Inspiring Mom Recovers From Tragic Plane Crash Through Faith, Family, and Community
October 5, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 4 Comments
Christian Nielson describes his wife’s personality as green, because she’s “mild, lovely, and creative.” Even after only meeting Stephanie once, I would agree!
Stephanie, or Nie Nie, as many refer to her, writes the Nie Nie Dialogues. Her bio reads: “Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson returns from an almost fatal plane crash. Happy to be blogging again from Utah and recovering too. Four happy children and one sweet husband make her life as good as it gets.”
She inspires, she motivates, she shares. And people read. Lots of people! If you haven’t made your way over, grab a box of tissues and stop by, but make sure to start at the beginning because this is one inspiring mama!
August 2008 marked a time of change for Stephanie and Christian when their plane crashed near St. Johns, Arizona and more than 85% of Stephanie’s body was badly burned. After more than 3 months in a coma and now more than a year in recovery, Stephanie shows us how to overcome challenges through faith, family, and community.
“My faith is everything,” Stephanie says when asked what has helped her overcome life’s challenges. “It is my life and my strength. I rely on the amazing power of prayer and being guided by the Holy Ghost. It is really a beautiful thing. It guides me and leads me to understand my children better. I believe that my children are precious spirits of our Heavenly Father and I am preparing them to be good parents and citizens themselves. I couldn’t do that if my faith didn’t play a role.”
Her husband, or her “Mr. Nielson” as she refers to him in her blog, has also been a strength to pull her through. “He took care of me when the accident happened as if I was his child. He became mother and father for almost a year. He has been there to lean on when times get frustrating and tough…and they did and still do. He is my listening ear, my best friend, and most importantly my greatest support in this life.”
When I chatted with Christian, I got a sense of the good friends that he and Stephanie are. He shared with me that at his last job, he used to have his desktop set to his wife’s blog. He said reading her blog was the first thing he did every day before delving into work-related tasks. He joked that he learned so much more about his family that way!
When Stephanie was unable to blog, her sister Courtney took over the writing for her, updating her growing readership regularly on Stephanie’s status and progress. The blogosphere cried together as Stephanie struggled to make it through each day. We were thrilled when Christian was able to finally see her for the first time after the accident, and we banded together to raise money to help offset the medical bills.
“When the accident happened,” Stephanie shared, “So many mothers and women sent me gifts, letters, cards and donations. My favorite was getting handmade crafts that they made for my children or me. They made me smile and cry knowing that other mothers were feeling my pain and using their creative works to help me heal. It was overwhelming and so kind.”
Now, Stephanie and Christian are reunited with their children, living near family in Utah, and are experiencing a lot of “AC” (after crash) firsts. When I visited Stephanie, she excitedly shared that she had just vacuumed the stairs for the first time since the accident. I sat in wonder, thinking how much I typically complain about vacuuming stairs. She commented, “I think the toughest part right now is not being able to help [my kids] tie their shoes, button their shirts, and run around with them. We really take those for granted.” I asked her what her favorite part of being a mom was and she replied: “I think the best part is being needed. I am nothing if I can’t serve them.”
Learn more about Stephanie and her family by reading Nie Nie Dialogues or CusineNie. You can also follow her @nieniedialogues on Twitter. If you’d like to hear her speak in person, be sure and check out her key note at next summer’s Evo Conference for women in social media in Park City, Utah.Family Grows Through Love and Adoption
August 5, 2009 by Danielle Smith · Leave a Comment
Sandi Brown feels like her family of 6 is ‘ordinary’. She calls them a family made of love.
Friends describe Sandi as a “fantastic wife to a loving husband and an amazing play-down-on-the-floor-after-reading-the-same-book-for-the-15th-time mom”.
But the road to having their current family has been a long one.
About 6 years ago, while undergoing fertility treatments that, for some time, had been unsuccessful, Sandi and her husband began the process of domestic adoption. It was at this time that Sandi’s fertility and adoption journeys intersected.
Her very last cycle of fertility treatments was successful – she found out she was pregnant. A mere 3 months later, Sandi and her husband were given the name of a woman who was looking to give her baby up for adoption. Knowing her past pregnancies had been volatile, the couple decided to try both.
On October 17, 2003, Sandi and her husband were in the delivery room as Kimberly was born. They adopted her and were allowed to take her home within 24 hours. A mere 12 days later, on October 29th, Sandi went in to labor and gave birth to Annie. Two beautiful baby girls – both healthy – both theirs.
