Nickerson News

I’m actually surprising myself these days with how “green” are family is getting, and it makes my heart happy.

For a long time I have wanted to go organic on meats, dairy and some fruits & veggies and after watching a documentary called Food Inc. we were sold. Sure, there are 2 sides to every story, but the movie had some great points and we know it is way better for our family. We also eliminated high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils and surprisingly, we haven’t missed them. Don’t get me wrong, we might still eat those things here and there, we just avoid buying it. And surprisingly we are staying in our weekly budget!

Currently, we are buying our organic meats and such at a local grocery store, Wegmans. Wow, I love this place! Someone did something right because they really know how to run a grocery store and it is such an enjoyable experience, unlike most grocery stores I have shopped in.

Soon we hope to purchase most of our meats from this adorable little farm about 60 miles northwest of us. We hope to get up there in March and stock up our freezer for the next few months. It not only is a more affordable way to buy organic meats, but also a great way to support your local community.

:::ALERT::: This may be very shocking news to most of you….BUT….

We are cloth diapering our next baby!

You may be extremely shocked by this statement and honestly if you would have told me even 6 months ago that I was going to cloth, I probably would have laughed at you. It all seemed too overwhelming for me, but something recently changed in me. Not sure what, but I’m sick of buying diapers and thought to myself “poop is poop and I have seen so much of it, I can cloth diaper my next kid.”

I knew my SIL was interested in it as well, so for the last few weeks we have been diligently researching the hundreds of cloth diaper companies out there. It was nice to have someone to toss ideas off with. We’ve been texting, emailing and calling each other about the many different types of cloth diapers out there today. (As these companies say, “They ain’t your momma’s cloth diapers” and that is for sure.)

You would think everybody cloth diapers their baby with how many companies are out there! It’s madness and a whole new world for me. I did my homework and have seen enough cloth diapers to know what I didn’t want. So after countless hours of research I am fully convinced of cloth diapers and there is no turning back. Thankfully, Seth is completely on board. We’re so excited about all the money we will be saving!

My first cloth diaper is set to arrive any day and I am so pumped. You may ask “why did you already purchase a cloth diaper”. Well, my friends I am going to practice on Abel. Abel is completely pee trained (we are working on the poop), but not at night so I am going to test these suckers out on him. Plus, they make a “one sizes fits all” diaper and I can use the same diapers on him as my newborn. For those mommies out there who care, we ordered from Softbums. I’ll keep you posted on my experience in this whole new world of cloth diapering!

We love lazy mornings around here. Who doesn’t, right?

Abel could stay in his pj’s all day if I let him. (I don’t) Literally, I have to rip them off his body. Getting him dressed in the morning is NOT pretty. After about a 10 minutes battle and sweat dripping all over my body, we finally accomplish that horrendous task.

I am so thankful for our lazy mornings. When I start to get grumpy at night (because this is my only time to work), I quickly remind myself that I wouldn’t change anything, because I get to raise my son and be home with him almost every day. I am so thankful that God has given me a job that allows me to be a stay at home mom.

This morning he just looked ‘too cute’ after his bath, so I grabbed the camera. (something I need to do more, because lately I feel like I haven’t been taking as many photos of him.) He loves to get in our bed after his bath and just cuddle and watch the local pbs station.

So here is my little babe enjoying his “lazy morning”.

And if you care, here is me at almost 18 weeks! (Almost half way there!!!!) And I feel great! I decided to take a picture this morning, because I had a ton of “uterus growing pains” last night and this morning I was like “woah, baby hope you packed on some weight last night!”

I’m 30!

And I am totally fine with it!

Today hasn’t gone at all like I planned, but that’s ok. I decided to get a little extra sleep this morning so I snuck back upstairs while the boys were playing. Abel quickly realized I was gone and started pounding at my bedroom door. So much for sleeping in. Then the guys decided it was time to play out in the snow. I thought now is my chance to take a nice, relaxing bubble bath. Something I never do. I even lite a candle. My bath was quickly interrupted by my screaming child whose hands got too cold very quickly. He decided he wanted to take a bath as well.

Tonight, we had big plans to out to a fancy restaurant and a movie while my parents watched Abel. It wasn’t supposed to snow as much as it has and even though Seth is totally fine with driving in the snow, I just didn’t feel like risking it esp. since my parents would have to drive it in. Instead we just had pizza delivered. And all is well.

So many people dread turning 30 and I can honestly say I don’t.

I have heard so many women tell me how they LOVE their 30’s, so I am hoping (and praying) I can say that too.

I feel so blessed to be turning 30. I am healthy, have an amazing husband, a very adorable (WILD) HEALTHY son, a great family who always took care of my needs and taught me about the love of Christ, great in-laws, wonderful friends, a roof over my head and a job that I love. These 30 years taught me so much and I pray that I can use the “little” wisdom that I do have to help others and pray that I will grow to be a more godly woman who serves others.

