MWA-Thursday

Day Four

July 19, 2013

It's Thursday already!!  How can that be.?  It's seems like we just got here. I was up bright and early again this morning. Can you guess what time?!  That's right, 6:30. I had a special visitor stop by and help me get ready this morning. My mommy. :-)

Yesterday was so jam pack, I forgot to tell you about my gift. It was a cute fiesta box with chips and salsa, mini maracas, and a festive necklace. 

Today's gift was a bag with a bluebonnet flower, a poem about the flower, and a yummy cupcake. I could totally get used to this whole gift at breakfast routine.   ;-)

Today was a 'laid back' day for me because I didn't have a judges interview session. We had morning work shops that covered leadership, SSI benefits and laws, disability education history, and how the ADA came to be. For those of you that don't know, the ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act. This was a civil rights act that was signed by George Bush on July 26,1990. The ADA helps put individuals with disabilities on the 'same playing field' as able-bodied (AB's) individuals. 

Lex Frieden was our final speaker before lunch. Mr. Frieden was instrumental in making the ADA a reality.  I'm still amazed at all the incredible people that God has placed in my path.  Mr. Frieden's story is one of great strength and determination. He encouraged us all to be better advocates for the greater good of those that will come after us.  What an honor and a blessing to hear his story. 

After lunch it we enjoyed a panel discussion with several key people in the disability community. We were all told to shine bight and stand up for what you believe in. The United States has come a long way but there are still MANY improvements to be made for individuals with disabilities. 

Ms Wheelchair America 2013 Mariah Kilbourne shared her platform and pieces of her year of reign with us. I have no doubt she positively impacted the lives of thousands and thousands of people. What an honor it was to learn from Mariah. 

Adaptive Zumba was next on the list. And let me tell you it was fun!!  My physical therapist Rebecca will be glad to know I got some exercise in this week and that I wasn't a complete slacker. Sadly, I realized that any coordination that I used to have is now officially gone.  Oh well, at least we all had a good time. 

There were just a few minutes left for a wardrobe change and then it was back downstairs for the pajama party. Pizza, ice cream, games and giggles were had by all. 

I must admit that I am completely exhausted. I have to be up bright and early in the morning. My final judges interview will be around 9:00. And tomorrow night is the first night of the pageant, which means platform speeches!!  Where has the week gone??  I haven't had a chance to connect with all the girls yet.  Looks like tomorrow will be a busy day of interviews, connecting with all the girls, and platforms!!  

If you are interested in watching the pageant, please check out the info below. I would love to see pictures if you have a viewing party. :-)

Thanks for all your love, support, and prayers. 

Below is a link that you can watch the Ms Wheelchair America from your computer.  Just click on the link at the times that each evening will start and it will be streaming on this website. There are no other instructions- this page will be dedicated to MWA and no login is required.

Friday, July 19th, 7:30pm

Saturday, July 20th, 7:00pm 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dnawebs

MWA-Wednesday

Day 3

July 17, 2013

So today I was actually able to sleep until my alarm went off.....at 6:30. Ugh!! Still not enough sleep. It must have something to do with this hotel. Lol. 

Today was the first round of judges interviews. Surprisingly, I wasn't at all nervous. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  All I know is that I will always be true to myself. I am a what you see is what you get kind of girl. I hope they like what they see!! 

Just like the other 26 girls that are here competing for the title of Ms Wheelchair America, I would LOVE to win so I can share my message and touch the lives of others. However, I realize that regardless of who wins, I still have another 8 months to share my message as Ms Wheelchair Tennessee. And it doesn't have to stop there, I will always be able to impact the lives of others, with or without a crown. 

Breakfast started with Ms Kansas and her husband and Ms Virginia, her husband and their adorable son. The men were all talking about things that they have done with their wives old wheelchairs. Mr. Kansas has souped up one of Angel's old wheelchairs go 13 mph. Wow!!  Not to be outdone, Mr. Virginia told of the time when he jumped off their van using Brittney's wheelchair batteries. That's right folks I said jumped a car off with a wheelchair battery.   Jeremy is getting all kinds of ideas here.

