Another Boy!

Brandon and Liz will be welcoming a little boy to their family this July! We are so excited to have another Sigma Chi baby join the world and can't wait to meet their little bundle of joy! At this rate, the pledge class of 2027 is going to be full before we know it!

Congrats you two! I know he is going to be just perfect!

Isn't she so dang cute?!? I can only hope to look as good as she does when I get preggers!

Birthday Bliss!

For some reason this year I didn’t feel as though I deserved to be celebrated and really didn’t want to do anything for my birthday but spend time with some of my dearest friends and family. Well my truly amazing friends, unbelievable husband and awesome family would not allow me not to enjoy my day and I have loved every minute of my birthday celebrations. Everyone completely spoiled me and made my 24th birthday by far the best yet.

The Friday before my birthday we went to dinner at Cucina Toscana with my parents to celebrate both my mom’s and my birthday, since we were in Jamaica over hers. It was by far the best food I have had in a very long time and I am salivating just thinking about it. Seriously, everything down to the bread on the table and the after dinner coffee was flawless and for the first time since I can remember, I ate everything on my plate. If you haven’t been there you NEED to go. I had the sampler platter of Gnocchi and Ravioli Machiavatti (I think that was how it was spelled), along with a Caesar salad and everything was perfect. I think next time I will just get the Machiavatti though because it was so delicious and I wished I had more of it. We were also able to enjoy a bottle of Aprile we purchased at the Gargiulo Vineyard during our trip to Napa Valley and it just made the meal. We have been waiting a long time to open that bottle and I feel it was the perfect setting with the best people to finally enjoy such a wonderful wine. Although I was stuffed after my meal, I found out they had Crème Brulee on the menu and had to get it. I was glad I did because it was amazing. We had a great night with my parents and I can’t wait to go back and enjoy another fabulous meal there.

On Sunday Mike took me birthday shopping and was a great sport. He went to at least 8 different stores at four different locations with me and didn’t complain once. I think the I-pod touch has drastically changed how he shops and I am completely grateful for it, because he just sits and plays games on it while I try stuff on. Unfortunately I didn’t have a ton of luck and only left with two shirts and a couple of other little things but I still had a great afternoon with mah Be. After shopping we went over to my parent’s house for an incredible dinner. My mom is truly amazing and I can only hope to be half the woman she is. She made my favorite salad complete with homemade bleu cheese dressing, a delectable turkey, homemade Grandma rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, artichoke, and a raspberry bundt cake all from scratch. Everything was delicious and I was stuffed at the end. To make the day even better, my parents gave me my OWN I-pod touch, along with a bow-dabra (it’s kind of like a be-dazzler but is used to make bows) and an organizer for all the warranties on our appliances, tools, etc. All the gifts were great and I absolutely LOVE having my own I-pod touch and Mike is really glad I got one so I can quit stealing his. My brothers were also great and gave me The New Fray CD, a cover for my I-pod and a Starbuck’s gift card. It was really a great day and I am so grateful for my wonderful family. I couldn’t ask for a better one! Thanks Mom and Rod for making my birthday so perfect!

To keep the celebrations going, Monday I went to The Olive Garden with three of my most favorite girls, Aubree, Laura and Katie. They were so sweet and each brought me the most heart-felt cards along with flowers. I have the most fabulous friends and it was great to spend an evening just catching up and laughing with them. I can’t imagine my life without these three girls and I am so glad that we have remained great friends through thick and thin over the past 11 years. I am excited to continue making memories with each of them and looking forward to what the future is going to bring to us.

I tried to take a picture with the girls but unfortunately my camera was dead.

Here is a picture of the pretty flowers and sweet cards the girls brought me though!

Tuesday I had a really awful day at work, but that all melted away when I showed up to Hannie’s for my pedicure and nail appointment. Being the sweet and completely thoughtful friend that she is, she had 3 Nothing Bundt Cake bundlets, an adult refresher and a card waiting for me. We sat there eating the delicious cake and just catching up and laughing. I couldn’t have asked for a better night and I absolutely adore my friendship with Han. She has been there for me through everything for the past 10 years and has helped shape me into the person that I am. She means so much to me and as I age and the years go by, I feel our friendship just continues to grows even stronger. I love you Han, thanks for making me feel so special and for being the amazing person and friend that you are!

It seemed like I had already been celebrating for a week before my actual birthday came and it was just the icing on the cake. My sweet hubby has had to wake up really early in order to drive to Clearfield each day. Well, this morning he tricked me by waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal, leaving and returning to wake me up with a Starbucks and a birthday card. It was so nice and thoughtful of him and started my day off great. At work my boss and his wife brought me flowers, 3 more bundlets (which I just love) and took me out to this wonderful authentic Mexican restaurant called Hector’s Miramar. It was by far some of the best Mexican food I have ever had and I highly recommend it. It’s on 1300 South right next to the Nightmare on 13th if you ever want to try it. I got the Miramar enchilada and it was yummy!

