A Feast fit for 2 Queens/ Back to School Feast #2

Introducing the Nielson Familt

 Back to School Feast Theme:

  "Listen and Obey"

Menu: baked potatoes with sharp Tillamook cheese

 Green salad with homegrown cherry tomatoes and champagne dressing 

Late summer fruit Garlic and parmesan couscous

 Peach bubblie and Fresh French vanilla ice cream topped 

with homemade chocolate sauce.

The 2009-2010 crowns

The girls both got their ears pierced for the new year.

 

(I'd like more children to fill my chairs.)

 

It was a beautiful night!

After dinner came the new school clothes fashion show!

 We ended our evening with Mr. Nielson

giving beautiful Priesthood blessings to Caire and Jane.

He blessed them with strength and courage, and God's power

as they begin a new year.

(I received one, too!).

This year was much different than last year, 

It wasn't as fancy as I'd have liked it to be,

but with my limited energy and the dang never-ending pain, 

this was all I could muster.

I fully intend on each year being stronger and better,

but I am so grateful that I am alive and able to share 

this special tradition with my children!!!

Words can't express my gratitude!!

hiking the Y with Mr. Nielson in skinny jeans

Justin Hackworth is a fantastically creative photographer. 

He is going to be photographing my recovery in photos.

Each week he takes photos of me doing stuff at home,

out and about, or whatever I am doing, and today we hiked the Y.

Thanks, Justin for taking the photo of the sunflowers, 

(I asked him to.  They were so beautiful).

 And, spiritual Enlightenment

Just thinking...

Tonight Mr. Nielson and I lay in our bed each armed with laptops.

We are such nerds. Both of us are worn-out. 

 And somehow opening the windows and listening to the 

crickets and each other's keyboards is relaxing.

 I prepared all day doing last-minute shopping for school supplies and 

for all the food for our annual Back to school feast. 

I chatted with old friends. Met a few new ones, too.

I kissed babies, answered e-mails, didn't clean my house,  didn't make lunch,

helped pick out the first day of school outfits.

I made back-to-school crowns for the feast, made dinner, biked to back to school night

at the elementary, we ate dinner, put kids to bed, and now my feet are swollen. 

 I was thinking about when I hiked the Y a few days ago. 

I did it! But I didn't just do it alone. You all did it with me. 

I couldn't have even possibly thought about it if it weren't for you. 

I owe you my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you.

 I also was thinking about my new life, and

 my new outlook, and the overwhelming love I have for my family. 

 Thinking about my unconditional love for Mr. Nielson 

(who now is packing up the bucket bike with our garbage bags that we can't fit in our can.

 He's going to drop a few off in Matt's can, my parent's can, 

and possibly even my aunt Lisa's can.  What is family for?).

 I am thinking about our recent trip to Seattle. I remember driving down the freeway and out of nowhere among the majestic pines was the Temple. 

 I remember frantically announcing to all the children to look out their windows

and then happened to glance at Ollie who desperately wanted to see.

 He poked his head out the window and in my rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse 

of his excitement and honest thrill when he saw the glorious temple.

I could tell he wanted to get closer.

  It was a beautiful moment, and one I will never forget.

 I was thinking about Nicholas and his new word "poopie-head". 

He says it all the time and thinks he is so funny.

(I guess I need to get my "flipper" out and oiled up...right mom?!) 

 I was thinking about the amazing e-mails and letters from people who love me

and don't even know me.  I am so grateful!

. I was thinking of Claire's absolute love for the monkey bars at school, 

and Jane who loves to ride her bike around the neighborhood.

Ad now I am thinking about going to bed.

My milestone.

I am hiking the Y mountain tonight at 7:00

 (rain or shine) in honor of our 1st anniversary since the accident. 

I would be honored and happy to have you along if you want to join me.

This will be a significant milestone since last year's life-changing events. 

I would love to thank you personally from the bottom of my heart. 

  Kisses! Also, in the paper here.

Pike Place Market... (and an announcement)

Our trip to Seattle has ended. 

I am home now with piles and piles of laundry...and lots of sand, too.

This Saturday (15th...which is tomorrow) I am hiking the Y mountain at

 7:00 pm in honor of our 1 year anniversary since the accident. If you want to join me, I would be honored and happy to have you along. 

This will be a big milestone in my life since last year's life-changing events.

 I would love to thank you personally, from the bottom of my little heart. 

 Kisses!

99 bottles of beer on the wall.

Mr. Nielson got back from Bluewater with four sleepy children and a new haircut. 

In fact, the whole family got new cuts thanks to Auntie Darin,

 who has been the Nielson family's personal hairstylist since 

Mr. Nielson was in high school.

.

 

They told me that their days were spent at the ranch on the quads and horses,

 while the nights were filled with fireside dinners and star watching. 

 Sunburns, bug bites, and root beer bottles filled with 

orange-colored rocks all greeted me at the door.

That night as Mr. Nielson and I snuggled in bed and I asked him if he

was ready to road trip again.

He told me yes because on this trip I would be joining him.

After a nice restful weekend and lots of wash,  we packed up the navigator and

 headed to Whidbey Island, in the beautiful state of Washington. 

Mr. Nielson pulled the trailer behind the car so we could bring our bikes

 and enough room to bring back fresh salmon and Washington berries. 

 We also invited Umi, and my niece Lindsay Kay. 

