American Mothers Inc. recognizes Henderson resident as Nevada Young Mother of the Year

Stephanie Waite, 36 and the mother of seven, has been named the 2011 Nevada Young Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The Henderson resident attended Brigham Young University, studying public relations, political science and Spanish. After graduation, she attended Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., and worked as a journalist to put herself through law school.

She married Jonathan Waite in March 1999 and graduated law school in 2000. Upon graduation, she began working as a criminal defense attorney in Long Beach, Calif .

Their first child arrived in 2001, and she decided to become a full-time mother.

She gave birth to another child every other year since and just gave birth to her sixth child in March.

"As a young mother who has been either pregnant or nursing a baby for the last 10 years, I have felt my fulfillment in my family life comes in millions of magical moments," she said.

Her journalism background resurfaced after a period in her life when she knew something was missing. So, in April 2008, Stephanie started a blog, A Daily Scoop.

Just when things seemed to be back on track, two months later her youngest daughter drowned. The blog became Stephanie 's lifeline. Sharing her grief touched others, and the blog became highly popular. It currently has more than 1.75 million hits.

A Daily Scoop also testifies to the difficulties Stephanie has had with each pregnancy.

"It is a physical sacrifice to create a new soul," she said.

But she said she looked forward to the moment when she got to see her child for the first time. She said it makes the nine months worth it.

Franklin Gibson, bishop of the McCullough Hills Ward, said Stephanie 's willingness to set aside her career in favor of staying home to raise children was an "outstanding example of choosing the higher path ... consistent with Stephanie's beliefs and values. She was willing to make a personal sacrifice for the better choice of her growing family and her children. She lives and practices the values in which she believes on a daily basis."

Kimberly Wright, president of American Mothers, Nevada Association, knows Stephanie .

"Stephanie's resume of service to her community and church is endless, " she said. "She has involved her children in some of these activities to teach them the same compassion and kindness she, herself, demonstrates."

Stephanie said one of her most favorite family activities is working, whether it's cooking, cleaning, weeding, washing the car or decorating the house for a holiday, as long as it's done as a family.

Sundays at the Waite house are reserved for church and family, the evenings spent in prayer and song, followed by a lesson and an activity of some sort. Everything is kept short, in light of the attention span of their young children.

"My mother had taught me my whole life that mothering was the most important job on earth," she said.

So was imparting the word of God. On a daily basis, she tries "to exude the love God has for my children ... so they can see how special and important they are simply because they are children of God."

Community Mothers of the Year

American Mothers Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., has named several women Community Mothers of the Year.

Kristine Fluker

Fluker, a court reporter, is a single mother of two girls, Devin, 16, and Dorian, 10. She's lived in the Las Vegas Valley more than 20 years.

Her younger daughter wrote:

"My mom is the world's greatest and most awesome mom. She is my main role model. She loves me, cares for me, provides for me and gives me guidance. My mom makes the greatest homemade fried chicken. I love my mom's sense of humor. She always seems to cheer me up or brighten my day. My mom is also very wise in hard times, in sad times and in the most difficult times of my life.

"She always knows what to say and do. My mom is my super hero. She saves me in times of trouble and need. When I am older, I hope to repay her by being a great young lady and a great mother, just like her.

"Also, to let her know that all her work paid off, and that she is a fantastic mother."

Marchella Ferraro

Marchella Ferraro's daughter, Gabriella, wrote:

"My mom is the best mom anyone can ever have, and I'm sure a lot of people say that, but I have some proof to my statement. The first thing is she takes care of me and kisses me good night.

"She makes me feel better every time I see her smile or hear her laugh. When I was born, I became very sick and lost my hearing. My mom went to every doctor to get me help, and she did.

"Today, I can hear because my mom loves me. My mom believes in me and encourages me. For God could not be every where at once; therefore, He made mothers. I appreciate my mom for all of this. That is why I love her and thank her for everything she has done for me. I thank God for giving me my mom."

Mary Holcombe

Holcombe taught school for 15 years before becoming a principal. She and her husband, Charles, have lived in Las Vegas since 1974 and have four children: Matthew, Sarah, Amanda and Jonathan.

Amanda Holcombe wrote:

"Ever since I was a little girl, I remember looking up to my mom. You see, my mom's life was not always easy. In and out of foster care, she promised herself that one day she would be successful and have a family that loved and supported one another.

"Some teachings my mom taught me were to make sure you marry a man who treats his mother right; graduate from college; always give somebody the benefit of the doubt; and always tell the people you love, 'I love you.' My mother never had that chance with her mom. Her mother passed away when she was 10. She is who she is today because she made herself that way.

"At 50, my mother received her bachelor's degree and went on to get her master's. I remember ... taking some of the same college classes as my mother. I chose my mother as my lab partner instead of the cute boy next to me. Even with the death of her grandson, the ailing of her oldest daughter and all the other things life has thrown at her, she has not been shaken ... love is what gets you through the hard times, she tells us.

"The greatest part of my mother's legacy is not that she's not only affected my life but affected hundreds of others just like me.

"Every morning, she packs a lunch for a student who is working his way through high school. She picks him up for school because she heard it was a two-hour bus ride for him every morning. This student will be the first to graduate in his family. Above and beyond she will go if it makes a difference in one student's life. My mom is a true woman of character, and at the end of this life, that is all that matters."

Noelani Walker

She and Chad Walker have been married for 15 years and have two boys, Kaden, 11, and Ethan, 8.

Noelani Walker is a first-grade teacher at American Heritage Academy and has lived in Las Vegas for 12 years.

"Mother's Day is a time to remember and thank my mother and those women who helped me become the person I am now," she said. "I continually learn from strong faithful women as I observe their families and become friends with those who value their family as much as I do."

Her son, Kaden, wrote:

"My mom means many different things to me. She is made up of an assortment of different characteristics that, together, make her unique and my mom.

"My mom is a magnificent cook. My mom is understanding and caring. My mom collects coupons and uses them to save money so we can go on more family outings. By doing this, she is very wise and thoughtful.

"My mom teaches me the gospel and right from wrong. She has a strong sense of character which she instills in me. Her dedicated work ethic is a phenomenal example to me and assists me in developing my own work ethic. Through all these characteristics, she helps me accomplish my goals in life, and all of these characteristics together make up what my mom means to me."

Vonda Sanford

American Mothers Inc. posthumously named Sanford a Community Mother of the Year.

Sanford was the mother of seven children, 26 grandchildren and four great- grandchildren, with the fifth on the way.

She and Glen Sanford were married Sept. 10, 1953 in Salt Lake City.

She was 76 and a resident of the Las Vegas Valley for 48 years.

She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and spent countless hours serving in her church and community.

Daughter Brenda Beard wrote:

"Mom loved good books, fine art, a well designed house and Shakespeare. As a young girl, I remember her introducing me to the symphony, taking me to choral concerts, and going to the late night old classic movies playing at the Huntridge Theater. She loved to travel the world, spend an afternoon at art museums and every year delighted in going to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah. She was devoted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joyfully served in The American Mothers organization and gave of her time in political endeavors as a member of Citizens for Responsible Government.

"The life Vonda Sanford lived speaks clearly of her convictions -- to hold to your faith, love the good things of life, serve others and give all you can with all your heart, every day of your life. Yes, even in her passing, this lady still stands as my strong example of what a loving and devoted mother is."

Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.