Another Few Weeks in Quarentine…

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I bought a bath bomb kit to make my Mom a Mother’s Day gift. It was a fun gift to make.

Mother’s Day was really weird this year.  Mary Ann and I drove to my parent’s. Everyone was there Joel, Ashley, Luke, Mom & Dad. They stood the on deck and we visited, I stayed in the van. We social distanced for about an hour. It was really nice to see everyone. I really miss them. I hope this will go away really soon.

My roommates and staff went for a walk around Mirror Lake. It was really nice, the weather was great. I even had my picture taken sitting on the bench!

I have been using my mat to stretch out my body and work out. It seems to be helping an I like to do it.

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I went Dr. Parson’s and he fixed me up. My back was really out and I am really happy I went to see him. Thank you Dr. Parson’s!

I colored a butterfly picture one afternoon just one of the things I do to pass the time during this corona virus.

I put away my own laundry….check it out!

Nicky my staff did gel nails on my fingers. They look like the yahtzee game and yahtzee is my FAVORITE game. They look just like I went to the salon. Nicky did a great job!

Nicky also did my hair and I think it looks great, with my butterfly clip.

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I took my first selfie what do you think?!

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All About Autism Awareness

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I wanted to do an education blog on Autism to help people better understand individuals that have Autism. Two of my roommates have autism and I thought what a cool way to learn more about them.

I found some information about Autism on the Autism Canada website https://autismcanada.org/

Some interesting facts I found were:

We are all unique

Each person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is unique and will have different abilities. Symptoms caused by ASDs might be very mild in one person and quite severe in another.

Individuals with severe autism conditions may have serious cognitive disability, sensory problems and symptoms of extremely repetitive and unusual behaviour. This can include tantrums, self-injury, defensiveness and aggression. Without appropriate intervention, these symptoms may be very persistent and difficult to change. Living or working with a person with severe autism can be very challenging, requiring tremendous patience and understanding of the condition.

Individuals with mild autism conditions, however, may seem more like they have personality differences, making it challenging to form relationships.

The primary symptoms of autism include problems with communication and social interaction, as well as repetitive interests and activities.

Here are some of the characteristics that may be present.

Strengths exhibited by individuals with autism

  • Non-verbal reasoning skills
  • Reading skills
  • Perceptual motor skills
  • Drawing skills
  • Computer interest and skills
  • Exceptional memory
  • Visual Spatial abilities
  • Music skills

Weaknesses exhibited by individuals with autism

The above exceptional skills may be combined with subtle or significant delays in other areas of development. All individuals with the diagnosis demonstrate some of the following:

  • Impairment in social relationships
  • Deficits in communication/language
  • Perseveration on interests and activities
  • Dependence on routine
  • Abnormal responses to sensory stimulation
  • Behaviour problems
  • Variability of intellectual functioning
  • Uneven development profile
  • Difficulties in sleeping, toileting and eating
  • Immune irregularities
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Gastrointestinal problems

I hope that you have learned something about Autism and take the time to lean more by checking out the Autism Canada website for more information https://autismcanada.org/

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I wanted to know more about my roommate Kat’s life with Autism.

 

I did an interview with Kat. She lives in a suite on her own in the basement of the house I live in. Kat lives by herself but has support from Camrose Association For Community Living to do some tasks. Kat has become a good friend and hangs out with us. We have went on trips to Banff for my 22 birthday and we also went on a Disney Cruise together with my other roommate Theresa. Kat and I go out for coffee, walks, trips to Edmonton shopping and supper for birthday celebrations.

I came up with some questions with my CAFCL staff and we asked Kat if she wanted to be part of my blog and she said YES! Here is our interview….

Kelsey: How dose Autism impact your life?

Kat: Well, I don’t view it as Autism has affected me that much, it more just shows me how I can be independent person as I grow up.

Kelsey: Do you think people treat you differently or not because of having Autism?

Kat: Hard to say, when I grew up I found that people misunderstood me a lot. The biggest challenge was that I had a hard time understanding somethings. I feel that I have been judged a lot.

Kelsey: What kinds of things do you like to do?

Kat: Oh, gosh, I am a very busy person. But what I like to do is my cleaning at Centra Cam, and then after my job my favorite things to do are my daily cleaning, and then relaxing which is watching shows, check on shows, go for coffee and walks.

