About a month ago, I tried to end Nikki by example (NBE) because I felt like blogging has changed so much in the last few years. It seems that, to be a successful blogger in 2019, you have to turn it into “a human-sponsored product” by being an influencer for companies who pay you to convince other people to buy their shit. But enough of you talked some sense into my head and convinced me that you actually like my realness. I mean, my blog name even says “by example” so being true to myself and to you all is the whole point. During a conversation with Nick the other day, I was complaining about the quality of certain clothes and how I felt like I wasted money on them because of it and he said, “you should blog about that.”

Back in February, a water main broke on our street and somehow flooded several rooms in our house. It destroyed the laminate flooring that came with the house, which meant we had to dry out most of the floors for several days and then replace the flooring. Instead of dwelling on this awful luck, I decided to look on the bright side, the silver lining if you will. I focused on the fact that we were finally getting new flooring – something we had talked about for years but could never commitment to – and we found out there was some mold growing in our crawl space that we were able to take care of before it made anyone sick.

Now, once again, I’m faced with a situation in which I can choose to dwell on my misfortune or try to find that silver lining in things: on Friday (the start of Memorial Day Weekend) I was in a car accident that has likely left my car totaled. Unfortunately, I was at fault and I know it, though I will only personally accept about 90% of the blame because if the construction worker hadn’t parked his car on the curb where it didn’t belong, none of this would have happened.

As I write this, I’m sitting in my kitchen listening to the loud, monotonous whir of several industrial-strength fans and dehumidifiers. For four days, the fans have been pointed at bare floors that have been stripped of laminate and carpet in an attempt to dry them completely before any mold or other water damage can occur. They’ve been running day and night since Saturday and I’m starting to get used to the sound, like giant white noise machines lulling you to sleep.

fans in the dining room

2016 was a bumpy year for Nick and me. It started out great; Nick and I got healthy and lost some weight, and I finally had a job with some vacation time so we visited my best friend for a week in Los Angeles. Then we experienced a heartbreak we never knew was possible when we suddenly lost our little Chihuahua and the love of our lives, Chico, to complications from adrenal cancer. It happened so quickly that I’m still recovering from the trauma but my therapist has helped a lot. On the flip side, the year ended with a very much-wanted and planned pregnancy and the thrill of waiting to welcome our baby boy in the spring. My Instagrams (from my personal account) are a reflection of the year, with a focus on the positive so I’d like to share my favorite ones with you.

Spending a freezing winter morning in February with a cup of coffee and a book.

Chico is taking a rest in the fresh spring grass. We would soon learn that he had developed arthritis in his hips.

Spring in my neighborhood. This beautiful tree is in my neighbor’s yard and the color of the flowers against the color of the sky is stunning!

2016 was the year we got healthy and spent a lot of time eating better and working out at the gym.

Toes in the sand during a girls’ weekend at the beach.

My sweet, silly Chico with his eyes closed. I miss him more than anything.

Summer date night with sushi and beer. This was taken at the bottle shop.

Homemade churro cupcake for brunch club, courtesy of Nick. Yum!

NCsquared travels to Los Angeles, CA.

NCsquared in California. That’s the Santa Monica Pier behind us.

My sweet Mia. If ever there was a daddy’s girl dog, she is it.

Mia is getting a little brother in March!

This photo warms my heart. Mia has never been much for burrowing or being covered up (that was Chico’s expertise) but when I brought this blanket home, she fell in love with it and claimed it as her own. She even laid in it like this for a while.

24 weeks pregnant.

NCsquared at the Durham Holiday Parade.

Christmas dog. Mia waiting patiently until she can open her presents. She got a new squeaky toy and plenty of treats for Christmas.

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