Back from Florida!

Hey everyone,

So I am back from Florida! Last night our flight kept getting delayed so I didn't get home till about 1:30 AM. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Especially from all the walking around we had done over the course of the week. We went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Sea World and Wonder Works. Wonder Works is kind of like a science center but the building is turned upside, so it is known as the 'Upside Down House'. 

We didn't spend a lot of time in Sea World since it was a down pour constantly and all the rides closed down. In Universal Studios we visited the Comic Book Land, Dr. Suess Land, Comic Strip Land, Jurassic Park land and of course Harry Potter world where we tried their Butter Beer. The shops in Harry Potter world were amazing, but the whole place was crowded so we didn't spend a lot of time there either. 

The conference went really well! I gave my speech about creativity - especially blogging and writing as a coping mechanism. I also performed American Sign Language to music to the song 'Power of One' which went perfectly with the theme of the conference 'The Power of One; From a Kitchen Table to Around the World'. I had so much fun answering questions and meeting people who sat in on my session! 

A lady gave me her business card after my speech and asked me to write a few paragraphs about this years conference for the next edition of a book called 'The PH Patient Survival Guide'! I am so excited to help her with this and to write a few sentences about all the sessions I attended this year! 

Speaking of sessions I attending, I went to a Teen PH Support Group and I sat in on a Low Salt Diet session. In that session we could all ask questions as to how to go about doing a low salt diet, not getting to dehydrated and things like that. 

This conference was amazing and I really enjoyed our stay in Florida! The next conference is in 2 years and it will be in Indiana. I am already excited for it! The did film my speech, and once I get a copy of that - I will post it on here! 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

My Birthday!!

Hi everyone,

So on Sunday I turned 19 years old! I can’t believe it! I was just finally getting used to telling people I was 18. Ha – ha. On Saturday my parents surprised us with horseback riding near the Verde river, I was SO excited. I love horses and I love horseback riding. One part of the trail was us forging the Verde River; it was AMAZING! On our trail we saw two bald eagles sitting in a tree with their nest and we saw wild horses! On the drive away from the ranch, we saw cow just walking around. It was so cool! However, the next day we were all very sore. Ha – ha.

After the horseback ride we went to a restaurant called Pinnacle Peak Patio. If you have never been there before, I highly suggest it. It is a cowboy themed restaurant and if you wear a tie there, they will cut it off and staple it to the ceiling. It’s so cool. Ha – ha. We went down to the small dance area where they had a live band to listen to the music while we waited for our food and I heard someone yelling my name. Thinking it was one of my family members, I turn around and look for one of my siblings but instead I found a friend from camp who I haven’t seen in at least four years. My friend’s birthday is October 8^th, while mine is the 9^th. So she came down here to celebrate her 21^st birthday. She lives in California but sadly her mom has tentatively moved to Arizona to get some treatment for cancer. My friend and I have lost touch over the years but I really think it was meant to be that we would see each other that night. Please keep her family in your prayers, I know how well those work.

On a happier note, for my birthday, I got the iPhone 4! I LOVE it!! It is AMAZING!! I went through my whole contact list and added cute little pictures next to everyone’s name so when they call I see a cute little icon next to their name. I also put some of my music on it, downloaded a few games and saved a few backgrounds to try out on my phone too.

I have found out that my first blog post for Adult Congenital Heart Association will be published October 31^st. The blog post will be published at: http://www.achaheart.org/home/blog.aspx if you’d like to read it when it comes out. I am SO excited!!

College is going really well! I have either A’s or B’s in all my classes and I really like it. I was really excited because I turned in my first English paper and I got a 90% then on my first Sociology exam I got a 100%! I am so happy with how school is going!

Well not much else is new here! Thanks for checking in!

Love,

Becca 

Great News!!

Hi Everyone, 

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I have been really busy with college; which is going really good. Sadly I have been really tired whenever I come home so I take a nap for a few hours, but other than that I am doing great. I have some great news! I had to turn in my first college essay about an important event in my life, so I wrote about my graduation from high school and how I wasn’t even supposed to make it to that point yet. I was really nervous about how she would grade it and what I would get, but I got a 90%!! I was SO excited! Then I had to do a take home Sociology Exam, the teacher kept telling us that take home exams were not easier; in fact they were harder. So I was really nervous when I turned it in; but I was pleasantly surprised when I got it back and I had gotten the grade of 100%!!

Some more great news is that I applied to be an official blogger for the Adult Congenital Heart Defect Association’s website. I heard back from them and they accepted my application! I am going to be a blogger for them! Woo-hoo! Then, on top of that I also heard back from a website called Fight Like a Girl Club which is a website where woman can post and read inspirational stories of woman and girls going through health issues such as tumors, diabetes and cancer. I had applied over the summer and finally heard back from the founder of the website who apologized for the delay (because they have so many applications) she also told me that she remembered the article I had written for them as a guest writer over the summer and she also said that she looked at my blog and read one of the poems I had posted on there. I was so surprised and excited when the founder of the website told me that since she remembered my writing she didn’t even have to look at my application; I automatically got a position as their blogger for their section on Heart Disease! (I did explain to her though that my heart problem is a defect, not a disease because those are two different things.) I am just SO excited! I love writing and I’ve always wanted to make a positive change in the world using my love for the written word; it seems as if I am getting the chance to do that now through two different blogs! I am so happy!!!!! I want to thank all of you who read the stories I would write as a little kid and told me to continue with the hobby that is now a passion of mine. Your support is greatly appreciated!

With Excitement,

Becca