Kelsey:What are your favorite shows?

Kat: My favorite shows are: Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix, Game of Thrones

Kelsey: Do you like to travel, where have you all gone?

Kat: I really enjoyed New York. I have been to British Columbia and traveled through there; Kamloops, Salmon Arm and the Shuswap. I have also been to Montana, Disney World in California, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Saskatchewan and San Diego when I went on the Disney Cruise.

Kelsey: What are some positive things that have happened because of Autism?

Kat: Oh goodness, I see myself independent and can manage many things on my own. I think a positive would be that I can manage my own finances and grocery shopping. Because of my Autism I was able to move into Team 12 which allows me to be as independent as I can be. I also am an educator at CAFCL as I educate new staff about Rights and Responsibilities of people with disabilities and Ethics of Touch.

Kelsey: What are some hard things about it?

Kat: Only thing is tough is when people get judgmental when they don’t know anything about autism sometimes.

Kelsey: I find people think that I can not do things because of my Cerebral Palsy. Do you find that is true for you?

Kat: I can do a lot of things by myself because I am independent, but I ask for help when I need it. I do not think people see how capable I am and how I can manage on my own. If I find things are too much sometimes then I will hold it for another day or I will speak up if I need help.

Kelsey: What are some proudest accomplishments?

Kat: That’s a hard one,took me a while to figure everything out, but managing my own finances and doing my own business on ledgers would be an accomplishment I am proud of. I am really proud of myself that I can do that. I am proud that I have gotten the hang of figuring out the ledgers and  I do ask for help when I need it. It took a few times to figure out how to not go over budget for groceries.

Kelsey: Pick 3 words that describe you?

Kat: Hard worker, flexible and trustworthy. Trust is very important to me.

Kelsey: What is a good memory from your childhood?

Kat: I do not remember much, I remember growing up and going to Wizard lake with my Dad and cousins.

Kelsey: What’s your favorite holiday?

Kat: Oh, gosh, I love holiday’s because that is the only time I can sleep in, New York is the best holiday I went on. I went to the Bronx Zoo, Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and I visited my roommate Theresa’s sister in Hudson.

I appreciate Kat taking the time to do my interview.

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I hope people understand Autism better and realize their is different types of autism. Like they said everyone is unique and you should’t judge people.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopping into Spring 2020

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I want to share my faith story. I was born as a Christian child. We went to Sunday school and Sunday church service every Sunday. I went to Sunday school and when I was in high school I went to confirmation and then after my second year I gave my heart to the Lord. My friend Melanie was my aide when I was in confirmation. This is a picture of us. I had to write my favorite bible verse. Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” This is still my favorite verse!

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Every second I got I would go up and pray for God to heal me so I could walk one day. Into my second or my third year of going to Centra Cam the Lord told me that I should work on posters about different disability’s at Centra Cam. Kristy my staff at Centa Cam was in tears and very happy to be able to help me. This started a job for me at Centra Cam creating a learning board for staff and other individuals to learn about the topics I choose. I share those on here every once in awhile.

This Easter was really weird and difficult. Centra Cam sent some Easter egg art kits to my house and we decorated Easter eggs. This is my staff Alex and Emma helping me with the Easter egg decorating. Thank you Centra Cam so much for thinking of us!

Centra Cam also sent some Easter crafts to do. We made a yellow foam Easter egg and bunny. Alex and I taped some eyes, stickers and some pipe cleaners to decorate the egg and the bunny!

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Easter turned out really good even though I wasn’t with my family. But I do miss them so much!

When you have a new Staff member that was a hair stylist when she lived in the Dominican Republic, you get a lot of more different hair styles during the week. Nicky does a great job on my hair and I enjoy the new styles she gives me!

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One afternoon we did our own nail salon. I used my gel nail lamp and nail polish that my Mom got me for Christmas in high school. We did a pretty good job!

My Mom got a call from a Glenrose Hospital Doctor who is a specialist in CP and he said that I’m sitting too much in my wheelchair. He suggested said that I could get out of the chair and lay down for a few hours so I get a rest. If this doesn’t work I may need Botox shots in my back like I did in my legs when I was in kindergarten (I don’t really remember). We are doing this for a month and if nothing changes I may need to get the Botox. So far it feels really good, I am noticing a difference.

