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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Busy Riccis!

Our blog may be pretty barren for the next month or so but that is only because we are ridiculously busy! Luckily it's full of fun and I will have lots to blog about come October. The highlights of the month are:

-Aubz' Bridal Shower
-The First Utah Game against UTAH STATE
-2009 Seegmiller Family Reunion
-Cancun (bring on the Margaritas and Mexican Food!)
-Colors of Life fundraiser for The Sharing Place in which I have been asked to be the main speaker. NERVES!
-Aubz' Bachelorette Party

and finally the highlight of September...
Aubree and Terence are getting married!

I can't wait for all these fun events and while life may be crazy, I am looking forward to it all!

See you in October. Hope September and the rest of August treats you well!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

I got this yummy chicken enchilada recipe from my Grandma and thought I would share it with ya’ll since I am always looking for new recipes. It’s super easy and great as leftovers. I will warn you though, if you add the jalapenos it is spicy! I have also found that using the Costco rotisserie chicken makes it simpler because then you don’t have to cook the chicken and it’s easier to shred. I hope you enjoy!


Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
-4 cups shredded chicken or 5 cups cubed chicken
-1 can chicken broth (about 1 ¼ cups)
-2 cans cream of chicken soup
-3 green onions, chopped
-8-10 small tortillas corn or flower
- 1 lb shredded Colby jack cheese, divided into 2 portions
-1/2 cup salsa
- 4 oz can of sliced jalapenos or green chilies (depending on how spicy you want them)
-sour cream and Cholula for garnish

Cook chicken breasts and remove any bones or skin. Chop meat. In a large bowl, combine broth, soup, onions and either jalapenos or green chilies to make a sauce. If you like spice, add some Cholula to the sauce. Mix together. Dip tortillas in the sauce. Fill tortillas with a spoonful of chicken and spoonful of cheese. Roll up and place in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

Pour extra sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over all. Spoon salsa over cheese. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly (20-25 minutes).

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Organization is my friend!

Since moving into the new house I have really tried to stay organized because the first few years I lived at our old home, it was always so hard to find anything and it was always so cluttery. My mom has really helped me in the organization department and the older I get, the more I appreciate her and her gifts. I really believe that staying organized saves me so much time and stress because I know exactly where everything is.

I thought I would list my favorite organization tactics in case you are looking for ways to organize too!

-Lazy Susans. Great way to organize spices and medicine cabinets. I was able to find some nice stainless ones at Lowes for $8.00!

- Label Maker and bins, bins, BINS. Labeling things makes it so easy to find stuff because you don't have to open the bin or box to see what's inside. Plastic bins allow you to group similar things together for easy access. I label EVERYTHING with my label maker because then you can change the name easily by just peeling it off.


- Plastic Storage Drawers (tall). I have one for my craft room and one to organize manuals and warranty information. My mom gave me both and lableled them for me :-) In the craft room the drawers are labeled:

Pens and Scissors
Tape and Glue
Gift Bags
Bows and Ribbon
Ribbon
Scrapbooking
Cards
For the manuals and warranty information it's labeled:

Large Appliances
Furniture and Fixtures
Household and Electronics
Audio/Visual and Cameras
Outdoor and Tools
Kitchen and Small Appliances

You can label them however you want and have them hold whatever you want. I think they would be great for receipts too.

-Wrapping Paper Bins- I have one for Christmas wrapping and one for regular gift wrap. Just keeps them nicely organized and out of the way.

-Key hooks- I installed this cute key hook I found at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $7.00 and I never have to go search for my keys!


-Bulletin, magnet or wire boards- Just a nice way to display invitations, pictures and reminders all in the same place.

-Mail baskets- Sometimes you don't have time to go through the mail or you need to bring something out to the car with you but you don't want it on the counter. I found this one at Black Goose and it has worked great for us, although I would suggest getting one with a bottom since little things tend to fall out of it.


-Drawer Organizers- I love drawer organizers. I use them for everything from my kitchen, to my bathroom, to my office. They just keep everything so tidy yet keep similar things together.


-Fabric Bins- I bought a bunch of fabric bins right after we got married and love them. They are really nice in bedroom closets because you can just throw spare sheets, things that need to go to the dry cleaner, purses, etc. in them and your closet stays looking clean. They have tons of different sizes so you can buy them based on your needs.

-Plastic boxes from the Container Store- These plastic boxes are great for buttons, thread, needles or anything else little and are super cheap.

-Battery Organizer- My mom bought me this battery organizer a few years ago and I love it. I always know where my batteries are and it has a tester on it so if you can see if the battery is bad before you use it.


-Baskets- My favorite basket is my two tiered under the sink basket, which doubled my space and allows me to organize my rags and sponges yet keeps them accessable. I have one in my bathroom too and use it for hair stuff!

-Wire Pantry organizer for the door. I had one of these at my old house and it doubled my pantry space. I put all our spices and little things in there and was always able to find what I needed.

-Packet Holder (for things such as taco seasoning and oatmeal). I found mine at the Container Store a few years ago but they no longer make the ones that hang on the wall. They still have a few but I really like the wall kind.

