Prom Night

Virtual Night To Shine 2021 (Highlights)

I truly loved spending quality time with my friends all night long was a dream come true!!! Once my twin sister and I were all ready for an unforgettable evening-- We picked up our best friend Maria on the way to Olive Garden for dinner. All of us ordered pasta dishes as well as salads (along with their breadsticks) and just enjoyed being together!!! It was definitely an experience that I know none of us will forget and could not wait for what was gonna happen next-- but there's more to tell :) We headed up to Danielle's house for the remainder of our Night To Shine experience and believe it or not-- We were most definitely in heaven and didn't stop partying it up till about late into the night hours!!! Her house was decorated with all pink, sparkles, and not to mention dancing the night away with music we loved (certainly met all of our some what legitimate expectations). 

We snacked on our favorite treats and pretty much laughed till our hearts were tired... but if you ask me it never stopped there!!! We also got to watch this unforgettable event take place virtually which if you must know was certainly something that I know is never gonna be forgotten. I also really loved hearing from a lot of celebrities that I knew of but a lot we didn't know of either... but their messages of letting us know-- how special all of us Kings and Queens are in this world. We also danced the night away with music that I will admit was pretty legit and well loved by all of my friends throughout our entire night hanging out w/ each other. 

(Crowning Ceremony)

This was slightly different than it has been in years past-- but if you ask me, I am certain there will be endless stories to tell as the years go by. All of us were called to walk upstairs in our friend's home and quietly wait for our names to be called out as we would be crowned Queens of the prom!!! It was truly one of the most memorable moments ever and knowing that this time next year, this event is gonna be back in person and probably more amazing than we could dream of. There was a lot of smiles and not to mention surprises that we expected-- but had no idea when they were gonna arrive. We strutted our personalities and elegance down the staircase and waited to receive our crowns as well swag baskets with fun stuff to enjoy. 

Overall, I will have to admit despite the circumstances we were in--- I am so grateful this event was still able to take place and happen all over the USA!!! I loved being able to feel the unity and unconditional love for people just like me who want to feel a part of society (because this past year was more than an absolute pleasant experience for us, due to the endless ways people wanted to tear themselves apart and not keeping it together like we all know it should be!!!)

The Genesis Project - Thank you so much for hosting yet again one of the most amazing events ever & cannot wait to see what you all have planned out for next year!!! I love being a part of Night To Shine through an organization that just simply makes every single person feel loved and a part of this world, which in my eyes means so much more than anything else. Look forward to partying it up even more when the year 2022 rolls into town and the epidemic is out of the picture.

Personal Goals

Here are some of the main goals that I'd like to focus on throughout this new year in 2021, Plz check them out here below!!! I can only hope for the best in whatever happens and see if there is anything out there in this world for me to accomplish down the road. I apologize for not just being a little bit slow when it came to blogging about all of this...but I hope to do better in the distant future.

Self Care/Awareness:

Unless I can easily get this off my mind in the last several hours--- I am not gonna have any much luck with trying to pretend like this is not anything important. I also need to work on keeping my emotional sides in a decent place without getting out of control and making an effort to do a self check with own legitimate self everyday. I am hopeful trying to rekindle this goal of mine in the distant future will be a very successful one for me and not assuming it sounds like a good idea, without following through any thing to feel like I accomplished something. 

Dance It Out

This has always been one of the most reliving things for me as I dance my little heart out, with no one there to watch in the audience. I have always loved being able to express how my feelings are through movement without having to use any kind of words whatsoever, but if you must know--- I have danced when people have noticed me and I never speak a word to them about it. I'm always curious to know if they can even fathom that a person like me can dance like they do when nobody is paying attention. It's such an absolute escape for me to be somewhere else for awhile and not worry about the struggles that continuously lie themselves in front of me!!! 

Journal Entry

I had originally gotten done with writing up this blog post and then all of the stuff I wrote up about-- just simply disappeared altogether. I had everything set up and ready to be published on here, but then it has to be a continuous problem with blogger to have on a regular basis??! That was a miniature rant there!!! 

YLC Updates:

One of my friends is about to become a new committee member and I cannot wait for them to have a new opportunity with being able to use their leadership skills. I am grateful for them to be a part of this with so many new friends and getting a chance to share their input on stuff that will be discussed along throughout this coming year. I also have an idea about putting together a workshop with my friends who assist me on my disability committee and informing people about what we do as group-- but also educating them on all of the many things we can do going forward. 

