It Takes Hard Work

Today, Nicholas came home from school with big crocodile tears in his eyes.

He showed me his spelling test.  

He bombed the test, and I could see he felt very heavy about it.

He kept saying the dreaded "I am stupid." 

phrase over and over again, and it broke my heart.

I decided to read to him a very inspiring story

 I heard in General Conference last October.  

It was about a man named Ben Carson:

"Ben Carson said of himself, 

"I was the worst student in my whole fifth-grade class." 

One day Ben took a math test with 30 problems. 

The student behind him corrected it and handed it back. 

The teacher, Mrs. Williamson, started calling each student's name for the score. 

Finally, she got to Ben. Out of embarrassment, he mumbled the answer. 

Mrs. Williamson, thinking he had said "9," 

replied that for Ben to score 9 out of 30 

was a wonderful improvement. The student behind Ben then yelled out, 

"Not nine! … He got none … right.” Ben said he wanted to drop through the floor.

At the same time, Ben's mother, Sonya, faced obstacles of her own. 

She was one of 24 children, 

had only a third-grade education, and could not read. 

She was married at age 13, was divorced, had two sons, 

and was raising them in the ghettos of Detroit. Nonetheless, 

she was fiercely self-reliant and had a firm belief that 

God would help her and her sons if they did their part.

One day a turning point came in her life and that of her sons. 

It dawned on her that successful people for whom she 

cleaned homes had libraries—they read. 

After work she went home and turned off the television 

that Ben and his brother were watching. 

She said in essence: You boys are watching too much television. 

From now on you can watch three programs a week. 

In your free time you will go to the library—

read two books a week and give me a report.

The boys were shocked. Ben said he had never read a book in his entire 

life except when required to do so at school. 

They protested, they complained, they argued, 

but it was to no avail. Then Ben reflected, 

"She laid down the law. I didn't like the rule, but her determination

 to see us improve changed the course of my life."

And what a change it made. By the seventh grade, he was at the top of his class. 

He went on to attend Yale University on a scholarship, 

then Johns Hopkins medical school, where at age 33 he became 

its chief of pediatric neurosurgery and a world-renowned surgeon."

You probably have heard of this man because he is the Dr. Ben Carson

 who successfully separated twins conjoined at the head.  

He is also running for president.

What an exceptional story of a very inspiring example

 to others who struggle from time to time 

as we all do, and today, like Gigs.

We have the power to change. 

 Sometimes, it takes lots of hard work and dedication.

* * * * *

{Mr. Nielson and I are hosting a one-on-one 
private chat today from 10 to noon MDT.  

Come talk about the Mormon faith and any

 other questions you may have.  

These chats are private, and anyone is welcome!

Let's chat Here}

Where My Heart Needs To Be

 I re-read an article that was written about my family in October of 2012

by Jamie Lawson for LDSLiving.

“I still struggle with my scars,” she says. 

“I think I will for a while—forever, maybe. 

But I remember how grateful I am that I still have a face or a nose or things 

that I almost didn’t have. Then I look at my family and friends and think, 

‘This is all worth it.’ I am a wife and a mother. 

The accident couldn’t take that away from me.”

She continues, “God gave us physical beauty, but what matters

 most is that we are beautiful people on the inside. 

If we are, then our outside beauty will shine.

 I like to think that’s how my transformation is 

taking place—by making sure my heart is where it needs to be.”

Nielson says there are still bad days, but the love of her family

 makes her feel less self-conscious. 

“I’m  not as worried about my appearance because 

I’ve got this beautiful family around me, and that’s what matters most. 

They don’t see me as someone who looks

 different or can’t do the things I used to. 

My husband sees me as the wife that he married, 

and my children just see me as Mom. 

I feel beautiful because I have a beautiful life.”

Full article HERE

Women's Session With My Little Women

"Righteousness emanates out to the world when we understand 

what God wants us to do and then we do it. … "

 

Said Sister Carole F. McConkie in last Saturday's Women's Session.

Claire, Jane, and I sat together at the conference center among 

thousands of women, listening to inspiring words from our Church leaders.

