After lunch I went outside where Naomi, Rebecca, Tucker, Win and Baleigh were playing Soccer with Naomi’s Ball, Ben and Scott also came out.  We played pass for a while then I started throwing snowball’s at Ben, Scott and Tucker, I guess I should be more careful about picking a fight with 3 guys, I got hit alot!

After the Party we met my dad at the gas station, and went up to Portland to go to the Concert and Hockey night!! It was SO fun!! We got there just in time for the Concert. My favorite song they sing is One Life. We were at the Concert with the Mangums, Brianna and Justin Caruthers, Scott Knowles, and Peter G. The Otis’ and Miranda were supposed to come but they had to clean up after the party and got there late . The Concert was so loud after I could barely hear myself talk!

After the Concert they needed 1 1/2 hours to clear off the ice and get ready for the Game, so everyone had to get out of the arena.  We met the Otis’s outside and after about 10 minutes they decided to walk to Pizzahut and eat dinner. So all of us walked to Pizzahut (we later found out we took the long way around) it was really fun!

When we got back we sat down and we had really good seats! we were 1 row from the floor on a corner! at half time I went with Scott, Justin, Mrs. Mangum’s Sister and Jake and Megan to get the bands autograph! we had to wait for about 30 min!! but we got there and I got my ticket signed! the game lasted till  10:30ish and Portland Pirates lost , the game went into over time, then it went into extra over time! there was one goaly on each side, and one at a time the team came out and tried to score on them.  We left right after it ended, but then we got lost in Portland! after that we had to drop off the Caruthers and Scott, so we ended up getting home at 11:30ish.

Peter G.

Brianna and Mrs. Mangum

I would have more pictures but I left my camera at the church .

With TV, Internet, and all the major retail stores everywhere we turn, seeing the true meaning of Christmas and not the advertised version is getting harder every year, and now people are saying “Happy Holiday’s” instead of “Merry Christmas” because Christmas is to religious.

I hope that we will all take a minute out of the chaos of last minute shopping and cleaning and look at Christmas for what it really is, Jesus’ Birthday, the time where we should be so excited that Jesus is our savior it shows on our face and the way we treat others in Kindness and Respect.

Luke 2:8-18

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

There is soooo much to write about that week I don’t know what to say.  My Mom dropped me off Tuesday about 4, after that people started to arrive.  When only Slo had come, Billy, Slo and I played Wii!  it was my first time so it was very fun!  after dinner we called people the Clarkes know to ask if they would donate a casserole for the dinners. Then there was a meeting about what we were going to do that week.

The next day we stared doing lit drops, I was in a car with Rebecca and Colleen, and Colleen was the navigator.  we also played Ultimate that night, it was soooo much fun!!! After a little bit Slo said he didn’t trust me anymore, and he told everybody to keep me covered.  that night we watched a movie called Come What May, it was really cool! and Naomi also came that night.

The next couple days were pretty much the same thing, we played ultimate everyday to!  I got really good at getting points when people threw to me.  Thursday night we set a prank for the boys, they put alarm clocks all over in hidden places, it was pretty funny.  Friday night we went to a Football game, and we played Ultimate and Soccer the whole time, but at the end I got really sick so my stomach hurt and my head hurt so I had to go to bed when we got back.

On Saturday night when we got back to the house to go to bed (the guys slept in the office), we were all inside when Shannon had to go get something out of the car, so she stepped outside but then came running back in, and said “there is something big running outside in the woods!” so a couple of us went outside, and there was no sound, so Mrs. Clarke went outside with a flash light, and said “Yup, something is walking around”, at the same time Sam came running in and she said something had knocked on the wall, she asked if anybody had heard it, and Kristyn said the same sound was in the bathroom!, it was pretty scary, so Mrs. Clarke called Mr. Clarke, and He came over with Slo and they went looking through the woods, and couldn’t find anything. after a while we all got to bed.