I use my new iPad and watch YouTube videos when I’m resting in my bed mostly Brett Young!!

I’m supposed to be getting a new power chair with the back that leans back. I am excited about that but it might take a long time to get!

We went through my spring and summer clothing and putting away my fall and winter clothes. This made me feel like Spring is here to stay!

Alex and I went on a hour walk around the neighbourhood. It is so nice to go and be able to walk without my chair getting stuck. I saw one of my old teachers Mr. Ofrim riding his bike and we had a social distance chat. It does suck when the sidewalk is bumpy but nice to be outside.

We Face-timed the other residences and played bingo with Roseclub. It was really fun. I got a Bingo and won a sunflower that we planted. I can’t wait to watch it grow.

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My mom brought my walker from Centra Cam so I can use it here at home. I race my roommate Theresa down our hallway. My staff put YouTube on in the background and once time they had a picture of Brett young and I ran to him. In really enjoy my time in the walker.

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Catch up Blog and Corona Virus!

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This blog is a catch up blog and what I have been up to since the Corona virus quarantine… We don’t do blogs while I am doing school presentations because we are so busy but now we have lots of free time on our hands! We did a total of 12 presentations and we are very thankful that we got them in before this happened. We would like to thank Chester Ronning, Jack Stuart, Sparling, Killam, Ecole Sifton, Forestburg and OLMP schools for having us come. We are sorry we didn’t get to go to Tofield School but we promise to come next year. It was really good this year as always and I love doing them!
The next part of my blog goes way back to Christmas time and progresses til now!
I got a massage before Christmas from Amy Turnbull at Aeyric Touch.  I had been having terrible cramps and had a terribly sore back.  Amy noticed that my hips weren’t lined up.  She recommended I go to Parsons Family Chiropractic for an adjustment.  I had two adjustments and it has made a huge difference.  I had been scheduled to get a new seat for my wheelchair because I was just not sitting in it properly.  After the first adjustment I was sitting perfectly in it!  Now I don’t need a new seat.  Thank you Dr. Parsons and Amy for all your help!!  Also, Dr Parsons has a table that stands up, making it so much easier for me to get on it.
We had our Christmas presents party at the Wetaskiwin hospital as my best friend Teresa needed hip surgery in early March. I got her a diffuser and she got me earrings, books, markers and highlighters. It was really nice to see her again. I don’t see her near enough.
We went to Mr. Mike’s restaurant for my roommate Theresa’s birthday party!!! I bought a spa day at Cloud Nine Spa for her!
I watched the Special Olympics Fire Fighters Vs. Police hockey game and it was lots of fun.
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Then the CORONA VIRUS HIT!
I normally go to Centra Cam Monday – Thursday but not right now due to the Corona virus. It is very weird and odd not leaving the house and going to work. I have been filling my days with other things.
So I have been busy using my Christmas gifts from Miss C  for the most of the afternoons. It was like when your calendar is full with events and then everything is completely cancelled and you can’t do nothing. It was the 1st time that we didn’t have the bowl-thon with work. This coming up weekend was going to be the year end tournament for Special Olympics and that’s even canceled. It was a very weird experience and feeling for everyone.
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I wish everything goes back to normal before my Miranda Lambert and Brett Young Concerts! I miss working on my posters, going to the school presentations and volunteer work at the library and the fire hall. Of course I have missed going into my walker and walking around the hallway at Centra Cam as well.
I’m taking this time well, and I think my staff are doing OK, it’s probably difficult for them to help me stay busy but overall it’s been pretty laid back and resting. After a long 18 months of having very bad stomach pain I have learned how to make myself busy and then learning how to do what’s making me feel good again. I know how to ask for the heat pad and medicine if I need it,  before I had trouble asking for what I needed.
Tuesday night we were in our beds and then we heard the fire alarm and it scared everybody in our house. I started to laugh because I got scared and nervous. Thankfully it was a false alarm.
We have watched lots of movies in the past couple weeks. 
Theresa and I did facials while watching Pitch Perfect and Jessica and I watched Two Brothers on Netflix.  I’m quite enjoying her company.
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On Monday – I got to do my fingernails in the afternoon. On Tuesday I went on a snowy afternoon walking with Nicki and it was so hard to drive my power chair into the snow. My power chair can get stuck so when people don’t shovel their side walks it’s frustrating for me and my staff. But it was still nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air! We played Yahtzee when we got back from our walk.
On Sunday afternoon it was pretty weird not going home to my parents, but all is good. Rebecca from Rose Club made up art packages  and dropped them off at our house and we made pins. We painted hearts and we put them into the oven and they shrunk into a pin.
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Saturday afternoon Mary- Ann’s Grandson Dillon and her daughter Breanna surprised us with some music on our deck. That was very thoughtful of them.
It’s been a very weird time in this world right overall.
I hope everyone is doing okay in this world right now! Stay home and stay healthy!