 

I held my girl's hands as we walked into the conference center, 

and held them throughout the conference.  

I held their little hands as we walked out of the 

conference center, discussing the session and our favorite parts.

I will never forget this night.

I will never forget these moments with MY girls.  

God is real.  He loves us and cares deeply for us and our happiness.

We also talked about how excited we would be in 

five years when Lottie can join us! 

*AND, the closing song was "Go Forth With Faith," which happens to 

be the Nielson 2015-16 Family theme!

I cried through the whole song (all 3 verses). 

I couldn't even sing. 

Keynote

I am giving the keynote address at Utah Valley University

on Thursday, October 1st at Noon.

This event is open to everyone and is free. 

First Day of Autumn

 

Yesterday evening, while the Little Nies finished up their homework, 

I prepared dinner while listening to Alison Krauss, a fall-time favorite. 

Since it was officially the first day of autumn, I decided to make a wonderful,

 hearty bowl of chili and warm rolls.

It was perfect, except that it was about 

100 degrees outside, which was a little bit of a mood killer.

But I know the cold will come!

Happy Fall!  My very favorite time of the year!!

Life 5 Years Ago...

This was my life in September of 2010:

And today:

We are getting older and taller (yikes)!

* * * * * * * *

{Mr. Nielson and I are hosting a one-on-one 
private chat today from 10 to noon MDT.  

Come talk about the Mormon faith and any 

other questions you may have.  

These chats are private, and anyone is welcome!

Let's chat Here}

I Want To Remember

It's officially fall in Utah!!

The leaves on the mountains behind our home are getting more vibrant 

with color, and the nights are getting colder.

It is heaven.

I'm telling you, my heaven is autumn with rain storms and dark clouds.  

That seems weird, but it's so true.  

(Although the clear blue skies today were absolutely amazing too).

I took this photo this afternoon before starting dinner because

 I wanted to remember this stage of my life.

I want to remember the pumpkins Lottie stacked on the cake stand, 

the yellow aspen leaves in the glass jar on the table, 

and the way the sun shone through my windows.

I want to remember the ant-infested sunflowers that Jane and Ollie

 picked for me and that I put in the kitchen.

 I watched them as they picked the flowers. 

Jane was wearing the skirt she made at sewing lessons and Oliver 

was following behind her with the clippers. 

She would point at the perfect flower, and he would snip it.

At that moment, I was exhausted, yet I felt incredibly grateful for 

the ability to prepare and serve dinner for my family. 

I remembered my feelings of gratitude because I

had everything on hand to make a good meal.

I wanted to remind myself that even though I was exhausted, 

I also felt strong, healthy, and energetic to finish the day.

On the computer, I heard Claire help Nicholas find the perfect

 birthday gifts for himself as he turns nine in a few weeks.

. Lottie was on the kitchen swing, dressed as a princess, singing to herself. 

Music to my ears. 

I also wanted to remember the sound of Mr. Nielson's truck coming up our gravel road.

 That sound always brought me relief and comfort.

I wanted to cherish my beautifully ordinary life 

and appreciate the small moments that make

each day happy.

Simple Steps

Yesterday, I thought about when I began exercising,

specifically hiking, again after the accident.

At first, it was tiny, simple steps.  

I was cautious and paranoid about falling down

because falling down meant I'd find myself back in surgery.

I went really slow and steady, and exercising usually ended up with 

me crying on my bed.  I was so very discouraged!

Things were not the same, and my body didn't move like it used to.  

It seemed like all the things I loved to do before the crash were now 

suddenly, it was so tough and frustrating.

I remember times looking at my body in the shower with pity and disgust.  

I was so embarrassed and promised myself to never ever

wear clothes that would show off my skin. 

 I was mainly worried I'd make Mr. Nielson or my children embarrassed of me.

But there comes a point when you have to just live.  

You have to just move on.  

Move wayyyyy on.  

Not that you have to forget or ignore the hard times. 

Of course, you have to acknowledge the pain and hurt, but

I have learned that when I stop thinking about myself 

or about what others think about me, 

I have so much more energy to focus on productive things like; 

my children, my spirituality, 

my dedication to the Lord, my family, and my husband. 

