for the love of Nie

this is a woman who has inspired me more than anything else about taking joy in life. stephanie nielson, who wrote theNieNieDialogues is a wife, mother, and blogger who loves her husband and four adorable children so much it spills out in enormous beautiful quantities into her pictures and words. accomplished and lovely self portrait taker, collecter of cake stands, painter of silhouettes, creative and ecclectic decorator, she is all this and more. every other post is a love letter to her husband.

this is what I want my life to be like.

raising children (lots!) to find beauty in everything - and find it myself. cook, live colourfully, enjoy pretty skirts and yellow shoes, paint, use organic lotion, make surprises, let the world know that my husband is the best thing that God has given me (when I have one =)) and that children are a reward.

right now Nie Nie and her husband are recovering from severe burning after a plane crash. the flight instructor died and Stephanie and Christian were left with burned bodies. thinking about it makes me want to cry; because someone so beautiful and inspiring and loving will spend the rest of her life recovering, dealing with pain and limits and time and difference. But so many people have been encouraged and amazed by her and that will not change. She's still the same person and though things will be vastly different for her and her family, her joyful and creative spirit can hardly be overcome.

Her children are living with her sisters now and I am hoping to be able to make them some surprises to send. There are many ways to donate to the Nielsons for their continued treatment and family, through her blog or etsy.
truly, Nie's blog is eye opening. even if being a mother isn't your goal in life, the approach to life is still the same. I want to give the way she does. All the fairytales that she lived out and gave to others. Now we are the ones to help and pray for her.

this, my friends, is what it's all about.