, God created something really beautiful that he wants to show us this morning. Let's wake up." And 3 groggy little girls climbed out of bed, pillow and blankets in tow...

This week we had a beautiful start to a holy Sabbath. . .and then Claire threw up. . .yes, she did :-) and all of a sudden we had to resort to Plan B. (she's fine now, BTW - 24 hour bug)

So. . .we basically just relaxed, which was probably just what we needed.

Claire took a nap and Kevin and I had dates with the other two girls. Olivia and I went for a walk around Purple Park with our iPods. I told her I was going to listen to a message by Charles Stanley and see what God would say to me. She listened to her "God music" and we walked for about 40 minutes, taking time out to run through a few sprinklers along the way. I really should enjoy running through sprinklers more often. It made Olivia and I laugh together so much more than we usually do. Note to self:I need to laugh more! It feels so good.

She said that God told her to keep listening to "God music." I think that's a pretty good thing for a 7 year old to hear, don't you?

After that Kevin and Emma went on a getaway to Borders and the mall. Daddy daughter time is so special. I love it that my girls value time with their dad. I love to see the joy on their faces when they find out they get to be alone with just him.

Other than that, Sabbath was just a day of lying around and resting. It's hard to rest in my house. There is always something that I see to be done. But for this day, it was good.

Pancakes, Eldorado Canyon and Despicable Me for Sabbath 9/20/10

2010-09-20T19:26:00.015-07:00

Today was one of those days that my soul craves. . .one of those days when as it happens you are just continually thinking in the back of your mind, "WOW! This is what it's supposed to be like. . .this is what God wanted." Sabbath. . .no doubt God knew what he was up to in making this one a commandment. I so wish more people would take him seriously on it and just give it a try. It's part of what we were made for - enjoying the Father and allowing him to enjoy us.

Today started for me with a cup of coffee, Charles Stanley on the iphone and a drive around Superior before the world awoke. Then God prompted me to do some drive by praying. I'm sure a few people thought I was a stalker as I sat outside the houses of my friends and prayed for their families and for their marriages this morning. But what a privilege it was. And what an even bigger honor it was to then come home to my own quiet family and pray for them, too. Then it was to the basement for an hour of ridiculously intense cardio with http://www.mytrainerbob.com, only to earn each and every one of those calories back about an hour later with the family at The Original Pancake House in Boulder. http://www.originalpancakes.com/index.html YUM!

One of my all time favorite places around us here is Eldorado Springs Canyon. Only about 15 minutes from our house you can feel miles away from the world. We took the girls on a 3+ mile hike that ascended 800 ft. from start to top. It was hard work. But the beauty made it all worth while as we stood on top and looked over the Continental Divide and everything below. Emma, Claire and Olivia are rock star climbers and hikers - true Coloradans.

When we came back down, the girls played in the water for a while and then it was off to the movie. . .

We went to watch Despicable Me and if you have had the chance to see it, you already know that it was surprisingly sweet. It had a great love message and the best part was that the three little girls COMPLETLEY reminded me of Emma, Claire and Olivia. Their personalities were all spot on. Even they agreed. So much fun!

Click Here for a Fun Video of Claire's Pre-movie entertainment for us I love that girls' craziness. I wish I had just an ounce of it. She is her father's daughter!!

The day ended cheering on Jennifer Grey and Derek on Dancing with the Stars and family prayer time on the bed after a very LONG DAY!

How I love my family! Yes, we drive each other crazy - even on Sabbath. Sometimes we bicker and fuss. We get tired and cranky (even me! :-) ). But we keep pursuing this special day together. And it is SO worth it!! The best part is when you ask our girls now, "what is their favorite time as a family?" they will automatically respond "Sabbath!" And I'm pretty sure that's just what God intended.

Summer Sabbath Recap

2010-09-13T16:49:00.016-07:00

Summer has been wild and crazy and we're finally getting around to telling you about some of our Sabbath Experiences. Some were full and beautiful, some were short and choppy, some just didn't happen.

What we've learned is this:
* You have to prepare for Sabbath -- If you don't prepare, you'll end up working too hard for it and thus defeating the purpose.
* You have to fight for Sabbath -- The enemy is after you when you're trying to do something good. You got to scratch and claw for it. And when you win...it's totally worth it!

Sabbath has been an amazing journey for us. We're hoping for many, many more amazing days with God and family.

Here's a quick recap of the last few.....Enjoy. Each day we are trying to incorporate intentional God conversations, prayer, scripture, nature and family.

June 25 -- Toy Story 3, Pearl Street, West End Tavern and a walk along Boulder Creek

Early July we were off to Kentucky and Vietnam

July 19 -- Rocky Mountain National Park, Trail Ridge Rd.

August 2 -- 13th Wedding Anniversary Celebration Day

We spent the day watching the Cosby Show, Prince Caspian and The Flintstones as we celebrated love and life and marriage.

August 8 -- Black Sabbath

This was our worst Sabbath ever. We didn't prepare. We didn't pray. We fought a lot. We came home and worked. It was not good at all. We learned a lot, though.

August 16 -- Echo Lake and Mount Evans

88 degrees in Superior, 70 degrees at Echo Lake, 32 degrees and snowing at the top of Mt. Evans

August 25 -- Amy's Cupcake Tour of Denver

Click Here for a video from the day

September 6 -- Labor Day, Rocky Mountain Regional Airport, Pearl Street, Boulder Fire

A fun, relaxing day turned crazy. Breakfast at the airport watching the planes come in, Purple Park walk, saw smoke, ran to see, huge fire in Boulder. Went to Pearl for a closer look. Ended up back at Key to pray.

September 13 -- Rest, Rest, Horses and games

Celebrating Kevin!

2010-06-24T17:11:00.002-07:00

There can't be a better daddy of 3 little girls in the entire world. That's what Emma, Claire and Olivia are completely convinced of and I have to say that I agree. Kevin is simply a fantastic Dad. And our family is blessed because of it. He has made our girls confident and loving, strong and secure. He is silly and knows how to make any moment fun. He's firm and knows how to correct and guide without anger. And he loves the Lord and has done so in such a way that continues to impact the hearts and lives of our family every single day. Thank you, Kevin, for living out your faith for us to see and follow. Thank you for your commitment and your relentless passion to make us all better people - including yourself. We love you!

Father's Day dinner at BD's Mongolian Grill

Sabbath in the Mountains (Part 3)

2010-06-12T13:34:00.004-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Sabbath summer day in Boulder at NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). Doesn't that sound like some super brainy fun? Well, to tell you the truth, even though we did take a stroll through the visitor center, we were actually there for the trails that led behind NCAR. They are beautiful!! After a lot of hiking we decided to make one more stop at Boulder Creek to see how high the waters were from the snow melt. I can't stop being amazed at the beauty of where we live! I just LOVE experiencing it with my family.

Sabbath in the Mountains (Part 2)

2010-06-12T09:29:00.020-07:00

5am at the gym, believe it or not, it one of my most favorite ways to begin Sabbath. Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? It wakes me up and gets me moving. But best of all, I get to journey home to an early morning view of God's beauty like this. . .

This particular day everyone else in the house woke up a few hours later with one major objective in mind. . .going no where that our feet couldn't take us.

First stop. . .the kitchen table. Everyone got the opportunity to choose one of their favorite verses or stories from the Bible, read it to the family and tell why they liked it. I have to say that my favorite part was just watching each girl flip open their Bibles and search God's Word. That they are familiar with the books and the verses - that they know where to find stories and recall what has touched them in the past is pretty cool to observe. And that they have no fear or hesitation in hanging out with God's Word is beautiful. I pray that never changes.

Next, everyone got on their feet and marched out the front door to explore our neighborhood and town. We told the girls that they had to lead us. So at every intersection they took turns telling us which way they wanted to go.

It worked well for a while. They took us to some beautiful places, but after a while it started to feel like we were going in circles, so mom had to take over. . .

Down the hill we went. . .and despite the newly hatched little blue/green bugs that wanted to jump onto our clothes and bodies and take a ride, successfully freaking our oldest, Emma, out and causing quite the drama, we made it to lunch at Panera. For Emma, enjoying God's creation became a bit difficult, but she was happy to enjoy God's bagel's and smoothie's.

After a long, slow lunch we jumped to our feet again, renewed, and decided to take Coal Creek Trail and see where we might end up. All in all we walked around and enjoyed our town and community about 4 miles on this day. The Colon girls rock when it comes to hiking lately. There are much less tears and complaining (as long as the bugs stay far, far away) and much more joy. We are all really starting to understand the privilege it is to take part in the beauty of God's creation and noticing so much more of the journey.

We came home and crashed. . .the end of another great day!

Sabbath in the Mountains (Part 1)

2010-06-12T09:04:00.005-07:00

For the last 3 weeks we have spent our Sabbath days outside exploring nature and all that God has blessed us with that is just beyond our back doorstep. I can't imagine any better way to spend a day connecting with God and family than outside in the Colorado summer. In 3 weeks we have experienced rain, snow, extreme heat, bugs and an all too perfect yesterday in the upper 70's with just a little bit of cloud cover and breeze to keep everyone from pooping out on our hike. I wouldn't trade these days for the world!
*****************************

I've only got a few pics from our Sabbath 3 weeks ago in Estes Park. It was cold and gloomy and I suppose I was too focused on staying warm to take pictures.

The elk - every time we are in Estes we go on a hunt for these fellas. This time we found them next to the lake just enjoying the day.

The blowing snow

We found a little corner in the coffee shop located in the old, "haunted" Stanley Hotel and spent some time reading the Bible together. And through it all I have to say that the word for this day was "perseverance." It was a tough one. I was grumpy. The girls were grumpy. We were unprepared for the cold and tired. But we persevered. We were faithful to the command of Sabbath and we did our best.

