Nie Nie and Recapturing Beauty

Two years ago when I first learned about Nie Nie, I instantly fell in love with her.

I went to her blog and read way, way back into her posts about her life as mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and woman.

She embodied all that is lovely and became a huge role model for me.

I loved reading about how she liked to get dressed up nice for her husband when he came home from work. I loved all the little feminine details she included in her dress and house and style.

I got a kick out of one post where her children were staring at her through the sliding glass door after she had humorously locked them all out of the house so she could try to get some things done.

I thought it was wonderful and hilarious how she documented her neighbors front porch goose statue that they dressed up for all the holidays.

She did wonder-mom awesome citizen things with her children such as writing nice, upbeat phrases such as "God Loves You" and posting them around town to brighten up random people's days.

She felt so relatable (even though I'd never have the guts to be so bold and forthcoming!) in her post about hiking up the Y Mountain and arguing multiple times with a man who called her LADY and told her that her dogs must be leashed. Then later she found out the man was one of her dad's friends. She ends her post with "Beware SS (the mans intials) , I’ll be back…don’t you worry dogs in tow!"

I loved her romantic love letters to her husband.

But even more than all of that which was enough alone to inspire me to live my life more fully and love the journey, she taught me and the world the true meaning of beauty as she shared and shares her incredible-in-every-sense-of-the-word journey as a burn survivor. Choosing to see beauty all around her as she lives to watch her children grow, and be with her husband, and laugh with her family and teach us all how to live a good and beautiful life.

I got to see her speak yesterday for the Recapturing Beauty campaign at BYU.

I've been lucky enough to see George Bush speak when he was the president, and both President Obama and Hillary Clinton speak at different rallies. I was actually taken back a bit about how excited and thrilling it was to see and hear all three of these people speak in front of me in real life.

But I was more excited to see Nie Nie speak than all of the excitement of those three combined and then some.

I seriously wanted and was close to giving her a standing ovation as soon as she walked out on the stage.

She did a wonderful job. She testified so powerfully that God lives.

She told beautiful stories like when Mr. Nielson got to go and see her for the first time after the accident. She was in a coma and when he reached for and held her hand her heart rate sped up so much so that the nurses ran into the room and told him that he better not touch her because it was making her too excited. "That was about as hot and heavy as it got during that time," she said as we all burst into laughter.

She cried, and we cried. I think everyone was crying. We all had our eyes and noses dripping!

Nie Nie has helped and continues to help countless women recognize and celebrate the beauty that each of us has in us. truly. She is the greatest role model I've had and have the privilege to look up to.

I, along with the hundreds? thousands? of women that got to hear her speak feel very blessed for that.

If you need a smile...

here's a really good one.

Signs of Spring.

I always know the seasons are changing from fall to winter and winter to spring when I can either 1:break out the puffy down coat or 2: break out the chacos/crocs.

Man I love my crocs. They are the perfect spring/summer shoe. They can get all kinds of messy and then you just hose them off.

I got that first persimmon pair a few years ago so I could wear them gardening and such and then I loved them so much I pretty much wore them everyday that summer and the summer thereafter. Now those ones really are exclusively gardening and painting shoes as they are quite worn.

I thought crocs were a bit strange, you know like who really wears them. But I will tell you, get a bright, feminine pair and I promise they will grow on you. (hmmm you'd think I worked for crocs or something but no, they are just happy shoes)

Breaking out the spring shoes makes me feel like singing Paulo Nutini's New Shoes and dancing all around. Like I am light on my feet.

So welcome Spring!

Other signs of this most lovely season:

Cupcake egg pot holder made by Grandma.

Quilted carrot table topper made by Grandma.

Spring bulbs!

Hobbies, Love, and Thoughtful Advice.

When I was in high school I had a wonderful group of girlfriends. Strong, amazing women. I loved them (and still do) and admired their commanding talents: One was a master swimmer, literally breaking all kinds of records. One a skilled and savvy soccer star. Another a poet and artist with an aura like a peaceful river (seriously).

Of course each possessing many wonderful, lovely qualities in addition to their hobbies- they all had a fierce (for better of worse) defining thing that they loved to do.

I couldn't help but wonder, what do I have?

And you know what? Nothing really big came up. I thought of things like: I'm a nice person, I try to be a good friend, I care about others... But at seventeen, what I really wanted, what I really thought would be cool would be something flashy like: I'm a dancer, or a surfer (ok, not realistic in the mountains but...) or something like that.

Of course it's silly to put too much into the labels we put on ourselves and each other, but even then, beyond the glitzy thoughts, I recognized the power in having something- a hobby or sport or whatever, that you do because you love doing it.

