Updates in my life

I realize it has been a while since I have posted on here. Life has surely been busy, but I am learning about boundaries in my life. A lot has gone on over the past month, and I feel very overwhelmed. It is crazy it is already February, 1/12 of 2010 is over!!! Can you believe it? Here are some of the things that have gone on over the past month.

#1. Allie got married. Enjoyable wedding, exciting times, great friends...all at the same time. All of our JBU friends got together and celebrating another "marrying off." It was a wonderful time.
#2. My grandfather is dying. It has been a very emotional roller coaster and I get updates daily. I am actually in Florida right now, enjoying time with family. This morning he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Carissa, don't forget that God loves you! He cares about you and wants the best for you. Live every day remembering that." I started tearing up and just nodded, and I realized how devoutly he has exemplified that over the years.
#3. I have added a significant other in my life:) Nic has been a great blessing over the past weeks, and we figure out life together while dating long distance (which might I add...is not fun). He has been a wonderful listening ear and such a strong support system as I process all that is going on with my thoughts and emotions.
#4. I have set some big boundaries this year. I have been leaving work by 5pm every night, getting to the gym, and still having time for myself in the evenings. It is wonderful.
#5. I have a new Bible study with my roommates. We are doing a new Beth moore study and it is amazing, truly challenging me in many ways. It's called "God's Dwelling Place." As of now, a week in....highly recommend it.
#6. I have a new mentor, Sarah Tafoya, who is an amazing Christian woman who I've started meeting with bi-weekly. What a blessing to have an amazing woman of God investing in me. I've desperately needed this1
#7. Work is good, school is good, my kids are learning and my co and I are getting along great. What a big blessing!

For those of you who actually check in, you will be surprised at this entry, but I am going to try and update more often. We'll see what happens. Thanks for all your love and prayers!

A White Christmas...

So we have been hoping and praying for a white christmas. This morning we woke up to 3 inches of fresh powder in Colorado Springs. We were so excited! So, how do the Coles celebrate? We go out and play in the snow, take a hike, and enjoy some good steaks.

A Rejuvenated Perspective...

Lately, I've found myself a bit overwhelmed by life, school, friends, and pretty much everything else. However, yesterday I found myself taking some time to be with good friends, relaxing by being outside, and enjoying nature. I walk away with a renewed perspective on life, and am realizing the importance of taking time to just "BE." I often forget how important that truly is!

#20: Play bocce-ball

So, my original list mentioned glow in the dark bocce-ball. I have yet to be able to track down a set of glow in the dark bocce. Due to this, my completion of this item on the list is playing regular bocce. I have to admit, I am not very good...actually, I am quite awful. I lost terribly, but it's still fun!

#13: Spend a day in the mountains!

Last weekend, the Cole family, minus Bryan made our way up to Copper Mountain for a great weekend of relaxing, hiking, sleeping, and fishing. We were up there for 3 days. Here are a couple fotitos from the weekend:

Once we got up hiking, there was a lot of snow. There was a whole ski run covered in a about 6 feet of snow. Here we are surprised at how much there was at the end of June.
We went on these beautiful walking paths. It was a bit chilly this day, but still a beautiful Rocky mountain afternoon. Check out those lovely mountains! :) AHHH...so often I love living in Colorado.

#9: Picnic in the Park

Sadly, I don't have a picture of this one. Yesterday, July 3rd I arrived to the Springs about 11:30 am. The moment I walked in my folks house, we decided to go out and enjoy a nice picnic at the park. We went up to this place called Fox Run, and had a enjoyable afternoon as a family. It was great!

#14: Go hiking

It's Father's Day. After lunch, my dad proposed a hike. It was crystal clear blues skies, about 85 degrees, and it was a perfect day for hiking. We all jumped at the opportunity of heading outside to get some good exercise and have some great fun as a family! It was wonderful. Here are some pics of our adventures...

Brandon and I...He looks like a flamingo. I think I said something along the lines of, "Welcome to the gun show!" Ha...funny. We have so much fun together.

The gang....minus Bryan. We missed you!

Mamacita and I...we are women, hear us ROAR!

The crew reading something interesting about beetles or trees...not really sure.

So I am making slow progress on my list. I am down 3, only 27 more to go. It has been fun so far!