WOW! That’s all I can say about today and the prospects for my SENIOR year!  This is a pic of my school, isn’t it pretty?! I am so stoked about my classes, and about just being back to the crazy social world I call high school. I am taking some great classes (so excited for AP Psychology, is that nerdy?) ;p I also have some super cool teachers. Once I get the college applying process, and SAT/ACT’s out of the way it’ll be smooth sailing Actually choosing which colleges I’ll apply to is the daunting task ahead… To stay in California, or not to stay? that is the question. Haha. I hope your school year is off to a good start as well! I feel like I’m in a good place right now. I’ve got a great boyfriend, I am a senior, and I am feeling pretty confident about myself and what I have going for me this year. This feeling just proves that it takes time to become comfortable with yourself, and even after 3 solid years of high school, I’m STILL learning how to deal. So take a deep breath if you are feelin a bit lost or overwhelmed with the thought of high school years ahead. You’ll be fine! Hang tough and you’ll see that times like the present are ones that you’ll learn the most about yourself from. I can say that with honesty as I am speaking from experience. My freshman and sophomore year were a bit rough, but I realized that it was up to me to change, not others around me. I became more open and joined clubs, and explored a whole new side of people and high school!

Anyway, that’s enough about that for today. Off to read some Beowulf! I picked up some poetry by Emily Dickinson and I can’t wait to read some of her poems! She is a beautiful writer and I love the way she perceives the natural world.

School early early (7AM) early! Haha, I’ll be on again soon. Happy September!

It’s true, what they say–

Summer has come to an end

Where is the closure? Lost not found, and the sun sets on another day.

 Today, unlike the one before.

 I no longer sit on the sands near the fire as the night goes by.

Instead,  I ponder the busy days in store.

Wanting nothing more. Than to hear an answer. To this question.

Where did the time go?

-Katy

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(Oh first things first…I thought the picture would make ya laugh… I took this when my sis and friend were bein silly at a vintage store haha. You might have to click on it to get the full effect. :p)

So I have a little shout-out to make for all you TCPers out there, Miss Sarah Bram, who’s a good friend of mine…as we talk every now and then on the site(yay for meeting teens with CP on TCP!) is going through surgery right now so if you could please wish her the best of luck I’m sure she’d love it! I’m sure many of you know what she is going through, so keep her in your thoughts!

Also, I would like to welcome Cassidy Goodspeed to TCP as well….she is my first grade teacher’s daughter and she is 10 years old with CP! She is doing so well, and I heard that she comes on here and likes to read about me and my experiences with CP. So hey there Cassidy! I hope we can meet some time, I would like that very much. It was great to catch up with my former teacher, she is now a client at my parent’s gym, so I can see her quite often and hear about her daughter, and talk about my childhood with CP. Such a small world sometimes, it’s truly a special thing to share a disability with someone. Even if you think you are alone, you are most definitely not!

School is creeping up every so slowly, and I am only about half way done with my summer assignments, yikes! Haha, oh well what can ya do except move forward. Getting my wisdom teeth out was only bad for the first two days, but I got through it like I knew I would. Thank goodness for pain medication! Haha…well I’m off to continuing working for my parents a bit more this afternoon. I hope you all are doing well and soaking up the last few days of summertime! Too bad its still summer weather all through the beautiful month of September. :/

Have a good one!

-Katy

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I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled soon ahhh! This Thursday my sister and I go in :p It should be quite the experience but I am prepared for lots of sleeping, smoothies, and frozen yogurt! Any tips for those of you who’ve gone through with this procedure?

The other day I was walking in the sand at night with my good friend Katelyn and it was super dark…and of course clumsy me falls in a hole right at the shoreline and I almost get soaked! Haha it brought on some good laughs afterwards, thats for sure. Always tripping, stumbling and falling, just another perk of having CP (am I right??) :p

Also, fall soccer starts tonight but I think I am going to have to call it quits this season :/ Between school, college apps, another go at the ACT, and my not so good running skills, I think I’ll manage to get my work outs in at the gym or by myself this time. I’m a bit bummed, but I’ll still be able to go to the games and all that since my sister will be playing. I love soccer but it’s just not something I can pick up on again. Ya know?
Well that’s that, I hope you are having a fun end to your summer vacation as well.
School mode soon, yikes!

