To my friend Nicole.....

I have known Nicole since my first day at uni. When we first met I was skipping my first lecture because I couldn't find the lecture theatre so I went for a mega choc shake instead. Then there was the second week of uni when I showed up to her dorm room and insisted everyone come with me to have a mega choc shake as i had broken up with Nic. Nicole's dorm room was a meeting place for all of us. Courtney and I wouldn't have eaten much at all in the first year of uni if it wasn't for the free toast at ACU residence! Nicole and I only had that first year of uni together, after that she went on to QUT to do a teaching degree and I went off to do my first year of many many many different courses! Yet we have always kept in touch. I was Nicole's bridesmaid, she is Matthew's God mother, I am her oldest son's godmother. All in all I think we know each other fairly well. But Nicole has managed to surprise me with her change in career. I would never have picked Nicole to undertake a journey into a photography career. I think Nicole would agree with me that her creativity has been well hidden. Her neatness, her studiousness, her attention to detail was never hidden. She is very practical. But I never knew she was such a fantastic photographer! She has a photography blog at http://heart-and-soul-blog.com/ I read it all the time and I love, love, love her work. You might remember she took family photos for us at Christmas time. And she might not know this but we would love her to take the Rickard family photos this Christmas! But I just wanted to take the time to tell Nicole (publicly!) how much I love and admire her work.
The second thing I wanted to tell Nicole (again publicly) is what a brave and courageous mother she is. It is so easy at time to get bogged down in the daily drudgery of parenting three boys (trust me I know!) that you forget what beautiful job you do as a mother. And Nicole has a harder job of it then most. Not only does she have three boys wait for it.......18 months apart. (for those that struggle with maths she has twins!) But one of her boys has a bowel disease called Hirschsprung's Disease. Recently Ethan has spent a great deal of time in hospital and there will be more visits in the future. Ethan has endured pain more than any child should. As have Nicole and Craig. Recently on her blog Nicole posted pictures of Ethan's recovery from his initial surgery and these pictures have so greatly impacted my life. Go to her blog and scroll down to the post titled "When family calls". Nicole has captured on film (well so to speak!) Ethan's pain and his resilience. By far and away my favourite photo is of Caleb reaching through the hospital bed to touch his ill brother. The image pulls at my heart strings. As for me that image is brotherhood. It is the relationship all mums what their sons to have.
So to Nicole I want to say that you and Craig are doing a wonderful job! Your strength is amazing. Your new found talent is unbelievable beautiful. And I am so glad to have you as my friend (and family photographer!) It is at times hard for Nicole and I to keep in touch (with 6 boys under the age of 6 our houses can be noisy and you should see them when they are in the same house together! That is noisy and busy!) Unfortunately our last phone call was cut short (as I had to race down to school and give Matthew his togs for his swimming lesson that I had forgotten to pack!) and i haven't had time to call since (our conversations are usually VERY long!) But I really wanted you to know that you and your boys are in my thoughts (As Lachlan's Godmother I am always warding off evil spirits and praying that he is good for his mummy!) I really like how you are running your photography business. I love the way you presented your photo discs. I think the DVD presentation is great as I could send it off to the Grandmothers to watch and they could operate it.I really really think you have found your calling because your photos just say so much AND look good to!
And Nic from now on I will compile a list of things that I want to tell you so I don't have to blog another Nicole love fest! lol!