Things I Am Grateful For: (Part One)

- Friends who have stuck with me through the thick and thin of this entire year. I could not have made it through any of the struggles I had without them to give me advice, but also let me know that I am never alone. I am so grateful for those who have given me advice about what to do and in how to handle any kind of situation that comes in my path. I know my life would not be the same without them if I did not have such an incredible support system of people to lead me in the direction that I need to headed into or let alone towards in the distant future!!!

- Nature and the beauty that surrounds us in this world everyday. I love that we can feel the love of our Heavenly Father by looking around at his creations that he made for us to enjoy. I am so grateful for the peace of mind that I have whenever I am able to get away from the noise of this world-because it gives me a reason to know I will be okay, regardless of any situation I am faced up against.

- Good Health and knowing that I can take care of myself-- even when I am not sure when things after 2020 are over will be back into their normal place. I am grateful for the chance to know that I can just heal from anything that over takes me and with the right precautions-- I know it will never be anything that I cannot handle. 

Gentle Heart

It's been such a miraculous change of heart for me as I have tried to think about ways, I need to improve on being a little more kind towards other people. Minus all of the craziness that 2020 has brought along with it-- I am truly grateful for the principle of what it truly means to be kind. I know it has blessed my life immensely when I have reached out to people who needed a kind word or just simply a smile that I could give them to make their day a little bit better. 

I am truly grateful for the many acts of kindness that have been done in my behalf and knowing that it was able to bless my life in ways, I didn't necessarily think I deserved at the time-- I am blessed to know some one else out there in this world is making sure I am okay. It has definitely given me a lot of reasons in just keeping a smile on my face and knowing that I can make a difference in one way or another. I did notice it was more than just being a pageant queen with a crown and sash on (while I was serving the Miss Queen for the year) but realizing that I could impact someone else with volunteering my time to help lend a hand is truly something I will cherish forever. 

Kindness is something that we can throw around like confetti and share our talents with other people who may need a little bit of cheering up at some point down the road. I know my life has never been quite the same after someone has performed an act of service for me or let alone somebody else-- but realizing that you were able to leave an imprint on the heart of another person is indescribable. I know that this year alone has not been the one we hoped for by any means whatsoever--but I am grateful for the friends who have helped me to feel not only needed in this world, but loved unconditionally. It has given me thousands of reasons to believe that everything in life happens for a reason and knowing we can serve those around us even when it is a little bit hard. 

"If you want to be anything in the world, Be kind." 

Official Member

#CouncilNewbie20

Earlier today I received my official appointed letter and certificate with being appointed as one of the newest members of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. It is definitely quite surreal for me to even think about those upcoming adventures with such incredible people who I know are going to assist me along this new journey. This is certainly something that I had really wanted to see happen as the next chapter of my life and now it has come true!!! 

My official duties have not been anything too much as of late---but I do know there will be lots of growth in myself to take away from this experience and cannot wait to share them with my new friends. I'm truly honored with the opportunity of being able to expand my platform on self advocacy and giving insight on what I personally think needs to be done for the state of Utah. 

Youth Member (USILC Membership)

This is not necessarily been made official yet and cannot wait for it to be a new part of my life!! I know it will be a completely new experience for me as one of the many members--but I am grateful for a chance to let people know what it is I am capable of doing. I know my life has gone through endless coasters of highs and lows along the way--but it will not stop me from getting a point across to people about every obstacle that has gotten me to where I am today. I am excited for the opportunity of being surrounded with some of the best people ever and learning from them about what I can do better is just gonna be nothing short of an absolute wonderful experience for me!! I cannot wait to get acquainted w/ all of the amazing people who have been working tirelessly to make young adults with disabilities lives a reality. 

Party Time

 

Camille,

Happy Early Birthday!!! I am so grateful for your energetic and positive self that always lights up a room that you walk into. Thank you so much for being my best friend and sharing your unconditional love with so many people. Hope you are having the most unforgettable and amazing birthday ever... because you truly deserve all of the best in this world. I cannot wait to share your birthday celebration this weekend along side my twin sister and our best friends, Maria & Danielle!!! We are gonna have the absolute most fun ever being with each other and laughing until our hearts become tired. I cannot wait to celebrate your birthday a couple of days early and just making it one of the best weekend events that we could ever dream of in this world!!! I am excited to see your smiling face and catch up on the many exciting times we will have to share with each other.. which if you ask me there is never a dull moment to be wasted whenever all of us girlies hang out!!! :) 

LAST NIGHT---My best friend Camille dropped off her birthday party invitations and cannot wait for all of us girlies to spend quality time with each other this weekend. It has been since me and my twin sister had our birthday back in July--that we have gotten another chance to hang out. I am excited for all of us to be able to catch up on life and look forward into what other adventures lie in front of us!!!