I am learning so much about what it means to be faithful. . .and what it does not mean. Faithfulness comes with struggles. Faithfulness is rarely something we WANT to do. Faithfulness is full of determination, often tears and frustration. Faithfulness always wants to teach us something. Faithfulness has its own rewards - often not seen in the moment. Faithfulness can make a person mad and ready to give up and go hide under the covers. Faithfulness to God invites Darkness to throw a party in your minivan. :-) BUT in perseverance, faithfulness is worth it and Light wins every time. . .as you'll see in "Part 2."

So, Mr. Sabbath, we will continue to be faithful. . .you prove yourself worth it every time. . .

Sabbath at Garden of the Gods

2010-05-20T07:37:00.011-07:00

This week we took off for a day of exploring one of the "hot spots" of Colorado. There are just so many places to see here that I'm not sure we will ever make it to them all. And what I am finding for sure is that the greatest treasures in Colorado are definitely off the beaten path. But Monday, we played tourist and visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. It was beautiful, of course, but a little too manufactured and crowded to count as an escape into God's creation for me. Still, it made for some great pictures and some good climbing rocks for the girls.

Monday was a tough day for us all. It felt like each one of us was experiencing something like an internal fight just to continue to step into the day. Mine and Kevin's brains were filled with things that we felt needed to be done and it was kinda hard to turn it off and trust God for our time. The girls were all really fussy. . .not sure why. My continued assumption. . .Satan absolutely hates that we are being faithful in this way. As much as God seeks to show up on these days with our family, so do he. And sometimes that just stinks. Sometimes he wins. Sometimes we get to the end of the day and can't help but think, "what the heck was that? Where was God in all of that chaos?" "That wasn't very relaxing or life giving." And the tendency is to give into the frustration of it all. But the truth of the matter is that God never promised it to be easy to follow him. He never promised a bed of roses for us to run through in slow motion with out hands in the air and a slow and beautiful soundtrack playing in the background. He only promised HIM.

And at the end of the day, we found him. He was faithful just like us (but so much more).

He showed up at the craziest place. . .yes, God goes to the mall, too.

We had to stop on the south side of Denver for dinner as an attempt to miss rush hour traffic, so we chose the mall - or maybe it chose us with that great big red American Girl sign hovering in the distance. We explored American Girl for a few minutes together and then had some good American food of Subway, Taco Bell and Sbarro Pizza. Then we set off for a walk and found ourselves in a little corner that was tucked away just for us.

Even during this time it was hard for grumpy girls to focus. But still, we were able to spend a few minutes sharing what we had each been praying for lately. Kevin talked about the story of the fish and the bread and how Jesus is the "bread." Interesting conversation. Then we shifted to how Jesus just wants us to want him and that's all. Then everything else falls into place. We ended by asking God a simple prayer. . ."God give us You." I don't think the girls necessarily understood. I'm think I'm still in the process of understanding that prayer myself. But I want it. I want to understand it and crave it and experience all that it means - for me and for our family.

Thanks, God, that even though we know you were with us every step of the day showing us your beauty, you chose to really be known in the least likely place.

Have you prayed that simple yet profound prayer lately? Maybe you should try it and see what God gives???
http://kevincolon.blogspot.com/2010/05/courageous-prayers.html

Taking It Slow on Sabbath 4/19.10

2010-04-21T10:06:00.006-07:00

At the end of every Sabbath I find myself feeling like it was the best one yet. It's true. Every day just gets better and better as we continue this journey. I can't really say that I understand why that is. I think it's because we are discovering the rhythm of these days more and more. But bottom line has got to be that God is just blessing faithfulness. . .blessing obedience. And it's crazy good.

4 months ago when we started this journey we were just jumping in almost blindly to what this day was going to be about for our family. There was a strong sense that we needed to be obedient to God's Word, but I had a lot of questions as to how it was really going to play out. We have had some really tough days where everyone was in a bad mood and we just had to fight through the hours. But all of a sudden the rhythm is coming. We are expectant as an entire family towards what the day beholds. Value has come to every hour. We are noticing God in so many moments. I think we are all taking longer, deeper breaths and just moving a little more slowly, but with purpose. And God truly seems to be in all the moments. . .because we are allowing him to be there with us and we are delighting in his presence. Super cool and really, really hard to explain in words. . .I guess you'll just have to give it a try. :-)

Today's destination was Chautauqua Park in Boulder. We were all really tired from a long weekend as we moved into the day so we decided to do something really easy. We stopped at the doughnut shop on the way and loaded up on sugar and coffee and chocolate milk. Then we just drove to a park in Boulder, got out of the car and explored. (I hope you enjoy the pictures above.) In the middle of it all we found a little table and after "de-bugging" the area we all read from Psalm 23 and then scattered to find our favorite tree to sit under and talk to God for a while. It was really fun to watch the girls go for it - find their tree and sit quietly talking to God. We played some more after that and then headed home to spend the rest of the day in the sunshine of our back yard. The girls got creative and Kevin and I read and just sat together listening to their laughter.

Another peaceful Sabbath that really did bring rest...

Spring Has Sprung - Sabbath 4/12/10

2010-04-21T09:16:00.010-07:00

This was a really great day for our family. There is just something about working hard, getting dirty and finishing a project together. Today was all about enjoying creation and preparing for spring.

We started the day in bed. . .sleeping for a really long time. No one woke up until like 10am, which was pretty amazing. Then Kevin cooked breakfast and we sat down to read the Bible together. We read from John 3 when Jesus was teaching Nicodemus what it meant to be born again and how to live by the Light and not in the darkness. And of course, with 3 little sisters, we had plenty of opportunity to reinforce that lesson as the day went on. It's amazing how much darkness tries to invade when you are trying hard to follow the Light. Sabbath is becoming quite full of teachable moments. But it's good.

Anyway, from the pictures above you will see that we had a great day despite moments of fussiness that inevitably come. Emma, Claire and Olivia were hard workers. They all got to pick their own flowers and vegetables and in the end we were all proud of the results of a day spent together in the backyard as a family.

My Basketball Stars

2010-04-07T10:05:00.006-07:00

Another basketball season has come and gone. Claire and Olivia are well on their way to becoming stars. It's the Kentucky genes in them!!!!

The FLAMES with Coach Kevin (I helped, too, but never seem to get in the pictures :-) )

The ATOMIC BULLDOGS

Great season, girls! Watching you improve and work hard with good attitudes is such a blessing.

Preparing for Spring and Getting Our Last Tastes of Winter

2010-04-07T06:39:00.017-07:00

This week, Sabbath was a day of saying "hello" to spring and with any luck, "goodbye," to the snow of winter for a while. The melt is coming slowly but surely in the mountains. Green is peeking her head through the earth and even though I have loved the snowy winter, I am more than thrilled to feel the sunshine on my face yet again. Monday's in shorts and flip flops will be welcomed by all of the Colon girls who have braved the snow with boots and coats for 3 months now as we have entered into Creation and all that Colorado has to offer.

This week we started our day in Boulder once again. I believe we may have just found the absolute best breakfast place on the planet!! The Original Pancake House

Next we went across the street to McGuckin Hardware where we stocked up on baskets and buckets that we plan to use next week for planting flowers and our mini garden.

Then we loaded up again and set off for Mud Lake. A fifteen minute drive through the canyon and we were there. I continue to be amazed at how blessed we are to have such beauty and opportunity to experience it all around us. We ended up hiking for a while and then taking a break to sit back and pray together. There is something so cool about talking to God while in the quietness of nature. And then you add your family and it becomes a moment you don't ever want to end.

Throughout the day we spent a lot of time talking about good attitudes and peace...2 things that seem to always be at the forefront of conversation in our home. At breakfast Claire discovered this written on a board near the entrance of the restaurant. It's quickly becoming out family motto. . .

ATTITUDE
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company. . .a church. . . a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so is with you. . .we are in charge of our attitudes.

Charles Swindoll

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T20:59:00.009-07:00

Quick Lesson on Sabbath for Ya #1

2010-04-05T20:07:00.006-07:00

(Note: These are actually Cliff notes for Kevin, but I have a feeling you might enjoy learning as well. I hope it challenges you like it has me)

So this book seemed quite appropriate to be reading this year. Thanks a lot, Pete, for the recommendation. I'm only about halfway through it, but already I've gained a huge amount of perspective and affirmation about what we are doing this year as a family by faithfully observing the commandment of Sabbath. Here are some of my favorite thoughts so far.

*Sabbath rest is entered when we refuse to be bound by complexity or drowned by despair. We enter delight only as we gaze equally and simultaneously at creation and redemption, in spite of the darkness that surround us and constantly clamors to be truer than God.

*Sabbath rest is not an option; it's a commandment.

*Sabbath is a holy time where we feast, dance, play, have sex, sing, pray, laugh, tell stories, read, paint, walk, and watch creation in its fullness. Few people are willing to enter the Sabbath and sanctify it , to make it holy, because a full day of delight and joy is more than most people can bear in a lifetime, let alone a week.

*Sabbath is not about time off or a break in routine. It is not a minivacation to give us a respite so we are better prepared to go back to work. The Sabbath is far more than a diversion; it is meant to be an encounter with God's delight.

*We often fail to create a day of delight because to do so compels us to stand against the division, destitution, and despair that often holds us captive the other six days of the week.

*We would rather settle for distraction than open our hearts to what seems beyond out wildest dreams.

*We are driven because work brings us power and pride that dulls our deeper desire for delight.

*The core of delight is out capacity to worship, to create and enter beauty as a reminder and anticipation of God's goodness.

