Monday, June 20, 2011

Let's give this a try...

So, this is Bryan, Ricci's husband. It has come to my attention that Ricci doesn't seem to be very good at this whole blogging thing, so now it's my turn...

Ricci has no idea that I'm writing this post, it's actually a bit of a fluke that she forgot to log off her account on my computer... So here we are, I'm going to write a post about what's been going on and we'll see how long until Ricci notices.

Sadly my wife has left me to go to a family reunion in Missouri. I wanted to go with her but I had to be the responsible one who stayed behind to tell people where she went. (I had school and work that I couldn't get away from). Ricci, the loving wife that she is, makes sure to keep me informed on all the boating, barbecuing, and fun that I'm missing out on. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she was able to go, I just wish I could have joined her :(

The good news is that Ricci gets home tomorrow! I am really looking forward to having a wife again! My wife is my best friend and I can't wait to see her again.

Well that's all I really have to say... Now comes the fun part of seeing how long it will take Ricci to notice ;-)

Any bets?

p.s. please no comments, it might tip her off!

Monday, April 4, 2011

I'm Back! (Try #2)

Life is still keeping us busy and hopefully I'll be better at writing down all the fun experiences we've been having. I'll skip a lot of important things for now (Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, etc.) and write about our anniversary!

Yep, it's been 1 year since we got married! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I love being married and I love Bryan more and more each day. I am so grateful to have such a kind, loving husband. From March 10-March 31 Bryan and I cared for 2 boys while their parents were out of the country. I'll leave that for another post, but it made our anniversary (March 20) all the more special because we were able to drop them off with their grandparents for a much needed 24 hour break!

As soon as we left the boys on Saturday (March 19) I found that Bryan was waiting for me with 2 dozen red roses. I love flowers- they make me feel so special...and I was thrilled. We went to finish last minute packing but Bryan didn't seem in much of a hurry. He sat down at the piano, started fidgeting, and acted extremely nervous. I even asked him if he was going to propose again. I think that was the last time I saw him this nervous! He began to play the piano and his hands were shaking. Now my husband does not play the piano- but he bought the music to Jessica's Theme from the movie The Man from Snowy River and has been driving to his mom's in Sandy every week for over a month so that she could help him learn the song. And because he doesn't really read music- he memorized it. How amazing is that!? I cried the first time he played it for me and I still think it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever been given, especially knowing the amount of effort that went into it.

After leaving we went to the Draper temple to do sealings. It was so neat to be in the same temple we were married in and to be reminded of the promises and blessings of an eternal marriage. The sealer was sweet and he shared with us that March 20 was also his anniversary and that of 2 of the apostles!



We stayed in the same hotel we spent our wedding night, but this time we had a lot more time to spend there relaxing as we didn't have to worry about waking up early to catch a plane! We also used some gift cards to Red Lobster and enjoyed a yummy meal! It feels nice to be pampered and extravagant every once in a while- definitely not the kind of thing poor newly weds can do on a regular basis..

After dinner Bryan gave me another special gift- we went to the mall and I got to make a build-a-bear. The only other one I have he gave to me when he proposed and he thought our first wedding anniversary would be a good occasion to mark with another animal but that it would be more fun if I got to pick it out. Oh my goodness I was like a kid in a candy shop! I couldn't stop giggling- it was so much fun! No wonder kids like doing that so much. I kept it simple- a soft, cuddly bear with faded overalls and I love it!



We enjoyed sleeping in on Sunday and made the most of every minute before we had to pick up the boys and go back to real life. What a wonderful 1st anniversary! I look forward to many more :) The only traditional thing we haven't done yet is try a piece of our wedding cake! I wonder if it will taste okay?? We'll have to find out sometime soon :)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

I'm back!! I hope...

A lot has happened in the past 6 months since I last wrote, so here's a quick update- Bryan is attending BYU, hoping to get into their accounting program next fall. He's also working part-time in Salt Lake. I'm enjoying being temporarily done with homework, but I still go to school everyday! I'm working as a para-educator at a local elementary school in a Special Ed classroom. I always come home tired, but I love it! I've learned so much and though sometimes the kids can be frustrating, there are also some hilarious and incredibly sweet moments. We also work part-time at the Family Support and Treatment Center, in their crisis/respite nursery as weekend houseparents. On top of that our calling at church is Nursery leaders! Needless to say, though we don't have any of our own we're around kids all the time!

We just got back from a trip to Georgia for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! Not much of a relaxing vacation, because I wanted to make the most of every minute with my family, but it was lots of fun. We spent some time in Columbus, GA with my siblings Michelle and Adam and my step-mom Joanne's family. It was great to see all of them and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Then we headed back to Atlanta for a second Thanksgiving with my Mom, step-dad David, and siblings Marshall and Bridget. We had all of the trimmings, but roast instead of turkey. It was so yummy! My mom even made my favorite thing- Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad!