Recognition

 

One of my colleagues sent me an email last week about responding to some questions related with my new membership with the developmental disabilities council. I also really had to think a little bit hard about what kinds of skills I could bring to the table with being a new citizen of this governor appointed committee. 

LONG STORY SHORT--- I answered each of the questions that were listed off in my email message and then quickly submitted it off earlier this afternoon. Until I completely forgot to send a legitimate headshot of myself for the website that it is gonna be shared with everybody else in this world. Luckily, I will get an opportunity to give my personal input on what the entire spotlight will look like and then have a colleague of mine share it on their website!!! 

I know this isn't necessarily the kind of blog post you wanted to read through--- but due to the endless and many disability conferences that I attended over these past few years, I am grateful for each new door that opened itself up to me and allowed so many chances of learning new skills about being a strong advocate in my neighborhood/community. I am so grateful for the many amazing people who are gonna help me all throughout this journey and remembering how lucky I am to have their support. I could never in a million years perform all of these tasks by myself and not have anybody else to share my experiences with. 

I know there will be countless mistakes to face up against and not knowing what else lies in my path-- I can only hope for the best in whatever happens along this new journey. With little to no idea about how much I will either mess up throughout my years of service or whatever it may be... I am determined to make an effort with doing the best I can possible in every aspect of this chapter in my life!!!

Random Wish: (USILC Mascot)

One of the non profit organizations that I'm ecstatic about working alongside with this year, I reached out to ask about whether or not they have had a mascot before by any chance?!!! Obviously, I did not receive a legitimate and honest answer from them whatsoever-- but I do know of this one bunny who I've had yet of any chance to meet in person but he would be so perfect for the job!! It would give me the absolute biggest smile on my face and knowing if his mom will approve of him doing the job (if I must admit he would be the most legit mascot ever!!!) More about this later!!! 

Untitled Post

Secretary Duties (Part One)

I've written all of my agenda items down for the next Youth Leadership Committee Meeting that will be taking place next week. I'm extremely nervous about how my peers are gonna take all of the many notes that I took from the previous meeting before and not knowing if they will be appreciated whatsoever!! It does make me feel slightly uncertain if this new leadership position is even for me at all or if I just make this into a complete and utter mess!!!! I know things once our meeting agenda begins to get discussed and what not--I can only hope it will be received in a very mature and respectful manner.

It is definitely such a new experience for me to do stuff like this and yet I feel like anything that happens in my life is only going to make me a better person/leader/self advocate, overall someone who is going to take their new position seriously enough that I am not gonna feel like such a complete and utter fool because I am not able to handle what the tasks are at hand. I am fairly aware of the fact being the note taker goes legitimately underappreciated than it should be, but unless I can give myself a chance to learn and understand what this new leadership role is gonna do for me down the road--There is not any kind of reason for me to not give this a shot only to see what the outcome is. #ReadyOrNot #SecretaryNerves 

Heartfelt Tribute

LONG STORY SHORT--- My good friend Josh was called back to his heavenly home two years ago tomorrow and life has not been quite the same without him. His complete zest for life never ceased to amaze me in more ways than one and learning when you focus on the positive things-- it can make ya realize how much more grand life can become. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had of knowing such a wonderful person that never once complained about his struggles and obstacles in their way---- but if you ask me, I know the imprint my friend Josh left on my heart is not going anywhere any time soon. I cannot wait to see him again in the next life and can only hope he will continue teaching many more people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Other News:

Life this past week hasn't necessarily turned out as legitimate and wonderful as I would have liked it to be. I have struggled with trying to ask myself this very difficult question: Why is it that bad things are happening to good people?!!! I may never know the reasons behind any situation that life throws at me or let alone other people, but all we can do is continue to be supportive and caring towards them. With out going into much detail about this and because it is not my personal business to share-- I've simply made a decision to keep out of it completely without trying to ponder on it too much. 