Here’s my story… life with Cerebral Palsy (CP)

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I was born a healthy baby…..

When I was 13 days old I went into cardiac arrest, my heart stopped for 20-30 minutes. That is why I have cerebral palsy. I was very sick and had to spend several weeks in the hospital. My liver was damaged as a result of my heart stopping. A liver biopsy was done to find out the extent of the damage. The biopsy caused internal bleeding. Surgery was needed to stop the bleeding. My kidneys were also damaged, and I had to be on dialysis. They discovered there was an electrical problem with my heart and performed surgery to correct it.

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A few months after my eyes started crossing. This was caused by tight muscles in my eyes – a result of the cerebral palsy. The doctor had me wear an eye patch, hoping that would correct the problem. Unfortunately it didn’t work. In September I had surgery to uncross my eyes.

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I got my first wheelchair when I was three years old. The seats are custom made to fit my body, so I can sit long periods of time without getting uncomfortable. I have two chairs – a manual one and a power one.

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A lot of buildings are hard to get into. We had a ramp put on the front of our house because it was really hard to get me up and down the stairs. I seldom get to visit friends because most houses have stairs.

Cerebral Palsy has affected how my tongue works. It’s hard for people to understand what I’m saying. When I was in kindergarten I started using a communication device. I would touch different pictures and words on the device and it would speak for me.

I was unable to straighten my legs because my hamstrings were so tight. I needed surgery. Notches were cut in to my tendons behind my knees and then my legs were put in casts to keep them straight. After the casts were removed I spent several weeks in the Glenrose Hospital where I had intense physical therapy several times a day. I wore casts at night for several months to continue to stretch my legs.

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I wear braces on my feet called AFO’s. If I didn’t wear them my toes would point and I would eventually be unable to bend my feet to put shoes on. It is difficult to find shoes to fit over them. I used to stand in a standing frame. It was good for my legs. I can’t anymore because of the tendons in my legs are tight again, so I can’t straighten my legs.

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I took the following information from a Cerebral Palsy Page medically reviewed and edited by Gina Jansheski, M.D. for you to learn more about the CP I have….

Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy, also known as spastic diplegia, is one of three different types of spastic cerebral palsy. [1] The most common problem with the disorder is muscle stiffness. It manifests during infancy and early childhood, with the average age of diagnosis being three years old. Spastic Diplegia effects mostly the legs and sometimes the arms, making them stiff and contracted. [2] This makes crawling and walking difficult and most often, children will walk on their toes or with a wide “scissor-like gait.” Legs can also turn inwards and cross at the knees due to excessive muscle contractions. Other children may not be able to walk at all. The upper extremities of the body may not be affected at all and may function normally.

In my case it has affected my upper body. My hands are stiff and contracted but my left hand is better than my right!

When you meet someone with CP, language and attitudes are very important. If you do not have experience interacting with people with CP, there are some key things to keep in mind. These tips will help you to remove barriers so that you and the individual you are communicating with can enjoy a rich and engaging interaction: When interacting with someone who uses an alternate form of communication, take a moment to determine how the individual communicates (symbol board, voice synthesizer etc.) A person with CP would rather repeat themselves than to have someone pretend that they understand. If you are not sure what someone said- ask!

I don’t have any special device for communication but I really hate when some pretends they heard what I said. Please ask me to repeat and we can try and figure it out together. If we don’t know how to communicate I will get frustrated and it will be hard to have a friendship/relationship. 

Try not to assume that because someone talks differently they also hear differently. Try and speak the same way you would to anyone else. For many people with CP the muscles around the mouth and throat can be challenging to control. Do not mistake slow, slurred or halting speech as an indication of someones’ intelligence. It can be very frustrating for someone with CP to be ‘talked down to’ by their peers, try not to interrupt or cut off someone who speaks more slowly than you. Just because someone with CP may take longer to get an idea out does not mean that their ideas are less important than yours.

