Happy 3rd Birthday!

Karina turned 3 years old on September 5th.  We had a party for her at a local park with our family, friends, and all her therapists from Early Intervention. I wanted to have her therapists there to kind of say good bye to her, since Karina has "aged out" of E.I. and will be attending a special school for her therapies.  It was bittersweet for them, and for me, because they are all very special to us.  Some of them have been with us since Karina was 6 months old, when all this was new and scary for me.  They have seen Karina grow from a very underweight, and constantly crying baby to an attentive, beautiful, non-fussy and very tall little girl.  We have come a long way together and I know I will keep in touch with them.   It was a beautiful, sunny day.  Karina was such a good girl.  The main event:  A birthday cake fit for a princess.  It was a Minnie Mouse cake, from Caladra's Bakery in Fairfield, NJ.  They did a BEAUTIFUL job!!!  Arianna helped to blow out her candles and even made a wish for her.  Karina's smile says it all.  We know she enjoyed her day.  Thank you, to everyone who made the day so special for her.  Every birthday is a milestone.  We take nothing for granted.

Benefit Dinner at Piazza Margherita Restaurant

Here are some photos from the wonderful benefit dinner hosted by Piazza Margherita Restuarant in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The owner Pasqualle De Palma and his incredible staff went above and beyond anyone's expectations and gave us a night that we will never forget!

And of course we cannot forget to thank Karina's wonderful godparents for their unconditional love and support. Karina is truly blessed to have you in her life. Thank you thank you thank you for making this happen. The night was amazing.

The Beta Unit Comes Through Again!

We would like to give a heartfelt thanks once again to the Beta
Unit of South Brunswick school. The kids had their 2nd annual Halloween/Valentines Day fundraiser for Karina. The kids did a fantastic job selling flowers and they also gave Karina a very cute and cuddly teddy bear, and all the kids signed a giant card to give to Karina.

It is so wonderful knowing that these kids - whom have never met Karina - care about her soooo much. They are truly a very special group of kids. Thank you so much for all your efforts, thoughts, and prayers for our family. A special thanks to Mrs. Edwards for starting this now annual event!! We are forever grateful!

Love,
Fernando, Melissa, Arianna, & Karina

Butterfly Fly Away

June 26, 2009 was a very special night for the Colon Family. Arianna was in a vocal performance and sang a duet with family friend, Karly Mani. As a surprise to us, they sang a tribute to little Karina, their butterfly. It was a very emotional performance for everyone, especially for those of us who love Karina. There was not a dry eye in the theater! I was soooo proud of my daughter Arianna, for loving her sister so much, and for singing that beautiful song. Thank you, Music and Performance Studio, for dedicating the night's performance to our Karina.

Here is a link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TexctGnsC38

Graduation Day!

On June 10, 2009, Karina's big sister Arianna graduated from Preschool. We were all very proud to see Arianna walk down the aisle in her cap and gown.

And in a wonderful gesture by the Bloomingdale Day Care Center & Preschool, parents and teachers took up a donation for Karina and had Arianna present it to us during the ceremony. We were moved, and in tears, we gladly accepted! Thank you friends, it is very much appreciated!

THANK YOU!

Last night was a great success! The incredible team at AJ's Deli & Brick Oven Pizza really came through in a BIG way. Everyone worked so hard and we were blown away by how much they gave for our daughter Karina. We cannot say thank you enough. You truly are special people. We feel blessed to have you guys come into our lives. Also, a big thank you once again to Toni and the kids from the Beta Unit at South Brunswick school for making the flower pens, which Arianna had so much fun selling. They were so beautiful and thanks for your continued support for Karina. Of course, a very special thank you to Zia Lina for working soooo hard all day along with the AJ's crew. You continue to amaze us and we are so grateful to have you in our lives. Karina loves you ZIA!!=)

The money that was raised is more than we had hoped for. Again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Great Pizza for a Great Cause

Next Monday, May 18th, AJ's Deli & Brick Oven Pizza of Haledon, New Jersey will be hosting a fundraiser for Love Karina. We can't thank them enough for doing this for our daughter. Here is the flyer: