God's Big Backyard

I thought I would share few pictures of the girl's week at Vacation Bible School. . .

Every summer since they have been old enough to participate, I have found a local church providing VBS and signed Emma, Claire and Olivia up. That is one of the perks of church planting. We don't have to do VBS ourselves because we don't have the manpower, and everyone is thrilled to let us be a part of theirs. :-) (FYI - We have chosen not to provide VBS at Cool River and instead to channel our ministry energies alongside the activities that our town provides to its residents.)

Anyway, VBS is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of vanilla wafers and fruit punch, the pledge to the Christian flag and a game of "mother may I?" in the church parking lot. VBS 21st century is a HUGE production!! Lucky for us and the communities that they minister to, there are some churches where VBS is their bread and butter. And yes, I have to say that I am not too proud to enjoy the fruit of their gifting.

So. . .this year we attended VBS at Rocky Mountain Christian Church. It was absolutely top notch! Way to go RMCC! The girls had an absolute blast!!!




Another week of summer has already passed.

A Day in Niwot

There is this little town about 20 minutes way from my house called Niwot, CO. I never go there. But this week it has been my "get away" spot while the girls are at VBS. As often happens, I was sitting at the Eye Opener this morning reading my Bible and writing when a random thought came into my mind. . .I should take pictures of this eclectic little town. . .no big reason. . .I just felt like sharing. Unfortunately, most of them didn't turn out so great. But here are a few I thought I would share. . .

The market. . .the best "people watching" place in town

Old Town Niwot

Great Coffee!



Saving the best for last. . .Ethanol for $2.99/gallon!!!!!



So where is your favorite "get away?"

A Week of Tennis

Emma just completed her first official week of "for real" tennis camp today. After 30 hours of tennis, fun and sun (except for the days that it poured down rain), Emma is exhausted, but happily still loving tennis.

This week was a growing time both for her and for myself. Emma was given a lot of responsibility as she was left in two new situations that she had never experienced. . .8 hours/day away from her parents, out in the open, at a tennis court/pool with only a few coaches to supervise. . .Mom was a nervous wreck for the first 2 days, but she did terrific. . .Second, this week was the first time I have ever allowed Emma to go swimming without my supervision. She is not a great swimmer - brave, but not a lot of skills. Because of this, I was probably the most nervous about not being there to jump in and save her if she needed me during the two opportunities they gave the kids to cool off in the pool. Again, she did just fine. (I have to admit that if she had looked up a few times she would have noticed a silhouette on the other side of the fence that looked much like her mom. . .shhhhh!)



So a new chapter of life has begun. I officially have a daughter who is growing up. . .three of them as a matter of fact. Of course, I have known that all along, but on this day as I write it is very, very real.

Banjo Billy

I had more fun tonight than I have had in a very long time!


A group of ladies got together to celebrate Wendy Spurbeck's birthday by taking a ride on Banjo Billy's Bus Tour. Yep, you heard right. Banjo Billy. Can you tell it is a Boulder bus? You should see the 70's furniture inside to sit on. . .not to mention the horse saddles if you choose not to ride on the orange, yellow and brown plaid sofa. If you live near Boulder and have never taken this night time tour of the city, complete with ghost stories and Boulder history, it is absolutely a must! But if you do it, you must do it in style!

Tonight about 15 ladies joined Wendy at the Boulderado Hotel. We had no idea what we were in for. But after a few glasses of wine, dark chocolate, strawberries, cheese and tons of laughter and silliness, I think that every lady who went with us is ready to plan the next ladies night out with Billy. Seriously, it is a terrific tour. But go as a group and plan to have fun.

After the Banjo Billy tour came to an end, we headed up the street to Centro latin restaurant for dinner. Talk about some SPICY but yummy food! I definitely drank my H2O limit for the day. It was a terrific night all around. Who could ask for more. . great entertainment, amazing ladies to hang out with, yummy food and lots of laughs. Thanks, ladies, for a lot of fun! Happy birthday, Wendy!

I'll Never Complain. . .

about slow or bad service at the drive thru again.