Inclusion and Participation

People with CP are people first and it can be extremely frustrating to be treated differently. Never describe someone with CP as “wheelchair bound”, “spastic”, “afflicted”, “suffering”, or “handicapped”. These terms are very hurtful and negative. People with CP do not want pity or charity but rather the right to full inclusion and participation. At times access to full inclusion and participation requires the use of assistive devices, personal attendants, adapted vehicles, specialized programming and so on. People with CP and their families will often have significant personal financial costs associated with gaining equal access to all areas of life. “Too often people with CP are treated as though they are objects that need to be fixed. I don’t want to be fixed, I am not broken. I just want the support I need to live my life”.

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I asked my Mom what it was like to have a child with CP, this is what she had to say:

Raising a child with a disability comes with many emotions. It is heartbreaking, overwhelming, exhausting, but in my case it was also rewarding to see such a happy child so full of love, joy and spunk. It was also amazing to experience the goodness and love of other people who were there to help, support and encourage us.

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I also asked Joel and he sent me this…

Growing up with a sister who has a disability has its difficulties, but it has even more rewards. It can be hard to understand what a disability is when you are young, and it can be confusing when your sister isn’t able to do the same things that you can do. Overtime you stop noticing these things and notice the things they can do instead. Many people think that because someone has a disability they aren’t able to do things themselves. This is not true. Growing up with someone who has a disability teaches everyone in the family that regardless of their disability, everyone has the capacity to experience joy, love, and connection. They may not be able to do all things the same way, but that doesn’t really matter; they can do the things that matter most in life, things many of us take for granted. Growing up with a sister with CP has taught me patience, kindness, and that happiness isn’t a function of what you are able to do, but how you connect and impact other people’s lives.

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Interesting Facts About Spina Bifida

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This is one of my Special Education Blog’s. I wanted to know more about Spina Bifida as I have 2 friends that have it. At Centra Cam I put together a poster to share the things I learned with everyone there. I thought I could take that information and do a blog as well. So here you go!

What is Spina Bifida?

Spina Bifida is a birth defect that  occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.  This can cause an opening in the spine and back. There are different levels that this could affect a person in their life. Spina Bifida happens when the baby is in the mommy’s stomach. This happens within the first four weeks of pregnancy. About 120 children are born with spina bifida every year in Canada.

You can’t catch it from someone else.

Problems that occur with Spina Bifida:

  • Fluid builds up around the brain and then requires a shunt to drain the extra fluid
  • Paralysis, depending on the location of the opening (the higher on the spine, the more severe the paralysis.)
  • Bowel and bladder control problems
  • Poor hand-eye coordination which can make things like handwriting hard to do
  • Learning problems or difficulty remembering things.
  1. People with Spina Bifida may use splints, casts, leg braces, canes, crutches, walkers or wheelchairs .
  2. They might have a lot of medical appointments or surgeries .
  3. They might need to use the bathroom a lot.
  4. They might have allergies.

Parents may be able to find out if their baby has Spina Bifida while the baby is still in the womb using a blood test or an ultrasound. Sometimes parents don’t know until the baby is born.

Treatment for Spina Bifida depends on the person and how severe it is. Some treatments might be visiting a brain doctor. They might need surgery, physio therapy or medicine.

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It is important for women to go and see their doctor when they find out they are pregnant to learn how to keep their baby as healthy as possible. Folic Acid is good for preventing Spina Bifida. Women trying to conceive a baby should be taking prenatal vitamins and they have the right amount of Folic Acid in them.

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Some famous people you might know were born with Spina Bifida.

John Cougar Mellencamp – He is a famous musician who sings popular songs like Jack and Diane, Small Town and Hurts So Good. John was born with Spina Bifida and is now the spokesman for Winnipeg chapter of The Spina Bifida Association of Canada.

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Hank Williams: Was one of the most famous country music artists of all time. He was born with Spina Bifida which caused him pain especially when he was travelling and very excited to be on tour. His most famous song was, “Hey Good Looking.”