*Worship is knowing that transforms us because we can barely take in the beauty, let alone speak to the Creator and hope to be heard. To say, "thank you, thank you for including me in this moment," and then to hear the Creator say in return, "no, thank you for joining me in this glory, for celebrating with me my glory" is the truest essence of Sabbath.

*The only parameter that is to guide our Sabbath is delight.

*Delight requires the courage to be attentive, intentional and diligent. It will not happen without planning and preparation.

Is that plenty to think about for now? That was only the first 2 chapters! More to come.

Three Kings Day 2010

2010-04-05T16:54:00.019-07:00

In the Caribbean, Three Kings Day (also known as Epiphany) is an imported tradition that originated with the Spanish settlers. For centuries, the children have celebrated the holiday in the same manner as their ancestors before them. Traditionally, January 6 is celebrated as the day in which the Magi arrived bearing gifts for baby Jesus and it is the day when the island children receive their gifts. It is a tradition older than Santa Claus.

Since Kevin and his side of the family is from Puerto Rico, this is a fun tradition that our family has always celebrated. And it has become quite meaningful over the years to our girls. The bigness of the Christmas season has passed and yet they get to carry on the celebration just a bit longer with one special night of gathering grass for the camels and leaving it outside at the front door for them to eat, only to wake up to a very special gift that the wise men leave symbolizing the gifts they gave to Jesus in return.

This year's celebration was lots of fun as usual. The girls made letters for the wise men, left food for the camels (look closely at the pictures. This year the camels got to eat caramels and peppermint) and the gift the received was pretty cool if I do say so myself.

And just last week we got to go as a family to enjoy the gift in Denver. . . Mary Poppins the Musical

It was SUPERcalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Family is so just so great!

And if you are a Mary Poppins lover like us, you've gotta watch this clip from the musical. . .my favorite scene. BEWARE - You'll be singing it all day long!
(FYI - you can skip the very first part where the man is talking - go straight to the good stuff at 0:56)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VNGIQ51aiw

Scenes From Sabbath (Catching Up)

2010-04-05T07:19:00.027-07:00

My blogging skills have failed me the last few weeks. We have been having some great, great days, but I have not been so disciplined in sharing them with you. So, heres' a little Sabbath Day catch up for you. . .

We have spent the last 2 weeks outside. I'm so happy that spring is slowly but surely coming to my Colorado. The first pictures below are from Estes Park. On this day we started our journey and decided to make stops all along the way and discover God at each stop. Stop one was at an overlook off of Highway 36 as we drove into Boulder. Stop 2 was at the Humane Society and stop 3 was in Estes Park where we grabbed a Starbucks, followed by fishing Claire's retainer out of the Starbucks trash can :-) , and taking a long walk along the creek, ending at the library(of course).

This is by far my favorite picture from the day. Claire quickly fell in love with this dog at the Humane Society. I have to admit, he was big and beautiful and I think he took to Claire as quickly as she did to him. It was one of those moments where I found myself wishing for 100 acres of fenced in land in the foothills. He would probably be sleeping on our front porch right at this very moment. When asked later in the day how she experienced God at the Humane Society, Claire quickly answered that she "felt the way God cared for the animals who didn't have homes because he made her really care about and love Tucker." I absolutely LOVE the heart that God has given to my Claire. It is big and expressive and full.

Last week, once again we had a big breakfast and packed up for another adventure. But first we sat around the table with the girls and read from Romans 12. Everyone took turns reading verses and Kevin taught the girls along the way. In case you haven't read it lately, Romans 12 is Paul talking about being Living Sacrifices and how to live as believers in Christ with verse 18 being one of the big teachings of the day. . ."If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Very appropriate for 3 sisters, don't you think? Mom and Dad, too. But by far, this was the girls favorite. . . verse 20 "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." And all day long they quoted it this way. . . "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. AND IF HE HAS A KNIFE - RUN!!!" Quite smart, don't you think??

Anyway, after Bible time we piled into the van and the road took us to a yet hike just outside of Boulder on a trail called Bald Mountain Scenic Area.

The girls requested a short hike this time, so Kevin found a one miler with a beautiful lookout at the top where we had lunch. Little did we know there would be such treasure to be found! Take a look!!

Can you guess what tiny part of God's creation these might be???

Newly hatched lady bugs!!!!! They were everywhere!! I have never seen anything like it. There were millions at the top of the lookout - everywhere you looked. Amazing!

We ended this day in pajamas. . .well, at least the kids. Emma, Claire and Olivia each got to invite a friend to Chickfila Pajama night. Free food! Lots of little girl giggles. So much fun!

Blessed.

A Zoo and Museum Day in Denver

2010-03-13T21:03:00.018-07:00

This week for Sabbath we decided to take advantage of some of the fun that Denver has to offer. Even though it's only 20 minutes away, it's not very often that we go in that direction. I am definitely a suburban girl. But, Monday we decided to really take it slow, have some yummy breakfast together, read the Bible, and then enjoy the cool early Spring weather with the animals and with each other in the city.

The best thing about having a zoo pass is that you can go any time you want and stay for as long or as little as you want without feeling guilty. It was chilly, but the animals were enjoying it. We took in about 1/3 of the sights and then retreated to the van. By far my favorite animal this time was the sea lion who had been wounded and was just being re-introduced to the other sea lions. He was saved on Laguna Beach in CA and was without back flippers. Watching him reminded me so much of how unbelievable God's creation is. He had been beaten up and yet he was still a fighter, swimming hard and fast as if nothing made him the least bit different from all of his other sea lion friends. Strange to say that I was inspired by a sea lion, but I think that's what it was. . .inspiration. I think he had heart and crazy energy and an excitement about a new lease on life. I wanna be more like that. . .living life to the fullest no matter what gets thrown my way.

After hanging out with the animals it was time for lunch. . .a true Amy prepared lunch of peanut butter and jelly, chips, strawberries and chocolate. Nothing but the best for my family!! :) Lucky for me, everything tastes better on a picnic. And picnic is exactly what we did. . .in the back of the van! We lowered the back seat and climbed in. It was most definitely the best meal I have had in a really long time!

I have said it over and over again as I have blogged Sabbath, but I don't think I will ever cease to be amazed at how fantastic family time and conversation can be if you really focus. It must be ridiculous how much we miss on the other 6 days of the week due to computers, iPhones, tv's and so many other distractions.

We ended the day at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Emma is always begging us to take her there. I reminded her that all of her asking finally payed off. It's a cool place. I'm not quite as appreciative of the sciences as my kids seem to be, but watching them makes it fun no matter what. Here are a few pictures from our time there.

Kevin and Emma, the scientists

Claire the walnut???? She's an antioxidant, of course.

Olivia was just all smiles

And me, well. . .I try to hide behind the camera as much as possible. :)

Another fun day!

And one more thing worth noting. . .as we continue to move into this journey with our family I am really starting to notice how the girls are getting much better attitudes and outlooks on what the day is all about. We are having less fussiness, and to be honest, they are the ones keeping Kevin and I in check now. "Remember, no electronics, Dad! Put your phone away, please!" I think we may have created monsters!

Talk about Getting in the Mood for Sabbath! (3/1/10)

2010-03-10T07:25:00.011-07:00

Last Sunday we woke to a really sweet surprise. Months ago Olivia made the decision to follow Jesus. For all that she knew and understood in her little heart she had asked Jesus to come into her heart and be with her forever. She had made her first tiny steps of faith. But we hadn't pushed the baptism thing. She didn't seem ready yet. She seemed nervous and still not too sure about the whole thing, so we were happy to just let her go at her own pace and figure a little more out on her own. But Saturday evening, to our surprise, she bounded down the stairs (after hearing that Baptism was planned for the Confluence gathering at Cool River the next day) and announced, "Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?! It starts with 'B'!". . .and so she did! To our surprise and God's delight she went for it - Boldly AND Coldly. . . No, the hot tub was only mildly warm to say the least, but she didn't care.

Olivia's Baptism 2/28/10 from amy colon on Vimeo.

Now wouldn't that get your heart in the mood to rejoice and spend some good quality time with family and the Father? So. . .soon after church ended and the evening began, we once again unplugged, relaxed and celebrated.

Sunday evening we drove into Boulder and attended a worship night with Highway Community Church. Then all day Monday we just took it slow, enjoyed the sunshine around our neighborhood, ate good food, listened more to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy, while cuddled up on Mom and Dad's bed and just enjoyed each other. It keeps on amazing how slowness prompts Peace and Peace prompts moments and conversation that might otherwise pass unnoticed and unsavored.

My Little Punky Brewster

2010-02-24T12:45:00.008-07:00

Flash back to the 80's when Punky Brewster was my favorite TV show. . .Here is a picture of Olivia last Sunday at church. I like her style so much I just had to share. Her sense of style definitely matches her personality. . .

Too bad I failed to get a photo of her in her completeness with the pink toboggan she also added later in the day.

Pearl Street in the Snow

2010-02-24T09:27:00.011-07:00

Week 8 of "Sabbath" equals guess what. . .More SNOW! Imagine that! This has been one big snowy experience so far. We're embracing it, though. It's not slowing us down. But O, how I long for a sunny, warm day to take a hike and look at the new leaves and budding flowers, all the while tracking NO MUD into my van. Yes, the day will come soon. I'm praying for it. But until then, we will continue to enjoy the white stuff just like we did Sunday afternoon on Pearl Street in Boulder.

Some days, no matter how intentional you want to be, the "plan" just doesn't work out. This Monday was one of those days. We had to make a choice and say, "no Sabbath" because of some prior commitments that we needed to stick with. I must say, I am surprised at how bummed I was. Eight weeks into it, this has become our way of life. We did try our best, though, to get some quality time in on Sunday afternoon. As you'll see below, we added a few more giggles and a bit more silliness to the adventure as we loaded up the van after church to head for Boulder (only 1 exit down the highway from our house).

