Zumba

 My friends and I have wanted to sign up for a dance class for months, and tonight I got my dance class. After work I decided to try and aerobics class called Zumba. Zumba is a mixture between dancing and aerobics, and I LOVE it!!

I’m a person who enjoys being athletic and in good shape. I’ve always wanted to take dance but never have, with the exception of a couple dance camps when I was younger. Zumba combines all sorts of dance moves from salsa moves, to hip hop or jazz. It’s perfect for all ages, as you can simplify the moves or make them more intense depending on your personal preference.  Not only are you dancing away, but you’re combining aerobics moves into the routines as well.

Zumba was exactly what I needed today. It gave me energy, and uplifted my mood. I would recommend Zumba to everyone!

Family

This weekend was filled with family events. On Saturday May 31, it was my Nonno’s birthday (Nonno is a grandpa in Italian.) He turned 71! My Nonno and Nonna are like a second set of parents to me. My mother and I lived with them after her divorce for 5 years until she remarried. They got me ready for school, they fed me, they got me ready for bed; they took care of me while my mom was busy with work. I don’t want to make it seem as if my mother was never there for me because she most definitely was, but they were there to care for me when she couldn’t.

Heart                             

My Nonno has had heart problems for my entire life. When I was about 3 he suffered from a massive heart attack and was in the hospital for weeks. The doctors told him he had to make some changes in his lifestyle otherwise he would die from another heart attack. Since my Nonno and Nonna are 100% Italian, he’s only ever known his lifestyle of being outdoors, in his garden, building a variety of things such as decks, benches etc. Although he knew he had a bad heart, he didn’t let it affect his lifestyle, until I moved in to his house.

Angel

He’s always told me that I am his guardian angel. He says because of me he was able to settle down and change his lifestyle so he wasn’t straining his heart anymore. Instead of focusing his energy on things that required hard labour, he was able to play with me. I kept him busy, but healthy.  Years later he got a pace maker put in, and thank god. Last summer his heart completely stopped beating on him. The pace maker shocked him 3 times to revive him. He spent weeks in the hospital and I was unsure if he’d make it to see me compete in the Miss Tecumseh Pageant.

There no matter what

The day of my pageant he got released from the hospital, but I still hadn’t heard a definite answer of whether or he’d be attending or not.  Show time came and while onstage I noticed where my family was sitting in the crowd, and there was my Nonno, smile on his face. It brought tears to my eyes to see that he was able to make it there to support me.

Family continues

Today I’m off to my cousin’s 10^th birthday party. There will be swimming, food, and family time. The weather is gorgeous today, no clouds in the clear blue sky to stop the sun from shinning. It’s not overly warm to the point where it’s uncomfortable, but just warm enough to enjoy the sun.  I am so fortunate to have all my close relatives living close by, so we can celebrate and spend quality time together.  

Koby

For months my siblings and I have been begging my parents to let us have an animal. They denied us every time saying it would be too much work. That was until they found Koby. My grandma’s cat gave birth to 4 kittens and they were adorable! They lived in their garage and we went and visited with them every week. Last week when my mom went to visit she noticed 3 of the kittens were missing. My grandparents explained that they had either been hunted by another animal or killed on the road. The only kitten left was our Koby. My mom fell in love with his loving blue eyes, and puffy white fur. It was then she decided it was time to adopt Koby.  

First Day

We went yesterday to pick him up from my grandmas, to bring him to the vet. We were worried he was going to cry and be scared, seeing as it was his first day away from his mother. The moment we got into the car, he began to adapt to his surroundings. For the majority of the car ride he sat on my lap and looked out the window as objects passed. We were relieved!

Playful

Koby began to play with me while at the vets, chasing after my fingers. He is quite the spunky kitty! He loves to chase after peoples feet and fingers, as well as the multiple toys we’ve bought him. If he’s not sleeping or eating, I guarantee he’s chasing after some sort of object. Today his new favourite thing to play in was my hair. I couldn’t stop laughing as he mangled himself in my hair. Even though it is only his second day at the house, he has adjusted excellently. Watching him run around the living room floor puts a smile on my family’s faces. His little fluff-ball body prances around pouncing at inanimate objects constantly. He’s such a lively, charismatic kitten!

