December 2011, Denver, Colorado~

Dear Journal~

G'day, mates!  It's your friend, Sage McDermott!  I hope this finds you all in good health (or at least happy ...)!

I am doing great!!  We are in the throes of getting ready for Christmas!  Yawks!! Can you believe it?  Christmas is only in a few weeks!!!!  It's really come up fast!!

Sunday is our Cantata at church.  I am not singing a solo this time, but I am still in the production: I am in the choir.  That is fine.  As long as I get to sing, then that's okay.  I and the choir have been practicing hard to get the music (parts) just right.  I think we are sounding pretty good!  I pray all goes well!!

I am still on a high from my vacation back in July.  I can't believe it's been five months since I went to Australia to see Camie, my penfriend!  She was very sweet, but she sure has a weird way of talking: I couldn't understand her Aussie accent at first, but the more time we spent together, the easier it got.  We went to the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House; both were way cool!!  I really enjoyed myself! 

I just wish it could have lasted longer.  I was in Oz for a week.  NOT long enough, in my honest opinion!

While there, I saw koalas, roos, wallabies, kukaburras, and other exotic wildlife that is uniquely Australian and we went to the malls, to the zoo, and ate weird food.  I also tried Vegemite, which was like eating tasteless cardboard.  It was unbelievably GROSS!!  UGH!!

While in "Oz", I got to hold a baby koala bear.  It was so cute; so soft and so sweet!!  Camie took loads of pics; I put them up on my Facebook page, for all my friends (and my parents) to see! 

I am sure some of my friends were jealous! :)

Back in June, we had a scare:  Aunt Reba started having tingling and numbness in her legs and she had trouble walking.  Her doctor had her undergo tests, to see what was going on; turns out she has multiple sclerosis (MS).  She has to use a wheelchair (or crutches) on her bad days, but most days she gets by with a cane and does pretty good, all things considering.  It was a very bad time for us, but I am glad that Aunt Reba seems to be doing better.  Answered prayers!

Uncle Fenton is still ... well, Uncle Fenton.  He is nice, but he can be quite the jokester: he is always making people laugh and loves to play practical jokes on them (including me).  He once put a daad squirrel in my bed, just to see what I would do.  I about killed him; I was SOOO mad at him!!

The weather here in Colorado has turned much colder: well? Winter is only a few weeks away!  I have already gotten some skiing in; looks like we might have a great winter for all sorts of wintertime activities!!  We had a gorgeous fall; the trees were nothing short of spectacular!

I am absolutely amazed at how fast the year went.  Seems like only yesterday when I started summer vacation.  Now I am a big-time senior; in less than six months I will be graduating and trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life!  UGH!!

I would like to go to college, but I would also like to work with children with special needs who go to my church.  I can see myself taking care of kids for the rest of my days until I retire.  I love kids; always have, always will!

Well, I am going to go to lunch; I will write in here again soon!  If you don't hear from me beforehand, let me wish each and every one of you a very merry Chriatmas and the happiest of New Years!  God bless and take care; this is Sage McDermott saying bye for now!

~Love, Sage.  :)