The morning session started off with a workshop from Ann Eubanks.  She gave a very interesting talk about leadership.  I hope to hook up with her when I get back to Tennessee, she's from Nashville so that shouldn't be too hard to do.

The second morning session was by an ADA attorney from Birmingham, Alabama.  He discussed the accessibility rights that we have as individuals with disabilities.  Businesses that are not compliant with the ADA laws can be sued because of this.  A person with a disability that sues a business because it is not compliant with the ADA does not receive any monetary compensation, instead modifications must be made to make it accessible for individuals with disabilities; therefore we receive access to the business. Which is all we wanted in the first place....to be treated as equals.

I was called out for my first session of judges interviews during the ADA talk. The first interview was five minutes in length and I think I did okay.

Shortly after my first interview we broke for lunch. Jeremy and I had the honor of dining with Ms. Washington and her friend.  It was wonderful to learn what all she is doing in her state. We both thoroughly enjoy our school visits. It really is about making a connection with children at a young age so they understand that people with disabilities are just like everyone else.

With no time to spare we arrived back at the hotel for the afternoon sessions. Our first session was about our personal strengths. We had all taken an online test before we arrived and we discussed the results. My number one strength is the capacity to love and to be loved by others.

The second afternoon session was about women's health. We covered all the things that we still have to think about  in spite of our disabilities.  We also discussed the accessibility issues that we have at our doctors offices.  We were sharing all kinds of information that other people would have probably thought was too much information, but it's always good to get someone else's perspective on how they make their life work.  This was the perfect opportunity for me to share with the other girls something that helps me stay independent. I use things called p-mates in the bathroom. These p-mates allow me to stand and pee, like a man. (I will share a more in-depth post about this later. )

The third session we discussed how to deliver our platform speeches.  We broke into pairs and shared our platform speeches with each other.  I was able to run through my speech twice. It's very helpful to share it beforehand with others.  I didn't realize that I would have two judges interviews today.  I was pulled out for my second interview during this session. This interview was 10 minutes in length and I feel like I really got to share a lot with the judges this time.

I went back for the fourth and final session after my interview.  In this interview we covered how to be a good leader and what we could learn from other leaders.  Everyone offered really good information.

It was up to the room to change for fiesta night. My mom and Mike had arrived by this point and my mom was able to help come help me change into my next dress. We all headed over to the Mexican restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. Jeremy and I enjoyed dining with Ms. Oklahoma and her mother and Ms. Maryland and her sister.  We all had a great time And learned more about each other.

What is so awesome about this week is that we all have our own stories to share. We all have unique perspectives life. We all came to be wheelchair users through different circumstances in our lives.  It is amazing to hear the stories of the other girls.  Some lives changed progressively over time, Some lives changed in the blink of an eye, and some lives were this way from the beginning.  

I tell people all the time how fortunate I am because I'm just weak. I don't hurt, I don't have any other major complaints, I'm just weak. I feel like I have it really easy in comparison to what some of the other girls have gone through in their lifetime.  

Amazing women, truly amazing, inspirational women, who will make a huge impact on America.  I am blessed and honored to get to know each and every one of them.

As Jeremy and I entered the hotel to go to bed, we ran into a gentleman on his way out. He looked at me and said hey I know you you're Ms. Tennessee.  I said yes I am.  We talked about how he was here in Houston on business from none other than Chattanooga, Tennessee.  He told me that he had seen me on TV and in newspapers back home. How cool is that? What are the odds to run into someone from your hometown in the same hotel as you and to recognize you?  He congratulated me and told me to bring the crown home to Tennessee. I would love nothing other. :-)

Please don't think I'm being rude as I have zero time to respond to any of the sweet comments you're leaving for me. Please know that I'm reading each and every one of them and they mean the world to me. Thank you so much.

