SISTER HIGHLIGHTS!

SISTERS HIGHLIGHT!!!

ITS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

.

.

WHOOOOHOOOOO!!!

OK---lets get started.......

*-------------*

.

Leslie Jo Winebrenner Nelson

@lesnels8

I live in Orem, Utah (I am actually a bi~coastal girl, growing up in So.Cal and NY.....but I came to BYU, many moons ago, met a Utah boy, so noooooooowwwwwww, Utah is the place I hang my hat) 

My favorite treat is chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Hand it over and nobody gets hurt.

I couldn't pick a favorite color, honestly. They each, are amazing, in different ways at different times. (sappy sorry)

I think one of my unique talents, is "presentation"  Whether I am presenting a song, (and I do love a good song)  a story, a crafty sumpthin, a wedding/party, a display, a decorated room or whatevs.....I like it to be presented in a pleasing way. I love pretty. I love being creative. "The eyes are the first to feast," sooooo I guess, loverly presentation is my schtick. And I absolutely believe everyone has a schtick...different, unique, and fabulous to them. 

I feel the same way about a favorite quote as I do about a favorite color. I am moved by so many inspiring thoughts, it's difficult to pick one. When I was in high school, (in the "mission field") and defending my faith, ALOT, Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" was one of my faves: (condensed version)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference.

I guess that's a poem, and not a quote. ( I have adult ADD, I'm quite sure, and have difficulty following directions, precisely. Apologies) 

There are so many people who inspire me, truly......So, I guess I'm messing up this process by not answering one single question the right way, except my name.....apologies again. I was born of goodly parents. I married a goodly man and birthed goodly children, who serve me up some amazing inspiration on the daily.....but I do have a sister friend, who has known GREAT sorrow in her life. Each of her six children, have suffered in terrible, earthly ways. One after the other, year after year. Their family has suffered job loss, betrayal, and loss of testimony for some.  I call she and her husband, Job and Jobette. My friend and her hubs, through their incredible heartache, have remained true and faithful, to each other, to their children and to their God. They find peace and solace in the storm, through service. They are compassionate to those who suffer, because they have known great suffering. I am inspired by this dearest and best sister, because she has a heart like His. She knows from who all blessings flow. I am grateful to call her friend. She has taught me much about love and life. 

I do have to say ( have I exceeded my word limit yet?) I am inspired by the incredible women on instagram as well. It is a unique place of sharing and giving. I am so thankful to have been on the receiving end of so much loveliness. So I say, to this circle of sisterhood, thank you for sharing so much of your hearts......from the bottom of mine.   (Heart, smiley face, kiss, hug)

If someone were to ask me what Heaven is, this would be it. Every single one of us, in the temple together.....including, feeling the presence of our sweet bebe, who calls Heaven home

Leslie------

You have a BEAUTIFUL family!!

A perfect product of who you are....... :)

I see a tug a war comin over the chocolate tho! lol

 Your a woman after our own heart....

XOXO....love you sister, thanks for sharing and inspiring SO many!

.

.

.

.

AND NEXT -------------------------------

 Allison (Ali, Bug, Ali Wali) Marie West Martin

@alim82

 I live in the most fabulous neighborhood in Roy Ut. 

What is your favorite treat?

 What?? I have to choose? hmmm....Lately it's anything cinnamon and sugar or carmel. Monkey Bread?? YES PLEASE!! Carmel covered cinnamon rolls?? Right NOW!

What is your favorite color? 

Pink! With Orange and turquoise and mint green as close runners up! (again..I can't choose just one. )

Tell us one of your unique talents? 

(funny, nerdy, artistic, embarrassing, anything!) I love photography, crafting (my husband would say good at starting projects and not finishing them) and I love to make cupcakes. I can also do a mean Chubaka noise! 

What is your favorite quote?

 "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." -Winston Chruchill

Tell us one person that inspires you and why? I have this amazing friend named Nikki who has had some extremely difficult trials and she still always has a smile on her face. She is always walking around telling everyone how fabulous they look or trying to make them feel better if they are having a bad day. She has one of the most amazing testimonies of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She oozes the light of Christ. 

A few things about myself and my little family.