-Katy

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Wow how quickly is summertime going by? Mid-August already, can you believe it?

It’s safe to say I am home now, Michigan and Chicago was a blast! It was a bummer not having access to internet at our cottage, but at the same time, it was needed break from the computer screen. I spent a lot of time with my family, which was such a blessing, being a rarity that we all get together. I got to visit with Grandma Fetters, and enjoy some free time either lounging on our dock, or tubing and swimming in the lake! I loved how green and open the midwest is. Sometimes when sitting on the dock or on our screened in porch, I’d write in this cute,vintage journal that my friend got me for my birthday! I love it and I am excited to fill it up with thoughts, poetry, and stories! I went on a few bike ride adventures with my sisters, we saw deer! Haha that is like a phenomenon out where we live. We also managed to get ourselves lost, but it was fun exploring nature’s beauty. On another subject, to get to one spot on the lake which is just a must-see kinda thing, family gathering spot,  there are these daunting stairs that are there in place of a  sand dune. Man, those were a challenge getting up and over. By the time we got down my knees were shaking and my ankle was aching. It made me realize, not that I was out of shape, but that I am incredibly tight in my ankle! I am having to overcompensate with my right leg more than ever, and those stairs of about 400 or so made my feel the effects of my neglectful behavior. :/ What am I thinking? I am just hurting myself and making physical activities that used to be a breeze so difficult. I even had to pass up climbing this one ‘traditional’ sand dune with my cousins because I knew my left side couldn’t handle the sand climb like that. My calf muscle and my achilles tendon would never forgive me, and I could only imagine what I could do to myself on the run down. So that was a no go, and I just have to move on because me telling you all this really solves nothing. I just have to take that as an ‘eye opener’ and try to improve my tightness with the stretching that I so easily avoid. I’m going to try to wear my brace more often, I know that’ll help.

On a happier note, Chitown was SO fun! Shopping, and walking, and people watching…there is just so much to see and do. Opportunity is everywhere! I love girl time with my cousin Meagan and my sisters. Hope you’ve all been enjoying yourselves! Any fun adventures or vacations you’d like to share? What is your favorite thing to do during summer?

While in Michigan, I was able to tour Hope College, a  small liberal arts school in Holland where we stayed. I liked it very much and would love to come back during winter to actually experience snow and get an idea of what ‘weather’ is really like. Haha, because in California, there certainly is not four seasons.

Since I’ve been back it’s been non-stop friend and beach, work, and gym time! I love it all, but I can’t believe that school starts in a little over two weeks for us! September 1st….yikes… better get on that summer homework :/I admit I am a procrastinator! It is what us teens do best. :p Right now, its go time for applying to schools, getting scholarships…and readjusting to the idea of yet another school year! Senior year. Wow. This is going to be a good year, I can just feel it.

Well, no doubt that I’ll be on again soon to keep on rambling on about the ongoings in my life…I have to attempt some heavy reading for school because it won’t get finished without me! Thanks for readin’ in on TCP Hope you’re all well and ready for fall because it’s coming fast!

-Katy

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What a great birthday my sister and I had! I felt so special and lucky because of all the gifts and birthday wishes! I am so very fortunate to grow up in the family that I do, not only because my parents are always so supportive of everything I set out to do, but because they spoil us, their children, to death! My sister and I have shared a car for the past 2 and a half years, but now we get our OWN cars!! I still am so shocked to be able to say that! I think I am going to keep the car we have now, its a cute and very reliable vw beetle. Ill just get it fixed up a bit, and itll be all mine! It’s tough sharing a car, especially when we have different schedules…but it’s been an adventure all the same. I am so grateful to even have a car to drive, that I cannot believe I’ll have my own for college. This is so exciting, and just another step toward independence and becoming an adult. Aside from the big surprise, we had a nice dinner and reminiced about our family memories together. (And ate birthday cake of course!) That’s really the only way I can imagine celebrating my birthday’s, family is the best. We had some friends over the next night for a laid back mexican food fiesta at our home. My dog was probably the life of the party though, he has such weird quirks and eats the embers that fly out of the fire pit in our back yard! Haha.