A couple of years later I got married. And thoughts of being a good friend/neighbor/wife/mother occupied my mind. What could I do that would help me in these roles? Something I would love to do? The time was ripe for some defining.

And so I thought about some of the women I looked up to as I was growing up. And one woman in particular came to mind.

Alice was a wonderful baker. One of my mom's best friends and the mother to a friend of mine, her house was always filled with the sweet scents of good baking-made with love and skill. Many times you would go to her house and a fresh sheet pan of chocolate covered candies would be cooling on her counter. She shared her treats with all those she loved.

I wanted to be like Alice.

And so, a few months after being married I decided that I was going to learn how to bake. I made toffee first- and learned all about candy crystallization after my first batch failed just minutes into the process. But I kept learning. I keep learning. And I love it.

This week Grandma is giving me sewing lessons. Grandma is the most amazing seamstress I have ever seen. Truly, each piece is so perfect with attention given to all the little details.

She sews 12 hours a day. And she loves it. At the fabric store yesterday as we admired all the beautiful fabrics, Grandma exclaimed "I need to live until I'm 150 so I can sew all the projects I'd like to sew!"

And then today, Grandma told me that she was so glad that I was interested in learning how to sew because it is so important to have a hobby that you enjoy doing. "I have all this time," she said, "and I have something to do with it, instead of being lonely."

Grandma sews for herself, and she sews for others- almost every project that she does is done with someone in mind. She gives in such a valuable, appreciated, loving way.

I was thinking about what she said today, about having a hobby. I've been soaking it in, pondering her wise words.

Then tonight I helped bring dinner to an older couple from church. She had fallen recently, and needed some help with their meals.

And so I brought some food over to their home. She sat in a chair and explained her broken knee, while her husband, slow and sweet walked from the couch to the kitchen to the couch. Another lady had helped bring food too. So we both sat on the couch and talked. And then the lady told me, admiring, serious, "Mary is a wonderful quilter. She has made dozens and dozens and dozens of tiny-pieced, intricate quilts that are just beautiful." Mary sat in her chair and talked about quilting and crocheting a bit.

And then the lady and I left. I was just about to get in the car when Mary's husband got to the front door and shouted, "You forgot your dish towels!" His arms extended, holding two towels for us.

"Mary has a lot of time and likes to make these and give them away," he said.

Mary was giving a dish towel, beautifully crocheted with three different colors, to everyone that was helping bring her food. Mary was giving in such a loving way, her way.

Thank you Grandma and thank you Mary and thank you Alice, for your beautiful examples and wise words.

I long to follow in your footsteps.

You Go Girl!

Yesterday I had a conversation with an impressive woman. I told her about a decision I had recently made, wondering what her response would be. When just as soon as I was done speaking, she looked me squarely in the eyes and said "YOU GO GIRL!"

She said it with power. She meant it.

And then she gave me some words of wisdom. And incidentally some inspiration through her positive example and approach to life.

* * *

When I was in elementary school my favorite, most favorite of all, thing to have in my lunch was cucumber sandwiches. I loved this sandwich so much. Bread, cucumbers, dill- so simple but so good.

I happily carried this sandwich in my lunch for months when one day, another girl at school decided to make fun of me for my weird sandwich. She made a point of this. And a scene. Then she checked everyday at lunch to see if I brought a cucumber sandwich that she could make fun of. And little girl Jenny was sad, and confused, and no longer brought cucumber sandwiches to school anymore.

I also loved hostess sno-balls. You know, those gooey coconut marshmallow covered chocolate cakes with creme in the middle. The cafeteria bully and other children as well thought that sno-balls were weird also, and sick. Which is absurd. Look at that picture! Now how can you think that?

But my Mother, being the wise lady she is, allowed me to be sad about my cafeteria heartaches and then she explained to me that the girl at school was going through a hard time, there was nothing wrong with my sandwich, and that although I felt hurt I could turn that hurt into kindness and do something nice for her.

So Mom and I secretly did the Twelve Days of Christmas. Each day, bringing something new, with a nice poem or note, special just for her. It was wonderful.

Mom taught me a beautiful lesson. And although she didn't really say it, she taught me "You go girl!" You eat your cucumber sandwiches and neon sno-balls if that is what you love! And "You go girl!" you be a stronger, more compassionate person to those around you! "You go girl!" You hold you head up high and stand for something higher.

And so to all of you out there- those of you dealing with heartaches of your own, big or small, those of you who are making and facing decisions and choices in your life, and those of you who are just doing your thing day to day,

YOU GO GIRL!

thank you C.

Gratitude

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a devotional by Sister Ann Dibb, second counselor in the Young Women General Presidency and daughter of President Monson.

It was a lovely evening.

