Cheerleading, Columbine & Easter

Last week the balmy spring temperature dropped overnight, it was immensely pleasurable to lie in bed and hear the rain on the roof.  It hasn't rained in Colorado for many, many months and this did cause a little bit of excitement!  We awoke to snow in the morning!  It was a fairly decent fall, but by lunchtime it was all gone! I'm glad I took some photo's because I love how snow transforms everything.  It really is a very beautiful sight.  Spring snow is heavy and wet, so the grass actually starts to green up with all the moisture, and gutters and creeks flow fast with the melt off.

Just before 6am, as Sarah headed out!

The flash has captured the big, wet snowflakes

Snow covered tulips & daffodils. 
The snow on the paths is melting quickly as the ground is fairly 'warm'.

The past week has been full of routine.  We are counting down to the Summer Break now, which is only about 6 weeks away.  We will have 3 months to fill with the sights and sounds of America, and are planning!!  I have had a quieter time painting, only producing one on yupo paper.

Watercolour on Yupo paper: 'There appeared a great light'

Last Friday I was taken on a tour of part of the city with a couple of other Aussies.  We spent some time in Boulder.  This is a university town north west of Denver, it is so much larger than I expected and full of character and history.  We enjoyed wandering up and down the street mall that is about 5 blocks long.  It reminded me of Rundle Mall a bit, with it's character and life. We were able to get a greater sense of the layout of Denver which is enormous and vast.  There are such great distances between 'suburbs' with the highways being about 6 lanes wide.  I am feeling comfortable in my local neighbourhood now, and am starting to branch out into greater Littleton and am getting my bearings slowly of the city.  It's taking a while..

Large frog, rabbit, turtle & snail in the Boulder Mall.  Chloe & Zayla would like a climb on these!

The displays of tulips are very pretty, also in the Mall..

Meanwhile, Tom continues to work at 'Tan Time', and part-time school, and Sarah has been trying out for the Junior Varsity Cheers!  This has taken a lot of focus with clinics running after school all week.  Last night she had the official 'tryout' which is in itself very intense.  But she was put through the paces and qualified for the team of 25.  She is so very excited!! This has been a goal of hers to experience American Cheerleading firsthand eversince coming to the States was a mere possibility!  So, the dream begins (or nightmare!) There will be training sessions 3 mornings a week at 6am (I see some catch up seminary happening!), followed by workshops and then of course the cheering at school games.  The JV team she is in, is not as instense as the 'Varsity' squad which have the more experienced girls who ulimately aim for the national competition early in the new year in Florida and sounds exactly like the movie 'Bring it On'.  Too intense and expensive!!

This week we experienced the anniversary of the Columbine HS shootings that occurred on the 20 April 1999.  The school was closed for the day in order to avoid any copycat occurrance.  We learned that this is the first year only Columbine HS closed, all other schools in Jefferson County were open as usual.  However, late morning, our local shopping mall Southwest Plaza was evacuated and closed due to a bomb scare in the food court.  The local schools all went into 'lock out' and the area was swamped with police, fire services and media.  The Plaza is about a 4 minute drive from our home.  It turned out a man did place a pipe bomb there and a suspect has been publicly identified.  This is a very jittery community and very sensitive at this time of the year, every year.  The incident at the Plaza has been related to Columbine as students  go to this foodcourt everyday for lunch, just as the cafetaria was involved 12 years ago.  The drama has brought back to this community the memories of that day where the trauma has had a lasting effect.  The people who live here, all knew somebody who was involved.  Even my neighbour this morning, was telling me her son was friends with one of the boys responsible and had been out with them target practicing the day before...  It's very close to home for so many. We took the opportunity to visit the Columbine Memorial at Clement Park which is right next to the High School and gained some further insight to the tragic events of that day.  Hopefully, it will never happen again, but it does seem that Columbine HS is always the focus of any similar event or gun debate along with Virginia Tech.

The Columbine Memorial at Clement Park Lake:

There is an obituary for each person that died at Columbine HS 20 April 1999

Tom viewing the memorial.  The far wall has tributes and quotes from students, parents & teachers expressing feelings from that day.

Both Tom and Sarah have been learning the guitar at school.  Tom plays very well and sounds so accomplished to me.  Sarah has been struggling a bit, but this week mastered some chords!  She is so pleased with herself, and with Tom's help has been playing and singing for a good part of the week, particularly songs by Taylor Swift!  Happiness is: accomplishing something that was hard to do!  Good work Sarah!

Tom encouraging Sarah on the guitar.

It is Easter!  Today is Good Friday and it is the first time in his working career that Rick has gone to work.  There is no public holiday for this season of the year.  It is a normal weekend!  Nevertheless, it still remains Good Friday, and there are discussions on the radio regarding religion and practices.  It's interesting to listen too.  We observe that even though religion is clearly separated from State, and therefore education, the population in general seem to be far more religious than Australians. 

For myself, I have been reflecting on Easter and the atonement, death and resurrection of the Saviour.  Good Friday concentrates on the atonement and death of the Saviour.  I don't dwell on the crucifixion, because I believe the Saviour is resurrected.  We believe in a living Christ, which is why you don't find any crosses on any of our chapels or Temples.  As I have been reflecting on the Atonement, I cannot comprehend the depth of what the Saviour went through, but I am grateful He did, so I don't have to suffer the same.  And because of the Atonement, my pains and sufferings can be taken away.  Particulary at this time as I have struggled with the death of my brother Andrew, and some difficulties in my family, I am grateful for the enormous inner peace that comes with prayer and my belief in the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  I know He does live, and loves me enough to take away my pains.  I just wanted to share that...

Enjoy a happy and very safe Easter.

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