Well aside from a great weekend….I am looking forward to a beautiful two weeks in Michigan. My sisters and I will be in Chicago for two of the days as well! Such a fun city. And the best part…I got a great lil camera. I will try to remember to take pictures, but I am so bad at capturing moments! That way, I can get some pics up on here more often I hope!

I’ll be on again soon, I’m sure…maybe while traveling :p

Enjoy this great month of July!

-Katy

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Thank goodness the sun is back out!! I now remember why I love summer so much. This is such an exciting time of year! The weather is perfect, my friends are all coming back into town, I’ll be on vaca soon, and my birthday is tomorrow I’ve been pretty busy as of late, but a better kind of busy than with school. The beach is packed, and the Hurley US Open of Surfing is beginning next week! This is probably the biggest event of the year for my city. Surfers from all around the world come to compete in a surf contest during the biggest set of waves. You would never believe how many people come to watch, theres always a few  small concerts and celebs that come down too.  Theres always a ton of booths set up loaded with free stuff. It’s too bad I’ll be missing most of it this year when I go off to Michigan. My school will even been competing in a Hurley fashion show called Walk the Walk, against 4 other schools in the nation to win 25,000 dollars! I wish I could watch it because all my friends will be in it! you can go on www.hurley.com/wtw to view the videos that my school posted to enter the contest, they should still be up.
Anyway, so I am very much looking forward to this weekend! My sister and I will celebrate with our family for dinner, and then Saturday we will have a small bonfire with our friends. Do you have any plans for this weekend?

So I reallly haven’t talked about dating much on here, and I think that’s because I have never really put myself out there from lack of confidence, if you will. But for those of you who are friends with me on Facebook…its true, (Courtney, this is for you! hehe :p) I have a boyfriend I am very happy, this is something new and exciting for me and I feel even more confident in myself because he doesn’t seem to care. For those of you who are in a relationship, or have had a bf/gf, did you ever discuss your CP with your significant other? I was super nervous about what he thought about the way I walk, but he reassured me that the way I walk doesnt really matter because I dont let it define me, and that it just makes me more of who I am both inside and out. So theres that! I’d love to hear about your dating experiences, I am curious to know what its like for others with CP out there. Share if you’d like.

I’ll be on to blab about the weekend, no doubt! Enjoy your weekend and summer!

-Katy

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I hope your Independence Day was just as fantastic and memorable as mine was! The festivities continued on until late last night, what a crazy weekend. The parade was super fun, a beautiful tradition that involved the whole community. I took this pic from atop of the pier…and keep in mind, this is just one small strip of the miles long of shoreline in HB You can imagine just how many people were really here over the weekend. I love my hometown

Huntington Beach shoreline, south side of the pier.

Here is also a pic of me and my sisters and mother dearest

<3

So yep, in a nutshell that’s by weekend..beach, friends, family, fireworks, and food! I hope you guys enjoyed yourself as much as I did.

On another topic….my dad is thinking about doing a fundraider (in September-ish) for UCP (possibly UCP-OC) through our gym, and have clients of  The Training Spot support the cause of raising money for this organization. Without him having to tell me, I know that my dad h0lds a special place in his heart for others like myself with CP as he recalls the past with me. He and my mother have been my number one supporters from the moment I was born.  I would love to help my parents succeed in this fundraiser in honor of not only their undying love and support toward me, but in honor of all the peoples lives who are affected by Cerebral Palsy. If you have a sister, a mother, a son or daughter with CP, I am sure you know this feeling, this want to help others. I would love to get word out…if any of you have any ideas that we can incorporate for this event we are so very open to ideas! I would like to promote this fundraiser on TCP as well, as I feel touched that my dad would like to get others in our  community involved in the community with disabilities. It will be a very personal experience for me, as many clients of our gym know who I am and know that I don’t let my CP stop me from reaching or surpassing my goals in life. I see my CP as not a physical disablity, but more like a challenge. Everything may take more work, but I am never one to limit myself. I feel a loss of pride when I give up, or give into the help of others who underestimate my physical abilities. So I would like to take this opportunity to say that I would be so grateful if any of you TCP readers would either like to participate in this upcoming fundraiser, or know other ways to publisize this event. More to come hopefully, in the next few weeks…Just thought I’d throw a few words out there on this potential fundraiser!