MWA-Tuesday

Day Two
July 16, 2013

I woke at 6:30 not because the alarm was going off but because I had to pee. Ugh!!  I was hoping for another thirty minutes of sleep. Oh well, once I'm out of the bed its just not worth it to get back in. 

Jeremy and I dressed in our MWA t-shirts and headed downstairs for our first breakfast. My gift of the day (yes, we get daily gifts...how cool is that?!?) was a bandana with a pin and an ornament from the museum we would be visiting after breakfast.  We chatted it up with Ms Virginia and Ms Pennsylvania.  After scarfing down a quick bite, we hurried back upstairs for a potty break. 

Everyone gathered in the lobby so we could all travel to the museum together. What a wonderful site we were parading through the streets of downtown Houston. We all chatted and laughed along the way. 

Once at the museum, all 27 of us posed for a group picture. And then the companions joined in....you know Jeremy was loving that. Lol. And the all the volunteers. What a wonderful group!!!

We were giving a scavenger hunt sheet for the museum. Even though it was only 3 floors, it would have taking days to look at everything. We all buzzed around looking for answers to our scavenger hunt questions. 

Lunch was wonderful!!  I wish we had the pasta salad and pimento cheese recipe they used!!  For me, that's saying a lot because I am a picky eater. 

After lunch we adopted  a pet dinosaur  for Annabelle. I hope she likes it!!  

I was able to talk to several girls during the museum fun. Ms Alabama, Ms Indiana, Ms Kentucky, Ms Mississippi, Ms North Carolina, Ms Ohio, Ms Oklahoma, Ms Texas, and Ms Wisconsin were all a pleasure to get to know better. There are still so many girls I want to speak to before the week is over!!

We headed back to the hotel around 1:30 and made a brief stop by CVS for some Bliss chocolates for my table.  We went up to the room for my candy dish and then headed back down to my table to add the Bliss chocolates. 

We then went over to the Little Miss Texas tea party and signed autographs. Those girls were all absolutely adorable. And a few of them shared my love for the color pink.  I had some more time to get acquainted with some of the other girls.  I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Ms Louisiana, Ms Michigan, Ms New Jersey, Ms Pennsylvania, and Ms Wisconsin.

After the tea party it was time to head back up to the room and get changed for cowgirl night. We all met back in the lobby and headed out for dinner all decked out in cowboy boots and hats. We finally all looked like we belonged in Houston.

At dinner we all had a wonderful time talking with one another. We each have our own different stories but we are all able to relate to each other.  It's such a nice feeling to talk to someone who understands the same problems that I have.  Tonight we all agreed on one thing….just how exhausted we were.  Even though I was tired I really enjoyed spending the evening with Ms Oklahoma, Ms Ohio, and Ms Maryland. 

Jeremy and I left a little early because I really needed to get some rest and of course come back to the hotel room and blog about my day.

I hope you're enjoying my journey as much as I am enjoying sharing it with you.

Date 3 brings the first round of judges interviews. Say a little prayer for me. Good night friends. 

MWA-Monday

Day One 
July 15, 2013 

The alarm clock rang at 5:20. I was up and out of the bed before the second alarm went off at 5:30. 

The Ms Wheelchair America week was finally here! It feels like a life time ago that I was sitting in my accounting night class at UTC looking up information for the Ms Wheelchair Tennessee pageant. It's so hard to believe that was just six short months ago!!  The memories I have already made are incredible. I can't imagine what wonderful things will come from this week. 

Michael (my brother) came to pick Jeremy and I up around 6:30 and it was off the the Chattanooga airport!! 

Check in was a breeze and everyone was so nice!!  This was going to be the first time in a long time that I have been without a power wheelchair. Permobil was gracious enough to have a loaner chair delivered to the hotel in Texas for me to use for my week at the MWA pageant. (It's scary to fly with a power chair. It seems like every time we have flown with one, something always comes back broken.)

