This past month feels like it’s been extremely busy, but I think that’s mostly because of my trip to Myrtle Beach! I already have a whole post about that, so I’m not going to talk more about it here, but getting ready to travel by plane again, plus the trip itself, feels like it took up a majority of my month. I’ve been laying pretty low and just trying to enjoy my summer!

One major thing that happened, though, is that we got a patio in our backyard! I’m really, really excited about this. I’ve been spending so much time outside, and we have a great yard, but grass isn’t really my friend. It’s bumpy and uneven and not smooth for my wheelchair to drive on. The patio is amazing – it’s so smooth and flat and really perfect! We still have to add furniture (so many things are sold out!), but I’ve been taking a card table out there in the afternoon to work.

It was wild to see the transformation happen so quickly, too! This picture was even taken about halfway through, and it’s hard to imagine that a patio came out of this. I typically work by the window they were working outside of, and every time I’d look up the yard looked completely different. I love how it turned out.

We got to christen the patio with our first outdoor movie night of the year – we watched In The Heights right before it left HBO Max. I had seen it in the theater already, but it was so fun to watch it again outside (and sing along softly sometimes, too, ha!). It really does feel like the perfect summer. I think it’s going to be available to buy at the end of the month – if you’re looking for something to screen outdoors, I highly recommend it!

While I do work outside on my deck or patio a lot, I took a little field trip and worked outside at Bakery Square after a doctor’s appointment in Oakland one afternoon. It was fun to just switch up my scenery for a bit – and as a bonus, there’s a Starbucks right there! It was a HOT day though, so I very much appreciated the shade from the huge Panera patio umbrellas.

And when I’m not working outside, it’s because there’s been so much rain. I know it’s an exaggeration, but it feels like it’s been raining (even if it’s just a little bit) every single day. I don’t love it, but Lily really hates it. The thunder really scares her, and her favorite place to hide is under my footrests. It’s so cute but makes me sad that she’s so scared! I’m hoping for more sunny skies when the time comes around to write this post next month.

And finally… this past weekend was the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant! It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since my crowning. I didn’t go back this year, but I did film a little video for this year’s titleholders. It was a fun excuse to pull out my crown and sash!