 

Term Begins

 

My first ever term with the UDDC begins next month and cannot fathom how much my life is gonna be different once I get started up with things. I know that my responsibilities have yet to be decided or even assigned to me, but I have so many unanswered questions to ask when the time comes. I am excited about this new chapter of becoming a more self determined advocate and leader in the disability community---which sometimes I genuinely feel like I've not done my fair share of things to make them happen. I cannot wait for the opportunity of being able to make new friendships with the other members and hopefully learning so many more skills from them throughout this process. (FYI: This disability council are kind of the watch dogs over so many things and cannot wait to be one of them or unless I end up being a bunny instead!! LOL)

I have definitely blogged about this one too many times, but I know my experiences of simple growth & maturity will guide me into where I need to be headed into next. I am not certain if I am gonna do much of anything perfectly which is not gonna be the case whatsoever, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude to have a opportunity of a lifetime with so many amazing individuals. 

LONG STORY SHORT---There are so many more times for me to fail and try again throughout this new experience of my life, but I cannot wait to share them with such extraordinary and talented people whose influences are gonna touch my heart for the better. I may not blog nearly as much about things, because it could not be worth sharing with people and yet I know there will be unforgettable memories to make with such awesome friends!!! 

Life with this COVID stuff has not been quite the same for me and realizing once my duties with a brand new disability council kick off in a few weeks...I cannot imagine what the feelings of excitement and thrill that are going to come over me along this spectacular journey. I may be sounding a little bit some what repetitive about all of this craziness here, but I know there are only moments to come with smiles or laughing until my heart is tired!!! 

Moderator

Earlier Today-- I didn't want to necessarily get my hopes up on becoming the new chair person for my youth leadership committee, but the person who has taken the spot is gonna do an extraordinary job at presiding over stuff and I could not be more than excited for them to take on this new role!! I am grateful for the experiences that lie ahead of me this year and working alongside the best of the best people in our state. 

New Secretary 

I'm certainly more than relieved to have a position like this one, and keeping accurate notes on tab if I can even think about what has to be recorded down-but also trying my hardest to not get behind with stuff either. I have little to no idea about what could happen next for me down this road, but I can just give it my one hundred and ten percent regardless of what countless mistakes I will keep making thru out the coming year. Please stay tuned for more stories and updates to come!!! 

Overwhelmed (Honest Truth)

I have definitely never felt more overwhelmed in my life with trying to think about the next phases of my life that are coming up. I know this is all completely new for me and there is only so much for me to keep learning along the way-- but it is a little bit intimidating because everyone that I will be doing stuff with have so much more experience than I do in various areas. All I can do is make an effort w/ trying to make certain that I am not the kind of person who neglects their responsibilities to let all of my new peeps have their voices heard too. 

I am grateful for the many amazing people who are gonna support me along this new journey, but I cannot imagine what kinds of new things I will have to learn from them (let alone need to be firmly considerate about too. I truly hope to keep up with a continuation of my platform with self advocacy and getting a chance to expand it in ways that I never would have imagined possible. It is certainly a lot of tough stuff to discuss as well as get out there in this world, but someone has to make an effort with knowing that they are not gonna let any of the obstacles get in their way of being successful in this world. 

Sparkled Out

Utah Developmental Disabilities Council (First Virtual Meeting)

I've genuinely never wanted to keep away from this in any blog post and quite frankly with the new opportunities that I'll have in front of me...It will only give me more chances to share my ambitious and bubbly personality with others. I am grateful for this amazing experience of a lifetime and can't wait to learn as many things as I can possible about the disability world. It is definitely going to be a new adventure for me to take on as I try to give my input on things and what should be happening in the next several months ahead...which I know is either gonna strengthen me or wear me down. I am confident things will turn out a lot more fun than I would have least expected them to, but I know it's just a matter of giving it my best shot before anything becomes official.

Youth Leadership Committee (Elections)

TOMORROW MORNING---I have another virtual call with this committee to elect a new chair and there are countless thoughts running inside of my head. I am not even sure if someone like me could emotionally handle the load that would be on their shoulders or if I am even the kind of advocate or candidate that my group would like to be take over things?! All of this new stuff has been surreal in more ways than one and quite swamped with knowing how I could take on another task--which if I must admit could either lead me into a direction I need to be in or who knows?? Maybe I have a lot more that I need to keep learning from such incredible people who go above and beyond in making dreams turn themselves into a reality.

