Yesterday was my sister-in-law’s birthday. When I texted her on her special day she informed me that she was in the middle of  making chocolate babka. How awesome is that?! You love her already, right?

Nikki is a woman of many talents. If you have a moment to spare, I would love to rave about her to you!

There are many reasons I love Nikki. But the first thing that springs to mind is that Nikki doesn’t take NO C***.  Recently we had a family meeting and were all talking over goals and so forth and she said, “Now let’s do something about it, people!” Later Jan confided in me that he found Nikki’s enthusiasm and straightforward-ness, “Rather refreshing”.  Nikks is a person who doesn’t do things half way; equally, she also doesn’t feel things half-way either. And when her feelings run strong and deep, LOOK OUT, suckaz! Just read this post of hers about her feelings re: New Yorkers who treat dogs as though they were children, and you will get a taste of what I am talking about.

Nikki is very athletic. VERY. She likes to do an iron man every now and again and run in multiple marathons and so forth. After giving birth to her son, and only staying one night in the hospital, she got out of bed and then walked right out the door. People kept offering her a wheelchair and she looked at them like they were nuts. I was about 8 months pregnant when John was born and as I watched Nikki leaving the hospital I thought, “Yeah! Me too! I am soooo walking out of the hospital – I won’t need a wheelchair either!” Squeeeeak, squeak went the wheels on my wheelchair a month later as I was (cough, cough) wheeled out of the hospital and didn’t walk for about three days after I got home. Who was I kidding! I am not Nikki. After all this was the woman who was running through Central Park at 9 months pregnant!

Nikki knows her way around the kitchen. I am so lucky that all the women that my brothers have married know what they are doing when it comes to food. It makes our Thanksgivings soooo very delightful! Speaking of Thanksgiving, Nikki and I share a common love for stuffing. Last year was a bit nuts and some of the things that we were hoping would be on our T-day table didn’t materialize. Like me, all Nikki really cared about was, “Will there still be stuffing?!”  There was a gleam in my eye, that special gleam of understanding when I assured her that, yes, there would be stuffing. And we sighed a collective sigh of relief.

While we are on the topic of food I must mention that Nikki’s favorite food is chocolate chip cookies. She LOVES em! Which is nice, right – she may have abs of steel, but she still can chow down on a cookie like the rest of us! The cookies and the stuffing she does in moderation. Most of the time she is carefully preparing a gorgeous meal of locally grown produce and feeding her young son raw milk.  She also makes a mean loaf of wheat bread, just in case you were wondering. And she is very well hydrated as she always carries a water bottle with her.

But don’t hate her because she is perfect, people! Seriously, I wish I could twinkle myself and be more like Nikki when it comes to fitness and general well being. She runs, rides her bike, does yoga. She’s awesome!

She is also a wonderful wife and mother. She is so true to Cameron and John. She just loves her boys. I wouldn’t categorize Nikks as  “touchy-feely”  person. But I tell you what, when John was born I loved watching him completely disarm and melt his mother. He made her go all gooey and cooey (in a good way!) And boy, is he one lucky guy because his mommy is awesome!!  She loves John with true devotion, but that doesn’t mean that she will take any C*** from him! (Has anyone noticed how much I love and respect this type of mom? Loving but firm, and consistent. Nikki is up there with the best of them!) She does a tremendous job of teaching him how to be a delightful human. How to take naps, eat well and live life fully. He has got buckets of energy and luckily God sent him to a mother who also has buckets of energy. They are a great match!

Nikki is so good. She wants to do what is right. She has a testimony and she is devoted to God.

Nikki is a hot mama(as you may have noticed)- long blond hair, blue eyes and abs of steel (which I think I already mentioned once before – but come on, how many women do you know PERSONALLY who have borne children and can boast abs of steel – these abs must be celebrated!!)

Nikki is also a team player. The Kelly family, as in *my* family, is a pretty swell bunch of people – but we are also nuts, and downright frustrating to the in-laws at times. Nikki rolls with the tide – she goes with the flow and is a very, very good sport. I still remember two Christmases ago when we were all together she said to us, after she’d done the dishes for the umpteenth time, “I love you guys, but you sure are slobs!” Even now thinking of this makes me smile. It is just so Nikki – honest and as Jan put it, “refreshingly so”!

I love my sister-in-law – she is a winner! I have felt even closer to her lately and that has been a very big blessing to me. I feel that she has so much to teach me and there are so many things about her that I admire and would like to emulate. But of all the things she is and does I am most grateful that she loves my brother and my nephew…and even little old me.

Happy birthday my beautiful, kick-butt sis-in-law Nikki!

P.S. Ladies, quick question: would you go along with your husband if he tried to talk you into traveling across the country at Xmas time dressed like a Christmas elf? Nikki did and check out the results!  When I was searching for pictures of Nikki and found this one I just HAD to include it. I still remember watching them walk through my parents’ front door at Christmas. Just makes me wanna sing a Christmas carol right here, right now! Isn’t this crazy and aren’t they DARLING?!

P.P.S Nikki, Jan is out of town and he usually edits my posts for me, feel free to edit this if you feel so inclined — thanks, friend! BTW, how did the babka turn out? If it is good, lets make that for our Babs (aka Betta K Kelly) some time, don’t you think that would be fun?