Colleen’s Blog

Yesterday it snowed almost all day! YAY! It was a blast going out and sledding! Since there was still ice under the snow, we only used the sleds a little bit. The snowboards worked best on the snow! I actually made it down most of the hill on the snow board! The snowboard I was on didn’t have straps around your feet or a string to hold on to but it was still pretty easy. Since there was ice under the snow we did baseball slides. It was so fun! Billy and I also tried starting on a stump on the top of the hill. Ellayna was sliding with us too. Afterward, Ellayna and I walked to our house for hot cocoa. Billy came home soon after.

Tonight we are probably going to go to the Marston care group! It is a Bible study.

There was an ice storm last Friday when we were gone in Pennsylvania. Some of our friends lost power due to the ice storm. The Leifheits did not get their power back until yesterday! That was four and one half days without power! Praise the Lord they now have power!!!!

Yesterday Shannon, Billy and I went sliding on the ice! It was so slippery that we didn’t need sleds! We just used our boots! Ellayna came sliding with us too! It was a BLAST!!! I am really sore now. It was really hard to walk back up the slippery hill!

When it started to get dark we went home and Ellayna went back to her house. After supper, Dad had a business phone call to make. After Dad was done his phone call, we went to pick up Ellayna and then go Christmas shopping at Wal-mart. Ellayna helped me choose presents for my friends and family. I can’t tell you what I bought though, because someone might read this and know what I’m getting them! We left Wal-mart and dropped off Ellayna at her house on our way home. When we got home, we wrapped our gifts.

Last Tuesday night we left to go to Pennsylvania. It was fun! We got to a hotel in Massachusetts around 11:30pm. I was tired! I didn’t get to sleep until around 2am because it was really hot inside the hotel room! When we got up we had breakfast and then we went back on the road. When we finally got to Pennsylvania we visited the Johnson’s, who used to go to our church. Billy and Jenna played chess. We also played a fun game called Catch Phrase. It was very fun! The team I was on won twice! We sang some hymns too. That was nice! We left soon after that.

We got to a hotel that was near Grammy and Grampy’s. It was pretty cool! They had a pool. It wasn’t very deep, but it was fun and warm! We also went into the hot tub! That was fun! We went to Grammy and Grampy’s house after we went swimming. We mostly talked. For supper we had ham and cheese sandwiches! After supper we watched the news. Then we left.

When we got home, we watched TV until it was time to go to bed.

When we we woke up, we had breakfast and then we went swimming again! After we went swimming, we went to Grammy and Grampy’s again. Grampy had us pick out a stained glass pattern to keep. Shannon picked a butterfly. Billy and Abbey picked these fancy knot things and I picked a swan. After that we played cards until supper. That was fun! Grammy and Grampy also gave us $30 to spend on ourselves for Christmas! Thank you, Grammy and Grampy! We went to the hotel soon afterwards. We watched TV again and went to bed.

On Friday we found out that our hotel room’s door handle was broken. So they had us switch to a suite! That was nice of them! In the suite, there was a whole other room! After we got in the suite, we went to Grammy and Grampy’s for awhile and then we went shopping at the Pennsylvania mall! That was pretty fun! I got a two CD’s with nice Christian songs. I also got raspberry filled chocolates! Yum! We also all got some milkshakes! It was snowing the whole time we were shopping! I love snow!!!

On Saturday we went to Grammy and Grampy’s again, and on the way we went to go see a dome! It was really cool! It was big enough for 3 soccer fields and a snack shack! It was sooo cool! I wish we had a dome, so we could play soccer all year round!

On Sunday we packed up and went to church. It was a nice sermon! After church we headed back to Maine. On our way we saw LOTS of icy trees! We stopped in Connecticut for the night. After that we headed to Maine! We were on our way back when we needed lunch! We were in York! That’s where Stevie, Hannah and Johnny live! But since they were out of power, we could not visit them. It was so weird to be so close, but unable to visit them! I miss them SOOOOO much!

We got home around 2pm! We unpacked and I had Ellayna over and gave her a Friends Forever necklace. We talked for awhile and then we had supper and then we watched Thou Shalt Laugh. It was HILARIOUS!!!! After that Dad and I brought Ellayna home.

When we came back home, we set up the Christmas tree! It’s so nice! We also got a package in the mail from Uncle David and Sue. So, we put the Christmas presents from them under the tree.