Post Virtual NINJA Con 2020 (Mentor Spotlight)

One of the most heartfelt moments for me was getting to speak for a minute about what leadership means to me on a personal level. It was legitimately not something I had practiced being emotional over by any means whatsoever--but somehow prior to me talking about the subject: (I'd mentioned that I am the crier of the group just so everybody would know that & then preceded to read off my paper what leadership meant to me.) It was such an emotional moment for me to share what was in my heart with everybody who participated on the conference with us--but also realizing I may not ever know when my next chance would be to mentor a NINJA Conference again!!! Only time will tell with that legitimate part of my life and how things are going to lie down with it--but I'm more than willing to lend a helping hand in anyway that I can possible. 

Usilc Newbie

It's almost surreal of me to think about the upcoming opportunities that lie in my path and not even sure what could happen next down the road. I have little to no idea about what I am getting myself into... but I am thrilled about the opportunity of a lifetime to work alongside with such phenomenal, hard-working, genuine, self less people ever!!! There is only so much for me to learn along this new journey to get out of my comfort zone and give those with disabilities a voice, that needs to be heard more often than anyone else thinks it should not. I am grateful for this lifetime opportunity of being able to stretch myself in ways that I didn't ever think were possible and doing it with my closest and dearest friends, is nothing short of a dream come true!!!

Spotlight Moment: (Earlier Today)

It was such an unforgettable moment for me to not only be recognized in a short period---but hearing the qualities about myself in front of people who have touched my life for the better, is just absolutely indescribable!!! I truly love being a part of such an amazing non profit organization whose given me a platform to expand my horizons on about self advocacy along with other things in between. I know it is such a new experience for me to do stuff like this, but if this my lifetime opportunity to take this chance on--I would much rather not miss out on it. I legitimately almost had tears in my eyes while sitting there trying to keep myself together and knowing how incredibly far I've come from where I was before.

Fun Moments Ahead:

Not sure what these will look like yet--but I am hopeful there will be a lot of laughs and smiles to share with my new peeps in the next little awhile. I will most definitely keep myself as professional as I can possible without trying too hard to draw attention to others... If you know what I mean?! It's most certainly gonna be a very legitimate fun time with such extraordinary people and getting lots of chances to know them better is truly going to be an experience I will not soon forget. I certainly loved being able to bring smiles to the faces of my friends who participate on the call this morning and just simply enjoyed getting to learn how running a council works. One of my favorite moments from this morning was when I noticed a friend playing with their hair and putting it on their face--as if it was a mustache, but somehow I wanted to give it a mini shout out and said: (I am not even sure what it is I said exactly after telling this person how great their temporary mustache looked & then saying that it looked so cute!!! Talk about a true statement right there and then the next thing I knew my friend was laughing pretty hard for a second which if you ask me is a success!!! 

Personal Escape

This young adult novel is about a teenage girl named Kathryn who is constantly tired of her family chatting non stop about her older brother Brett as if he were perfect. Kathryn also has got another struggle on her hands with tutoring the football star Jason West, who unbeknownst or even to make things a little worse, He is also a Mormon. And she is tutoring him for their Honors English class-- which if it were me I'd be a little nervous let alone not sure what to do!!! She decides to give it a chance after all and whenever he brings up the subject of religious talk-- Kathryn's parents let alone her family is not at all too thrilled about it.) Without going into much more details about this, She is handed this secret journal filled with personal letters written to her from the older brother that she never got to know... but comes to learn so much from reading about his journey with chemotherapy treatments. I may not ever know what it must have been felt like to read through those letters and not having any idea with how much life would have easily turned upside down. 

Safe Haven (Tetonia, Idaho)

Whenever I've experienced anything hard in my life--(minus this year alone) I always wanted to be able to have an escape to a place where I could get access into and enjoy the beauties of nature. I truly loved being able to spend quality time at my dad's five generation family cabin located in the small town of Teton County. These past two years, I have legitimately felt so much peace in my heart and being reminded about the simplicity of life and if you have not seen the unbelievable view of the Tetons and if you ask me--they are an absolute sight to see in person!!! I really wish this special place was a lot closer to home and not so far away--but at the same time, I know it would not be the same if it was here in Utah as opposed to being in Idaho. I cannot wait to return back there next year and when there is no more unexpected craziness going on in the world & being able to think about the legacy my grandparents left behind for us.