Bottom line, it was just fun. There was no breeze and the snow was falling heavy and perfect. It was cold, but what's new? I think I have stated that in every Sabbath blog entry so far, so why break the pattern? Most of all, it was just relaxing and simple and easy and peaceful. . .even with 5 loud and crazy little girls. We had good conversation at lunch about what we like best about how God made our friends and even hit the candy shop before the day was done.

I think Claire and her best friend, Kate, were practicing their yoga, "OM" in this pic?? If you click on this pic it will zoom in and you will see 2 yoga girls, 2 hippies, a Punky Brewster look alike and a pastor. . .now that's Boulder!

Lunch at Chipotle

Here's a video I found on YouTube of Powell's Sweet Shoppe. Beware! This is not a good video to watch if you are still trying to keep you New Year's Resolution!

Monday in the Springs

2010-02-16T10:04:00.019-07:00

This week for Sabbath Kevin and I sat down after another busy morning at Cool River and started to plan the next 24 hours. Kevin asked me, "where do you connect with God the best?" And as we thought and enjoyed our conversation, together we came up with a list of 4 main places. . .

1. Around a cozy fire with a cup of coffee, my Bible and a journal with no other distractions (Amy)
2. In nature (Kevin)
3. Church/worship (both)
4. Watching our kids having fun and laughing (Amy)

After coming up with the list, we decided that these would be the pieces we would try to plan our next 24 hour Sabbath around. And here is how it played out. . .

Church/Worship
Kevin has a good friend named Ramin who is a church planter in Boulder. Origins Community is a church like none other that I have personally ever known. Some people will understand what I mean when I say it is a very BOULDER church. The music and atmosphere is refreshing and authentic. . .a bit uncomfortable for this suburban girl at times, but uncomfortable in a way the I have come to enjoy and appreciate. Ramin is deep and real and unique and challenging. And in the uncomfortableness that I sometimes feel simply because I am an outsider to the Boulder culture that Origins is immersed in, I seem to find God there every time in a fresh and interesting way. So, we went to church Sunday night, sat back and enjoyed.

Fireplace
After church we then went on a quest to find the best fireplace around. The criteria. . .warm, cozy and hot chocolate available. We ended up at the Renaissance Hotel in Broomfield just a mile or so from our house. We ordered up some hot chocolate and decaf from the bar and just hung out together, lounging on the couches and watching the Olympics.

Watching Kids Have Fun
Monday morning we slept until 9:30. That was awesome! Kevin made breakfast and we piled into the van and headed for Colorado Springs (1.5 hours). We made a stop at Focus on the Family to purchase the next radio broadcast cd of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy. We have been listening to the entire series together as a family. The girls got to play a bit inside the play area there and take Kevin on a secret adventure via a wardrobe that served as a door into a room they have created there to look like Narnia.

In Nature
We had a little lunch at Qdoba and then decided to take a look around the Air Force Academy, hoping that we would discover a trail to hike. It was really cold once again, but we did find a short trail to explore. . .

And the trail ended here. . .

We played a little and then quickly retreated to warmth once again. . .

Finally, to end the day we stopped at the Park Meadows Mall in an attempt to miss Denver rush hour traffic, found some yummy food and another great fireplace.

I loved this day because it was filled with lots of little snippets of great "God conversation" all throughout. I spent much of the ride to the Springs talking to Kevin about my summer in Colorado as a college student which ultimately brought us to Colorado years later - recalling all that God did and the lessons I learned even when I had no idea I was learning. And the day was topped off by conversation with the girls about what they love most about how God created each person in our family. Their answers were cute and funny and heartwarming. They love each other. They fight and fuss and complain. We all make each other crazy at times. But we love each other. And everyone knows it and feels it. It's good.

Speaking Love with Bacon

2010-02-13T20:03:00.003-07:00

I made pink heart pancakes and bacon for breakfast today. . .Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!

Snowy in Golden

2010-02-10T08:29:00.019-07:00

The snow didn't stop us on Monday's Sabbath. It did slow us down a bit, but like good Coloradans we braved the weather without fear.

This week the Colon's spent the first part of the day in our pajama's watching the beautiful snow. It had been almost a month since we had seen the white stuff fall, so it was nice just to enjoy the stillness on the morning together as a family.

Chef Kevin once again shared his culinary breakfast skills by making homemade french toast for everyone.

Then it was Dutch Blitz time. . .

And when the snow slowed we got dressed, dug out(there really wasn't much snow) and took off to Golden to practice everyone's newly acquired Wii bowling skills at Golden Bowl.

We are much better at Wii bowling than the real thing, but it was still a lot of fun. I loved watching our girls laugh at themselves as they threw gutter ball after gutter ball. By the end of the game, everyone scored at least something and worked up a good appetite for a late lunch before basketball practice.

Sitting around a table we talked about the day and about family and God. I love how easily our girls can share their hearts. We then had another good 1st grade basketball practice and family prayer time on the steps going up the the girls' rooms ended the day. I love how much I love being with my family. They make me very proud.

A Day in Breckenridge

2010-02-02T11:19:00.024-07:00

I love to write, but today I think I'll give the credit to someone else.
So. . .PLEASE read Kevin's blog HERE and then check back here for more photos from our Family Sabbath Week 5 in Breckenridge. . .

*************************************************************************************

IT WAS COLD!!!!! Only an hour and a half away but 20+ degrees colder. . .First we went to see the snow sculptures that were in downtown Breckenridge. Everyone chose their favorite. Very impressive!

I couldn't resist including this one.

Lunch at Cool River Coffee Shop. . .it seemed appropriate. (http://www.coolriverchurch.com)

And then it was time for a little sledding to end the day. . .check out that view!

Another fun day complete!!!

4 Weeks Into It

2010-01-26T07:57:00.021-07:00

Exodus 20:8-11
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Did you catch that last sentence? Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

The Colon family Sabbath is starting to cause quite a bit of chatter and I love it! It's been really interesting. For the most part, I think our friends have a huge curiosity about what we are doing. It seems a far fetched idea to most at first. . .unplugging, taking a day away from it all every single week. Just like we have always thought until recently, so many believe that life is just too jam packed with things to do and accomplish - people to see and places to be - to pull something like Sabbath off EVERY week. It's a nice idea, but pretty close to an impossibility is what I know goes through most people's head when we try to explain.

And it's funny. When we're in conversation, no one seems to even know what to call it. . ."Kevin's day off," "a sabbatical." The word "sabbath" almost seems uncomfortable to say or even wrap a persons' mind around. I get it. It feels a little awkward to me, too. And to really explain it to those inquiring minds has been tough for me as well. . .until now. Now, after looking at the last 4 weeks I get it. Now my bottom line explanation is this. . ."It's a HOLY day.

HaHa! Now I have created yet another web to try to untangle. What really is a HOLY day? Here's my new definition. . .putting life on hold to truly experience LIFE. And in truly experiencing LIFE we experience, realize and savor sweet glimpses of the Father and his holy presence in all the little moments throughout the day. It's about connecting to those you are with at a heart level and allowing God to move instead of pushing him aside for what we call life the other 6 days of the week.

This week our Sabbath started out a bit rough once again. It seems we should learn to expect that. Kids weren't so grumpy this week. Instead the weather threw us a curve ball. The wind was blowing and it was cold. So the idea of taking a hike in Estes Park didn't quite pan out.

So where did we end up? Once again, we went to the YMCA of the Rockies to hang out for the day.

We listened to Focus on the Family's radio broadcast version of The Chronicles of Narnia The Magician's Nephew while we drove. We had a little lunch. Then we went swimming at the indoor pool at the YMCA camp.

After a little exercise it was time for a snack, so we went next door for some hot chocolate, coffee and muffins and really good "God" conversation around the table. . .and some silliness provided by Kevin, of course. Kevin and I were amazed at our little girls' hearts and words and depth at such a young age as we talked about what they thought God might want them to do with their lives when they grow up, what they felt about God when they looked at the mountains and what they loved about our family. . .

We ended the day with 1st grade basketball practice that Kevin and I coach, dinner and prayers on our bed before bedtime. Again, Emma, Claire and Olivia blew me away with their prayers for Haiti and their Compassion International "sister" in Ecuador, for their sister's colds to get better and for God to show them what to do when they grow up.

Interrupted ONLY by God. . .

THAT was a blessing.

THAT was a Holy Day.

Click Here for more from Kevin.

MLK Jr. Day - Sabbath #3

2010-01-18T18:56:00.018-07:00

As you know by now, Sabbath starts for the Colon family at dinner time on Sunday night until dinner on Monday. This week we decided to invite some great friends to join us for a night at home to kick off the fun. Brain and Angela Weigner took a little stroll down the street and joined us for some pizza, smores and Wii. Then our entire family camped out in the basement for the night.

Breaking in the new fire pit with gooey smores and good conversation. . .

A little Wii Resort to end the night. . .

Fort building by Kevin and a good night's sleep. . .

Monday morning was Martin Luther King Day. We slept in a little too long and by the time we got out the door it was almost noon. Grumpy, grumpy girls who couldn't find their shoes or their hairbrush or their socks. . .wow! A holy day. . .yes, HOLY COW! For a few moments I actually considered calling it quits for this one, but I am SO thankful we persevered. Thanks, Kevin! Yes, I'm learning a lot. Today I learned that Satan absolutely hates it that we are going for this intentional lifestyle change we call Sabbath. He hates it and he is determined to try to screw it up in every way possible - from bad dreams to short fuses to whining children to slow traffic to long lines to messed up plans. . .he tried hard to make today a disaster. But guess what. . .HE FAILED!