 I am 32 years old and have been married to my awesome hubby for 10 years. We have 5 children together. Jadynn is our oldest, she is 14. Bryce is next and he would be 8, we lost him while I was pregnant with him at 37 weeks gestation. We found out we were expecting short after we lost Bryce with our next son Trey, he is 7. Sweet Libby is number 4 and she is 4 years old. Last but not least is our youngest and last, Rusty. He is almost 2 and he is totally acting the part. 

In the last 14 years I have been a pregnant teen, married, divorced, re-married (to an amazing husband that I don't know what I would do without), lost a baby, lost 5 grandparents, and lost my dad. The two that have been the hardest are losing my dad and my sweet baby Bryce. We had no warning that we were going to lose Bryce, he passed away due to an umbilical cord accident. I still had to go through labor and deliver him. After burying him, everyone's lives went on, but I was stuck in the most horrible, heavy mourning period. I still had to go through all the normal postpartum recovery that anyone does after delivering a baby. It was a constant reminder that I had gone through an entire pregnancy and came out of it all empty handed. 

My dad was diagnosed with Lymphoma in April of 2009. He did all the chemo and radiation that he needed and we thought he was getting better and then he started acting weird. We found out in September of that same year that his cancer had spread to his spinal fluid and lined his brain. He passed away about 3 weeks later. 

These two events in my life were real and raw and I felt that it was so unfair that I had to go through all that pain. I pitied myself. And I'm not gonna lie, I still do sometimes. The pain of losing a loved one never goes away, you don't ever "get over it". It stays with you and sometimes, even years down the road, you still cry about those loved ones and your arms ache to hold them again. But one thing that you do learn is how to live without them. 

There have been times that I have tried to over-compensate for all this and tried to be "super-mom"! I can do it all....right? So-and-so down the road can work full time and be a mom and take her kids to their various sports and activities...I can do it too....right? I am going to tell you that what is good for one momma is not always good for another! This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I tried to be just like So-and-so down the road and guess what!!! I couldn't do it! I lost it...my family and my relationship with Heavenly Father started to become 4th and 5th on my list. I thought, "I'm doing this for my family", but in the end my family ended up suffering because of it. My poor teenage daughter was babysitter all summer long, she didn't get to go out and be a teenager like she should have, she played the role of "mother", the role that I should have been playing. My calling at church also started to suffer. Through all this I learned a very important lesson from my very intelligent, loving and in-tune brother, whom I love dearly....that nothing else matters in this life besides what my family thinks. If my kids love me and my Heavenly Father loves me, that is all that matters! I don't need to be just like so-and-so down the road. What makes her super mom doesn't always apply to what makes me super mom. If my kids love me and we are doing what is right, then guess what...I'm super mom. I recently quit my job that was requiring more of my time than I had to give. It was a very difficult decision as I loved this job....but right now...in this season of MY life.....I'm supposed to be a MOM! I love my kids and husband more than anything and I am so happy that I made the decision I did. All thanks to my amazing sister in law (pssst....Annie :) ) and the best brother anyone could ask for...they were there for me in a very low time, when it felt like it all came crashing down on me, the loss of my baby and my dad and not being "good enough" and feeling this immense pressure to be just like super mom "so-and-so" down the road,  when I needed someone. I am one lucky girl! I guess the moral of the story is....there are always going to be crappy days, terrible trials, and hard decisions, but in the end....all that matters is family and your relationship with Heavenly Father. Anything that would cause those two things to get kicked into lower spots on your priority list.....it's probably going to cause more hurt than good. I am so thankful that I have had this opportunity to share a little bit about me...I was flattered and scared to share, I didn't quite know what to say, I kinda just wrote what my heart said to write. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to know these awesome 5 sisters! They are amazing women and I am happy that they have decided to share their light with me and all the other sisters out there. MMMUUUUUUAH! 

Ali-----{Tears}

Love your strength, love how you dig deep and claw to the top and FIGHT.

Love that you know who you are, and I love your testimony of FAITH!

THANK YOU for sharing your heart and raw tender moments with all of us....

Love you!!!

.

.

.

SISTERS unite!

Mothers need mothers!

Women need Woman!

.

.

Go follow these two amazing strong woman.

Woman of faith.

Woman of Christ.

Love you all.

XOXO!