After we checked our bags, Jeremy walked off with out me. He finally turned around to notice I wasn't beside him. He had forget that he was going to have to push me in the manual chair. (I think it might be a long day until I get my mobility back in a power chair.)

I went through the pat down with the TSA officers. They were both very sweet ladies and very interested in my MWTN sash. I told them where I was going and they wanted to know more!!  I, of course, loved sharing all the details with them. 

After successfully passing my pat down, we headed to our gate. Well, Jeremy had to come back for me again because he already forgot I couldn't drive myself. 

We talked with the airline personnel before loading the plane early. They too wanted to know more about my sash. It brings me such joy to share the purpose of the Ms Wheelchair organization. 

I had to transfer over to an aisle chair in order to safely get on the plane. The ladies were super sweet and made sure my knees didn't get bumped. 

Once everyone was aboard the plane, the flight attendant made an announcement about my trip to Texas to compete in the MWA pageant. Too cool!!  Everyone applauded and wished me well. 

We switched planes in Dallas and had a short flight to Houston.  There were two fabulous ladies who meet us at baggage claim.  They came bearing gifts of water and snacks and escorted us to our car.  Debbie is on the Ms Wheelchair Texas board and drove us to the hotel.  We chatted the entire way.  She is a super nice gal.  

Our room wasn't ready and my wheelchair hadn't been delivered when we arrived at the hotel.  That was okay, we went upstairs to check in with Ms Wheelchair America and set my table up.  Everyone was so nice and friendly!!  I just know this is going to be the most incredible week!

Still waiting to get in our room, Jeremy and I decided to go across the street for some mexican food.  It was yummy and turns out we will be eating there as a group on Wednesday.  

When we got back to the hotel, our room was ready.  We went upstairs and waited on Permobil to deliver my loaner chair.  Todd got here around 5:00 (we are on central time now) and was such a great guy!!  He wanted to make sure everything was perfect.  He made several adjustments to make things more comfortable for me.  Unfortunately, the seat isn't quite deep enough so I am unable to do any standing transfers.  Todd is going to check around for a chair that will fit me better.  Keep your fingers crossed.  

After that, we had only a few minutes to check out the state tables and chat with some of the girls.  Then it was off to dinner.  Jeremy and I dined with Ms. Ohio, Ms. Oklahoma, Ms. Texas, and Little Miss Texas.  The table was full of chatter the entire time.  

After dinner it was off to orientation.  We got seats on the front row.  First we had a guest speaker and then we played a get to know you game with our state pins.  There were random facts provided by all of us on a sheet and we had to guess who went with each fact.  I don't think anyone finished but the game will be on going all week.  

Next we learned lots of dos and donts for the week.  And other information.

Then we all got our new sashes that were hand made by Shelly, Ms Wheelchair America president.  She prayed for each of us as she worked on our sashes.  

We had a few more items to go over and then it was off to our rooms at around 10:00 (remember it's really 11:00 for me).  

Not not sure this all flows but I can barely hold my eyes open.  I promise more posts and pictures tomorrow.  

Thanks for all the likes and comments on Facebook...I'm sorry i can't respond to everyone. 

'Twas the Night Before Houston

'Twas the night before Houston,

and all I could do was think about things still left to do. 

The bags were packed and by the back door

In hopes of a speedy departure early in the morn. 

I should have been nestled all snug in my bed,

With visions of the fun filled week ahead.

When suddenly I realized my list needed checking once more. 

Away to the office I flew like a flash, 

Tore open my MacBook and scrolled through the list at last. 

The items on the note page began to appear,

And all I could think was, The deadline was near. 

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But items not crossed off and we were only eight hours from depart. 

With a determined spirit, so eager and quick,

I knew in a moment it must all be done quick. 

More rapid than the jet I would fly,

I began re-sighting my speech once more. 

"Now Americans, now Americans,

I'm calling you all!

Come on, men! Come on, women! Come on, children, too!

To Houston to hear my Blissful spill!

Now hurry! Now hurry! And don't delay!!"

As my mind wondered back to the task at hand,

I began crossing items off that long list that still loomed. 