Enjoy your week, hope you are well.

-Katy

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Wow I am feeling pumped! I just worked out at the gym and jogged home a good 3 miles. I love the feeling you get after a great work out….plus some great music really keeps the energy levels up. I can’t run very far anymore or else I get too tired much too fast so I usually just keep a solid pace going.

Happy weekend to you all! I am heading down to Laguna Beach today with my sister and some friends, its going to be a beautiful day, I can feel it! Are you doing anything special for the fourth of July?? Down here we always have a great tradition…100 years and counting, where Huntington Beach hosts a grand parade and festivities down town all along main street and PCH. I’ve gone every year since I can remember, it is super fun because EVERYONE is down here. Our gym is along Main St. so we get front row seats to the parade A ton of people come and we just sit and enjoy ourselves…people watching is the best part because it gets pretty crazy! :p At night we have a huge fireworks show, it shakes the whole city!  I’ll post some pics of what it looks like down here on the 4th. Do you all have traditions you keep up? BBQ’s, pool parties, family reunions…?

Well I have to get ready to enjoy this beautiful day (and weekend) ahead!

Stay healthy & happy.

-Katy

Main Street, Huntington Beach

Fireworks off the HB Pier!

Main Street right outside of my school, HBHS

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Soo it’s Friday AND summer…can it get any better than this? I am so stoked to have some downtime, I miss this feeling :p Time to focus on staying healthy, and making sure I step up my stretching. I really notice a difference in the way I walk when I don’t stretch…even when I wake up in the morning, it has become harder to just run out of bed like I used to. Is that how it is for some of you? I can never get my heel down right when I stand up unless I loosen up a bit. Do you have any special stretching routines that really help you? I know there are several types of CP, and all different severities…but I think when it comes to therapy we can all relate. I hope I can motivate myself more to stretch now that I have more time on my hands…no excuses not to now!

I am getting super excited for this summer, there are so many things to look forward to! We are almost at our one year anniversary of this blog! July 26th! Yayyy Teen Cerebral Palsy….TCP peeps rock I love that you guys allow me to keep this up, its so fun to be able to write to you, and create such neat friendships. Having CP creates such a special bond! Alsooo, July 16th is my 18th birthday! It will be such a fun celebration, my sister and I just know our parents are planning something, we just dont know what! And then, my family and I are taking off to little Holland, Michigan to visit family!! I am so excited to see the Fetters’ side, we all have soo much fun together…all together, us cousins make up about 30+ people, how cool is that! Hopefully they can all make it out there, it’d be a great family reunion no doubt. It’s always soo nice to go back there, I love the quiet little town feel it has. And during the two weeks I’m there, my sisters and I will take a quick train ride to the windy city of Chicago! Our cousin lives there and we want to visit her for a few days. Love it, and can’t wait to be there and spend some time with my cool cuz!!

And I’m not sure how many of you are Twilight fans….but I cannot wait to see Eclipse!!!!! My friends and  I already have tickets for opening night. Team Edward all the way!! Haha….what about you hmm? I also read the small novella that just came out, the one about the newborn coven..so intense, I am always intrigued by the vampire world. :p

I’m thinking about going on a nice day hike soon. The weather has been great as always here! and I apologize for not putting up any hike pics, my dad lost our camera! We will probably have to get a new one :/ I will put up what I have though! I think I have some prom pics, and maybe a few others I will have to see.

Well, I am off to the beach in a bit. Tanning, sleeping, &  music is what I have in store for myself today Hope all is well! Have a GREAT weekend, I know I will.