One of the biggest reasons why we went back to GA for Thanksgiving is because my sister Bridget just turned 8 and we wanted to be there for her baptism! My grandma was in town as well. Everything went smoothly with Bridget's baptism and birthday party. She's so cute and I can't believe she's 8 already. The spirit was so strong at her baptism and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the gospel in my life.

Later in the day at Bridget's birthday party we met up with my dad, Joanne, Michelle and Adam. We all went together to a Trinidadian restaurant so Bryan could get his coveted "doubles" from his mission. It was a funny sight- all these white people (the only ones in the restaurant) crowding in asking for doubles with Bryan acting like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. We then went to Life college to drive around their Christmas lights display. All of us "kids" were in one car with the adults in another. Back at my mom's house we all played games until Dad and Joanne and the kids had to leave. This was my favorite day back home! Not only did we get to enjoy Bridget's baptism, but I got to spend time with all 4 of my little siblings at once! I'm glad they get along so well together! The only thing missing was my younger brother Austin, but he's living in Washington.

We enjoyed a few more days of putting up Christmas decorations, playing games and enjoying each others company. I also got to visit with my two best friends from high school, Michelle and Josh, while we were in town. But, sadly the trip had to come to an end. Due to bad weather in Atlanta our flight was delayed and we got to spend an extra night, but Wednesday morning we finally made it back to Utah. I had a really hard time leaving, especially because I knew I wouldn't be back home for Christmas...Bryan has had to deal with plenty of my tears, but getting back into the swing of things and seeing how excited my kids at school were to see me helped a lot.

I'm going to try to do a lot better at posting! I love reading blogs of my friends and family and I've missed keeping up with mine. Call it a pre- New Years resolution!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Surprise Celebration!

I graduated from BYU with my bachelor's degree about a month ago. My mom was in town to help me celebrate, but Bryan was working on his last week of school, which included finishing up an online class that he had barely started the week before. I was pretty bummed because graduating from college is a big deal and Bryan wasn't really able to help me celebrate. He came to the convocation ceremony, but then went straight home to continue studying while I went out to dinner with my mom and grandparents.

Anyways, Bryan promised to make it up to me, which takes us to this past Friday. I woke up to Bryan jumping out of bed in a hurry to get to work. I knew he was running late so I got up to make him a lunch and he told me not to worry about it. He left and I got back into bed, and for some reason I was so sad! I never like it when he leaves in the morning, but this morning I actually started crying (I know, crazy girl) and kept sending him texts. He promised me that he would be home before I knew it and I told him to hurry.

Well, 10 minutes later I hear the door open and I yelled to make sure it was actually Bryan. He walks back in with flowers for me and gets back in bed to snuggle for a few. I had completely forgotten that Bryan had the Friday off!!! He ran to the store to get stuff to make me a yummy breakfast plus a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We spent a wonderful lazy morning at home and then we went to get a couples massage (that was my next big surprise)!! We really wanted to get one on our honeymoon on the cruise ship, but we knew it would be tons cheaper someplace at home. It was amazing...I hope one day I'll be able to get one again. It was so relaxing.

After our massage we ran some errands, I got a much needed hair trim, and just enjoyed being together. That evening Bryan took me out to dinner and we went to Los Hermanos. It was yummy and I finished our meal off with a churro- the first one I've had since Brazil and even though it wasn't as good as the ones I had there it was still really yummy. Then we watched a movie at home and relaxed. It was a great day!

Isn't my husband wonderful? I felt so special and loved and completely surprised. And I certainly forgive Bryan for not being able to help me celebrate when I actually graduated :)

Friday, April 16, 2010

One year older and so much happier...

My 21st birthday last year was plenty happy, but I loved this birthday. It was my first birthday married, and waking up next to my husband was the perfect start! When Bryan left for work I rolled over, but not for long, because he told me there was a surprise for me on the counter. I found beautiful flowers, a card, teddy grams, and frosting (they went with the card) waiting for me.

After a lazy, relaxing morning, I picked Bryan up from work in Salt Lake and we went to lunch at a yummy sandwich shop. Once 5 o'clock came we headed home and spent the rest of the evening just enjoying being together. We watched the movie Time Traveler's Wife and I cried my eyes out, but I still enjoyed it. Bryan just handed me tissues and I was reminded of one more reason to feel blessed.

It was a perfect spring day with gorgeous weather- I wore a skirt and wasn't even cold! ;) And I felt very loved with all of the cards, facebook messages, texts, and phone calls I received. Thank you everyone for making me feel so special. Thank you Bryan for pampering me and making sure I had a wonderful birthday. I love you.

Life is good. I'm so excited that it's finally warm enough for shorts and sandals. My mom's coming on Tuesday, and I hope to finish my finals today! How could I do anything but smile? :)

Monday, April 12, 2010

Married Life

The past three weeks of married life have been fantastic (minus getting sick)- here's a recap...

Week 1: We were on our honeymoon. We went on a cruise that left out of L.A. and visited 3 ports in Mexico. I'll write more about that and add some pictures later. The boat made me a little sick, but we had a blast and it was so nice to not have anything to worry about!