So back to the luggage I flew,

With an arm full of shoes and state pins, too. 

And then, in a twinkling, I remembered the jewels,

That Rone Regency so graciously loaned. 

As I dropped more clothing in my bag,

Down the hall came my husband with a bound. 

He was dressed all in his Sunday best, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all pressed with the greatest of care,

A bundle of dresses he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a crazed shopper, just leaving the mall.

His eyes how they sparkled! His sweet smile was so merry! 

He was such an good helper, like my very own packing fairy!

His cheerful spirit was amazing, like the best thing ever,

And his words of encouragement seemed to go on forever!

The list-now printed-I held tight in my hands,

And the words on the page were driving me mad. 

I had to claim down, all would be well. 

That much I knew, due to all my friends who were so swell. 

After all I was Ms Wheelchair Tennessee,

And I knew the plan was to make my state proud!

A wink of my eye and a smile in the mirror,

Soon made me realize I had nothing to fear. 

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my room,

And filled all my luggage, with last minute loot. 

And laid out my skirt and shirt,

And knew tomorrow would be here too soon. 

I sprang to the bed and gave a great sigh,

And laid my head down on the pillows so high.

But I knew my eyes would not close until I had this last thought,

"Prayers to all and to all a safe flight!"

Diamonds and Guns

Friday I lived every girl and guy's dream!!

I started the morning going to Sportsman's Warehouse with my dad to pick up the gun I won.  That's right, I said GUN and WON!!  The night before I went with my husband, brother, dad and several co-workers to the Chattanooga Friends of the NRA banquet.  Every year at the end of the night they draw for a door prize using your ticket.  You must be present to win.  I saw my brother looking at his phone about an hour before the banquet was over.  I think he was ready to go.  I told we that we couldn't leave until the end.  What if they drew our name for the gun...we HAD to be there!!

We low and behold they drew MY name!!!  I was thrilled!!  I had won a Stag Arms AR-15 Style Rifle.

You could not take your gun with you that evening.  You had pick it up at Sportsman's Warehouse and have a background check done.

My dad and I were there shortly after they opened.

I'm really not sure what I am going to do with this gun.  Jeremy (my husband) says we could paint it pink....you know I am loving that idea!

A few hours later, my mom and I went to Rone Regency to pick out some jewelry for me to wear during the Ms Wheelchair America pageant.  That's right, the REALLY nice jewelry store on Gunbarrel Road, those of you from Chattanooga know what I am talking about.

I posted on Facebook earlier in the week that I was looking for some pink jewelry to wear for the pageant.  I would be more than happy to model it for anyone willing to let me borrow it.  ;-)

Well, it turns out one of my Facebook friends said that Rone Regency would probably loan me some jewelry to wear.  What?!?!  Really!?!?  Once everything was approved, I made arrangements to meet Rob on Friday.

Talking about feeling like a princess!!!  OOOOMMMMGGGG!!!  Rob was so sweet.  We talked about the two dresses I would be wearing and he thought I would need different jewelry for each.  Who was I to argue with that?    

Rob just kept pulling amazing pieces out and pair things together.  I was trying really hard to remain calm as Rob draped diamonds on my arms, hands, neck, and ears.  Did I mention I felt like a princess??  Or maybe even a movie star....they borrow jewelry for big events.

I also had the honor of meeting Bob, the owner of Rone Regency.  He was just as sweet as Rob.  We were talking about Annabelle and he got a necklace out for me to give her, because every little girl needs jewelry.  How sweet is that?!?!

After trying on multiple pieces, we settled on some truly stunning pieces.  No sneak peaks, y'all will have to wait until pageant time.

Jeremy picked me up after my fabulous experience at Rone Regency.  I'm pretty sure I babbled the entire way home about how much fun I had.  Have I said yet that I felt like a princes???

Thanks so much to Rob, Bob and Rone Regency for allowing me to live on cloud 9!!!

I still can't believe it!!!