-Katy

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Call it a stress induced hiatus, if you will…but the good news is– I’m back and it’s summertime! I was able to finsih off the school year with some solid grades, but as luck would have it, all those sleepless nights and busy days caught up with me and I am sitting here in bed sick as a dog and about to watch Good Will Hunting! My sister said it’s a great movie, so I don’t mind all this lying around- doing nothing-to get better sort of thing. It feels great to get back on here and talk to you all, it’s been way to long! Hope I didnt disappoint those of you who’ve stayed in the loop with TCP :p

So I hope that you arent all sick with a summer cold like me and are enjoying your time off! I love summertime, its the best…late mornings, late nights, no school, summer jobs to keep ya busy, all so much to look forward to these next few weeks! Any vacay’s or camps planned out? Maybe a new goal list you set for yourself? I know that my goal is to wear my brace more, because there are no excuses now that school is out of the picture! I just have to look into college, read a few british classics, study up for another dose of the SAT in the fall and im set for senior year. Congrats to all the graduates of the class of 2010, that means you too, Greg! You guys are awesome!! Hope college, or whatever you choose to do, will be a great new beginning for you all.

Good news, my mom stumbled upon an article in the OC Register yesterday, and my name and TCP was mentioned concerning the other uses of Botox! How cool is that? Definitely the highlight of my day. Also, Happy Father’s Day to all you deserving, awesome Dad’s out there! Love you Papa.

Well my movie is just about finished downloading, Ill be on again soon, so much to tell!

Take Care, Katy

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Goodness what a day. I gave blood for the first time! It was such a neat experience, although my tiny veins ( from being a premie) made it a little more sore after, lame..but SO worth it! I am totally going to do it every time I can. You should too, if you are eligible!

And talk about KARMA!! Today I gave blood &  gave this one family nearly four dollars in quarters for their parking meter…and then immediately after I got into a car accident ( no one was hurt) and no one was at fault….me and this guy were backing out and hit eachother :/ I got a light knocked off and some dings, but I just feel mostly bad because I share a car with my sister Sara and I have yet to hear her reaction. Sorry in advance Sara, I wish I could’ve kept our baby bug safe. Bummer. Oh well, these things happen and we just keep moving forward, right?

I just wanted to get on her super quick to let out some of my latent frustrations (hope ya don’t mind :p) School is over on June 17th and I am counting down the days!! Gosh, I really have to buckle down and knock out these last few weeks on a strong foot.  Yikes, wish me luck!

Oh and since I will hopefully have loads more of free time over summer….any neat ideas as to what direction I could take TCP? Charities, non profits, fundraidsers ect? Fun stuff!

Take care, Katy

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I’ve been meaning to post on here, but you know how it goes once school gets rollin and before you know it, its been almost two weeks! Ughh I wish I could get on here everyday, but time never permits! In the summer I will have loads of down time to blog about random things. :p Thankfully I don’t have another big test until June 5th because my teachers are piling on the projects, essays, finals… it’s insane. I would love to get a compliation going on all my pics since they’ve added up this month. I can hopefully knock that out on a lazy day :p So I apologize ahead of time, just in case since this next month will be even crazier than before, as school draws to an end. Can you believe it?? Wow I remember talking about school starting!! What a fast and fun year this has been.

Aside from all the business of school, prom is tomorrow night! I am so excited I am going with a few foreign exchange students that I have become great friends with over the year! I am thankful to have met them, since now I will have a place to stay and visit in France, Belgium, Germany, and Brazil if I ever go!! I feel so open to their cultures, and native languages, it is so fun to be introduced to their different lifestyles and learn about the lives they lead back home. It is sad that they will be going back home in June. But prom will be a night to remember! I bought a nice dress, and high heels. Except I walked around in them a bit and realized I don’t think I will be comfortable walking and dancing in them all night, so I had to return them. That bums me out, but I guess it’s just another part of living with CP, right? My sister got these 3/4 inch Steve Madden heels and I almost broke my ankle when I tried them on haha. I get so jealous of all those cute shoes that are impossible to wear. Oh well, one day I will teach myself to walk in heels, and I’lll be so pro that I can strut down the runway like the girls on America’s Next Top Model. :p

I hope that school is treating you all okay, I know I have felt very stressed out at times. Did any of you go to prom or any dances this year?? Ahh I cannot wait for summertime! Beach, sleep, and friends here I come! Any vacays, summer camps? I am going to Michigan/Chicago to visit family for two weeks in July, hooray! And maybe a small road trip with my friends, it’s still up in the air. And I am definitely going to check out some colleges along the way. High school is loads of fun, but I can’t wait for college… it will be a whole new experience that I will soon be ready to take on! Any advice for college for those of you older TCP readers out there? I’d love to hear everything!