Today in a very round about way we ended up in Denver on the 16th Street Mall. . .

And we decided to give the girls the assignment of really watching the people and scenery around them as we walked. Denver, like any metropolitan city, is very diverse in its surroundings. There are businessmen and homeless, "red and yellow, black and white." I tried to be very intentional to look at the city with Jesus' eyes today and wow, was it eye opening.

We made a stop at Barnes and Noble where the girls picked out a book that matched each of our personalities. Though smiling, I can't say I was thrilled with their choice for me. . . :-)

Then we found ourselves a quiet corner and read a book about Martin Luther King Jr.

This was probably my favorite part of the day. All of a sudden, the pieces of the day started fitting together as we talked. . .all we had seen and heard and felt and experienced. . .equality and justice and frustration. . .somehow Jesus was working to knit together the moment. I have an idea he knew all along how fractured our day was going to start, but I love how he had a plan to still bring it all together.

We ended the day with a walk to the state capital, a bit of yummy Italian food, Starbucks for me, of course, and a ride on the city bus back to our car. Six hours before I would have never guessed that anything great would come of this day. . .we ended it sitting on the kitchen floor praying for each other and for our family (and for my nasty kitchen floor!). And it was good. I'm so happy we are doing this!

Sabbath #2 - Betasso Preserve

2010-01-12T10:56:00.010-07:00

This week our family spent the day unplugged and in the mountains yet again. Finally, we have some decent weather here where it's not completely miserable to open the door and go outside. So, we decided to take advantage of it while we had the chance. We slept in and Kevin made omelets(his specialty). We packed a lunch of peanut butter and jelly, chips and oranges, grabbed a sweatshirt and camera, made a family visit to our favorite chiropractor and then headed 30 minutes down the road to Betasso Preserve just outside of Boulder. Here's the link.

The girls completely amazed me. It was a long and tough hike. We weren't expecting the amount of snow that we found so we weren't completely prepared, but they didn't care. They were troopers all the way. For 3.2 miles we hiked through the snow and ice and mud, up and down hills all the way. We stopped to listen to the birds and enjoy God's beautiful creation all around us. We slipped and fell. Our shoes got covered in mud. We had lunch on a log as we watched for mountain lions - luckily not spotting a single one even though we were told to "beware." And our dog, ECO (Echo), never slowed down though I know he was freezing. He cried the whole way, but more because he was excited to be outside with us than because of the pain his paws were feeling from the ice.

It really was a terrific day! We ended it with Chinese food that Claire for some reason wanted to cover her feet in to get them warm. Then it was 1st grade basketball practice time before everyone collapsed into their beds for the evening.

As I told you last week, I continue to be anxious to learn all that God has for us as we set this time aside. This week, I think I have just continued to feel the confirmation that Sabbath is God's plan. I thought I was going to get behind with all of life's "to-do's" by being intentional about Sabbath. I imagined school suffering and housework piling up. So far, it's quite the opposite. I'm caught up and I have no idea how. I'm refreshed. I'm in a better mood. I feel more connected with God and with our family. It's pretty crazy.

Here are a few pictures from the day. . .

Click Here for our first Sabbath blog post.
And Here's Claire's blog post about the day.

Sabbath

2010-01-07T14:41:00.013-07:00

New Year's Resolutions. . .last year I hoped to be able to say at the end of 2009 that I had established a solid and consistent workout schedule that easily flowed with life and became as natural as brushing my teeth - that's the best way I can describe it. On December 31 I looked back on that resolve and gave myself a big pat on the back. . .mission accomplished! This year I have a few other things that I hope to accomplish now by the end of 2010. I'm sure you do as well. But the most important life change this year for the Colon family is one simple, yet not so simple word. . .SABBATH.

As good Christians we have grown up with the vocabulary of this word for most of our lives. Some people hear "Sabbath" and they think "Sunday." It means we go to church. Others think of the strictness of it and imagine not getting to walk more than a few feet, work or lift a finger for an entire day. I admit that I have wrestled with what it means myself. Together Kevin and I have talked about it a lot. And the bottom line for us this year is that we know that the wrestling is for a reason, and that reason is because we need it. . .we need Sabbath. God intended it and we have to be faithful even in the craziness of our 21st century world - even in the middle of church planting - even when it seems there is no time to allow. We must figure it out and "do" it.

So here is what Sabbath is going to look like to us. . every week from Sunday dinner to Monday dinner (yes, that means we'll do school on Saturday's :-) ), we as a family are going to unplug - no phone, Wii, Twitter, Facebook, computer. We are taking a break from our "work" and the distractions around us and focusing on God and family and others. For us, Sabbath can't be a day where we lie in bed all day. It's gotta be intentional. It's gotta be slow but planned. It's about smelling the roses and connecting with the Father and loving on others in a way that we don't seem to do as well any other day of our crazy weeks.

I'm so anxious to see how God is going to lead our family as we try to be faithful to his call. I'm sure we will have lots of stories to share. I'm anticipating great things and lots of lessons learned and I can't wait to share them all with you.

And so, this year my new year's gift. . .I'm going to share our Sabbath's with you. And hopefully by the end of the year, you might find yourself inspired to get serious about Sabbath, as well.

This week we introduced Sabbath to our kids. We shared a meal together, unplugged and got good sleep, slept in, Kevin made breakfast, we gathered up the snow gear and headed to the mountains. Evergreen, CO, is about 45 minutes away and Evergreen Lake is the very best ice skating place we have ever been. Over dinner and on the car ride, we talked to the girls about what this time is going to be like. I think they are excited. Olivia said it best to Kevin at the end of the day. . ."Daddy, you were with us all day." So often we are with our kids or others around us, but not really WITH them at all.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the day. . .

December 2009

2010-01-07T12:56:00.027-07:00

December was a very busy month. Hard as I tried to keep PEACE in the holidays, I must admit that there were times where PEACE seemed far, far away. Still, looking back I must say that my efforts paid off, God did his thing and this quite possibly could have been our best holiday season yet. It was full of family time and lazy moments mixed into the typical hustle and bustle. We played together, rested together and spent a lot of time in the mini van together. I think I took something like 400 pictures from Claire's birthday to New Year's Eve. Below are only a few of the highlights. Now on to 2010!

Putting up the tree

School Performance of the Twelve Days of Christmas

Claire turned 8 years old

Flatiron Youth Chorale performances

Basketball Season 1 came to an end

Santa came

Everyone got Snuggies

Gran and Pop came to visit

Went to see "Little House on the Prairie" with Melissa Gilbert as Ma

And Olivia STILL didn't get any teeth!

Happy 2010 everyone!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

2009-12-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

Colonial Days

2009-11-12T09:01:00.018-07:00

Recently while Kevin was in Vietnam we wrapped up a unit study on "Colonial Days of Early America." I can't begin to tell you what a great time the girls and I had learning together. And I say "together" because I am completely convinced that I slept through elementary school as a kid. I'm not sure who is learning more, my kids or myself. Anyway, I thought I would share some photos with you of how Colonial Days happened at the Colon Elementary School before any more time passed. We have since moved onto the Revolutionary War, but knowing me it will be Easter before I get those pictures posted. So, enjoy for now...

We used Evan Moor history pockets and the good ol' public library as our guide through Colonial America.

And it worked out just perfectly that I had a few seasoned teachers in the house for a week to help us wrap everything up with all of these projects. Thanks Mom and Dad!
(they are both retired high school teachers)

Every little girl needs and apron before they start to cook!

A true Colonial Feast of country ham, johnny cakes, homemade apple butter and eggs...

Making slates with Pop...notice his cup of coffee...I've never seen him teach class without one! (but I bet he never taught with a cup as strong as mine)

Creative Quilt Making - I have fallen in love with fabric glue - no need to ever sew again!

And although Daniel Boone and Kentucky aren't technically "Colonial" I couldn't let the opportunity pass for my mom to teach a little Kentucky history to end the week.

Now, on to the American Revolution!

Vacation Favorites

2009-11-04T09:51:00.018-07:00

Our California vacation will definitely go down in the record books as one of the best times we have shared as a family. In 6 days we hit Santa Monica Pier, California Adventure, Disneyland, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, American Girl Place, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the LA airport. Seven out of the 9 stops were fantastic. I could have done without LAX and Hollywood. (Minus the big Hollywood sign on the mountainside, my 1950's image of Hollywood was completely dashed)

We took over 250 great pictures and narrowing them down to just a few favorites is next to impossible. But here is at least one from each place. . .and maybe a few more. AND if these aren't enough and you're just dying to see more, go to Kevin's blog for his own favorites. FYI - he is much better at narrowing them down than I. Enjoy!

Witches and Leopards and Groovy Girls, Oh My!

2009-11-03T08:40:00.005-07:00

My Home School Top 10

2009-09-17T18:56:00.008-07:00

When people hear that we home school, one of the favorite questions they almost always ask is, "What curriculum do you use?" There is no telling how many times I have rattled off the list of the good, bad and ugly that I have tested over the years. I have never been able to stick with just one company that produces a full curriculum of study. All companies have their strengths and weaknesses. And though there are many great things out there I have yet to try, I thought I would take a few minutes to compose my Top 10 List as of today.

So here you have it. . .from Kindergarten to 5th grade, here is Amy's Top 10 (but in no particular order). . .I won't bore you with the details as to why, but if you ask, I'd love to share.

