Fall 2012 Recap

Now that my wisdom teeth are out, I'm forced to lay on the couch and do things that I'm WAY behind on like returning emails, text messages, and of course blogging!

Since the last time I posted, we've partied a lot, traveled a little, eaten a lot, and visited a lot of people.

I've been struggling to post pictures here because they are usually the same ones I post on facebook. Dan likes me to post all our pictures on facebook so his friends and family can see them,  but I like telling the story behind the pictures for my own posterity. This blog is really more of my attempt at family history.

The best new news at the Anderson house is the Dan got accepted to nursing school! This has been such a journey for the both of us. The past 2 years have been such a whirlwind of change, adjustment, and uncertainty. In the last 2 years we've moved in with his parents, moved into our own place, I gave up my piano teaching business, took a semester of school to become a school teacher, Dan completed 4 semesters of prerequisites in one year, I got a new job after giving up my piano studio, Dan got a job working in a hospital, and we actually lived in one place long enough to enjoy 2 seasons of Fall!

We are really enjoying the "settled" feeling we've had here in Bluffdale. We love our church friends and neighbors, and we have loved our apartment. We are going to miss a lot of people but we are so excited to move to Boise for nursing school.

This nursing program is 16 months and is an accelerated second bachelors degree program. Dan was really fortunate to get accepted as there were a lot of applicants this year. He has worked so hard and we feel extremely blessed for him to be given this opportunity. We are really excited to connect with all my old college friends who live there too. I have a lot of friends in that area and I'm looking forward to seeing them more.

The second best thing about this nursing program is that Idaho State University also offers nurse practitioner programs from the Boise campus. They informed him during his interview that they are adding a psychiatric NP program in 2 years and that is the exact program he wants to do next. We thought we would have to move all the way back to Utah for him to finish his NP, but it looks like he can just stay in Boise!

It's going to be tight living on my small income, but Boise is a lot more affordable the Utah, so we feel pretty confident we'll be able to make it work.

If everything feels good and happy there we'll probably consider buying our first house there in Boise after Dan gets his first nursing job. We are so excited! We don't want to rush into home ownership until we are really confident about how well we like the area and also making sure we feel financially secure enough to buy a home.

We'll be moving in January and plan to spend the next 2 months enjoying our friends and family in Utah. 

Despite the fact that I look extremely homely in this picture, please observe the multiple project going on in my kitchen all at once- making sugar cookies for a church party, canning for the FIRST TIME EVER, and trying can pickles none the less! You also can't see the rest of the cookie dough and frosting mess on the kitchen table. Dan thinks this picture is totally classic of how I roll...he's probably right.

Freaking out because I have absolutely NO CLUE what I'm doing

By the time we got to the peaches, we had a little better strategy. Dan helped can peaches, applesauce, pear sauce, and salsa.

Candace and I hanging out at snowbird to celebrate my 30th birthday

Feeling very squished in the tram. You could ride the tram if you brought a can of food...so go figure. 

Oh.My.Delicious. These cupcakes were amazing!

Candace just looks so cute in the picture, I had to throw it in

Several people took me to dinner for my birthday, including my sweet Danito. He loves Johnny Carino's and let's face it, so do I. Carb Coma heaven.

Dan really likes "steam punk" stuff. Just google it...I didn't know what it was before I married him. This is my attempt at a non-slutty steam punk outfit

Happy Halloween!

I'm cheap and couldn't fork over $20 for real steampunk goggles so I made some out of mason jar lids.

Time for another sugar cookie decorating party with all the kids in the family. We ate hot dogs, decorated cookies, and then watched "The Great Pumpkin."

Love the frosting cat!

Love these kids. We're really going to miss having parties all the time.

Candace and Mathew joined us for a spooky Halloween dinner. I actually did a horrible job of planning my part of the menu and my food didn't really turn out so great- the dips were too strong, too much onion in the guacamole, etc. At the last minute I threw Dan's leftover french bread in the oven after topping it with cheese and that was everyone's favorite food. That's how bad everything else I made was!

Candace made delicious dirt cups

Dan worked really hard making homemade chips in fun Halloween shapes.

CHARLIE BROWN and Lucy. On facebook I said Linus and Lucy. Candace, I really hope you are Lucy...my peanuts gang skills suck.

One more costume day...we were both over costumes by this point.

I got to go visit my good friend Kristin when I went to Idaho Falls for my nephews baptism. We were piano majors together in college and she is one of my favorite friends from Pocatello. She has 2 adorable kids and her husband Andrew was also a close friend in colleg. He is now the choir teacher at Blackfoot High School Mega-talented family.

Our grumpy cat, Shadow, loves Grandma Cramer. My Grandma Cramer's healt has gone downhill really fast the past couple of years. She has a condition where her brain tissue is deteriorating so she has a hard time with a lot of things. It's always a treat to catch her on a day when she is alert and ready to party. She still loves to be right in the middle of all the action, and of course, pet Shadow.

I love my dear Grandma Cramer!! Look at those stylish glasses she's got.

I'm kind of obsessed with my brother's kids. They are all so special and unique and I love all of them to pieces. Lilly and Eddie were watching TV in Grandma's bed and I got a quick picture before we left. Dan wasn't able to come to Ethan's baptism and they really missed him (So did I!)

We just couldn't quite get Lilly to look at the camera...the cartoons were very entertaining.