TODAY WAS OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCHEN AT MY APARTMENT!

Hi Everyone!

Today was the Christmas luncheon at my apartment complex! We had Italian Beef sandwiches, Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Cookies, Brownies, and whole made Fudge that one of the residents made! Everything was DELICIOUS! I can't believe that Christmas is only a week away! I'm going Christmas shopping with my Aunt Marcia on Wednesday!

I have a early Christmas present, I FINALLY have my Personal Assistant or P.A.! Her name is Joy Clapper and she's also a Refelxologist or Massage Therapist! Joy is WONDERFUL! She and I went too the mall today and window shopped! She also did a massage this morning!

If any of you dear readers need a P.A. DON'T wait, it takes a long time for someone to get approved! You have explain why you need help, then people will come and assist you! They will see that you really NEED the help that you are asking for! For someone that has C.P. or any disability or disease "such as M.S."! A P.A. is a blessing, because it takes a lot of worries off people's family members who help them! If gives family members a break and they know that their loved ones ones are being taken care of!

The company screen checks the P.A.'s BEFORE they hire them too make sure they are safe people and WON'T harm anyone! It also gives the disabled person a opportunity to become more self-sufficient and learn to rely on themselves as well as some one other than family members!

Dear readers, I know this going too sound harsh but it's time for YOU to start depending on YOURSELF and not having your family or friends help you with your every need! A way to become independent is to call RAMP and DORS YOURSELF and find a P.A. to help live a independent life as possiable! Your family will NOT be around forever to help you, but P.A's will be around for you entire life if need be!

You don't have to be afraid, it's a new and good experience to venture out and explore exciting challenges and new adventures! There's ALWAYS hope! You'll NEVER know what new challenges you'll if you NEVER try! You have toughen up, be brave, and tell yourself that you can do anything you set your mind too! NEVER be afraid to try new experiences, you NEVER know what life has in store for you! ALWAYS trust and follow your heart, you'll be amazed at what a difference YOU can make!

TODAY LIFELINE INSTALLED A SYSTEM IN MY APARTMENT!

Hi Everyone!

Today Lifeline came to my apartment and installed the system! For those of you don't know what the Lifeline system is, it's a system in your home or apartment to receive emergency care as soon as possible! For instants, if you fall in the shower or fall out of bed! You push the button and a operator will ask you, do you need help? If you say yes, then you tell the operator what type of help you need! You might need a ambulance, firemen, or police! Your address will show up on there screen, then they will send help as SOON as possiable! If for some reason you can't answer phone or the door they WILL find a way to get in! For instance, break down the door or window!

The button goes around your wrist like a watch, or goes around your like a necklace! You push the button on the box once a month too see if the system is working correctly! If the system is NOT working then you call Lifeline and explain the problem too them and then they will come too your home or apartment and fix it free of charge!

Having the Lifeline system make customers and families feel safe too live alone! Families of elderly and disabled people are happy to have the system available too them! Please dear readers, if there is ANYONE you know that needs assistance, I suggest that you look into the Lifeline service! You can live alone without ever being alone! It is one of the BEST choices that you could ever make for you and your family!

NEW EDITION TO THE FAMILY!

Hi Everyone!

We have a new edition to our family my Dad "John" and his new wife "Bobbie Jo" bought a Doxen named Gunther! He is very cute! Their other dog Kona witch is a Chocolate Lab has a buddy to play with! I hope they'll make good pals! My Dad and Bobbie Jo seem happy! I wish them all the best! Pictures will be posted in the future!

YESTERDAY MY FRIENDS AND I AT MY APARTMENT COMPLEX HAD A HALLOWEEN PARTY!

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday a few of my friends and I had Halloween party in the community room of my apartment complex! We had snacks, took pictures, and I brought some snacks back with me too share with my family!

I was Kate Pierson from the B-52's and my best friend Sarah was a two headed football player, witch was a stitch! I whore a red wig, and Sarah had a Mahican head on her shoulder! When I get pictures developed they will be posted! We all had a blast! I hope many of you can go treat-or-treating with families! Happy Halloween!

LAST SATURDAY A FEW FRIENDS AND I WENT ON THE BREAST CANCER SURVIOR WALK!

Hi Everyone!

Last Saturday a few of my friends and I went on the breast cancer survivor walk! It was a three mile walk! Then afterward there was a basket from Pamper Chef drawing, my friend Trina and my name was picked! I received two soup mugs and recipe books and Trina received four martini glasses! It was a GREAT day!