1. Abeka Language/Phonics/Spelling (Click Here)
2. Singapore Math for K-1st (Click Here) and Math U See for 2nd-5th (Click Here)
3. Apologia Science - today this is probably my favorite (Click Here)
4. Anything written by Jean Fritz for U.S. History (all at the library)
5. You Tube videos of Bill Nye the Science Guy and SchoolHouse Rock
6. Kay Arthur Inductive Bible Studies for Kids (Click Here)
7. Evan-Moor History Pockets (Click Here)
8. Sonlight Curriculum for read-a-louds and chapter book reading - I don't use the entire curriculum (Click Here)
9. Heroes of History and Christian Heroes:Then and Now from YWAM (Click Here)
10. Leading Little Ones to God by Marian M. Schoolland (Click Here)

First Day of School

2009-09-17T05:59:00.005-07:00

It's that time of year again! I can hardly believe that my girls are in 5th, 2nd and 1st grades. Even though we home school, they are in an all day Friday school program every week. To read more about it you can see Emma's blog (Click Here) where she wrote about her new school year.

September 8, 2009 - Happy 6th Birthday, Olivia!

2009-09-15T10:53:00.010-07:00

Olivia had to postpone her birthday party this year for a few weeks because Mom and Dad's weekend schedules have been so crazy, but here are a few photos of the big day. We called this "Family Birthday Party - Part 1." This weekend it's Chuck E Cheese time, so more photos will be coming later. . .

You can click on each picture to make it larger. . .

It's the Little Things that Make Me Happy

2009-09-06T07:06:00.010-07:00

Joy and Happiness are two very different things.

Joy is a choice. It is a gift freely given from the Father no matter what circumstances of life come our way. It's there. It gives us a sense of peace and "lightness" in our step no matter what the day might bring. We just have to grab it and hold on tight.

Happiness, on the other hand, is found in the little things that unexpectedly happen throughout life. Happiness is that thing that sort of makes us giddy for a brief time and then fades away as life progresses, only to make it's appearance again at yet another unexpected, perfect moment.

For example, here are some little things that have brought me "Happiness" this holiday weekend. . .

The $1.99 rack at Gymboree

Perfectly sweet peaches from the Farmer's Market

The purchase of a french press that makes a perfect cup of coffee

A great haircut

What more could a girl ask for??? So here's wishing you true joy and lots and lots of unexpected happiness, not just this holiday weekend, but every day. . .just when you need it.

What little things make you happy?

The Blogging Family

2009-08-26T18:52:00.009-07:00

It's official. Everyone in our family now has a blog of their own except for the dog. This year I decided that there is no better way to incorporate writing, computer skills and typing into homeschool than to create a blog for Emma, Claire and Olivia. So far this has been the highlight of their first week of school. So. . .as if you didn't have enough blogs to follow and sites to check out, I'll kindly add a few more. They look way better than mine! Emma (5th Grade). . .Claire (2nd Grade). . .Olivia (1st Grade).

It would be great for the girls if you would kindly add a comment to their writing and pictures every once in a while. They will be posting poetry, stories, pictures and journal entries at least once a week. Hope you enjoy!. . .Hope I haven't gotten in over my head. . .4 blogs to maintain, o my!

A Weekend in Estes to End the Summer

2009-08-17T17:55:00.015-07:00

Kevin being a pastor in Colorado has some great perks. . .one of the best being that everyone gets married in the mountains. This means that at least a couple of times a year the family gets an all expense paid weekend to some of the best wedding spots on the map. This weekend we just so happened to get to celebrate the wedding of some friends in Estes Park at the YMCA of the Rockies. . .one of our family favorite places to visit.

Here's the wedding spot

And just a few more snapshots from the day

And lastly, the 56 degree outdoor, rainy wedding reception. . .notice Olivia fighting for her spot around the heater. . .

The 56 degree end of the weekend reminded me all too well that Fall is just around the corner. I guess this was our last hoorah. . .school starts next Monday!!!

Emma's Golden Day

2009-08-13T21:33:00.016-07:00

The older my kids get, the easier birthday parties become. No more Chuck E Cheese with 20 preschoolers. A fun day with a best friend seems to make everyone feel like celebrating. So, on Monday, that is what we did. We celebrated!

Here is the party crew...

Claire, Kate, Olivia, Megan and Emma

And here are the best friends...

Emma and Megan

Then we can't forget the sisters of the best friends...

Kate and Claire

Olivia

Then there's the party...

Color Me Mine pottery painting

And last but not least, the UPS man delivered lots of boxes from family in Kentucky. . .family party to end the day...

Emma is officially double digits! I was told it was her "golden birthday" because she was 10 on the 10th. So happy golden birthday, Emma! Can't wait to see all of the amazing things God has in store for you. You already make your dad and me very proud!

I Can't Believe I'm the Mom of a 10 Year Old!!!

2009-08-13T21:29:00.002-07:00

August 10, 1999
Emma Grace Colon
Happy Birthday, Emma!!!

Snapshots from our KY Vacation

2009-07-21T08:54:00.003-07:00

Long overdue, but regardless, here they are. . .ENJOY! I know we did!!

WKU Days

2009-06-24T21:05:00.005-07:00

Every summer our family makes it back to KY to visit family. Sometimes the trips are shorter than I would like. Other times I find myself with opportunities to really sit back with good friends from the past and reminisce about the old days. So far, this has been a reminiscing vacation. As I write, I'm in Louisville at my mother-in-law's house. It's great. We have been fed and loved on. The girls have been given 24/7 undivided attention. And Kevin and I have had the opportunity to not only enjoy family, but also to enjoy friends. Just tonight I'm sitting here realizing that I feel alive like I haven't in a long time.

Have you ever experienced that feeling? Something or someone just resonates with your spirit. . .For me, it's one of those things that hits me out of nowhere. I usually don't even realize that my soul is so thirsty, but after drinking in that huge gulp of life, the refreshment proves to be almost overwhelming. That's how I have felt the past 2 days, thanks to some time spent, and love shared, and common bonds felt between us and some fantastic people. . .Pete and Brandi Wilson, Jeremy and Kelly Nelson, Kevin's sister, Carol, and Jeff and Vicki Rogers.

For me, each of these connections are very unique. I went to school with Brandi from middle school through college. Kevin and Pete were roommates and great friends at WKU. They were the studs of the BSU (then the Baptist Student Union), or so they think. I even brushed shoulders with Kevin's sister, Carol, at WKU during those days. Yet through it all, our paths were always crossing (some more than others), but never completely woven together by God for quite some time.

Jeremy and Kelly were other WKU BSU faces that I only recognized but never really knew (Kevin was friends with them and they knew all of his OTHER girl friends, but not me). And to me, Jeff and Vicki were always just doing life on a different level of "cool" from me. Although I knew them enough to say, "hello," that was about it. All of these great people struck me as somebody to take note of during those days. None of them were really my close buddies. Yet somehow this entire group mentioned danced through mine and each other's lives for 4+ years on that WKU campus.

This week I have been amazed at how God has brought these fantastic people back to the surface of my life once again. To each of you, you have given me "life" through our conversations and memories and LAUGHTER and your boldness to serve the Lord. Each of you have impacted my life with your faithfulness and relentless passion. In your own way you have inspired me with the way you are living life out in your corner of the world. And you have encouraged me to continue to take giant leaps for the sake of Christ.

Years have passed since we first met. . .12+ to be exact. I never had a clue that these last few days would happen. In the grand scheme of life, our brief time eating and drinking coffee together may have been nothing more than just a fun vacation moment. Who knows. But for those moments, your hearts and lives spoke into me. And your passion for a relationship with the Father shone brightly. You taught me to never underestimate any relationships, that's for sure. And maybe God will continue to do the weaving and maybe he won't (I hope he does). . .but for this week. . .thanks for the time you shared with us. I can't wait to see what adventures God has planned for you next!

My New Favorite Author

2009-06-03T06:17:00.003-07:00

No one directed me to Debbie Macomber. I wasn't shopping for a fiction book. But as I passed through the book aisle at Costco a few weeks ago, this one just seemed to beg, "take me home." It's rare that I ever spend $ on a book unless it has been recommended and researched heavily first. Books are so stinkin' expensive, even though I admit that I love owning them much more than I should. But for $4.49, it was a risk I was willing to take. And let me just tell you. . .I have discovered my summer vacation! Who knew it resided in the pages of a book. I was thinking something tropical or adventurous sounded like a nice plan for the summer. But no, I discovered my summer vacation for $4.49. Now THAT's a deal!!!! And in my opinion, these books are somewhat equal in comparison to sipping a fruity concoction on the beach. You just need a little imagination.

Since reading Twenty Wishes, I have now researched and planned out my entire summer reading list. I feel like an elementary school student again doing my summer reading program. I wonder if I can get Kevin to buy me a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut when I complete my "vacation?" (That's what I remember getting as a kid when summer reading came to an end)

So, if you are like me. . .needing a good vacation. . .I simply suggest to you readers out there that this is a great place to start. Sorry, guys, it's pretty much a ladies only kind of book. But there is not mushy romance happening very often. . .just a lot of good clean and compelling fun. Click Here to start your vacation. . .and make sure to pick a series and read it from start to finish. The books seem to stand alone and yet I'm discovering that the order makes the journey much better. You'll find LOTS of them at the library. I can't help but wonder if I'm the last person standing to discover Debbie Macomber. Now that I mention her, EVERYONE seems to know her stuff. Check it out!

1st Grade! 1st Grade!

2009-05-15T20:27:00.004-07:00

Today was the last official day of school. We now have a 1st grader, 2nd grader and 5th grader in the Colon family!! Girls, you did it again, and Daddy and I are so proud of you!

Kindergarten graduation was a very big deal for little Olivia.

I just love these priceless moments. . .

Olivia's Kindergarten Graduation from amy colon on Vimeo.