After a great day at work I came home to a beautiful flower arrangement from Chris and Matt, which was such a surprise! They are always so thoughtful and some of my dearest friends and I am so lucky to have them in my life. Thanks for being so wonderful and for always brightening my day. You guys are the best!

After being home for a few minutes, Mike surprised me by saying he wanted to go and try to spend the rest of my birthday money. This wasn’t like him but I agreed and we headed down to Nordstrom Rack. I again didn’t have much luck and only left with one shirt but I quickly learned that the shopping trip was just a ploy to get me down near Breathe Day Spa. After leaving Nordstrom Rack, instead of heading to dinner, he took me to Breathe where he surprised me with a facial. I have been wanting a facial for so long and so as a birthday gift he took it upon himself to schedule us both treatments. It was just what I needed and I loved every minute of it. Mike had never had a facial before but he also really enjoyed himself and I hope this is the start of him loving spas as much as I do. I won’t hold my breath though.

Mike and I waiting for our spa treatments...

Excited for facials!We finished off the great day at Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta and then went home to watch an episode of American Idol. When we got home we found these on our doorstep.

My mom had stopped by and dropped them off. I am such a lucky girl to have such wonderful and thoughtful people in my life. This was truly my best birthday yet and I am so blessed to have such incredible people to share my life with. I couldn’t ask for more and am looking forward to what the next year has to bring.

To finish off this extraordinary birthday week, Mike planned a fondue dinner with Laura, Drew, Seth and Jess. These 5 people are my rocks and my life has enhanced tremendously since knowing each and every one of them. Mike being the incredible husband that he is, planned everything, went shopping AND cleaned the house. He knows how much I hate having any part of the house dirty when we have guests over so he made sure I didn’t have to worry about cleaning. Jess made a delicious salad and Laura went over and above with her chocolate fondue dessert complete with all my favorite treats. She also gave me the best and most funny gift! She gave me a day of shopping with her up at the Tanger outlets along with a bag FULL of individually packaged puff cheetoes, fruit snacks, soup and macaroni and cheese. I always forget to bring lunch to work and never have anything to snack on so her being the mother she is to me, put together a food bag so I won’t go hungry at work anymore. She is such a good friend!
Ready for dinner!
Dinner was delicious and it was the best and most entertaining evening I have had in a long time. We have all been so busy lately that it was really nice to catch up and just laugh till we were all on the verge of tears. As the years have passed, we haven’t been able to see each other as often as we would like but when we get together it’s as nothing has changed. These are the friendships that are truly worth holding onto and I am so incredibly thankful I am able to call each of these remarkable people my friends. I had a fantastic time celebrating with them and it was a wonderful way to end by birthday week. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

This birthday was truly the best I have ever had and I can’t wait to see what this year has to bring. My only wish is that I get to continue strengthening friendships and sharing memories, special days and many more years with the truly wonderful people who made my birthday so memorable. My life wouldn’t be what it is without their presence in it and each of them have a small piece of my heart. Thanks to everyone for your sweet birthday wishes, texts, emails and cards and for making me feel so unbelievably special. You have no idea how much it truly means to me.

Love you all!

Valentine's Day in Jamaica!

Mike and I have never had much luck with Valentine’s Day. The first year we were together his car broke down on the way to pick me up for lunch, one year he had oral surgery, another the roses he sent me were dead when I got them and then last year his Grandma died a few days before and her viewing was on Valentine’s Day. To top it off I ended up getting stuck in Salt Lake and Mike was flying to California from Cleveland so I missed the viewing and didn’t even see him until the 15th. As I said, we have never had any luck with Valentine’s Day.

This year we decided we needed to break the spell and what better way to do that then a vacation! Since Mike was traveling back and forth to Cleveland so much when we first got married, he had accumulated enough miles to buy two tickets for us to Jamaica. The only downside was we had to book 331 days in advance, so we have been counting down the days to this trip for a VERY long time. It was definitely worth the wait though, especially because for some reason I tend to travel to exotic locales when it is hot in Utah. This was my first time ever going somewhere warm while it was still FREEZING here. It was definitely a great way to start our Valentine’s vacation.

We spent 8 fabulous nights at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay and we had a wonderful time. It was by far the most relaxing vacation we have ever had and a week in the sun with each other was absolutely what we needed. We have been so busy that we haven’t seen a lot of each other recently so it was nice to just relax and spend some one on one time with each other. We didn’t do anything but eat, soak in the sun, read, float around in the pool, watch many weddings, laugh, sip on Miami Vices and other adult beverages and enjoy each other’s company. The weather was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed being pool/beach bums for a week. I was able to read 4 books, 3 magazines and get a pretty good tan (at least for me anyway). Normally I think I can handle the severe Caribbean sun with just a little bit of sunblock but end up looking like a lobster the first few days. Not this time though, Mike and I have finally figured out how to avoid getting burned and it was nice to be one of the few American’s who didn’t look like we should have claws.

Just floating around the pool...