Sunday we went to a American Legion breakfast it was very cool! Stacy Dostie was also there, she was running against Mr. Clarke.  After breakfast we waited in the RV till it was time to go to church, we played telephone.  After church we all played ultimate! we played for 4 hours!  At night there was a constitution study that was very interesting.  Sunday night when we got back we were talking and about 10:00 we heard knocking coming from the girls room, then we heard, “Let me in!” and more knocking then we realized, that it was Slo knocking on the window! I said Slo’s Here?!?!?! so we ran into the Girls room and we heard,  “haha! I got in, JK! LET ME IN! look out the window! look out the window! Not that window!!! the other one! (there is only one window) then he said I’m under the bed! that right, look there, o wait I’m in the closet yup, in the closet! MWAHAHAHAHAHA” then we found the Cell phone in the purse!! the guys had set that as alarm to go off twice, and also as the ring tone! it was Hilarious!!!! so we sat up thinking of pranks to play.

So Monday morning at about 5 we got up and called all of there phones at once! then after all of our showers we turned off the hot water so they wouldn’t have any. Then we brought coffee to them in the morning, but we put salt in the coffee, AND replaced the sugar for salt!! it would have been really funny, but the one person we didn’t want to drink it did. Then we did Lit drops in the morning and afternoon, I was in a car with Erik and Colleen, I was Navigator and Colleen was the runner. we got back at 3:45, and made signs and the guys left to take showers, but it turns out Mr. Clarke had taken a shower earlier and turned on the hot water again!!! Then we ate dinner.

Tuesday we got up at 7 and at 8 Colleen, Rebecca and I started walking to the office, when we got there the guys were playing Wii.  At 12 we split up and went sign waving! it was pretty fun. after we got back to the office we started calling people reminding them to vote. then there was a “party” we played the hand game, then Do u love your neighbor, that was Really fun because 2 of the chairs were the “comfy” chairs, so there were 4 of us that always tried to get it, Mercy, Light sabers, and Killer. I played mercy against Billy and Tucker, and Billy beat me really bad, and after a while Tuckers mom said to stop, so no one won that game. We left the next day after helping pick up signs.

Ellayna!

Colleen!!!

Everybody on Saturday

Me

Stevie

Tucker

Slo with Clarke signs

Stevie, Kristen, Shannon, and Colleen

Everybody walking to Ultimate

Shannon, Slo, and Stevie

Kristyn, Shannon, Slo, and Me

Stevie on soda cans, without hands!

The pictures were taken by Johnny and Colleen.

Heidi at the beach!

Pumpkin

Maddy on a computer chair!

AWESOME PEOPLE!

In Social Studies I have been learning about Africa Geography, in fact, today I wrote a report about how the Sahara is growing in size, due to too many cattle eating the plants!  In Math I’m Dividing Hundred Thousands.  In Maine Studies I am researching Maine Authors, and their pictures.  In Science I’m learning about Bears, and safety rules if you meet a bear.  In Art I’m mixing Colors, and using Colored pencils!

Yesterday Soccer started, It was very fun! There was 10 kids there, and 4 “teachers”.  at the end we had a small scrimmage,  I was on team 1 and we won, 1-0! Because the goals are so small it is hard to score.  This week in Awana I’m doing 4 sections, 14 verses, 8 are review 6 are new!

I’m going to have pictures of soccer soon!

The next day Mr. Draves woke us up at 5:45, at 6:15 we were helping put stuff out for a yard sale, our job during the Yard Sale was to take money, it was pretty fun, but very boring most of the time!  twice we got to ride bikes down to the Bakers because they were hosting a Yard Sale also, in their Sale they were selling Kittens for some of their friends down the street! two of them were orange and white striped, and one was gray and white,they were soooo cute!!  the Bakers bought the Gray and White one.

After the Yard Sale we each got a ride on the Motor Cycle! it was Very fun.  During Dinner we watched NCIS again.  Then later we went on the trampoline while it was dark, it was fun!  we watched NCIS before bed.