Togetherness

Although Koby does require a lot of work, it has brought teamwork to my family. I found that instead of arguing with one another over who does what, we are working together. Not only does Koby bring laughter to our home, he has helped bring my family closer. I love my new family member and look forward to seeing him grow up, although I wish he could stay this small forever.

  Mom with Koby

Today was my last day of girls kickboxing for this session. For the past 6 weeks I’ve grown a bond between myself and these girls. I grew to feel as their older sister, someone who they could laugh and talk to about anything. I grew attached to these girls and hope to see them come out for my next session.  I got to know their characters, and as I sit here and reminisce on their personalities I find myself wondering where they’re going to be in ten years. Will they be dancers, or soccer players, or singers, or writers? Maybe one of them will even compete in a pageant! It is amazing think back to when I was their age, about 7 or 8, and to see how far I’ve came from then to now.

Dream to make a difference

Never would I ever have imagined myself being a role model, and a leader within my community. I always knew I wanted to make a difference, but never would I have thought I'd have this opportunity of a lifetime ahead of myself. I truly want to show young members of the world that anything is possible. I believed in myself, I knew I wanted to make a difference and set an example, and now here I am. I hope I had an impact on those girls’ lives as they had on mine.

People in my life

Thinking back to when I was 8, I can remember people who influenced my life from then until now. From teachers to coaches, or classmates to family members, there are so many people who have helped shape my life.  An example would be my favourite teacher, Madame LeBlanc.  She was one of the kindest hearted women I'd ever met. She truly cared about the well being of her students even once they’d moved on from her class. My favourite memory was when she let me make two paper mache hearts for both my mom and my dad; they were divorced. I had been upset as I didn’t know which parent to give my heart to, so she let me take extra time to make them both one.  It was such a small gesture on her part but I’ll never forget it. I could go on and on listing people who have influenced my life but it would end up being over 3000 words long. I’m sure as time goes on I will write more about influential people in my life; however today I hope that I impacted the girls from kickboxing. I hope that when they are of my age they can look back and include myself, in their list of influential people.

Girls

When I was having a bad day I could guarantee by the end of my kickboxing session I would be uplifted. They made me laugh, they made my smile, and they made me proud. The girls worked hard, with me by their side. They shared stories with me about their lives, and listened to mine. We developed a bond that I hope will continue in future classes. I know that my group of kickboxing girls are amazing girls. I know they will all go far in life, and that they too will have an impact in some way or another on the future to come.

  me and the girls<3

Windsor’s 1^st Annual Windstock

A friend of mine contacted me a couple months ago and asked if I would be interested in planning a fundraiser for myself. His band had wanted to perform for an audience so he thought it would be a nice night of live music and food. I decided why not? The money raised would go towards helping me cover the cost of the pageant.

 a couple friends that came out to help and support

Donations

For weeks I went around the entire Windsor-Essex community finding raffle prizes to raffle off the night of. In total my family and I collected over 25 prizes, from tanning minutes and manicures, to hockey jersey’s and golf clubs. With the help of my wonderful mother we wrapped them and wrote thank you notes to be given to the winners.

 outside the restaurant

Big Night

On Saturday May 23^rd, I held the fundraiser at Faces Restaurant and Pub, as mentioned previously. My entire family and many friends came to support me.  The raffle went smoothly, and the live music was great. There were 4 local acoustic acts along with 3 bands. The night went very well with the exception of some communication errors made between myself and the other coordinator, Christian.  If there is one thing I learnt from planning this event is that you have to communicate, not only verbally but on paper as well; and to advertise, advertise, advertise! We had a fair turn out simply due to the support of my friends and family; however, we would have a greater turn out had we advertised it more.

Lesson Learned

This morning I attended another fundraiser for the Arthritis Society and the Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation.  This fundraiser was a perfect example of how far advertising can get you. They advertised on the radio, in flyers, and through the newspaper, and as a result had an excellent turn out. For my next fundraiser on June 7^th I am advertising it until people are tired of seeing and hearing about it!

 bundled for the cold weather at the Arthritis Society Fundraiser