I can push harder and faster and get myself healthier.

 It's hard to do, especially when my body hurts.

This is certainly a process, but I feel stronger, and I know that 

by small and simple things are great things brought to pass 

and great things did come to pass and still do come to pass for me.

I move faster now, am stronger, and have self-confidence.  

I started to appreciate the things I could do,

 and stopped focusing on the things that I couldn't do,

and it has changed my life.

My Rock

I extend a hearty welcome home to Mr. Nielson, who, for the past week 

has been at the ranch in New Mexico.  

I feel his absence deeply and have trouble sleeping.

 Falling asleep is especially difficult, and when I finally do,

 I toss and turn. His absence makes me realize how much I depend on him-

 not only in managing our home and caring for our children 

but also emotionally; I feel empowered to take on anything that comes my way.

He is my listening ear, steady ground, reality check, and best friend.

Plus, I HATE when he is gone and it's stormy outside; it's such cozy

weather, and he really should be with us here at home anyway.

Happy weekend, all!!

 

Spiritual Enlightenment: Defenders of the Family

*******

 I

Come Inside....

 Nicole Hill Gerulat sent me the photos she took of Fox Hill for the  

Today.com house feature. 

Thank you, Nicole, for the beautiful photos, and also 

Thank you to the Little Nies for being so darling!

Stormy Cooking

The Autumn rain continued on and off today!  

Not quite as fast and furious as yesterday, but the big dark storm clouds 

rolled in as Lottie and I finished making apple muffins.

I felt extra domestic today since it was stormy outside.

I honestly think stormy weather gives me the energy to cook, bake,

clean, and organize.

And the other bonus about Autumn rain storms is I can still open my windows up

and listen to the rain, and it's not too cold....yet.

Did you know that The Pioneer Woman has a kitchen line?

(see above bowl)

 It's so colorful!!

You should check out her new line.

(Mr. Nielson, pots and pans?  Christmas? Me? Yes?)

Thanks, Ree, for being so awesome!

* * * ** 

{Mr. Nielson and I are hosting a one-on-one 
private chat today from 10 to noon MDT.  

Come talk about the Mormon faith and 

any other questions you may have.  

These chats are private, and anyone is welcome!

Let's chat HERE}

Helping Hands

Today, it rained in Provo.  And when I say rained, I mean poured.  

Our poor driveway washed away...well, not all of it, 

but much of the gravel washed away to the street below us. 

It was a huge mess.

I only realized the extent of the damage once I had packed

 all the Little Nies in the car for our neighborhood block party.

 As I drove further down the road, I noticed rocks scattered quite 

far from our home and on the road.

I dropped the children at the party and drove back to 

Fox Hill, where I began shoveling the rocks up.

Mr. Nielson wasn't home to help me, and I felt exhausted after 

my 20th small shovel load.  

Soon enough, a band of cars drove up my driveway, and out popped

probably 30 men and boys from my neighborhood

(including Matt, my brother, and my favorite Bishop)

 all eager to help and willing to do 

whatever it took to get the rocks taken care of.

They all left the neighborhood party to come and help me. 

I wanted to hug every last one of them!

I learned early on after my accident that I couldn't do it alone.  

I needed help, and for a long time, I needed daily help.  

It was hard to see others doing things for me and my family

that I was doing months earlier before 

the accident happened- and doing so with ease.  

Letting others take care of my children, feed me, and clean my house was hard!

Asking for and receiving help helped me not only learn patience,

 but mostly how to be genuinely humble- and humble enough to ask for help.

I learned this lesson again tonight.

I am grateful for good men and women with selfless hearts

who bless my life and know how to "succor the weak, lift up the hands 

which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

I Can Do Hard Things

I wear this bracelet around my wrist most days to help me remember 

that I can do hard things.

I think recovering and surviving a plane crash was really hard (and still is),

but it's also things like transferring Lottie from a crib

to a toddler bed.  That was really hard for me to do!!

It was emotional (my baby isn't in a crib anymore...wahhhh)

and frustrating (she yells my name and gets out of bed frequently).

Doing hard things means making the right choice even when it's difficult. 