After farming out Jimmy and the birds (Michael and Sara) to dear family members, 

We had to make a few stops before heading out of town.

 Somehow Nicholas left his saltwater sandals at the ranch so I made a quick run into

 Nordstrom’s for the last pair of little boy (with chubby feet) navy sandals. Whew! 

And of course, we picked up Café Rio for lunch before departing.

 The drive was pretty smooth sailing until Mr. Nielson got pulled over in Idaho. 

 As we got closer to Le Grand, Oregon we drove parallel to a train.

I rolled down the window and asked Ollie to come to sit on my lap so he

could stick his head out the window to hear and feel the power from the train.

 He was practically in heaven. 

It was a moment of gratitude that I felt to my Heavenly Father that I was still here.

Umi and Lindsay took care of Gigs' every need in the backseat, and Mr. Nielson chewed on his sunflower seeds the whole time occasionally rubbing my neck while singing Sinatra songs.

  Umi suggested we sing "99 bottles of beer on the wall" and so we did and just

as we hit zero bottles we came to our exit where our hotel was.

We all clapped and cheered because it was perfect timing especially for

Jane, who must have told us she needed to go to the bathroom 938,439,0280,48,000 times.

 Tomorrow we will head into Seattle and on to the island. 

Going back and love notes

Mr. Nielson and I packed up our smallest suitcase and headed back to the heat

 in Arizona for the first time (for me) 

since the accident almost a short year ago. 

 Our mission in going was to talk to Doctor Lettieri,

 (Dr. L. aka: the master plastic surgeon) 

about medical stuff for my body and fixing some painful 

scaring and possible neck reconstruction.

It went well, but honestly, I was more overwhelmed than anything,

 and I left the hospital sad and defeated.

  

So we went to get a treat, and my friend Jamiee suggested we try Sprinkles cupcakes.

When we got there, we were greeted with boxes of cupcakes in every flavor.

Somebody called ahead!!!

 They were so good! 

(I even managed to save a few to take home to the Nies

 (Gigs) went to town on them). 

Driving through Mesa was heartbreaking. 

 Seeing the old sites made my stomach sick.

We drove past the market, where I spent hours and hours buying delicious produce

for meals for my family.

We drove by Trader Joe's, where I'd shop once a week for food and the best

 sparkling lemonade (in the coolest-looking bottles) for our parties in the backyard.

 I saw Target, where I spent most of my days letting the 

kids run around because it was blazing hot to play outside. 

 And then I saw the Main Street sign, which looked me straight in the eyes

 as if to coax me home to my house on Lazona.

My old home.

My old life.

 I didn't have the heart to see the old homestead. Just way too hard.

Then we visited the Maricopa Medical Hospital, where I

 spent a huge chunk of my recovery after the accident. 

 It was there where I was life-flighted and saved. 

I saw the nurses and talked with doctors who all had a hand in my care.

 I was totally emotional looking into their eyes!

I cried most of the time.   

On Monday night, I got home to the in-laws and lay on the couch.

 I felt lonely. I needed quiet and felt tired. 

So I thought about last Monday when we got together with Lindsay and Spencer

and had delicious pizza at LGO, just like old times.

Except I'm different, and I hate it.

It was time to go home back to the children. 

 I was eager to sit them down and explain what the doctor had proposed to us

for my next extensive surgery and change. 

I was apprehensive about talking to them. Especially Jane.

 But I wanted their feedback and how they reacted to the plan.

 Jane was most emotional and even told me in sobs that:

 "Most 6-year-olds don't have to do this".

I held her tight and told her she was absolutely right.

 But I didn't know what to say back to her.

So I told her she was a very special 6-year-old, and everything would be OK. 

 Then she told me she wasn't feeling very good, and her burps tasted like veggie-hot dogs.

Then that closed that conversation. For now, anyway. 

 My letter to Claire, Jane, Ollie, and Nicholas: 

****

All and all, things went well. 

 I do have some tough decisions to make, and I firmly believe that

ultimately we need to feel Heavenly Father's love and comfort. 

I know He will bless me through the Holy Ghost.

Mr. Nielson always reminds me that the Lord is active in my life

and cares very much about our decisions.

 I know, and when all is said and done, 

I have enormous support from family, friends, and communities (Mesa and Provo!) 

I love you- Nie. Signing off.

Ghost in this house.

All my guests are gone. I had been looking forward to the fourth of July weekend for months. I had friends and family fly in from Arizona-some I hadn't seen since the accident 11 months ago. My best friends. It was amazing to see them, and now they are gone. I guess I feel somewhat depressed. Yesterday was a day of mourning. I lay in bed most of the day except for once when I checked

 my e-mail and stumbled across this photo of me.

I broke down. My face no longer looks like her, but she is still me. 

I don't look like her. (yes, I am so feeling sorry for myself).

 I thought about the song Alison Krauss sings called Ghost In This House The lyrics go like this:

"I'm just a ghost in this house I'm just a shadow upon these walls As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls I'm just a whisper of smoke I'm all that's left of two hearts on fire That once burned out of control You took my body and soul I'm just a ghost in this house."

I feel like that Ghost. I miss my old self so much it hurts every day and just when I think I have accepted the "new me" I remember her, and it hurts. 

But I am marching onward, I know I am loved no matter what I look like,

 and love is what gets me through.