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HOME
April, 2006 Issue:
Page 1
Newsletter
Future Fun Stuff
Cool Links
Gabrielle's Grab Bag
Page 2
Book Review
Poetry Corner
Math Challenge
Page 3
Meet My Dog
*Page 4*
Trip to Florida
My Confirmation |
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Nicholas' News - April, 2006
Page 4 |
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Our Trip to Florida |
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We spent a week in Venice, Florida on the Gulf Coast with our friends who live in Oregon. They have a family home in Florida and asked us to vacation with them. I'm sure glad that they asked us and that my parents said, "yes."
During our vacation, my dad, Mr. Schreck and I went to a spring training baseball game. It was the Pittsburg Pirates playing against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Since the stadium was kind of small, all the seats were really close to the playing field. When I was at the Bull Pen (where the players warm up), I was only 5 feet away from the players. During the game, one of the Devil Rays hit a home run! Also, one of the Pirates cracked the bat when he got a hit. When the game was over, the Pirates had won 7 - 5. |
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Here I am at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, FL Spring Training Home for the Pittsburg Pirates |
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One day we went to visit the Larsens who had been my mom's next door neighbors when she was growing up. They moved to Florida a few years ago and they didn't live too far from where we were staying. They invited us to their house for the day.
While we were there we went on their boat for a ride around the lake they live on. I even got to drive the boat! Mr. Larsen let me borrowing his fishing rods to fish in the lake. My dad and I caught some big fish! My dad had cast the line and hooked something. He thought he had it snagged on a rock and gave the rod to me to reel in the line. When I got the rod, a huge fish jumped out of the water and he swam under the boat. I kept reeling slowly and when I pulled it in, I had a bass longer than a foot! Mr. Larsen took a picture of it! I also caught some big catfish.
We ate lunch at their house and afterwards my dad, Gabrielle and I got to drive their golfcart around their town. On the roads there was even a special lane for golf carts! They had a big screened-in pool and we went swimming. Then Mr. Larsen showed me how to play pool on his pool table. We even stayed for dinner and finally had to leave when it got late. I was very glad to have met them. They were really nice and Gabrielle and I had a lot of fun at their house. |
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My mom, me and Gabrielle with Mrs. and Mr. Larsen |
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On Thursday we went to the beach. I started digging a hole and after awhile I hit a huge rock. The rock was so large (over 5 feet!) that I just decided to start digging a new hole. Ryan and his family joined us at the beach. When we finished, there was water in the bottom of the hole! I went boogie boarding for awhile in the deep water over my head. There were some rocks, like a reef, near the beach. I swam out with my dad and we went snorkeling. We found that the rocks were very red under the water. We didn't see any fish while we were out there, but I did find a big white shell. At this same beach we also found lots of fossilized shark's teeth. |
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My Confirmation |
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On Tuesday, the 25th of April, I made my Confirmation. I have been preparing for over a year for this day. Last year, I had to choose a saint whose name I would take, and then I had to do a report on the life of that saint. I chose Saint Matthew, the Apostle. I became interested in him because his feast day is on my birthday! It was also one of the names that my parents had thought about naming me when I was born.
This whole year, I went to special classes (called C.C.D. or PREP) and I studied about the Old Testament, the New Testament and lots of things about my faith. We had lots of questions that we had to know the answers to and every person who was going to be Confirmed had to have an interview. |
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My friends and I after the ceremony. |
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At the beginning of the Confirmation mass, all the kids to be confirmed were wearing white robes and we walked in a procession with our sponsors (the people who support the person to be confirmed.) My sponsor was my grandfather (my dad's father.) There were 85 students being confirmed. One of the bishops from our diocese presided at the mass. During the mass the Confirmandi (the people to be confirmed) renewed our baptismal promises. After that we walked up to the bishop with our sponsor. While my sponsor had his right hand on my shoulder, the bishop annointed me with Chrism (a holy oil.) The bishop called each of us by the saint's name we chose.
After the ceremony, my family and my friend's family went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. I had a great dinner of cheese ravioli and for desert an oreo cookie and ice cream crepe. My grandparents presented me with an adult Bible and my friend and his family gave me a very nice Bible cover and carrier. My parents gave me a cross and two books. I had a really great Confirmation day. |
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This is my grandfather, me, Bishop McGinnis and my mom and dad. |
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