Meet Nikki – A Downriver Mom!

Hi! My name is Nikki and you can usually find me frazzled, coffee in hand, and wrangling several bags with two little boys in tow. I hail from the Downriver area and love the sense of community you get from living there.

I’m not a traditional mom, wife or woman. I’ve always done things a little off the cuff. My story of marriage and babies has been exactly that. I’ve been married for 4.5 years to my husband, Tim. Within a few months of making the decision to get married, we planned our wedding in Las Vegas, and got married on Halloween, which is our favorite holiday by far. Our wedding weekend was absolutely “us”, dressing up in costumes and attending the live UFC event that weekend. It’s not traditional, but it’s our idea of a romantic getaway!

It is ironic in many ways that I am so proud to be a mama bear in my late twenties, because it was something I never wanted to be and never, ever imagined myself doing. However, today it’s one of the things I am most proud of and wear as a badge of honor (through the good days and the bad!). 

My husband and I had a well laid out plan for our life that did not include two energetic little boys!  Kaiden was born in late July of 2013 and when he was just 5 months old we were surprised to find out I was pregnant (not part of the plan people!) with Cameron. That’s when we decided to give up on OUR plans and go with what God had planned for us. Cameron was born in September of 2014, giving our sweet boys a 13.5 month age gap. Raising these “Irish twins” has been assuredly the most amazing, and hardest, part of my life thus far. 

Outside of the home, I work full-time in marketing / event planning and will give a virtual high-five to all you SAHM’s. I salute you because I could not do what you do. I work remote Mondays and Fridays and by the time Tuesday rolls around I cannot wait to drop the boys off to the sitter (just joking…. kind of).

When I’m not with the tiny humans, I spend my “spare” time working out or with my praise team at Southpoint Community Christian Church. These two things are easily some of my greatest passions outside of my family. I compete in USA Powerlifting and love the empowerment it gives me as a female being able to watch my strength grow, as well as my confidence. It’s given me such a sense of pride as a woman and as a mom. And my time spent on the platform at my church in front of my congregation humbles me to recognize how powerful music can be. My mission is to live like Jesus, serve like Jesus and love like Jesus. I love to serve others in my community and being able to lead worship is just one way I get to do that. It’s so important to me to raise grateful, giving and compassionate children. Being a leader and a servant is one way I hope to pass on those traits to them.

I absolutely LOVE living in Michigan and specifically in metro Detroit. We get to enjoy all of the seasons here and we readily take advantage of that. Here are a few of our favorite places to visit throughout the year: 

Turtle Cove – Lower Huron Metro Park
The best water park for all ages! Cameron was an infant last year when he got to go to Turtle Cove for the first time and absolutely loved the shallow water edges of the pool.

Fudgy’s Ice Cream
A new favorite in our family. We just moved to Southgate last summer and Fudgy’s is about a mile from our house, so it gives mom and dad a good walk (+cardio!) and the boys get to enjoy some fresh air and frozen treats.

Three Cedars Farm
Last year was our first time visiting Three Cedars and it did not disappoint! There are so many things to do aside from the delicious cider and donuts — and free admission! The train ride costs a little extra, but is totally worth it.

I am so looking forward to being a part of this DMB community and can’t wait to share my adventures of this unpredictable journey of motherhood (along with the gazillion photos I have on my iPhone)!