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2009-05-11T06:57:00.007-07:00

I have to say that Mother's Day, although it has always been celebrated in our home, is usually pretty low key, just like birthdays beyond 30 and President's Day. I prefer it that way. Just give me a day where I don't have to cook or clean, do laundry or pick up after anyone other than myself and I'm good.

This year, once again, was a fairly low key day. I am blessed to have a husband and kids who make sure that Mommy is taken care of well year round. So I don't expect or even feel the need for HUGE celebration. But as the girls get older they seem to get more excited about the whole idea of celebrating special occasions. And this year, I have to say that my greatest gift was getting to watch their excitement in their scheming and whispering and giggling as they planned to celebrate Mom.

Here's how the day went. . .
6:15 - Kevin and 3 little girls woke me up to go on a scavenger hunt. . .

And the treasure at the end of the hunt?. . .

Emma quickly took credit for this surprise. She is a great little shopper. Watch out future husband!

The Gift - Okay, so I was really good at making it obvious what I wanted. For weeks I have strategically walked the girls past the bikes every time we went to Target and said, "girls, wouldn't it be fun for Mommy to have a bike now that all of you are riding without training wheels? We could have so much fun this summer." Olivia, the precocious one that she is, quickly took the idea and ran with it. She has probably been whispering and telling this to Daddy over and over again for weeks. I guess you might call me sneaky to go about getting a gift in this way. . .I call it a valiant attempt to assure my family a very happy mommy - my gift to them. See everybody wins!

So here it is. . .my new Schwinn Cruiser

And here they are. . .the one's who call me Mommy

The day continued with a fabulous day at Cool River, a trip to every bike store in town, an afternoon nap while it rained, a solo outing to the AMC to watch 17 Again (two thumbs up and no, not just because it was Zac Efron. . .I'm married for goodness sake!) and dinner at Chili's. Kevin put the girls to bed. I read a book. Goodnight, Mommy! Now that's what I call a perfect day of celebrating!

Thank you Kevin! You amaze me at how you go above and beyond all expectations to love me!

Encouragement for Your Day

2009-04-30T09:25:00.001-07:00

Simple Fun

2009-04-16T08:03:00.015-07:00

Simple Fun is all it takes. . .

Just because we are a church planting family, it doesn't really mean that we are any different from anybody else. We work hard and often don't play enough. It's the typical story of just about everyone I know.

Kevin and I learned very quickly how important it is to calendar life. I fought this idea for some time. It sounds so UN-FUN. . .okay, I made that word up, but you know what I mean. Calendaring life is often for those black and white, spreadsheet kind of people like my good friend, Sharon. It never sounded like Amy, the procrastinator. But let me just tell you now, IT WORKS!! And the proof is in the pictures. . .

Earlier this week our family spent 2 nights and 3 days in Estes Park at the YMCA of the Rockies. For the last 4 years we have taken a spring getaway to the mountains. This year we chose Estes. It's only 45 minutes from our house. Granted, a lot of people can't say that. But regardless, just about everyone lives 45 minutes or so from someplace at least kinda cool.

And here's the deal, getaways aren't about the glitz - that's the difference between a getaway and a vacation. . .they are much more about the slowness and simpleness and quiteness of the moments. We didn't actually RIDE the horses. We just attempted to pet them. We hiked and we ate yucky camp food and we swam with over 70 LOUD middle schoolers in an indoor pool. We played putt putt on a course that was probably older than me. We climbed on rocks, watched deer and elk and swung on a tire swing. It was fantastic! And the renewal those moments provided was invaluable. Take it from me. This girl needed to be renewed! I'd be willing to bet you do, too.

So, if you haven't had a personal or family getaway lately. . .what are you waiting for??? No one can put it on the calendar but you.

Spring Snow

2009-04-16T07:43:00.001-07:00

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T07:02:00.006-07:00

March Recap

2009-04-16T06:48:00.002-07:00

Look Out World, Here She Comes!

2009-04-01T07:07:00.002-07:00

My 5 year old, Olivia, just learned how to ride her bike a few weeks ago. I'm posting this one especially for Pop because I know he's been wanting to see her ride. . .

Olivia Riding Her Bike from amy colon on Vimeo.

Gotta Love Kindergarten Performances!

2009-03-13T19:04:00.001-07:00

Olivia's Kindergarten Song from amy colon on Vimeo.

Funny how this song brings back old memories. . .Our principal, Mr. Anderson, used to make us sing this song in chapel at West Side Elementary. . .YES, chapel in a public school! How times have changed!!

Our Spring Flower

2009-03-03T09:20:00.003-07:00

Claire has been taking a dance class on Friday for about 6 weeks. . .not a bad debut performance for my rough and tumble middle girl. . .(beware, it's definitely a "home video" quality movie, but it's still super cute.)

Claire's School Dance Recital from amy colon on Vimeo.

February 2009

2009-03-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Chocolate is Great. . Chocolate is Grand. . .

2009-02-14T09:51:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentines Day, everyone! Sit back and enjoy this video just for fun - from me to you - guaranteed you'll feel the need to go out and buy some chocolate right away.

Trying To Catch Up - January 2009

2009-01-26T11:49:00.010-07:00

Obviously I have had little time to blog so far in the new year, so I thought that I should at least post a few pictures to catch everybody up. . .

A Day at Cool River

We took a family walk to the park - it felt like Spring in January!

Inauguration Day - I'm so happy that I thought to snap a few pictures as the girls watched such a historic day unfold. . .I was amazed at how much they enjoyed watching it all with us.

A 70 degree day at the zoo

And I can't forget to show you ECO - did you know he is part poodle, part cocker spaniel, part mountain goat?

From Our Colorado Family to Yours. . .

2009-01-03T17:37:00.005-07:00

The Last of Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T10:38:00.015-07:00

Pink Razor scooters from Pop for everyone!

Emma's Christmas gifts have officially gotten smaller - no more little girl toys for her. . .this picture actually kinda makes me sad.

The first official web admission of my short hair - not thrilled. . .the next one you see I will be back to the old Amy :-)

I wonder if Taylor Swift started out in her pj's?

Preparing for a tea party with Gran

The men watching basketball

I can't even think of an appropriate caption for this one. . .Any ideas??
Hope you had a fantastic Holiday, too!!!

Joy to the World

2008-12-31T19:53:00.001-07:00

Joy to the World from amy colon on Vimeo.

New Sister

2008-12-26T10:31:00.002-07:00

Meet Ingrid, the girls' new Compassion International "sister" from Ecuador. They don't realize it yet, but Ingrid is definitely the best gift they received this Christmas. We will start supporting and communicating with her starting this New Year. It took over an hour of sitting in front of the computer browsing for the girls to choose Ingrid. Such indecisiveness (and Kevin was so patient!). . .but after praying about it, we are sure that we chose the right little girl for our family.

Christmas Eve and Morning

2008-12-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas Morning, everyone!!

2008-12-25T09:47:00.002-07:00

Up on the Housetop

2008-12-21T00:45:00.002-07:00

Emma's Piano Recital - Up on the Housetop from amy colon on Vimeo.

I'll add a few more songs later. . .

Claire's First Score

2008-12-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

Claire's First Score from amy colon on Vimeo.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-20T00:12:00.001-07:00

Christmas Traditions (Part 3)

2008-12-20T00:09:00.002-07:00

Just finished reading this one to the girls. . .it's so much fun to hear them laugh out loud as I read. . .

Christmas Traditions (Part 2)

2008-12-17T07:41:00.008-07:00

Every year since the girls were tiny we have made a gingerbread house during the holidays. I have done everything from making it from scratch (the overachiever Christmas about 3 years ago) to buying the Wilton Gingerbread kit (the one that made me so mad that I threw half of it on the floor in anger in front of the kids and they still remind me of it to this day.) But this year my goal was simplicity during the holidays. So, here is our 2008 gingerbread house.

It took 30 minutes to complete. There was no mess except for all of those little white papers from the sticky foam shingles. No one cussed (oops, I guess I forgot to share that part from last year) or threw it down in anger.

And we still have a lovely "gingerbread house" to be proud of. . .actually a gingerbread house with LANDSCAPING!

Are you doing anything SIMPLER this holiday season?

Flatiron Youth Chorale Christmas Performance

2008-12-10T04:58:00.001-07:00

December 2008 - So Far

2008-12-09T12:47:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving Day "Must Haves"

2008-11-29T11:06:00.012-07:00

**Making and eating Cranberry bread on Thanksgiving morning with our own "secret recipe" while watching the Macy's Day Parade.

**Emma LOVES her homemade cranberries - she doesn't eat turkey or dressing, only cranberries.

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**And homemade applesauce makes the day complete.

I hope you all had a terrific Turkey Day!
What were your "Must Haves" for the day??

Let the Traditions Begin

2008-11-24T17:10:00.003-07:00

Emma is my girl who loves TRADITION. . .she is always very intent on sitting in the same place every Christmas morning as she opens her gifts. She wants very specific kinds of food every Thanksgiving. . .so this year I decided to chronicle every holiday tradition that our family enjoys.

Here is tradition #1. . .Operation Christmas Child. Last week we delivered 51 boxes from Cool River. The girls always shop for and prepare one box of their own. This is a tradition I'm always pretty excited to keep.

Happy Holidays!!! Keep checking back for more.

(Also, Click here for photoblog pics of Claire playing basketball. . .)

Family Fun WEEKEND!

2008-10-26T20:11:00.012-07:00

So this weekend we took advantage of this perfect time of year and had some extra family fun that took us all the way from Saturday morning to late on Sunday night.

