The Story of Drew

About a year ago I was approached by my friend (and the woman responsible for the awesome photos on this website) Melissa Jill.  In addition to being an accomplished wedding photographer, Melissa is also an advocate for Autism Awareness as she has two nephews with autism.  Last year I wrote a story for Melissa about her two nephews and the response was powerful.  So many people are affected by autism, yet so much of it remains a mystery. In an effort to continue sharing the stories of those affected by autism, a few months ago Melissa asked if I would be willing to write the stories of other families that have children with ... More

Goal #63: Make Business Cards

My dad loves famous people. He loves when he meets famous people. He once met Kristi Yamaguchi's husband - it was big news. He loves when he knows people who meet famous people.  One day I waited on Kirby Puckett at the Drive-In Restaurant and my dad talked about it for months. If you ever called my father and said, "You'll never guess who I just met..." he will hang on every word; waiting for the famous-ness.  You can hear his smile on the other end of the phone, his eyes twinkling. I used to think it was embarrassing - Used to fear that I might be with my ... More

The Story of Sarah + Ryan

I recently received an email from my friend Sarah.  Her three year wedding anniversary was fast approaching and she wanted to do something very special for her husband.  They had met in a unique way and Sarah had kept a journal of their courtship, and had saved the letters her future husband had sent her.  She knew they had an epic, faith-based love story, and she asked that I write it for her -- something she had always planned to do, but just never happened.  After I sent her the story, Sarah put it in a book, complete with photos of the memories, and surprised Ryan. All in all the book was 25 pages long and a priceless gift.  Now, as ... More

Goal #11: Create an Affirmation

To read about my 101 Goals in 1001 Days project click here. To see my other goals, click here. This was an accident. I originally planned a ceremonial conclusion to this goal. I planned to spend a secluded afternoon nestled in a hidden corner of beauty that would reveal itself to me when the time was right. I planned to contemplate the direction of my life.  Then, after sufficient hours of staring at the sky, thoughtfully chewing on my pen cap, analyzing the choices of the recent past and determining destructive behavioral patterns (and making up ones that sounded good), I planned to create an affirmation that would change the course of my life -FOREVER. High hopes for mere ... More

Dorothy and a Heap of Yellow Bricks

I spent much of my childhood as Dorothy. I had the light blue checkered dress.  I had a small, brown stuffed dog whom I called Toto. (I'm not going to lie, I still have the dog - her real name is Sheila - she sleeps in the bed with Michael, me, and Zeke the kitty). I had a basket for Toto that was supposed to be for the toilet paper in the bathroom.  I had some black patent shoes that we soaked in glue and covered in red glitter.  I had the Rainbow song down.  I had the yellow-brick-road skip perfected. And I nailed the instrumental "ree-ii-deet-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee" portion of the Off ... More