A lil shout out to Miss Daisy Fetters who is turning 14 today! HAPPY BIRTHDAYYY!!!!  My baby sis is growing up…  She will be a freshman next year at my school, I can’t wait, we will have soo much fun together! Wow, that is crazy, Sara and I will be seniors and Daisy a freshman…we can protect her from drama and those crazy high school boys. :p

Off to knock out some homework and then have birthday dinner & cake with the fam. Have a good weekend!

-Katy

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Wow where to even begin?? This week has been crazyyyyyy.

First I have to start with Beyond Limits, local Orange County-er Bonner Paddock stars in his own film where he climbs up Mt. Kilomanjaro in Tanzania, Aftica. I saw it Wednesday night, and I was in complete awe of his strength. The whole time I was just smiling and thinking to myself, wow I cannot believe this guy who has CP, did this climb…the altitude was insane..the temperature…all the natural elements battling against him, on top of his physical health….I am speechless. AND the coolest thing was….I got to meet him!! We talked for a bit, I think my dad and him hit it off nicely hah, but it was really great to be able to talk a bit about his climb, and his foundation that was introduced in his film as well, OM foundation (One Man One Mission) Check it out for yourself, http://www.beyond-limits.com/home.php http://1man1mission.org/projects/ props to all who journeyed up there with him for the support and the filming as well, you are all incredible!! I hope to get involved in your cause one day, and represent TCP and all those kids out there!

Okay hmm what else…our gym had a grand ‘ol party last night for our Takedown Challengers, who went through a six week weight loss program, it was a lot of fun and there was A LOT of food!! We made these cookies that are mini peanut butter ones in baby muffin tins with a reeses in the middle, they are killer! Congrats challengers. Oh and I think that I’m just going to have to upload like and entire album of pics from over a few weeks, because we have them on about three different cameras, I just need to sort through them! Sorry about that. :p Alsooo, last week was the Ragnar Relay  Race, a non-stop 200 miles race down the coast that my parents and sister did with a 12 man team called WTF ( Witness the Fitness) Ha! They ended up dominating their division, finishing in 28 hours on no sleep and got 5th out of 45 teams! GO WTF! I am especially so proud of my sister being the only teen on the team! She did so well and ran 3 legs of about 4-8 miles each time on extreme terrain with no sleep! Sara, you are amazing and I wish I could’ve seen you run! Love ya. I am very proud of my parents as well, my mom is a super star running maniac (like always) and my dad who basically turned himself into an avid runner and worked through his planter faciitis, a very painful problem with his tendons on one of his foot that he pushed through all during the face! My dad is also training for a body building competition memorial day weekend, so he is all about being hardcore right now with his overall health. Keep it up papa, you will do so well and I am excited to watch you win first place!

I am working on my left side a lot in the gym since I have been overcompensating a lot on my right side. I also started wearing my brace again, and I am trying to convince myself it’s not that bad since it is so crucial for my health. I feel very optimistic with where I am at in life, health wise, mentally, socially…I am on my way to better things and living life to the fullest. life is good.

Hmm what else… oh, the SAT was yesterday, eeeek that thing was hard! I think I was unprepared for the math portion. I loved the English part though, it’s my expertise. I can always retake it, but I am fairly confident in my academic ability. Glad that is over with until I get my scores back. Although I am still en route to a few more important exams this year. AP tests this week, SAT subject tests, the ACT, and finals week all in June. Wow thats a mouthful! It’ll be nice to knock all that out, and then call myself a senior! Definitely got to look toward applying for college this summer! I might have to take a trip back East to keep my options open. This time in my life is all so exciting, and going by SO incredibly fast!!

