This Is Us

Ok. We know what you’re thinking. Yes, we love the show. Their story is far different than ours, but like the cliffhanger episodes we hope this post keeps you coming back. Welcome to the #heathfamilyexperience

Let’s start by saying we are human and, boy, are we flawed. More to come on that if you all stick around but let’s give you the elevator speech first.

Why a blog? We’ve been talking about this for quite a while now. I love the English language. I love books. I love how written word allow me to express myself in a way that verbally I never could. Not that I’m not articulate; it’s just less romantic and as an ambivert I crave the social interaction as much as I desire solace.

If you first meet me, I will tell you about my family. So let’s start there.

My husband is Andrew. We’ve decided to do this blog in a balanced fashion so you’ll hear from him in separate posts. Until then, I’m going to brag on him a bit; he’s amazing . Ok- maybe like 99% of the time. The other 1% will make for some interesting blog content. #sorrynotsorry Truth is, Andrew is my ultimate partner. I often wish I found him earlier in life but now know that plan was not mine to determine. Andrew is loving, eternally optimistic, the nerdiest of nerds, a natural leader, a faithful servant of God, and the most rockstar Dad (a bit biased) there is. He challenges me, calls me on my BS, and loves me with the greatest kinds of love.

Ahhh…our boys…

Ethan is our oldest; he’s 9. He’s mine from my first marriage and him and Andrew are the best of buds. Ethan has a sharp mind and a fiery spirit. He feels with all he is and is effected by the things around him that others would never have eyes to see or ears to hear.

Bishop is our strong-willed threenager. He is a hurricane followed by a gentle warm breeze. He is smart, he is funny, he is oh sooooo snuggly. When you meet him, you can’t shake him. You will never forget Bishop.

Bennett is our baby. In his 18 months here on Earth, he has already moved mountains. I believe to my core this will continue throughout his life. He’s changed me forever and I am a better wife, mother, human because of him. He’s a light.

If three boys doesn’t say enough about my sanity, there’s Bear; our giant, nearly one year old male Bernese Mountain Dog pup. He is just the clumsiest, sweetest of pups and there is no doubt he was made for our family.

And then there’s me, the lone female. There’s the way the world would describe me and the way that I would describe myself. I’m on a personal mission to close that gap and have those descriptions be one and the same but more on that later. For now, know this: I am so in love with this life. I’m not going to give the impression I’m a simple girl; that couldn’t be further from the truth. I am an over thinker to my core. I am a leader, inherently, and get tremendous satisfaction in my work. I am a recovering perfectionist, weakened by worldly pressures and strengthened by Heavenly love. I am a believer, a worshiper, a mom, a wife. I am Nicki.

Join us as we evolve and unravel. Be there for the great, the good. Heck, be there for the bad and the ugly, too. We promise this blog will be filled with love and filled with triumph. It will be spirit led, it will be real. You’ll laugh with us (because we do some seriously stupid stuff) and cry with us (because, well, this world we live in is not always kind).

We’ll be sharing stories of marriage, of parenthood, of leadership, of faith, of failure, and of our life’s passions. Our hope is that you connect, relate, and/or find inspiration.

This is us. #heathfamilyexperience