Sandi believed at the time that Kimberly and Annie were the only children she would ever have. But more miracles were in the works – Sandi got pregnant again and carried Madeline to term. This sweet girl is now 4 years old.
The newest edition to their family – Paul – was adopted from Ethiopia. Sandi believes with all her heart that they were all meant to be a family. She says adoption has been the most amazing thing in her life. She even has a series of quotes that remind her of the special bond she shares with her children:
“Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial. Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary. Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else’s child. Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.” ~Rita Law
In addition to making her family her number one priority, Sandi has a blog and an Etsy store where she sells quilts. She is also, clearly, a wonderful friend, always finding time for those around her and encouraging those going through the adoption process.
When asked how she balances it all, Sandi explains, ” I enjoy every moment. I don’t have a sparkling clean home and it is full of clutter, but my children are cared for and valued. I live by the saying, ‘Do something you love each day.’”
Clearly, it is being a Mom, wife and friend that Sandi most loves.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
Mom Encourages Others to Be Their Best
July 30, 2009 by Danielle Smith · 4 Comments
The word infectious comes to mind when you think Sugar Jones.
Not because she loves to laugh. Though she does. Not because she is a consummate hugger. Though she is.
Simply because her infectiousness is truly contagious – and she wants it that way.
This homeschooling mother of four, Blog Talk Radio Show Host, blogger, wife, and website owner wants you to catch on – she wants you to join her on an amazing journey – she wants to help you learn, to create a pathway to your success.
This is what makes her unique. This is what makes her Sugar.
She puts her family first – she chooses to home school because she thinks it is the best option for her children. She balances home and work while acknowledging that it is hard. And she considers the best thing about parenting to be “reliving your childhood through the eyes of your children – everything is new and amazing again”. She manages to put herself in her kids shoes – and EXPERIENCE.
Knowing she isn’t perfect allows her to empathize with the less-than-wonderful experiences of other mothers. She understand what it is like to feel mommy-guilt.
There are 10 years between Sugar’s oldest daughters, Jasmine and Lauren and her two younger children – Hannah and Ryan. That time has given Sugar a chance to evolve as a parent, “I’m not parenting from a place of fear anymore. I’m trusting myself more and listening to others less. I never even pretend to have this parenting thing down. I love being the mom that says this is a tough job that isn’t always fun. I think it gives moms permission to do the same”.
Once moms have that ‘permission’ they open themselves to new and amazing possibilities. They stop focusing on what they aren’t doing and begin to set their sights on what they could be doing.
And it is at this moment that Sugar reaches out to pull you along – encouraging you to write, speak, and follow your dreams.
We could all use a little Sugar in our lives.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
Mom Blogger Spreads Holiday Cheer That Lasts All Year
June 14, 2009 by Danielle Smith · 1 Comment
It doesn’t matter how cold it is outside when there is someone in your life—or in your own blogosphere who is willing to warm you up with kindness.
Georgie Johnson, author of the Decisionally Challenged blog, is just that kind of someone. As a married mother of 3 living in Oklahoma, and an avid blogger, she decided to spread a little cheer, right when everyone needed it most.
This past Christmas season Georgie decided to do a little outreach. She create the SSS—Secret Santa Soiree—as a way for bloggers to spoil each other a little—but in a sweet and secret way. The rules were simple: fill out a questionnaire so your exchange partner would know a little about you, buy a gift in the $10-15 range, ship it off, and most importantly, keep it a secret.
In no time at all, more than 70 women had signed up. And better still, not ONE of those women neglected to fulfill their promise of a gift and of course, keeping it quiet.
Georgie wasn’t trying to grow her own blog. She was simply trying to spread a little joy. And she certainly did—in 70 big and small ways. After all the gifts were exchanged, the gift givers were revealed, creating new friendships and recognizing these women, who were willing to give of themselves in such a hectic time. So many of these women enjoyed the giving feeling so much that it carried over into their daily lives.
True to her giving spirit, Georgie says much of the credit for the entire event goes to her friend Amy who did a lot of the work and ‘kept her sane.’
And don’t worry, if you missed the SSS last year, Georgie will be ‘Momming It Forward ‘ again. The 2nd annual SSS will be taking place this holiday season!
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children
