Rose Club carved Pumpkins on Friday, October 20th. I really liked digging out the inside of the pumpkin. Becca and I did hand over hand cutting of the face. I made 2 faces on my pumpkin and a design.

On Saturday the 21st my staff, roommates and I went out to pick out Halloween Costumes and decorations. We also went for walk around Mirror Lake. I had a gift card for A&W since last year so I had a chocolate milkshake it was really good!

Every October Camrose Association For Community Living (CAFCL) has a Charity Auction. This year it was on Thursday, October 26th. I donated a scarf I made. I was featured as a Client Showcase Person.  Which made my scarf a Live Auction item. Esther the CEO of CAFCL had me on stage and asked me questions so the crowd got to know me. Then they auctioned off my scarf. The Mayor Norm Mayer bought my scarf for $1500 and then he gave it back to me!! I was honoured to be included. My Mom was there as well. The Charity Auction was really fun! I bought a mirror and sign for my house. I can’t wait for next year!

Saturday October 28th Rose Club had a Halloween and Birthday Bash. I made cheesecake brownies with orange and black icing. I dressed as Alice In Wonderland for the party. My Mom made a hole in my costume so I could still eat!

This week at my job I learned how to stamp prices. I really like what I am doing.

On Thursday November 2nd Cherilyn and I did a presentation at Our Lady of Mount Pleasant (OLMP) School to 450 students and the staff! It was amazing. You can really tell when kids are listening because they ask questions! We talked about Cerebral Palsy (CP)and how it affects everyone differently. My roommate is a student at OLMP and she has CP so I talked about her and myself. I felt really good after the presentation that I made a difference.

 

 

 

On Friday the 13th Rose Club did a Bake Sale at the Camrose Kodiak’s Game. I made Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and labels for the bags with my roommate Theresa and my staff Marissa. Rose Club made $180.30 at the Bake Sale. Everyone had lots of fun and it was nice to see people and that they appreciated our baking. The money we raised will help with the cost of future Rose Club events.

This is me doing quality control to make sure the muffins were good enough to sell!

Wheelchair Parking Gone Wrong!

We purposefully chose a parking spot equipped with a wheelchair sign and pared off to the side so that we would have lots of room to put the ramp out so that we could get my wheelchair in and out of the vehicle. When we came back out, this is what we found.

Someone, with a wheelchair sign in their window parked in between our vehicle and the next vehicle, completely blocking our ability to fold down the ramp. This was very frustrating! What you think when you see this?

I started my new job on Tuesday. I had to sign some papers, watch a safety video and we toured around. They have to make a ramp at the back door so that I can get out safely if there is a fire. My first day went pretty ok. I am starting on Monday’s and I look forward to it!

Sunday I had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents. My brother Joel  came home from Edmonton  and my other brother Luke came home from Calgary they are both going to school. Every Thanksgiving we always take a Fall Family Picture. But this year the weather wasn’t very cooperative and my Mom was under the weather. So we took our picture in the living room. We always have to match! We love doing them.After pictures Mom, Joel and I played Rummikub. Once I got the hang of it, it was really fun. I can play it by myself and didn’t need help once I figured it out.

My Mom made a ham dinner and I got to have a piece of apple pie!

On Monday my staff Marisa colored my hair with hair chalk. It was fun and I liked how it looked. What do you think?

Saturday Theresa and went to Flatliners at Duggan Cinemas. Theresa liked the Action part of the movie and I really like the medical part. They made their hearts stop and my heart stopped for 20-30 minutes when I was a baby. It was interesting for me to watch.

I use a therapy wedge to stretch my torso and my hips because when you sit all day you don’t use those muscles and the therapy wedge helps me strengthen them. My staff uses a motorized lift to put me on the wedge. I like to use a pillow for my elbows to keep them supported and comfortable. I watch TV while I lay on the wedge!

We have a reclining chair that I really like to sit in to watch TV as well. I have a pillow that supports my back that doesn’t move.

This week on Thursday I walked in my walker 13 laps! That is more than I have ever done I usually do 10!

I found out on Thursday while I was walking that I got a job at the Centra Cam Outlet Store! My job will be to price the items on Tuesday mornings. I am very excited to start this week!

This was a very good week!

Friday September 22nd was another Rose Club event. We decorated white T-Shirts with permanent marker and acetone. I could color the t-shirt very well with no help. It was really fun. I like how the shirt turned out. The smell from the acetone was strong though!

Saturday September 23rd we went to the Camrose Kodiak’s Game. I don’t really like hockey but when I have a chance to go out and do something with my friends I go! I shared poutine with my room mate Theresa! The Kodiak’s won 4-3.

This week we started swimming and bowling again with Special O. Craig and I bowl on Wednesday Nights from 4:30-5:30 it is really fun for me!

On Monday’s I go swimming with Centra Cam from 3:00-4:00 and then I have Special O swimming from 4:00-5:00. I am REALLY Busy!

Sunday I flew from Edmonton to Vancouver and stayed the night at the airport hotel.

Monday I got on the Disney Cruise and toured around the ship for the day!! We watched a ventriloquist show in the evening before supper!!

On Tuesday we did a couple of crafts in the day time!! We got to make homemade buttons and another craft a paper Minnie Mouse!! Then we went to the show the golden mickey’s!  Then we went out for supper!!!