Week 2: We attempted to get back to real life and also get our apartment in order. We took back a few gifts, opened and put away others...unpacked suitcases and jumped back in to school and work. The apartment is coming together- the main problem area now is the spare room we've been throwing everything into, and that's going to be my next project. We're especially proud of our bathroom and it feels good to have it all pretty and decorated (and organized!). It feels wonderful to call Bryan's apartment "our apartment" and to no longer have to say good-bye and drive home every night. Instead I get to fall asleep and wake up next to my best friend.

Week 3: This week was a little interesting. (Refer to previous post). Getting an awful stomach virus is not a great way to start off a marriage, but Bryan was caring and sweet as always. He took good care of me and was patient with my complaints. I couldn't have asked for better than him.

After feeling better though, this past weekend was great! Well, except for the fact that we hardly got any homework done. We're going to pay for that this week! Friday I got to hang out with Kristine and the boys and it was fun to just chill and spend some time outside in the sun. Then I met Bryan at home and we went on our first official date as a married couple! We went to Macaroni Grill for dinner and then to the Provo temple. It was a neat experience for me, being my first time back since our sealing.

Saturday morning we woke up to a gorgeous day and went to Bryan's cousin Gabe's baptism. Afterward we borrowed Bryan's dad's motorcycle and went for a ride and got some ice cream. It felt so nice to be out for a ride and I could tell that Bryan felt right at home. Now that the weather is getting warmer it's killing him to not have his own bike. At home after dinner we watched a movie before bed.

Sunday was our first time going to our new ward! Everyone was very welcoming and I think we both enjoyed it, but being in a family ward again is definitely different from campus singles wards! Sacrament is quite a bit noisier- but I think I like it that way...most of the time :)

After a wonderful spring weekend it's now back to work, school, and preparing for finals. But, hopefully we'll still have some fun. Tuesday is my last day of class and Wednesday is my birthday! Now about that paper I'm supposed to turn in today....

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Our First Easter....not quite what we were expecting

I know there's a lot of very important things I need to blog about, such as my wedding and honeymoon, but the last week was so full of adventure that I have to get it written down. (sorry I'm kinda lengthy in my description...)

The weekend started off wonderfully enough...Friday (4/2) we celebrated our (it's fun to be able to say that) niece Kalianna's first birthday at Bryan's parents. It was an Old McDonald theme because she loves that song. Bryan won bubbles for getting the highest score on the chicken game (Wii fit) and I tied with Miquelle in "guess how many toy cows are in the jar." Bryan and I gave Kali her very first cabbage patch doll- a tradition in my family for the first birthday.

Saturday Bryan and I slept in and woke up just in time for General Conference to start. We had yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast and spent the day listening to the counsel of the general authorities and cleaning our apartment. We ran some errand on the way back to Bryan's parents so that Bryan could go to the Priesthood session with his dad, and I could hang out with the girls. We ordered Chinese food and enjoyed entertaining Kali.

On our way home Bryan and I ran by Target for a few things. Okay, picture this- we were both pretty tired and somewhat goofy/grumpy (weird combination, but true). Bryan's lower back has been hurting him, but the pain shoots down his leg so he was hobbling around complaining about his hurt bum. We finally made it to the checkout stand and I proceeded to drop a jar of decorative stones that broke open and went everywhere. It was the icing on the cake that Bryan couldn't even bend over to help me pick them up.

Sunday we enjoyed more conference and the fun of Easter. We had a family tradition of Bryan's for Easter breakfast and then worked to get everything ready for Easter dinner. We invited over Stacy, Matt and Kali, and Seth and Julie. We even got out our new set of dishes and silverware! Julie and Seth showed up a little early to drop some stuff off, but let us know they weren't staying because Julie wasn't feeling well. Stacy, Matt, and Kali arrived a little late, but also didn't stay long after Matt threw up. So- we sat down to Easter dinner by ourselves. We just thought it was really funny and felt bad that everyone was getting sick. It was a yummy dinner and a relaxing night.

Then the real fun began- 4am Monday morning I woke up throwing up and spent the rest of the day miserable and out of it with a yucky stomach bug. Bryan was wonderful and stayed home to take care of me. It was a bad day, but at least I know my husband is a better nurse to the sick than my mom was growing up. We found out that Stacy and Matt only made it to Bryan's parents because Matt was feeling so bad and by the next morning Liz, Theresa, Matt, and Stacy were all sick with this yucky bug, along with me and Josh.

Tuesday passed with Bryan back at work, but me still sticking to the house. Wednesday morning Bryan woke up at 4am throwing up but luckily the rest of the day he felt pretty good. And we found out his dad ended up with it too...then Friday Ian woke up with it. This stinkin' virus pretty much took out the whole family!

Quite the way to start off a marriage huh? The first bad stomach bug I've had in years. Who knows how we all got it, but it's a good thing I love Bryan's family, otherwise I might swear off family party's!! Well at least it makes for a good story now that everyone's feeling better :)