A few people in my family and one of my best friends have survived breast cancer! My Grandma Bena, my Great Grandma Rose and my best friend Sarah! They are remarkable women! I had too borrow my Aunt Marcia's wheelchair to go on the walk! We all had a WONDERFUL day and we are looking forward on doing it again next year!

Anyone that is a family member or friend please have them get tested for breast cancer, if it is tested early, it can save so many lives!

MY DAD AND HIS WIFE JUST BECAME PROUD GRANDPARENTS YESTERDAY TO A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!

Hi Everyone!

I have some WONDERFUL news my Dad John and his wife Bobbie Jo became first time grandparents yesterday too a beautiful baby girl! Her name is Rebbecca Catharine Digmann! She was 6 pounds and 13 ounces! I'm very happy for both my Dad and Bobbie Jo, I know they'll be GREAT grandparents!

CONGRADULATIONS! Dad and B.J.! I hope both of you enjoy your new grand daughter and I hope you also enjoy doing LOTS of babysitting! Pictures will be posted when we get them developed!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL FATHER'S OUT THERE!

Hi Everyone!

I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL day with your Dad! Let him know how MUCH he's loved and appreciated! Tell him thank you for all that he's done for you! I have a WONDERFUL father, who does ANYTHING he can too make me feel safe, loved, appreciated and to make my life as simple as possible! Most people who have C.P. don't have the resources or parents who care as much like I do! They see to it that they have a MOST comfortable life as possible and I'm grateful for that!

Today is a mixed emotions day for both my Dad "John" and I! Today would have been my Mom "Vicky's" sixth anniversary of her death! But if we sick together like glue, like we ALWAYS have we'll be just fine and have each other! I hope all of you out there tell your Dad what a SPECIAL person he is in your life! Have a GREAT day with your Dad's

TODAY WAS A SPECIAL MOTHER''S DAY FOR MY FAMILY AND I!

Hi Everyone!

Today was a very SPECIAL Mother's for my family and I! Most of my family came from out of town! My Grandma Bena, Aunt Natalie, Uncle Tim, cousin's Emmie, Julia Rose, my Uncle Nino, Aunt Joyce and their grand children Blake and Melinda, plus my Aunt Cindee and Uncle Will also came too celebrate my Grandma Bena's 90th birthday party! Plus my Great Uncle Tom's five sons came! So we had a GREAT day with family!

My Grandma was very pleased that everyone was able to show up! Most ALL of her cousin's from Madison that she hasn't seen in years showed up! We had close too 100 people come and go! It was a real treat! Then we went too visit my Grandpa Tony and my Mom "Vicky" at the cemetary for for Mother's Day! The next two days my Grandma Bena will be staying with me at my new apartment, then she'll be flying with my Uncle Nino too visit my cousin Kate, then after a week she will fly back home!

We had a nice family reunion! I hope we have another one real soon!

HAPPY 33RD ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!

Hi Everyone!

Today is a very special day! Today my parents would have been married for 33 years! It's amazing that it's been that long, they were married for 28 WONDERFUL years until my Mom "Vicky" got brain cancer! She was only 49 years old when she passed away! What a short life! In her lifetime she achieved marvelous things, and earned many awards for Grant Writing! She even went too Costa Rica as a Foreign Exchange student for three summers, she also was fluent in Spanish, she also had a college degree in Education, she also helped me with my schooling and Physical and Occupational therapy! She will be remembered most for what a MARVELOUS woman we ALL lost! It's a shame for all of you who NEVER met this remarkable woman, who was taken from us too short! I only was 24 years old when she passed away! My parents Vicky and John had a WONDERFUL marriage, a marriage that most couples dream about having! Both my parents are very proud of my progress of me becoming independent! It's a shame that my Mom didn't live see me accomplish my goal of living in my new apartment but I know she's happy and out of pain in heaven! This May 17th I'll be 30 years old and that was my Mom's goal for me to become independent and in my own place by the time I was 30, well guess what, I made my goal, I'm sure she's very happy! My Mom's relatives! My Aunt Natalie, Uncle Tim and my cousin's Emmie and Julia were here for a visit from out of town and they came and saw my new apartment for the first time, they were very pleased with how well I'm doing they left for home on Thursday! My Grandma Bena will be visiting in May, she's going to be staying with me at my new apartment, then she'll get too meet all of my friends! I'll love you Mom and Dad for a lifetime!

FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY WE ALL LOST A WONDERFUL MAN, MY UNCLE JOHN!

Hi Everyone!

Five years ago today, we lost my Uncle John in a snow mobile accident! He was a "WONDERFUL" man who will be missed for a lifetime! He was the most giving person, he would help anyone in ANY type of need! He was one of my FAVORITE Uncles! I know he loved me as much as I loved him!