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Jean Driscoll is a champion wheelchair racer who won several medals on team USA and Wheelchair section of the Boston Marathon. Jean never gave up. She wanted to be like her friends and didn’t let Spina Bifida hold her back.

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I hoped this blog helped you understand more about Spina Bifida as it changed my outlook on life. Reading these stories about famous people living with Spina Bifida was encouraging. Jean Driscoll made me think of myself because I want to be just like everyone else and I don’t want my cerebral palsy to hold me back!

I think my next special blog will be on Cerebral Palsy. Do you have any topics you would like me to research and post on my blog?

The Busiest Christmas Ever!

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For My Dad’s birthday supper my mom made noodles, potatoes, lemon chicken with chocolate cherry black forest cake 🎂 . We bought him a Bluetooth speaker and he liked it. After supper we went to The Alice Hotel to celebrate but my power wheelchair couldn’t get in so we had to go back home and get my unpowered chair! Because I had my normal chair Joel and I got to dance. It was a lot of fun.

December 19th was the Centra Cam Christmas Party. In the morning we played bingo and sang Christmas songs!!!!! A group of people did a skit of the The Grinch Who Stole Christmas it was really good. Everyone does a Christmas exchange with each other and I got a ring holder, a Tim Hortons and Superstore gift certificates! That was pretty cool!

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Friday December 20th RoseClub drove around Camrose and looked at Christmas Lights. I love looking at all of the Christmas Lights.

Saturday, December 21st our staff Mary Ann dressed up as Santa Clause and then we opened Nancy’s Christmas presents she sent us!!! She made homemade pickles for Theresa, homemade sauce for Craig, a toy for Janelle, spices for Kat and I got some bath bombs. It was pretty nice of her to think of us and send us gifts all the way from New Brunswick. We miss her.

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On December 24th we had a house party for Christmas. All of our parents and staff who could be there, came!!! We opened gifts from each other. My mom and I went to the airport mall with our friends and there was a guy who writes on Christmas ornaments so, I got all of my roommates those for Christmas! Kat got me some bath bombs,  Theresa got me a dot to dot coloring book, Craig got me some butterflies stickers for my bedroom and Janelle got me essential oils for my diffuser!!!! I think this was the first time I met Kat’s mom! It was a really fun morning with my house.

Afterwards we went to my parents and Mom and I made cherry cookies, in the evening Mom, Dad, Luke and I watched the real Grinch Who Stole Christmas as a family! On Christmas Day the 4 of us opened Christmas presents. I got Brett Young tickets, and mask that my mom and I made and a bunch of other stuff! We then decorated gingerbread houses! When I decorate the house I like to tell my mom what I want for my house and she does it for me!

We watched Christmas Chronicles as a family. It was really good. I really liked the girl.

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On Christmas Day evening Mom, Dad, Luke and I  went to our friends house which has a ramp on it – so my power chair could get in. Which was great….. but then it turned out to be a disaster! They had dog and me not thinking I pet the dog and got hives on my face! Because I am very allergic!

On Boxing Day Mom, Dad and I went to Lloydminster!! My brother Joel and Ashley met us there as they were in Moose Jaw with Ashley`s family! We played Charoodles together!

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On the 29th Sunday afternoon Joel and Ashley and I went to the mall and I got to use my gift certificate for my nails!! We opened more Christmas presents and we played the wrapping ball game with everyone! We also took family pictures!

My parents got a pre-sale code from Ashley to buy Brett young tickets the day before they were on sale! We got tickets in the third row!!!! I am really excited I have never been on the floor before!

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On News Years evening Theresa, Kathleen and I watched the New’s Years movie on Netflix.

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It’s was a very busy Christmas with everything and it was a really special season!!!!

Sunday afternoon I decorated my bedroom door with the butterflies from Craig with my staff Kathleen!!! My mom got me some new books and we also went shopping for new clothes.

 

We are going to have lots of school presentations again this year that start next week!!!! I hope the year 2020 will be a awesome with good health, amazing experiences and good people in your life!!!

November Is Done….and It feels Like Christmas!

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I went to see the Adams Family Play at the Bailey Theatre with Lori. I got a picture with the Sound Guy Duncan he used to work at Centra Cam. The play was so good but it was hard for me to understand because I didn’t know the story line ahead of time. Brian Dumont did so good…. amazing!