Doing hard things also involves forgiving, understanding, 

and resisting the urge to try to fix everything all the time.

Sometimes, it's talking about things that bring up 

emotions you don't want to feel,

it's standing up for others, and certainly it's

being true to your faith.

And a lot of the time, doing hard things means being honest.

Just because something is hard doesn't mean it's wrong

or that we should throw in the towel.

Looking back now, some of my most rewarding moments were also

undoubtedly some of the most challenging days I'll ever know.

After the accident, everything was hard,

 I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself.

Deep down, I knew that these hardships were a big part of my journey

 here on earth, and God was in control. 

I knew I was learning patience, hard work, love, empathy, and mercy.

I was learning to stretch and grow to enrich 

my children's lives someday with my experiences.

It wasn't always pretty, but I never gave up.

Yes, I can do hard things.

In This Together

My dear friend, Ann Romney, has always been a role model to me.

 I greatly admire her strong courage and unwavering faith. 

She is an inspiring woman, mother, and wife with a resilient attitude. 

These are qualities that I deeply admire and aspire to have.

Ann wrote a book titled "In This Together" which is scheduled 

to be released on September 29th. 

The book is an account of Ann's personal experiences of coping with 

her diagnosis and adapting to a new life with multiple sclerosis. 

In addition to her own story, Ann shares inspiring tales of 

other men and women who have demonstrated courage and 

resilience in the face of adversity.

Ann said:

 "I've met many people along the way who've shared advice and

 demonstrated enormous resilience in the face of challenges; 

their stories gave me strength. In sharing my story, 

I want to give others hope as I've been given hope on this journey."

We all have a story to share that can bless and lift others.

Thank you, Ann for sharing yours.

Happy Weekend!

Spiritual Enlightenment: Safety for the Soul

Gifts

Jane is learning how to play the violin.

While helping Ollie with his homework this afternoon, we were serenaded

 by the repetitive tune of "Hot Cross Buns" 

by Jane who is learning to play the violin.

It was, well...it was amazing, and annoying at the same time.

But, I love that Jane has the confidence to develop this talent.

Last night at mutual, we listened to one of the girls leaders speak about her

 experiences helping women in Africa.  

During her talk, she emphasized the importance of recognizing 

the unique gifts that we have been blessed with by God.

 She explained how these gifts allow us to better serve others.

She went on to mention specific examples of these gifts, 

like the ability to listen with empathy, the talent of teaching, 

or the gift of hospitality. By utilizing these gifts, 

we can enhance the lives of those around us and 

fulfill our purpose as compassionate brothers and sisters.

I love watching my strong girls discover their strengths and talents.  

They have a responsibility to share and use their influence

 to lift and bless others- whatever that may be.

And I know that they will do just that as they grow and mature.

Both my girls have good hearts that naturally have a desire to do good.

They are exponentially better than I was at that age.  They try harder,

live deeper, and reach out to others in a very selfless way.

I am deeply proud of them; squeaky violin, beginner piano and all.

Family Wedding

After my niece Lindsay's wedding ceremony, we took a few photos

of my family.

This photo is classic because I'm pretty sure
 I counted 5 members of the family

(including the groom, Keaton) with eyes closed.

Also, Mr. Nielson's eyes could very well
be closed, except he had his glasses on.

I love Lindsay's beautiful, unique wedding dress!

My siblings and I gathered at Chipotle and ate a little something

before the dinner/reception later in the evening.

(The Nies call it "Chippes").

I really do love it there and was pumped

 when they finally finally made their way to Orem, Utah.

Good 'ol Orem.

I love being with my family, but

anywhere we go with Topher is guaranteed to be a good time.

Sib Love

I dropped the Little Nies off at the library yesterday with the girls in charge

It works out great; they browse the books and enjoy a little reading together

and then visit the exciting storytime hour while I grab some groceries

at the store conveniently located next door.

Nicholas had a few hard days at school, and before he and

Oliver left for school this morning; I pulled Ollie aside and told him

to sit with Nicholas at lunch today.

I was so relieved after school when Nicholas told me how happy he

was when Ollie came over to the younger grade lunch area to eat with him.