He tried too include me in any opportunity he could to be independent! He was my second father! After a long day of work, if someone called in need of help, no matter how tired he was, he would go them with what ever they needed help with and still get up for a long hard days work the next day, you can't beat that!

I miss him "VERY" much! Thanks Uncle John for being a GREAT guy!

TODAY A FEW RESIDENTS IN MY APARMENT COMPLEX HAD A CHOCOLATE PARTY!

Hi Everyone!

Today a few residents had a Chocolate party in the community room! A woman "who does these chocolate parties for a living" came too put different selections of chocolate to try and gave out a catalog of selections of different chocolates to buy! There was also chocolate cocktails! We also had a spaghetti dinner with garlic bread! There was pop and juice for the kids!

We had a GREAT day! If any of you LOVE chocolate like I do! Think about having a chocolate party for your friends and family! I'm looking forward to going to another one real soon! You'll ENJOY every minute of it!

You NEVER know how MUCH fun life can be! You just have too get out there and experience new things! Things are scary for everyone, but if you NEVER try new things, life is pretty boring! Sure I'm nervous but as long as I try new things with family and friends I know I will be a better and healthier person for it! I'm trying to NOT be so scared and venture out into the world and try new things that I've ALWAYS wanted too do! If you are ALWAYS afraid of things you ALWAYS wanted to try and NEVER try them then you will ALWAYS be in a shell your entire life, but if you experience new things that you would like too do and can't do them right the first time, that's ok! It's ALWAYS ok to ask someone for help! NEVER feel embarrassed about your disability, you are human and have feelings just like everyone else! Just because you have C.P. or another disability that doesn't make you less important than anyone else! If people have a problem with that, then I guess it's there OWN loss!

It's ALWAYS ok too let your family and friends know how you feel, but it's NOT ok too feel sorry for yourself! People that feel sorry for themselves do not have good self esteem or self worth! I would tell someone, you know what I'm MORE than that and I can do ANYTHING I set my mind too and NOTHING will stop me! If you, can't or won't start doing things too help yourself then you are only hurting the best things that could be coming your way in the future and I'm sorry! But for my life I choose too experience EVERYTHING I can and have the most opportunities so I can live my life too its fullest!

MY FAMILY AND I HAD TOO SAY FAREWELL TO OUR BELOVED DOG BO!

Hi Everyone!

Last Thursday my family and I had to0 say goodbye to our four year old Doxen Bo! He was a GREAT dog that will be missed! He had trouble with his back legs and couldn't jump anymore! He was eating and drinking just fine, but he just wasn't his old self! He was "man's best friend"! He would want to be loved, snuggled, and played with! He loved to play tug of war and tear up stuffed animals, go for walks, riding in the car, boat, and going swimming! He was a EXCELLENT watch dog! He also loved to go on family vacations!

For people with C.P. some dogs are trained to help people live a self-sufficient life as possible! Those dogs are called a therapy dog! Let me explain to all of you what a therapy dog is trained to do! These dogs help people get things from high spaces, shelves, and counters! They can go in public with you as well, they just have to have a harness on them to let people know that they are a therapy dog!

No one is allowed to pet or play with the dog because, the dog is suppose to devote "ALL"of it's attention on the disabled person! If people see the dog in public BEFORE they pet the dog they should ask the owner if it's ok to do so! Most therapy dogs are Chocolate Labs! The dogs can also get people out of harms way! For instances, if there was a fire, the dog would pull the person out of a burning building, pick the phone for them or turn on light switches

We sure did love you Bo, I'm glad you are in dogie heaven and out of pain! We'll miss you! Thanks for being a GREAT dog!

I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL New Year! Last December my apartment complex has a celebration which is every year and it is called "Over The Rainbow Celebration! I was chosen to speak about what my life is like living independently, how far I've come, and what I'm going to achieve!

The coordinator who is in charge of the activities, came to my apartment to interview me on what it is like for a young disabled adult living independently! I played the piano for part of the celebration as well! My family and I didn't get to the celebration because of the weather! I feel very horned to be part of the celebration! I have made a small community of friends since I moved here that I hope lasts for a lifetime!

NEVER be afraid too follow your heart and listen to dreams because YOU can do whatever you set your mind to! You also have to learn how to make decisions on your own! It's scary for some one who is disabled but the more decisions you make hopefully will be the right ones! You have to learn to depend on YOURSELF and NO ONE ELSE! In the long run, it's all about what YOU want your life to be!