HOPE: Dinner with Stephanie & Christian Nielson of The NieNie Dialogues

Last March, I shot a newborn session of baby Brielle, daughter of long-term clients The Hunt Family. After the session, I wrote this blog about my birthday, and shared my love for the blog, "The NieNie Dialogues." If you aren't familiar, The NieNie Dialogues is written by Stephanie Nielson, who on August 16th, 2008, survived a private plane crash along with her husband, although their close friend and flight instructor passed away within the first 24 hours of the accident. Stephanie was burned over 80% of her body, and her husband, 40%. Both have had to have many, MANY surgeries in order to first survive, and now, function. They have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, 20/20, Glenn Beck, and a host of other programs. Stephanie even has a cupcake named after her at The Sweet Tooth Fairy Cupcake Shop in Provo, Utah, (These are my favorite cupcakes in the world, BTW, and I am OBSESSED with their cakebites, if anyone ever wants to send me any ;) and does fundraising for the Maricopa Burn Center in Arizona, where she was taken immediately after the accident. Stephanie and Christian nearly left four children behind that day, but were very lucky to have made it, and are even luckier to be blessed with a much wanted, wished and dreamed for fifth child on the way as of this summer, a mere 3 years after the accident. I have never had a hero before... but I think I found it in them. Not necessarily because of what they have gone through, I think they could have gone through anything and I could have admired them just as much as I do... It's their attitude and strength through their trials that lifts me.

As many of you know by now, the last year has been very difficult for me, and the NieNie Dialogues has been a point of inspiration, hope and guidance for me during a time that has been very dark. The Hunt's read that blog I posted in March and immediately reached out to me. Dan is a member of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society- a club that I also belonged to when I was in law school. For their annual dinner this fall, they would be having two very special speakers: Christian, and Stephanie Nielson. Dan & Janay immediately asked me to come with them to the dinner and I accepted.

Tonight, I joined them, and heard the Nielson's speak, from the front table even. Baby Brielle joined us, in all her big girl glory and gurgles (you can see her below!) and I met Steph and Christian afterwards.

For the record, I got TWO hugs from NieNie. Everyone at our table hung out after everyone else left to talk to the Nielson's. I admit I was guilty of being shy and tongue-tied. I always get hung up on the "they are just regular people" factor and never know what to say because I don't want to be intrusive, even though these people mean SO, SO much to me. I pretty much spent the whole day crying, thinking about going, and just... HOW MUCH it meant to me to go.

I wore my "All is Well" necklace, which has been my secret talisman for the year... My secret reminder to myself... It's going to be okay. It may not be right now, but it's going to be. When I feel bad, I put my hand on the little medallion around my neck and physically remind myself. The necklace is so rusty, you can barely even read it. In fact, it has turned my neck so green it looks like someone tried to choke me. Feel free to laugh and point should you notice when we're in person. (chuckle). I never take it off... On a sad note, I just can't. Because then I will forget it's going to be okay!

Anyway, Stephanie talked today about HOPE. Hope for the future, hope for the present. HOPE. I need that now. I struggle everyday to find hope for the future, because I don't have much of it. All I have, is hope that I will have hope for the future. I guess I just have to keep building on that.

How do you go from despair, to hope? I am still listening to, processing, what you said Stephanie. I am listening...

I think I forgot to show Janay how the focus worked on my camera! lol I thought it was automatic. Apparently not. lol Oops. My bad.

"When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we've ever been in our entire lives.
That knowledge can turn every such situation into a would be Temple.

Regarding our Earthly journey, the Lord has promised:

'I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left.
My spirit shall be in your hearts, and Mine angels round about you to bear you up.'
[D&C 84:88]

That is an everlasting declaration of God's love and care for us. Including, and perhaps especially, in times of trouble. "

Elder Holland.