We rarely go the to theater as a family. It's pretty crazy what 2 hours at the AMC can cost a family of 5. My girls weren't really interested in taking pictures, but I was able to catch Claire grinning in her High School Musical attire. Yep, you guessed it - what brings a family of 5 to the theater on an early Saturday morning - only Gabriella and Troy in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3! Yea, it rocked! I'm not sure who liked it more, the girls or me. . .or maybe even Kevin. . .I did see his head bopping a little bit to the music a time or two. . .

Saturday afternoon was yet ANOTHER birthday party. Thank goodness this time all we had to do was attend. The girls had a great time at Julia's American Girl mystery party.

Finally, Sunday night was the official Family Fun Night #2. It was a bit impromptu and after a long day of church activities we were a bit pooped, but still, we had a lot of fun celebrating Fall by dipping caramel apples (thanks for the idea, Wilson's) and carving a giant pumpkin into none other than Snow White.

Isn't she beautiful??!! Happy Fall!

A Gooey Twist on the Original. . .

2008-10-18T10:34:00.011-07:00

During family night a few weeks ago we tried this fun new dessert recipe from my friend, Brandi Wilson. . .it was a huge, sweet and yummy hit.

This morning we decided to try our own new twist on the recipe and make "cinnamon rolls" for breakfast. You've gotta try it!

All you need is a bag of large marshmallows, one package of original crescent rolls, cinnamon sugar and a cookie sheet.

Roll marshmallows in the cinnamon sugar and place them on the crescent to be rolled up. MAKE SURE you seal off the openings so that marshmallows are completely covered.

Cover wrapped marshmallows with cinnamon sugar - the more the better!
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes

I was surprised that the marshmallows popped out, but it didn't matter. . .

It's gooey and yummy and sweet - everything a kid loves!!

ENJOY!

Is She Ever Going to Write Again???

2008-10-13T07:25:00.005-07:00

For those of you wondering what has happened. . .I'm still around. It's just not as easy to keep up with 2 blogs as I thought it would be. If you haven't heard, I am also writing for a really great organization called Glocalnet. You can follow me here .

As for keeping up with the family - I'm really trying, but forgive me for being so brief. I did successfully post new pictures this morning from September. Click here to see those.

I will continue to use this blog to let you know what is happening in the life of the Colon family. Don't stop checking!

Have a great week!

Venture Vietnam Fall '08

2008-10-06T06:50:00.003-07:00

Check out Kevin's blog to see pictures of Cool River's latest relief trip to Vietnam. . .http://kevincolon.blogspot.com

My Little Olivia Turned 5!!

2008-09-18T06:52:00.003-07:00

Click Here for lots more photos of our week of festivities

Check Out My Newest Adventure!

2008-09-09T06:39:00.004-07:00

For a long time I have dreamed of sharing my stories and experiences and lessons learned with other church planting wives. It has always just totally amazed me that these brave ladies aren't loved on more or equipped more fully. But for me, life has been crazy since we started Cool River. And I needed lots of experience before I could ever speak anything worth hearing into their lives.

I suppose God has now decided that I am ready to get my feet wet. Check out my newest adventure. I feel very honored to get this opportunity. . .pray for me, please, and wish me lots of luck. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Family Fun Night #1

2008-09-06T07:50:00.016-07:00

So I've been following my friend, Brandi, as she has started blogging about their testosterone filled family nights. Minus the testosterone in a house full of girls, it sounded like fun. So this week I decided to give it a try. I must admit, I stole some ideas. Hopefully I will get more creative as we continue. But for now, here are some pics from the first official Colon Family Fun Night. (And by the way, Brandi, Kevin and ECO may be interested in joining your family every once in a while for some rough and tumble boy time. Next week I'm planning a fairytale princess night!)

Ingredients to a yummy Family Night - Emma was my Sous Chef as we cut up everything for make-your-own salads.
Appetizers - Mine, Kevin and Emma's favorites - the other girls just said "EEEEWWWW" and dug the white bread out of the leftover French baguette.
Make-Your-Own salad buffet was a hit!
And dessert was yummy! (This is the idea that I stole. Thanks, Brandi!)

We ended the night with everyone's favorite game - Apples to Apples. . . Claire won! (I just didn't share the pics because she didn't have a shirt on and I don't want to be one of those moms who scar their kids by sharing naked photos :-))
O yea, and ECO joined in the fun, too.

FUN, FUN family night!!! You should try it!

So Proud of My Claire!

2008-09-04T19:27:00.003-07:00

I can't let the evening pass me by without sharing a quick story that was just so fantastic from today. I wish I had a picture to share as well. Maybe next time.

Today Claire and Emma went to try out for a theatre group in Boulder called the Peanut Butter Players. It's a kids group for ages K-6th. They are terrific, and because my girls have been twisting my arm for such a long time to let them be in a play, I finally gave in.

Anyway, a long story made very short is this. . .there were 30 kids. Each child had to prepare their own song to sing for the audition and they had to sing it in front of everyone. For my girls, this was their first solo experience. I have to admit that I was very nervous. And I thought that they would be nervous as well. My heart beat so fast when each of their names were called. I really had no idea what to expect.

First up was Emma. She did fantastic! She rocked and her boldness shocked this introverted mom who has thought all along that she had the introverted first child in Emma - but theatre definitely brought out the best in her.

Next was Claire. Now Claire is my sweet and innocent 6 1/2 year old. She has a heart that is bent towards God and loving others. She is so sweet. And Claire chose "Jesus Loves Me" as her solo debut.
(Now let me just remind you all of this. I LIVE IN BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO. This is the place where they say that 1 in every 10 people that you pass on the street MIGHT believe in Christ. This is liberal-town, USA. Obama rocks here! Trees are loved a lot here. And "Jesus Loves Me" - well, let's just say that it's NOT the first song that most preschoolers learn like in my home of the South.)

Anyway, my sweet Claire, of course, has no idea of these things. She loves Jesus. I'm fairly sure that she believes everyone loves Jesus. She has no fears or apprehension in talking about God like her best friend. And as she marched up onto that public school stage in Boulder, Colorado, she gave it all she had. She sang at the top of her lungs. She hit every note. She was confident. She was so darn cute. And she had no idea, but she was one of the greatest witnesses at that moment that I have seen in a really long time - knowing the crowd as I did.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the entire group applauded. No one raised a hand in protest or yelled any rude remarks. And Claire was beaming.

The best part was still to come, though. At the end of the auditions - when we had successfully made it through and I knew that no one was going to give a second thought to her song selection, the teacher gave one final call. She said that she was giving anyone who thought that they might need one more shot to re-audition and do a better job the second chance. Any takers? And whose hand shot up in the crowd? Calire's! I have no idea why. She did so great the first time. All I can figure out is this. . .God wanted somebody to hear those words ONE MORE TIME! And so once again. . .she bounced up on stage. "Jesus Loves Me" rang throughout the school auditorium. She smiled her biggest Claire smile. Everyone cheered even louder than before. I didn't have a heart attack after all. And at the end of it all - it was a beautiful thing.

I fully believe that God was using Claire today - if only to plant some little seed in one little child's mind. Who is Jesus? What was that song about? I suppose we'll never know the real significance of today. But I'm so proud that I have a brave little girl. I'm so proud that God is using her even in her niavity. I'm so proud that the Holy Spirit prompts her. I so wish I was as brave.

Honky Tonk Murder Mystery Night

2008-09-01T07:23:00.007-07:00

Meet some of our very best friends in Colorado. They are a rough looking bunch - an up and coming country music star, a bar maid, a guy named Rowdy who just got out of prison, a trailer park manager who much resembles Mama on Mama's Family, the sheriff, the corn dog machine cleaner, the tv evangelist and me, Mary Kay, the preacher' wife.

You move to a new place and you never know what kind of friends you're going to get. . .Kevin and I lucked out and got the very best!!!!

Another Birthday Has Come and Gone

2008-08-28T12:04:00.009-07:00

I can tell I'm getting older. The birthday celebrations aren't quite as anticipated. The gifts are becoming more practical. And I'm blogging about it 3 days late.

On Monday I turned 33 years old. It really didn't seem that old to me until some of my Facebook friends who were once little bitty kids when I knew them were all amazed that I was so old - thought I was still in my 20's. But this year, once again, I'm embracing my 30-something and finding thankfulness that at least I'm not in my mid-thirties just yet like my dear, sweet hubby.

Here is a photo rundown of this year's birthday festivities. . .

Kevin cleaned the house. . .
while I got a pedicure with my friend, Jenna.

I got cards and gifts from family, lots of hugs and kisses from Kevin and the girls, and 46 Facebook "Happy Birthday" wishes. I felt loved.

WooHOo! Happy Birthday to me!

DNC '08

2008-08-24T21:20:00.004-07:00

It all starts today! All eyes will be on Denver for the next few days. I'm only 30 minutes away. It's so tempting to go celebrity seeking. But I think I'll stay in the suburbs and watch it all on TV like you. They say that we in the Denver area will get 6 hours/day nonstop coverage of the Convention. Somebody save me now!

First Day of Friday School

2008-08-22T18:37:00.009-07:00

Yes, we homeschool, and we love it. . .but my saving grace is Friday School. Because there are so many homeschoolers in Colorado, the public school system started offering a day of school just for them. It's full of extra curricular activities such as art and science lab and geography and PE and Kindergarten and. . .you get the idea. So at the end of every week the girls get one day, 8:30 - 3:30, to really go to school. It's a great balance for us. This year there are over 130 kids in the program we attend and today they were all thrilled to say the least. . .especially Olivia. There has never been a more excited Kindergartener. She bounced all the way to her class, waved and blew me a kiss as she ran to high five her teacher and enter into her classroom.

To celebrate the first week of school, tonight we went to Chuck E Cheese. The pictures are obviously not made with Chuckee. . .instead, the girls were more excited about the little girl statues outside of the restaurant.