On Wednesday we had breakfast in our room!!! We saw the characters and we went shopping, I got a sweater (jacket and pants that are black and has Disney cruise written on it!! ) I also got a Mickey Mouse picture fame! They had a Pirates of the Caribbean theme night at supper!! So, they gave us bandanas to wear, they had a band playing music and we danced!! After supper we watched the musical ” Frozen” and then they had fire works on one the decks.

Thursday we had breakfast out!! We went to see more characters and they had windows that you could sit on!! We went swimming again in the afternoon!! This was the last night on the ship and we went to “Disney Dreams” and had supper!!! Everyone was very happy to help so we went to each restaurant on the ship and to each waiter and gave them a tip!! We made a waiter cry!!!

We went to Sea World on Saturday!!! We went on rides (we went on the motion airplane and the gondola) we went to watch a killer whale show, saw turtles and we went in a tunnel that had the sharks In it!!! There was an ice wall but I’m not sure what that was about!! We also watched whales play and swim in a show!! We also saw flamingos and baby sharks, seals and otters, a walrus and dolphins!

The ups and downs about this cruise!!!

1. It was hard to get in the elevator (a bit tricky with a walker and a wheelchair)
2. There was stuff that you take for granted  – I can go into my house because we have a ramp (Rebecca had to do a lot of lifting on this trip), at home we have lifts to put me into bed, we had to use a suitcase to keep me in bed – at home I have bed rails ! It was a good thing I brought my unpowered chair because it was hard to get into the elevator because the door closed too fast it would have been impossible to get it in as quick as we needed to!!
3. There were unknowns too!! People were very helpful and knew what they were talking about!!! They had a seat belt for me on the rides, they had lifts for the shuttles and seat belts for me to keep me safe!!

In the states they had a lot of wheelchair public washrooms everywhere!!  Also the public washrooms were bigger than in Canada!!   In Sea World they even had sinks outside. All the shows that we saw had wheelchair seats!!!

This was an amazing trip and I would go again in a heartbeat. I would like to thank CAFCL for making this happen. They planned an amazing trip that I will never forget. My staff Becca, Kathy & Diana were very fun! Theresa, Kat, Nicole, Cindy & Joanne were awesome to hang around with!

Last weekend was the Kodiak’s Street Hockey Tournament, my room mate Theresa and I went to watch and support our room mate Craig in the hockey tournament. He did very well.

In the evening Theresa, Marisa and I played Sorry on the deck. We played 2 games and the first game Marisa won and the second game Theresa won! It was very fun and nice out.

On Sunday our friend Anna Marie turned 50! She loves cats, so the night before my Mom made cats on sticks and a sign that said “Check MEOWT I’m 50”! I supervised Mom and told her what looked good when she was decorating.

My Mom and I started to pack for my trip… I am going on a Disney Cruise. I leave on Sunday! Stay tuned for pictures from my trip!

On Monday we had Anna Marie come over for Vanilla Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. It was good… it is always good!

 

 

On Saturday the 26th I went for a haircut. The stylist moves her chair out of the way so I can park close to the mirror. We take off my headrest and my bag that is on the back my chair, so she can get close to me.

After my haircut we went to Payless Shoes to buy some new shoes. I have to find shoes that fit over my leg braces. I have to take out the insole of the shoe because my braces are on my feet as well. I buy shoes with laces so that they can be tied tight to stay on.

We went shopping for clothes at Reitmans. They have mirrors around the store so I can try things on without going to the dressing room. It is too hard to try on pants at the store so I know my size and buy them. If they don’t fit we can take them back.

Check out my new shirts, shoes and fabulous haircut!

On Tuesday the 15th I went to Hallmark in the Mall to get a gift for Kennedy my aide from Centra Cam because she was leaving on Thursday. She moved to Calgary for school. I bought her a nice bracelet and a thank you card. I will really miss Kennedy she was very good to me.

On Thursday the 17th Kennedy & I went to Mirror Lake for a stroll and ice cream. When I gave her my gift she started to cry. She loved it.

Thursday night I went to a Wiener Roast at Jubilee Park with Rose Club. I ate a brownie and it was tasty!

On Friday we had girls day, my room mate Theresa and I painted our nails. I have a box of lots of nail polish, stickers & jewels.

On Wednesday August 23rd I went for a walk with my friends Craig & Terra we went to to Mirror Lake for Ice Cream. I had cookies & cream ice cream it was very yummy!

Saturday we had a Birthday Bash with my friends from Rose Club – Rose Club is a group of people who plan activities throughout the month. One Saturday night a month we celebrate everyone’s birthday for the month. This month it was at our house in the driveway. Derek brought his music and we played it from my garage. This time everyone brought a snack to enjoy and we had birthday cake. I brought some muffins. It was a very fun night!

Sunday I went to the Rosebush Lodge B&B Tea House by Edberg with my Mom and our friend Anna Marie. It was closed! But we still walked around the campground. It was kind of hard for my wheelchair because there was lots of gravel. It was bumpy. But I enjoyed the day.

After we went to Brown’s Social House. It is very easy for me to get around and we ate on the patio. I had Oreo Cheesecake in a cup it is my favorite cookie and I LOVE Cheesecake. It was very yummy!

My grade 1 teacher Miss Cherniak makes earrings out of paper and she sent me some as gift this week. She also sent me a bracelet and some earrings she bought. I am very thankful that she thinks of me. Every year for my birthday and holidays she always send me gifts.