Today the girls and I were out on our annual Croc shopping expedition. It was truly a girls day out. Pink Crocs for all (except for me - hot pink rubber shoes do nothing for my wardrobe!)

Anyway, after our time at the mall, I realized that it was 12:00 and all of a sudden my stomach started rumbling for Chick fil a. Typically, Chick fil a is by far the fastest drive thru. You can get into a line of 10 cars and still be served in 5 minutes or less. 99% of the time they are very impressive - both with speed and their manners. . ."thank you. . .my pleasure." Don't you just love that!

I have to tell you that today was quite the different experience. It was very stressful - not so much because of their unusual slowness. I'm sure that 2 girls smacking each other across the seat behind me had way more to do with my sense of frustration. But all the same, I drove away swearing that I would never return to Chick fil a at lunch time ever again. . .one of those days.

Next came the humor. Such an insignificant moment in life, and yet by way of random You Tube searching for something completely different, I came across this video. (If you are a High School Musical fan or have tiny HSM fans running around your house, you will recognize these celebrities.) Never again will I complain about my drive thru experience. My worst experience can't possibly equal what these girls had to go through.



Just a post to waste your time. . .:-) Every once in a while I think I should be allowed to share something completely insignificant, don't you?. . .Enjoy the weekend!

The Dream Versus Reality

I just came back from picking up the family minivan from the shop. I suppose you could say that reality has set in once again. Just when I started dreaming of the possibility of not being a minivan mom for the rest of my life, my hopes and dreams were shattered in one grand swipe of the Frontier Mastercard.

Yet another dose of reality hit today. I am doomed. . .doomed to continue to ride in a dirty, trash filled, chicken nugget and fries covered house on wheels for quite a few more years to come. And how do I know this? Well. . .I just paid it off. . .

And of course, the inevitable thing happened. . .People always think that once you pay off your vehicle all of a sudden you will have all of this extra money to put aside into savings. At least that was my original plan. The money would happily sit there and gain interest each month until the coveted day arrived when all of the kids were out of car seats. One day soon they would be able to sit side by side without causing us to have to detour to the emergency room. In my imagination, the days of the dream car were just around the corner.

But today reality set in. And this is the reality of my day. . .I paid off the silver Chevy minivan last month and then. . .you guessed it - a few leaks all of a sudden needed to be repaired. . .$1100.00 later. . .and I STILL own a minivan. . .a leak free minivan, yes. . .but still a silver Chevy minivan!!!!!!! And I understand fully tonight that I am doomed to continue on as a minivan mom for lots of years to come. . . (I mean, how do you justify putting $1100 into a vehicle only to get rid of it in 6 months time?)

So here is a picture of my home on wheels. It is a common little van that sucks gas and smells like soured milk on some days and sweaty gym clothes on others. But it's mine. . .fully mine. And I am blessed to have it. For it is far better than the lavendar car that Kevin once drove (though we loved the blessing of being given that great little car) and it is far more gas efficient than my dad's big truck. It can hold an entire army of kids - 6 car seats to be exact. And it gets me where I need to go. . .so I won't complain. But you better believe that I will continue to dream. Someday I'll drive the cool car. Hey, maybe Kevin would like a minivan for his birthday this month. . . .????

Follow Cool River's Venture Vietnam Trip Here

Our 9th team left Friday for Vietnam. Click Here to follow their progress and keep checking back - they will update the blog often during the next 10 or so days. . .

FRESH!!

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

Sharefest '08

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

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

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

We Are Practicing Our Walking Skills

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

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






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

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

Just a Beautiful Moment of Rest for your Day

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


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

Maria Sue Chapman's Memorial Service

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

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

Breckenridge Day 3

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


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


A few silly pictures along the way. . .




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



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

Images from Breckenridge

Giant Pancakes for breakfast

Comfy Robes
Silly Girls and Daddy
Thursday morning snow

Naps instead of watching Hannah Montana

Update on Chapman Family

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

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

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

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



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

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

Click Here to read the entire story

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

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

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

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


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

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

The Coolest Trick Ever

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

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

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

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

There's A First TIme for Everything

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

Literally SIGNS of the Times

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

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

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









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

Reason #1 Why You Should Never Leave a Puppy Alone

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