First, while my Brothers were in Delaware on a mission’s trip, I got to stay with my Aunt Anne for a week! (she is actually my Great Aunt). My Aunt lives in Oregon but she comes to Maine for the Summer to take care of my Great Grandmother, Her Mom. So I went to Stratton where she has a camp on a lake called Jim Pond. All week there was never a day without a big Thunder storm! but I still had so much fun with her, we did all sorts of things, like Swimming, Kayaking, Hiking (between storms), and cleaning out Gram’s cellar for a yard sale. Another Fun thing was that driving into camp it is all dirt road for miles, and no one goes on them so I get to drive, it is Very potholey, and there are lots of big rocks sticking out, so it could be a challenge sometimes.

Then two weeks later My whole family went to Camp Good News, I learned so much about God there, and I made some Awesome friends! For my activity I took Riflery, so I learned alot about how to handle and shoot a gun (even though it was a BB gun).

After that we took our Family vacation with My Aunt Anne at Jim Pond, Most of the time we were swimming! my Cousin’s were there to so they would swim with us, in the Middle of the week we all went to Grand Falls, it took an hour to get there, and it was all dirt roads, we did not have enough room in our car so two of us had to get in the trunk! it was pretty fun. when we got to the Fall’s it was beautiful! the Fall’s were really big, and after we went swimming on top, but if you got withing 50 feet of the Fall, you would feel it pulling you! At the end of the week was Our family reunion, Mainly people eat, and talk, and maybe play some games,one of our tradition’s is a white elephant! this year I got a candle that is Fruit Loop scented! My favorite thing was the 4 wheeler my cousin owns, because I got to drive it alot! it was so much fun! except once I went into a swamp that was about waist deep and I almost thought it was stuck! and then I rode with my Brother and the same thing happened.

a couple weeks later, My Mom, Dad, Erik, and I, went to Fun Town Splash Town! it was so much fun! My favorite rides were the, Excalibur, it was a wooden roller coaster! and the Dragons Decent, it would take you up at least 120 feet, then it free fell! it was VERY fun! From Splash town I liked the Tornado, it was a big water slide that was dark and twisty, and then you dropped about 5 feet in to a tornado shape! and you went around and around and down into the hole! the hole day was soooo much fun!

Pirate ship

Erik Eating Dippin’ Dots                          The Dragons Decent!!!

This year I’m doing, Math, Writing, Science, Social Studie’s, Maine Studies, AWANA, Art, French, Piano, and Typing!

My favorite subject this year is Maine Studies, alot of what you do is researching information about Maine! I also like my Writing book, it teaches alot about writing stories, and the process of writing.

Tomorrow Soccer also starts, I can’t play on the school team so my Mom started a homeschool Soccer Clinic that meets once a week, my brothers will be the coaches!

this Thursday AWANA starts! I’m going to be in the last book, so next year I’ll be a leader! at AWANA you Play games, say verses, and then there is a council time talk.

A Helicopter from Vietnam

Then the next day was Graduation day so we went early to the building just to wait in a very crowded space for a hour before we could sit down, then they gave a couple speeches on how great they were, sang the national anthem, the Solders said The Solders Creed, and sang the Army Song, then they graduated!

After that we got in the car With Erik and drove to Virginia where he had to go to AIT Training at.

Here is a picture of the first time we “saw” Erik

Then that night we ALL stayed at the hotel, the next morning we were going to the base to see when they needed him to report in, The Lady there thought he Was reporting in, and when she knew the mistake it was to late and she would not let him leave the Base, and the told us to leave (We learned later that they did not need him until late that night). But that is a whole other story.

But anyway, we were going to stay another night in Virginia but then we called the Ferry’s in New Jersey and asked them if we could go to there house early, They said yes, so off we went to New Jersey.

We Stayed in New Jersey for 3 days, and just relaxed, it was so Awesome. The Last night we were there we all played a game of Ultimate Frisbee, we played till 9:30 until it was so dark and foggy mostly all you could see was the light up Frisbee, that was soooo fun!

This is Sebastian

Erik showing us Victory Tower!

This is the Ferry’s new Dog Fluffy, He is a 10 year old Pomeranian Dog.