-Broom and such Organzer- I always know where my broom and shark is and they are out of my way, never fall over and keep their dust outside.


Hope this helps a bit! As I said before, I love being organized and the hardest part is just setting all of it up. Once everything in my house had a place, I found my house stayed cleaner and Mike was able to find things on his own and keep him organized and clean. The Sig house taught him some bad habits so this has helped our marriage TREMENDOUSLY :-)

Monday, August 10, 2009

Bart and Kate plus 8...

One of my favorite things that Mike has brought into my life has been the friendships of Sigma Chi. Most people don't realize that even after college is over and the boys grow up that the friendships are maintained and strengthened as the years go by. We have shared many memories, laughed uncontrollably and have been there for one another with moves, advice or just to enjoy life with and I feel so lucky to have gotten to know so many incredible people.

In knowing the Sigma Chi's, I have been very blessed to meet some amazing girls as well, whom I count amongst my dearest friends. We have all been through a lot, including weddings, babies, moves, U of U football season, multiple Alumni Banquets and Homecomings as well as lots of fun in between. I cherish the memories I have made with these girls and look forward to many more.

Well, another one of the EX wives Kate is about to welcome her first baby so we thought it would be fun to throw a co-ed shower for her. The boys were a little afraid of what a baby shower might entail but it ended up being a lot of fun. It was really low key and we just spent the evening barbecuing, chatting and being entertained by Baby Cole and Dylan. Thanks Annie, Rachel and Britt for putting together such a wonderful shower and Kate, good luck in the next few weeks! We can't wait to find out what you are having and to meet your little one!

Bart and Kate and baby Petersen!

Dylan is the first baby Mike isn't afraid of. Maybe it's because the first time Mike held him, Dylan pooped on him! It was a good ice breaker and super funny :-)Cole while watching Wiggles. Have you ever see the Wiggles? They are a bit disturbing. Sorry Annie! :-)Dylan LOVES Elmo!Such a handsome boy!Cutest picture EVER!Cole and Dylan playing :-)

Buddies

Friday, August 7, 2009

So You Wish You Could Dance...

So I absolutely love love love So You Think You Can Dance. If I could have one talent it would be to dance because I find it amazing what they can do with their bodies, the stories they can tell with movement and the hard work and dedication it takes to be a dancer. This season I was really routing for Brandon because I have loved him since last season when he didn't make it and when I saw him in Thriller but I am happy Jeaninne won because she was definitely most improved. I wasn't as thrilled with the dances or choreography this year as I was in Season's past but there were still a few I absolutley loved. I have posted them for your viewing pleasure :-)






Here are also a few of my faves from past seasons. It was hard to choose because there have been so many good ones. I was sad I couldn't find any good ones with Dominic and Neil because they are two of my faves. I was really sad when Neil lost to Sabra and was thrilled when Dominic was on America's Best Dance Crew with Hok. I really need to get a life I think :-) Anyway, Enjoy!











I can't wait for season 6 and for the SYTYCD tour! It's so much better live!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Cali-fied

This past weekend Mike and I hopped on a plane to visit some family in Cali. We started our trip by visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins in Westlake Village, which we have been trying to do for quite some time. On top of finally getting to go visit, we happened to choose a weekend my Dad’s dad and his wife Nancy from Florida were also going to be there. This was really exciting because I haven’t seen them since before my dad’s death in 2000 and I was really anxious to see him and introduce him to Mike. My aunt Teena decided to keep my visit a surprise so we arrived Friday night and shocked the hell out of him! PRICELESS!

It was a relaxing, fun weekend and I had a great time spending time with them, laughing, getting to know my cousins better, drinking wine, playing tiles, shedding a few tears and reconnecting with my Dad’s side of the family. I just wish my dad was there. He has such an amazing family and it’s so unfair that he doesn’t get to be a part of these wonderful times or that I have gone through so many important things in my life without my Dad. I miss him more than I could ever say and wish nothing more than to have him back in my life. It just sucks…

I am blessed to have such a wonderful support system though and I am determined to keep the relationships with his family open more than I have because it’s really my only connection to him and who he was. It was awesome to walk around Teena’s house and see his face smiling back at me like he was there and to be able to talk openly about him. I really need to get some more pictures of him in my house so I can have that feeling every day.

Sorry for the soapbox, here are some pics from with my fam from the weekend.

Hary, Erin, Taylor, Jim, Grandpa, Teena, Nancy, Mike and Me!


Me and my gorgeous cousin TaylorMy cute Grandpa and I
Tay and Erin on the party boatTeena and IHarry is the funniest kid I know!Erin, Harrison and NanaMy favorite obnoxious cousin :-) This turned into a running joke after we called him Obnoxious and he made a skit out of being the Obnoxious king! Seriously, so funny.After a short visit with my fam we drove to Mike’s Grandpa’s house in Orange to visit with him for a bit. He is such a cute funny man and it was great to see him in such good health. We also were able to see Mike’s aunt, uncle and cousin and it was fun just to check in with them.

Mike and Grandpa
Mike and Barbara who sadly broke her wrist in Hawaii just days before :-(
Overall the trip was far too short but we are already planning another trip when we can stay a bit longer and I can’t wait!