I thought I would share a tidbit of my life divided up in 3 decades so if you want to get to know me a little more, sit back and read on.

My first decade:

I was born in Fort Belvoir, VA during a snowstorm (just like today). My mom LOVES to tell me that I was 2 weeks late (a very healthy 9 lb squatty baby) and my Marine dad had to leave for work the minute after I was delivered. However, he made sure to tell my mother before he left that he NEVER wanted a boy and a 3rd daughter was just perfect.

I was raised in northern VA till I was 5 years old and then we got stationed in Okinawa, Japan and these are really the first childhood memories I have. What a great place to grow up! Our first house was so small that me and my sister slept in the living room together, but we never knew anything different. I have so many memories chatting the night away with Kate under our sleeping bags while my older sister, Ali, was very close by. In Okinawa, we walked most places, had tans all years around and loved all the Japanese traditions, like sipping hot tea in a very small cup and traveling to neat islands close by. We moved back when I was 9 and I clearly remember Lindsay (my life long friend) standing on my side walk to greet me when I came home. We’ve been best friends ever since.

My second decade:

My parents sent us all to private school and I clearly remember not liking the boy I had to seat next to all year round. Puberty obviously wasn’t fun, but thankfully I had two “cool” older sisters to help me know what was coming. I remember my mom walking in my room one night with tweezers in hand as she said “Julie, we Italian women have to pluck early” and my sister’s held me down as she plucked my almost uni-brow.

I had a great high school experience. I spent most days playing soccer and volleyball (you are thinking, what volleyball? you are too short, but shortie could serve & set a ball.) Got my first speeding ticket and into 2 car accidents by age 17. I’m surprised my parents still let me drive. I attended LU (could have pay attention a little more), made amazing girl friends while there, who I still keep in touch with till this day. They are a huge support system in my life.

My third decade:

I became an Auntie for the first time, lived on my own for the first time with two dear friends, my love for photography started, fell head over heels in love with the man of dreams and got married on a very hot day in August. We bought our first house together. Sure, it isn’t our dream house, but it has become home to us. Got my first job as a Media Coordinator (making pennies) that taught me I wanted to be in business for myself, then decided I needed to make more money and went to work for a high profiled Real Estate magazine. Decided it was time to started my own company, so in 2005 I became the proud owner of Simplified Spaces (which by the way, if you would have ask me in college I would have said “I will never start my own company!”) And then after getting paid for multiple photo sessions, Seth and I decided it was time to start another business and Nickerson Studios was born.

You all kinda now the rest if you have been following this blog for awhile. After four glorious years of marriage, Abel Anthony entered our lives and life has never been the same. Being a mother is the BEST thing on earth and I am so thankful to God that He blessed me with such a smart, loving, energetic, full of life, funny, spunky and loads of personality kid! Seth and I have fallen more in love with each other and every day I am so thankful I have this wonderful man next to me.

Then age 29, might have been my most challenging and difficult year of all my life. But boy did I sure grow by leaps and bounds. Coming full circle exactly a year after the lost of my first baby, I am understanding a little more each day that God needed to teach me many things. I realize I still have SO MUCH to learn, but in those most difficult moments of the lost of my 2 unborn children, God showed Himself so faithfully and I am forever grateful.

And now we anxiously await our precious second child that God has blessed us with. This little one is already so dear to our hearts and each day he/she lets me know by their sweet, little kicks that there is life in my womb and that God is gracious. It was a nice birthday gift this morning as I woke up and immediately felt Baby Hope in there saying “hello”.

I pray to God that my fourth decade is full of love, hope, growth and so much more!

So, cheers to 30!

Sara & Landon tied the knot on the coldest day in January!

Sara comes from a sweet and loving family. We attend the same church so we have got to know them through the years. I didn’t really know Sara too well until recently, but I remember seeing her as a young high school girl and then all the sudden she grew up and got engaged! We were delighted when they ask us photograph their wedding.

They were married at the exact chapel Seth & I got married at and had the same pastor perform the ceremony. I got a little choked up when they were saying their vows. It bought back so many sweet memories. (I’m sure Seth was caught up in the moment of photographing and those memories didn’t come flooding back to him.)

Sara & Landon are such a fun & laid back couple! Sara isn’t your “typical” bride. She’s funny (she was making me laugh with all her hilarious faces), full of life and just does her own thing. Landon is such a sweet guy and clearly adores Sara. They sure made photographing easy and fun!

Thanks guys for letting us be apart of your big day! It was such a pleasure!

To view more images click HERE for a slideshow.

Her brothers kissed her before walking down the aisle. How cute is that!

They did brave the outside for a few minutes and we were glad they did because we got some cute shots of them.

I adore this shot. (Sara’s mom made all the girl’s dresses and the super cute winter shawls. Can we say talented?)

I love this one Seth captured while we were gathering family members for portraits.

Here is one of Sara’s faces.

The girls were freezing, but I think they played it off nicely.

The had a winter themed wedding with white branches that they painted. I loved that idea.