Sister Dibb is a great speaker, well-spoken, honest, and real. I was amazed at her ability to tell stories and remember names- just like her dad.

One of my favorite stories of the night was her recounting how she first learned about the pecking order that happens in church kitchens at ward functions. (I will do my best to re-tell it.) She was at a funeral and had made funeral potatoes that were supposed to be set out along with the funeral potatoes that other women had made. Inside the kitchen she heard the pecking order. "Take Sister Johnson's out first, then Sister Smith's, Brown's, and Anderson's. Save Sister Andrew's, and Dibb's for last. That way all the little boys can eat their heaping spoonfuls of the potatoes that aren't as good and when it's our turn to eat we'll be able to eat the best ones and appreciate them!"
It was hilarious!

Sister Dibb's talk focused on gratitude and she shared a family home evening idea she used with her young adult children that focused on this topic. Each family member was to write down 5 things they would take with them if they had to quickly leave their house. These items could not be family members and had to be things they were thankful for.

In the end of course, none of these material things matter. All that matters is our relationships with God and our loved ones- and our testimonies.

But it is an excellent exercise to do and think about- what are we really grateful for? -there's so much to be grateful for. So Sister Dibb asked us to do this exercise too.

And so here it is:
The 5 Grateful Things I Would Take With Me if I Had to Quickly Leave My House.

1. Family Pictures: These are obvious. But they definitely would be the first thing I would grab (besides practical stuff like financial records, passports, etc.) I am so grateful for cameras and our ability to capture life moments and memories through pictures.

2. Quilt made by my Grandma. My grandma has arthritis, yet everyday she sits at her sewing machine creating beautiful works of art for the people she loves. Grandma is always thinking of others and sharing her amazing talents with them. I'm blessed to be one of these people. There will be a day when I no longer will be able to be the recipient of such loving, beautiful creations made by my grandma's own hands. And so I will preserve her beautiful work with the utmost gratitude and love.

3. Kitchen Aid Mixer. I received this beautiful mixer as a group gift from my ward/neighborhood wedding shower. I love it. Not just because it is my absolute favorite thing to use in the kitchen but because it came from a group of women who molded me into who I am. Strong, confident, loving, supportive women gave me this mixer. When I use it, I am filled with gratitude for their love and reminded of the women I am striving to be like.

4. Pearl Earrings. These lovely, simple earrings were given to me by Dashing Boy on our honeymoon. He had seen how much I loved wearing the heirloom family pearls I wore on our wedding day. He spotted these earrings, spur of the moment, in a jewelery store and bought them for me right then and there. That made me feel special, so when I wear them I remember that.

5. Sewing Machine. This is a new addition to my life. But goodness! am I grateful for it! My sister said sewing is becoming a lost art in our generation. Is it? I'm loving learning how to use it!

What's on your list?

per·se·ver·ance

1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.


Saturday evening we went to one of the best wedding dinners I think I've ever been to. Our friend Ross just married a beautiful, bright girl. Both of them were so happy.

To give you an idea of how the evening went I'll tell you a bit about Ross.

Ross is a great guy, with greater intentions- but his approach is a little... well... different- especially when it came to girls and dating. We rode up to the dinner with one of his old roommates who described Ross as using the "commitment pattern" (an approach he learned while serving an LDS mission) on virtually every girl he was attracted to.

This could go something like this:
Ross (while purchasing groceries): "I like rap. Do you like rap?"
Checkout girl: "um yeah, I guess so."
Ross: "Cool. What's your name? We should go out sometime."
Checkout girl: (awkward niceness) "uh, Carrie. What's yours?"
Ross: "Ross. Like dress for less."
Checkout girl: "uncomfortable smile) oh..."
Ross: "So what about this Wednesday..."

Yes. Ross was looking for his gal.
Six months ago he found her.

During the dinner a microphone was passed around so Ross' friends could share their favorite Ross stories. Nearly all of them were about Ross' dating techniques. Embarrassing? yes. Endearing? yes. Was Ross embarrassed? no. And his wife? She laughed and smiled and kissed him all the while.

My favorite story of the night was about Ross after falling 50 feet in a climbing accident. He was on the ground, knocked out, his body badly hurt. A girl was standing over him asking him questions to assess the damage. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME." "WHO IS THE PRESIDENT?" "DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?" "Why do you ask?" Ross immediately responded. "Are you interested?"

There was just something about the evening that was just so sweet. Here was a guy who literally had asked out thousands of girls getting denied and knocked down over and over again.

But he didn't fall. He kept being himself and doing his thing and when he called his eventual wife back for a second date she hung up the phone and screamed with excitement "YES!!!!!!!" For she was going out with a great guy, that made her happy and gave her butterflies.

I think she gave him butterflies too :)