I hope you all are in good spirits and health as well, summer will be here before you know it and we can all be kids again! ;p Thanks for being so supportive of me and reading my blog, this has been such a fun experience for me and I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do. I am open to ideas for expanding this site to bigger and better things, while still representing all you TCPer’s out there, so if you guys ever think of anything, please shoot me an email!

Thanks so much, have a nice Sunday afternoon. I vow to get pics up soon, I’m trying to manage my time better these days, its a challenge for sure!

-Katy

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Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile, I have the SAT and AP tests creeping up on me and it’s time to get down to business!

Although I am going to the Newport Film Festival tomorrow for the last showing of Beyond Limits with CP star Bonner Paddock, to see his journey up a 19,000 ft mountain, can’t wait to mee him! Going to represent all the TCPers out there!

I’ll be on in good time, still trying to get hike pics from my dad’s camera. Like I said, he’s a little slow when it comes to technology. :p Thanks for being patient for those of you who stay interested!!

Have a good one.

-Katy

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I should start stretching so my mom won’t say ” your castings were a complete waste of your time and a complete waste of our money.”

Because….

I know that is the truth. Yeah. Ouch. Ugh this morning was abnormally worse than most Monday’s. I need to stop screwing myself over if I’m going to do this right. At least my day got progressively better despite my depressing start in the AM. The weather is beautiful so I went outside for a loooong run/walk to contemplate my actions. Hmm. Fuuuun stuff we get to deal with huh?

I’m off to try and be productive and finish a thing or two for school. Hope your Monday morning was better than mine!

-Katy

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Maybe I am so lethargic today because of this hike I just did today. It was literally the. hardest. hike. I have. ever. done. Called dreaded hill, and very true to it’s name this 5 mile loop has gained itself many other names that can’t really be named due to their explicit nature. :p Anyway, you get the picture I think. Haha it was never ending! It just kept going and going up and around until we reached this one bench. My my it was a nice bench (only because it was a good resting stop :p) The view was so worth it though! I felt very accomplished as well, I am super glad I did it. I always surprise myself with my strength when I am faced with these kinds of extreme physical challenges. My quads are super sore, and my ankle is a bit tweaked. Nothing I can’t handle with a bit of solid sleep and stretching. Woo, bring on the hills! We took a group pic from the top, so this post is to be continued…

Hope you had an enjoyable Sunday! Take it easy.

-Katy

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So I thought I’d change it up a bit and post a poem of mine I wrote while under the influence of insomnia one night haha. I’m feeling a bit numb right now, I can’t explain it…I’ll just stop talking and let this set my mood.

Feel.
Loss
Fragile
Sorrow
Lethargic
Drugged
Stuck
Confused
Hurt
Lost
Restricted
Obstructed
Isolated
Exhausted
Defeated

Dissatisfied.

The soul is easily daunted by emotions
It succumbs to the heightened awareness of these senses
Feels the outward force of exertion
When faced with tragedy
Its forceful gravity
Emotions in extremities
Daunted by reality
Feared by its inner voice
Idealist by choice
One who invites the force of passion
Enlightened by rebellion
Gravity claims the weightlessness.

Discontent.

The being within the soul is idle
Unable to feel
Faint sensations of  numbness
Creep up the arms and into the heart
That which refuses to surrender to the silent noise of destruction
That which screams of opposition.

This Romantic heart
Intuition takes over and all is lost
Within the host of the fading soul
A reincarnation
Lo destruyó
Into thin air
Lost on its way to another conscience
Lost in translation
Gone is the ability to direct the soul into the realistic world
La pelea
Into the able bodied
Incapable of  facing truth.

Utterly alone. Falling. Still now.

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Wow so many exciting events coming up for people with Cerebral Palsy, this is great!