Tonight after supper our family is going to be leaving to go to Pennsylvania. Mom’s parents live in Pennsylvania, so that is why we’re going. I’m sooo excited! The problem is that we have to do some schoolwork while we’re gone, such as math and Arts and Literature. But the fun thing is we’re staying at a hotel that allows dogs and has an indoor swimming pool! I’m extremely excited!

Yesterday and today it has been below freezing! Yesterday morning it was around 6 degrees Fahrenheit. But it warmed up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit! This morning, when I walked Doug and Josie, it was 14 degrees Fahrenheit! It is snowing right now!!!! YAY!

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday Shannon, Billy, Abbey, Samantha and I were stage crew for Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. It was very fun! We had these sheets of paper to tell us when we had to put certain things in certain places on the stage. It was very easy! We were sort of part of the cast, but we didn’t have to worry about our lines and when we were supposed to enter. The first performance was great! And the performances just kept getting better and better! For the cast party, we got everybody to sign each others programs. After that was done we did the snake dance until it was time for pizza! It was yummy! After pizza we went back up and played “Do you love your neighbor?”. It was hilarious! I only got asked once if I loved my neighbor. But there was a lot of people! After awhile we had to stop and get ready to leave. I gave almost everyone hugs, and then we talked downstairs for awhile. We left soon after that.

It snowed almost all day Sunday! I was sooo happy! After church I went to Ellayna’s house for awhile. We made a music video with pictures of ourselves. We had ham and mashed potatoes for supper! It was delicious! Ellayna and Taylor came to our house for a little movie night. We watched Journey to The Center of Earth. But, it wasn’t the one we wanted to watch. There were two Journey to the Center of the Earth movies that came out in 2008. The one we watched was horrible! Ellayna and Taylor went home afterwards. After that we went to bed.

On my way home from Portland, Ellayna and I planned that I could sleepover at Ellayna’s house! So we went to my house to get some sleeping stuff, then left to go to Ellayna’s. We played the Wii a little bit and then had a snack. We went to bed after that.

When we woke up we made chocolate chip pancakes and bacon! They were sooo yummy!

After breakfast we texted Billy to see how he was doing. Last I knew, Billy had some cramps and a fever. He told me that he was going to the ER! Only his right side was having pain, and it hurt just to move! We went out to eat for lunch, so we texted Billy the whole time to see how he was doing. He had appendicitis (an inflammation of the appendix).

Danielle took us out to eat to Ruby Tuesdays! It was really fun! We went to Petco and Kohl’s, too!

When we got back to Ellayna’s house, Ellayna and Taylor made ‘Get well soon’ cards for Billy and then Dad picked me up. We went to the ER. I got to see Billy. A doctor came in to tell Mom how they were going to do Billy’s surgery, and I don’t know why, but I nearly blacked out! I got REALLY dizzy and Mom and Shannon told me I looked pale and green! I’ve never gotten that close to blacking out before! I told Mom that I didn’t feel so good and that moment when she saw me she said “Sit down and put your head between your legs!” So I did that, and I felt a lot better! Awhile later, Billy got his own hospital room.

Dad, Shannon, Abbey and I went out to eat for supper and went home to get some stuff for Billy and Mom. Mom decided to spend the night at the hospital with Billy. Right before we left, the nurses took Billy to the OR (Operating Room) to have his surgery!

When we got back to the hospital we waited there for about an hour before Billy came back to his room from surgery. Billy was barely awake when he came back because he was put to sleep for the surgery! Everybody except Mom and Billy left to go home.

We decided to have Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday because Mom and Billy were pretty tired.

On Friday we got a new mailbox put up. It swings! We started cooking the turkey and stuff after our mailbox was finished. Tim and Angie showed up after awhile. We had our meal around 1PM. It was delicious!!! Good job, cooks!

After the Thanksgiving meal, we talked for awhile, and then Tim and Angie left.

On Saturday we went to the Richards’ to help paint. After we painted, we had to leave.

On Sunday Ellayna, Richard and Tifani came to church with us. After church Abbey, Tifani, Richard, Shannon and Billy went to the Steward’s house and Ellayna and I stayed home. We talked a lot and we also baked up some cookies. When Mrs. Fowler came to pick Ellayna up it was snowing a lot outside! I was sooo happy!