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This Sunday afternoon we wrapped Christmas presents for my brothers and my brothers girlfriend! Last weekend on Sunday my mom, our friend Chantelle and myself went to the airport mall and did some shopping!

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This last Friday afternoon there was a group of us from Camrose Association For Community Living who went to see Disney on Ice in Edmonton at the Expo Centre. We were in the wheelchair accessible seating, so that was very nice! The washrooms were to small for my wheelchair so Kathleen had to help me back up my chair into the stall. But everything else was good, it was a very special performance! I even had some poutine and bought a Frozen blanket.

When we got back to Camrose, we went to Rose Club and decorated gingerbread houses for the Christmas party table centerpieces. The Rose Club Christmas party is  this coming up Saturday night! I am excited for the party. Every year we do a gift exchange, supper, and dancing. Rebecca the Rose Club Leader does a slideshow every year of all pictures throughout the year of the fun activities we have done and I am looking forward to seeing it with my friends. We dress up for the party as well… stay tuned for pictures next month!

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On Saturday afternoon my new friend Jamie and I went to The College Farmer’s Market because My mom was selling her jewelry.   We brought a mug for the Christmas party gift exchange and then we went to Garlands and Gatherings at the CRE and I brought a gift for our friend Lisa for Christmas (she is going to be grandmother after Christmas). I also bought a Christmas pin for my coat. We then went to Walmart and I got my haircut. That evening my roommates and I went to the Grinch Who Stole Christmas at the Performing Arts Centre. I got my picture with the Grinch.

On November 11 was the Remembrance Day holiday and everyone in the house decorated the house for Christmas! My roommates Theresa and I wrapped up a picture with some help from MaryAnn! This was the 1st Christmas without our staff Nancy! I think the wrapping pictures was her idea so it was kinda sad. I miss her….. we ALL miss Nancy. But we get to Face time her so that is special.

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Tuesday night November 12 when I got back from Centra Cam Theresa, myself and Jessica decorated the Christmas tree!

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I got a new job volunteer position at Centra Cam. I go to the Firehall on Thursdays and do the shredding. I can do it all by myself. I really enjoy going to the Firehall.

 

 

October Was Really Busy!

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At Centra Cam we got to meet Chief Dean LaGrange the new police chief for Camrose! He has worked in the police field in various positions for 30 years. He worked in Calgary, Red Deer and now Camrose! He has 3 kids; one is a Peace Officer, one is a 911 dispatcher and one is in RCMP training! Some people gave him a tour and the rest got to ask him questions. I did an article on this for our Centra Cam Newsletter.

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I got to meet baby Patrick who is Marrissa’s new baby. Marissa was a staff at my house and funny story we actually went to high school together!

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I started reading Charlotte’s Web to my roommate Theresa, she loves when I read to her.

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We had the birthday bash and danced the night away with Rose Club. We had chocolate cupcakes and they made a conga line behind my wheelchair it was a lot of fun.

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I helped Craig and Becca with the recycling for the 1st time! Its a good thing that I didn’t have my power chair for the cardboard place because it had a step so that wouldn’t be  easy! There is a ramp for the newspapers and glossy paper so it was good!

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Then Kat, Becca and I went to Tim’s for coffee! Kat showed me new pictures of her new end tables that she got from Konto! She was talking about Disneyland in October of next year! We had a great time and the washroom was easily accessible!

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We went to watch skating in Red Deer on Thursday Oct 9! The skating was really neat, I loved watching it.We had wheelchair and walker seating! There was a big washroom for my power chair and I loved that. I went with Jill, Sara, Cheryl, Joanne, Kathleen and Theresa! For super we went to A&W for fries and blueberry scones.

On Saturday Oct 19 we went to see Dean Brody, Dallas Smith, Chad Brownlee, The Reklaws and Mackenzie Porter! We went for supper at Joeys with Joel and Ashley before the concert.

You gotta love wheelchair seating we were closest to the stage. The concert was really cool. I loved them all. I even got a hoodie!