A beautiful sunset

Mah Be and I at The Cricketer's Pub, where we hung out almost every night.The pool we hung out most days.Our own private paradise...Just floating around...The reason my heart melts...At the chef's cookoffThe view from our roomAnother view from our room.Mah Be and I at breakfastMy artsy pic of the tripKiss Kiss!One of the beaches.The resortI love the variations of blue in this pic!At the piano bar.

Since this was a Valentine’s Day trip, I think it is appropriate that Valentine’s Day ended up being the highlight of our vacation. Mike had the idea of renting a cabana on the resort’s private island to celebrate the day so after breakfast we loaded onto a boat with our cabana boy and were escorted over to our own piece of paradise. The weather that day was beautiful and it was great to have someone waiting on us hand and foot. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend Valentine’s Day with mah Be. It was truly perfect and completely romantic and I don’t know if anything we do from now on will ever top it. I had given Mike the love journal that morning so we laid in the cabana and read it with one another. It was such a great reminder of the love we share and even though I am not normally emotional, I cried for a good 10 minutes while reading it, even though I didn’t shed one tear while writing it. Weird how that works. It just brought back so many special memories we had shared with one another and while I may have gotten carpel tunnel filling it out, I am glad we will always have a reminder of the beginning of our love. Sorry for the sappiness.

The private cabanaThe view from the cabanaLove...Champagne, a beach and Mah Be. What else could I ask for?The RiccisThe view of the private island from the mainland.

After the day at the cabana we went to dinner and then spent the evening watching the Valentine’s Day entertainment. They had a great performer who was singing a bunch of old love songs and Mike even asked ME to dance, which was huge because I usually have to twist his arm to get him to dance with me. After the performer they were putting on their own version of The Newlywed game and I had told Mike I wanted to watch because I like to answer the questions with him and see how our answers match up. Well, while I was in the restroom I guess they asked if anyone wanted to sign up to be one of the couples on the game show and Mike submitted our names. Well, when I got back they started announcing the couples and we were one of them! I was mortified but also touched that he A. realized this is something I would like to do and B. put his pride aside to do something for me. It was a lot of fun, although super embarrassing because of the questions they asked, but it will definitely be something I remember for the rest of my life. We lost to a couple who had been married for 20 years, but Mike was voted the hottest husband on stage so I guess that’s a win right?!? It was the perfect way to end our amazing day and I am so lucky to have such a great and romantic hubby. Thanks for making my Valentine’s Day so memorable Be.

Happy Valentine's Day BeI look pregnant in this picture but since all I did was eat and lay around, I put on a few pounds. Well worth it though!A surprise!Overall we had an amazing trip and I am already craving the sun again. Can spring please get here a bit sooner?!?! I don’t know how much more winter I can take!

Here are a few pictures from our Montego Bay boat cruise. The lighting was amazing so I had to take tons of pics!

Serenity
Montego BayParadise!Isn't the lighting amazing?
Pure Bliss...

I just couldn't get enough!

MS Awareness Week!

As many of you know, my dear friend Seth was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on December 13, 2006 with 13 lesions on his brain only 3 months after marrying the woman of his dreams. Since this date their life has changed drastically and I have seen first hand the toll it has taken not only on their lives, but on the lives of other friends whose parents are also battling MS.

This week is MS Awareness Week and so I am asking you to please copy and paste the icons above to your own blogs or websites in order to spread the word about the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. Over the past year, I have had the honor of volunteering at MS events and meeting some of the most amazing and inspirational people, who have truly moved me. Some can't walk without assistance, some have lost their vision while others are in constant pain. Every person I have met has decided not to let these symptoms decide their path in life, but instead to fight MS and find a cure. These people are given something they cannot change but they wake up every day trying to make one. Please help them make this fight a bit easier by Joining the Movement and dedicating one blog post to this corageous and important battle.

In keeping with MS Awareness Week I want to invite everyone to Join our Walk MS Team! After learning of Seth's diagnosis, we formed The Lucky 13's, in hopes of turning this horrible news and the normally unlucky number 13 into something positive. Last year our team was one of the top Walk MS teams in terms of dollars raised and team members and we hope to have another successful year! This year the walk is on April 11th and I would love to have anyone who would like to join The Lucky 13's team click on The Lucky 13's logo below....

and register to be a member of the Lucky 13's. We always have a great time and it's a fun way to Join the Movement and Fight MS. We would love to have you!!!!

Thanks in advance for all of your support and for making a difference in the lives of those with MS! If you want more information about getting involved, all the Orange move it banners are clickable or you can leave me a comment or email me at LaurenNRicci@gmail.com I am glad to help!

Here are some pics from past events...

The first year of The Lucky 13's-2007 The Second Year of The Lucky 13's- 2008 Jess and I trying to pump up the crowd!The boys having some fun at Walk MS 2008.
We wear it proudly!

Some of the original members and amazing friends!

Trace, Seth, Jess, Mike, Me, Drew and Laura

The captain and her co-captains at The Lucky 13's Poker Tournament