The ornaments are up on the tree, the garland glitters, and the string of lights twinkle like stars in the night. A mound of wrapping paper is stacked next to gifts not yet wrapped. The sacred holiday nears. Packages arrive on doorsteps with the wish that not a single porch pirate dare steal the joy […]
The Spirit of Christmas Shines Beautiful at Our Home Read More »
Here at Shining Beautiful, we advocate for employment for people with disabilities. Mikelle has been working in some form or fashion since she was sixteen years old. In the very near future, Mikelle and I are starting a podcast featuring interviews and discussions with advocates, employment specialists, thought leaders and whoever we find interesting. Colorado
How is Employment First Down Under? Read More »
The dog days of summer have arrived. Hot, humid days cling to the ground where fireworks fizzled just a few short weeks ago. The barbeque has cooled, and there just isn’t is ever enough ice tea—sweet or unsweet. The family dog is either under the air conditioner or panting from the heat under the old
Cool Ideas for Getting TechFit. Read More »
As a young mom, I recall Mikelle’s sweet stretched out yawns, her gentle infant coos and the terrible fear of the dreaded baby swing that threw her into a startle so severe she thought she would fall to the ground. I remember the many attempts to help her learn to sit. Valiantly, we attempted to
How Do Parents Teach Self-Determination? Read More »
As families with special needs, we develop almost ninja-like warrior skills in fighting for our kids. We are strong, even when we feel weak. We speak out, even when we are shy. We believe in our kids, even when others don’t. We are courageous, even when our hearts ache. Our adeptness strips away our memory
Ninja Warrior Parenting…Can we go overboard? Read More »
DisAbility sends a family racing towards a destiny no one is ever prepared to have. Our lives cross over the line of “normal” into the land of special. The terrain is beautiful, mountainous and rarely peaceful. As a result, we grow protective and try to shield our family member from the dangers of life living
Sometimes Love is Letting Go Read More »
Wonder wheels mean accessible transportation to Mikelle. One becomes attached to an aging minivan for the vehicle equates to freedom. For the last seven years, “Silver Bullet” represented independence . We adopted the name because Mikelle loves darting all over town. Many drives drives ended in a afternoon trip to Washington Park to watch the ducks and geese float on
Wonder Wheels. Hello, Beautiful. Read More »
Nightmares of Plumbing A guest blog for the Shining Beautiful Series by Taylor Mason. It has been two weeks. Two weeks since the ceiling of MIkelle’s bathroom bubbled and burst, like some twisted water park ride gone wrong, spilling gallons upon gallons of water into her room. Mysterious in its origin, we watched helplessly as
Nightmares of Plumbing Read More »
Target on Target. A guest blog for the Shining Beautiful Series by Taylor Mason. Lately, Mikelle and her girls have been spending more and more time in the wide, red-accented aisles of Target. We’ve come to appreciate those aisles for their width and the ease in which Mikelle is able to navigate herself in them.
We have so many things we want to share in our story. But, where to start? How will you know what is the real story? How do you find the story that makes a difference to you and the reader? Understand that a story is an invitation to enter into a dynamic relationship between: The Story. The
Following the Trail… in Search of a Good Story Read More »