Bless you, Ollie.

Ahhh, the power of the sibling!

Claire told us tonight at dinner that she and Jane were getting teased 

because they always kiss each other on the cheeks in the hallways at school.

Some kids (and teachers!) didn't know they were sisters.

That made me laugh out loud!

I feel so grateful that my children have each other. 

Despite facing some challenging situations in their young lives,

 they have come to realize that having one another is more than enough. 

While friends may come and go, siblings are forever.

Wedding Dreams

(Cousins Phoebe, Jane, Claire, and Lydia)

This photo was taken over the weekend at my niece Lindsay's wedding dinner.

It was cute to see my daughters and their cousins watch the

 happy bride, their older cousin, Lindsay, while

dreaming and talking about what they are going to do at their 

future weddings, like the type of wedding dress they want,

the flowers in their bouquets, wedding cake flavors, and cake shape,

 and even the month they want to be married.

Growing up, I had a wedding folder where I put ideas that I loved

for my someday wedding.

I used some of the ideas for my big day, but mostly

 I just wanted to get married without all the hoopla.

In the temple where we were sealed forever,

 I was ready to make solemn promises to both God and my husband.

 I knew that I was committing myself to a lifetime of love, 

unity, and spiritual growth.

 I wouldn't change one minute of my special day.

Not one.

We didn't have the best photos, cutest cake, or fancy name-places.

But what I had was what I wanted, and what I wanted

I believe was most important.

(I love you, Mr. Nielson)

I am speaking at The World Congress of Families on

 October 30th in Salt Lake City, Utah

along with Russell M. Ballard and other powerful 

speakers and presenters.  

You can learn more HERE

It Wasn't You, It Was Me

Claire is giving herself a refresher on her piano skills.

She and Jane took piano lessons years ago, but we had to stop

 when I had Hunchie done, and we moved to Arizona for half the year.

We just haven't had the time to pick it back up yet.

I am proud of her for taking the initiative and learning it again.

I really wish I had stuck with my piano lessons when I was Claire's age.

I'm sorry, Denna.  I'm sorry, Mom.

It wasn't you, it was me.

Peaches

Since school has started, Lottie and

 I have resumed our best friend buddy-ship.

We are doing everything together again.

Of course, she is thrilled when "the kids" come home from 

school, but I think she loves all my attention and our adventures.

For instance, this past week 

we've painted, made treats, organized closets, picked flowers,

changed sheets, repaired and taped up some of our favorite storybook pages,

and she loves vacuuming anything with the suction attachment.

Yesterday, we went through her clothes and got out her warm sweaters.

We talked about Halloween and pumpkins and why her summer sandals

no longer fit her.  We also talked extensively about her best friends;

 Ada, Margot, and Ruby. 

I came across this photo of Lottie that I had taken at the Briar house in late August.

 I totally remember this day like it was yesterday.  

Two years older now, toilet trained, with more hair and 

bigger, cuter vocabulary; Lottie certainly has grown up since that day.

The new owners of the Briar house generously let us sneak into the

backyard to recreate the same photo under the beloved peach tree

burdened with gorgeous fruit.  

Time is flying by.  

Before I know it, I will be taking her first day of school photo.

  (Nooooooo!!)

* * * *

{Mr. Nielson and I are hosting a chat room again today 

(and every Wednesday) from 9 to noon MDT.  

Come talk about the Mormon faith and other questions you may have.  

These chats are private, and anyone is welcome!

Let's chat HERE}

Mermaids

H  A  P  P  Y      S  E  P  T  E  M  B  E  R

Clane secretly wishes they were mermaids.

But then again, what young girl doesn't wish that?

   They are both obsessed with anything mermaid, 

(so naturally, Lottie is too).

This summer, we ordered them these fantastic, very real-like mermaid tails.

I even got myself one!  I love it; it's very magical and sleek.

I keep thinking about how my 9-year-old self would have 

flipped out (pun intended) for something this extraordinary and authentic!

I ordered shark fins for my boys, which they absolutely think 

are the coolest.

The Little Nies are desperately getting as much swimming in before

the change of season hits, and our pool will close.