Every October Camrose Association For Community Living has their charity auction and this past Thursday night we had it!! I have been doing a lot of fun stuff with CAFCL! When I was younger I went to Kandu Summer camp every year!! We would get to go on field trips every week!!! We would get to go to the swimming pool every Wednesday! We would do arts and crafts! I remember getting to go to the corn maze every summer! We also got to go to Stacey’s Farm and ride on her horses an go on hay rides! In the school year when I was younger I also got to go to respite it’s like rose club but for kids! We got to pick what we wanted to do! We did arts and crafts! Sometimes we would like to sleepover and we would watch movies! I remember going on trips to the space and science centre or the swimming pool in Edmonton!

CAFCL means a lot to me and my family. So last night we had a meal, Silent auction to support and make more money for the CAFCL for their program and services! I asked if I could say the prayer for supper and I chose this to say: God is good and God is great, let us thank him as we are fed! Give us Lord our daily bread and bless our time together at this special event Amen! I really enjoyed it! We got to listen to Krista who had been a car accident and it’s so powerful and an amazing story! This year the theme was black and white! They had No Limits balloons on the background behind their stage! They had a sideshow of pictures and their were pictures of me doing my school presentations!!!!! It’s a very special event for the Camrose Association For Community Living every October! You should get tickets and come next year!

I had to go to Edmonton again to get new belts on my butterfly braces as they were giving me sores on my feet that they not supposed to do! So far they are working.

We are carved pumpkins!! Camrose Association For Community Living gave us pumpkins! I got to get scoop lots of seeds  out of the inside of the pumpkins and then Mary- Ann helped carve the faces!

We went swimming at the Wetaskiwin pool with Rose Club. I love swimming it feels so nice to just float. I feel free like a bird. I wish the Camrose Pool would hurry up! Swimming is so important to me.

I went for a walk around Mirror Lake for 2 hours and I got to stop and check the piano they have there. We also walked downtown.

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I dressed up for Halloween as a beautiful fairy. Tracy Fontaine did my amazing make up. She was set up at the Retro doing face painting.

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From Football to the Zoo it was a busy few weeks!

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My parents and I watched the “Wish Man” which is the movie about the creator of Make-A-Wish-Foundation. It was a really good movie. I was granted my wish and my family and I got to go to Disneyland in California in May 2012! We also went to Hollywood and Knotts Berry Farm for the whole week! Everything was paid for by the Make-A-Wish-Foundation. It is amazing what they can do. I got to tell them my 3 wishes…. My first choice was Disneyland and my other choices were to meet Justin Beiber & a hot tub for our back yard. I got my first wish! You should watch this show to see what it is all about. Thank you to Make-A-Wish-Foundation.

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On Saturday evening Rose Club went to a football game. Calgary won against Edmonton!! Darby and I got wheelchair access and she was was able to sit with me!! We had some friends who were excited and gave me hand clappers! We even got a chocolate ice cream on a stick that Darby got cut up and mashed so I could eat it easily!!  The wheelchair washroom was accessible for my chair!!  But there were no buttons to open the door so  everyone was willing to help us. We drove up with my friend Mary Ann and her staff. It was an amazing experience and I would love to go again in a heartbeat with Rose Club!!! I also bought myself a hoodie.

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I made zucchini chocolate chip cake on Sunday afternoon with my mom and we had vanilla ice cream with it! I didn’t get a picture of it though!! It was really chocolate goodness and would make it again!

This past Thursday  we took the house roommates and Melissa and we picked up Tracy at New Norway car wash! We went on a road trip! We went to our roommates Craig hometown of Clive and he showed us everything. Where he went to school , where he went to play basketball and even where he went to get his hair cuts! I really loved learning how about Craig’s hometown because I haven’t seen Clive before in my life!

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Then we went to the Calgary Zoo! I saw lot of amazing animals and I even got to see my favourite butterfly exhibit.It was very hot in there. I think it was my first time hearing a lion roar so it scared me a little bit! We went to see the lemurs and they were walking around the place. I got a new blanket from the gift shop! It was a fun day!

On Saturday afternoon last weekend I went to see my grade one teacher Miss C and her mom! We went to Tim Horton’s and hung out! She gave me beautiful earrings. I enjoyed  spending time with her. She showed me some cat pictures and I liked that. I don’t see her near enough.

We went to Bev’s 80th Birthday party at the CAFCL office and it really nice to see everyone! I loved seeing old pictures that someone made for a side show!! Brian Dumont sang and he is amazing. I even saw my old kindergarten teacher Mrs. Johnson so that was a surprise! This is my roommate Theresa and I at the party.

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