Okay so this is pretty short and sweet, but check this runner out…he, a Mr. Greg with CP– took up running on a whim and now a marathon is in his near future! http://www.thecasualvegan.com/streak-running/

I so feel like doing a race now, this story has got me all pumped to run for time/speed now! Haha hmm, maybe I’ll do one in honor of a CP charity? That sounds like a good deal to me :p

And also, a documentary is airing April 21st on television ”Through a Dog’s Eyes” that follows 4 families who are introduced to a service dog.
Description of clip reel:

https://coynepr.sharefile.com/?cmd=d&id=fecb9601759b4b98 <<< hear a lil’ snippet too.
Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on hope to get them through each day; hope for a breakthrough; hope for gaining or reclaiming independence; and hope for a friend.  Each year, hundreds of them find hope at a handful of organizations across the country that train assistance dogs for people with disabilities.  The new primetime PBS documentary, Through a Dog’s Eyes, follows the life-changing journey of recipients as they go through the heartwarming and sometimes difficult process of receiving and being matched with a service dog. Jennifer Arnold, founder of one of the nation’s largest service dog organizations, Canine Assistants, shows her unique teaching methods and lets viewers have an intimate look at the canine-recipient matching process. Jennifer’s science-based philosophy shows how with a little patience and a lot of love, an “ordinary” dog can show how extraordinary he/she can become. Through a Dog’s Eyes, set to premiere on April 21, 2010 at 8pm ET/7pm CT (check local listings), will have you seeing dogs in a whole new light. 

Fortunately for these younglings who have CP (and other who have similar disabilities as well) they enjoy the help & companionship of their service dogs. Yay! Tune in!

• Aiden, 6, lives in Denver, Colo.  Aiden was born with cerebral palsy and spends most of his time in a wheelchair.  Aiden hopes that his dog Nala will help him at school with routine tasks such as picking up pencils, as well as offer silent support in social situations.  Will Nala’s presence helps break down barriers and allows other children to feel more comfortable around Aiden?  Viewers will be inspired by Aiden’s never-ending optimism and his zeal for life.
• Twins, Chase & Connor, 6, live in Largo, Fla. The twins both have a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia, which affects the muscles of the lower body. Both boys hope their Canine Assistants dogs will help with everyday tasks and be companions.  But will Chase realize his dream of one day walking with the support of his dog Oakley?

Can’t wait!

-Katy

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Whenever you have some down time, take a look at author John Quinn’s new book, Someone Like Me: An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy. Written about keeping his CP a secret while in the Navy!! How cool and brave is that?

http://www.historypublishingco.com/catalog_someone-like-me.html Now avaliable for pre-sale, and in stores this coming Thursday, April 15th. Congrats John! I can’t wait to see it on the shelves, and read it of course!

http://www.azfamily.com/good-morning-arizona/John-Quinn—Someone-Like-Me-88932832.html Here’s a little interview with the big man himself, John Quinn where he talks about his story.

-Katy

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Wow what a nice week off from school, although I didn’t have school I still felt busy with hittin’ the gym (and the beach of course ;p almost every day!) Actually, we had a great charity event just yesterday at our gym, I’ve mentioned it before…it was lots of fun! We raised a few thousand dollars for The Wounded Warriors Project by hosting a 90 second push up competition! We had many generous sponsorships and donations, and I can’t wait to get some pics up. Somehow, I was able to knock out 67 push-ups in 90 seconds and raise a few hundred dollars by doing so, so I am pretty stoked! My left arm was about to break off though, it was pretty funny… I tried not to laugh once my muscles were dead haha.

We did a very ambitious hike this morning as well through Peter’s Canyon in Irvine not too far from here. It had such gorgeous views of new homes and crevices in the land…but unfortunately I forgot my camera!! I was super bummed, but hopefully I can manage to get a few pics from others that went along. There were three majorly steep hills that I just about passed out on! My ankle is a little sore, but my dad noticed I am walking better–and coming from him that’s definitely a plus! Sometimes I worry that I won’t be able to do hikes like this, but I can really only take everything day by day.  There’s no use in worrying about something that’s either unpreventable, or years and years away.

Well thanks for the chat guys, but I have to hit the books before school in the morning ….which I am dreading terribly so.  Hope you had a great spring break and are all staying healthy! Pics will be coming eventually, so stay tuned.

-Katy

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