Oh yeah, I had a Birthday!

Well folks, we celebrated the 10 year anniversary of me getting my driver's license last week. For some reason I think that sounds better than saying, "I turned twenty-seven last week". Twenty-seven sounds soooo old to me. So, happy anniversary to me. And yes, that means I was seventeen when I got my license. You see, I had a boyfriend with a Jeep so I wasn't really in a hurry to start driving myself around quite yet. I mean, check this stud muffin out. Can you blame me? And please ignore the hair-do....

Can you believe we have celebrated 12 years of birthdays?! That's nuts. Anyhoo, the day of was a Tuesday so we celebrated at home with some Tacos, since it was Taco Tuesday of course, and a big slice of chocolate cake from the Hy Vee. Jon brought me flowers and a card and he even put trick candles in the cake. I don't think he realized they were trick candles when he bought them. But it was fun and Jareth got a kick out of it. And let me tell you, Hy Vee chocolate cake is the bomb.

On Friday we had the neighbors watch the kids so we could go out to eat. We drove to Rochester and ate at Newt's. Jon was excited that I chose burgers at a pub as my birthday dinner. He should know by now that I love a good burger just as much as the next guy. I picked Newt's because we had seen it on the Travel Channel. I had the Jucy Lucy and he had the Mike D's. Mine was a burger with cheese in the middle and his was a burger with onion straws and bacon pitted between two grilled cheese sandwiches. They were awesome. This picture just doesn't do it justice.

After our amazing burgers we walked across the street to yet another pub and sat outside and had a cocktail. It was the first time in over a month that we had been out by ourselves. It was pretty great. Happy 10 year anniversary of getting my driver's license to me!

Just a Day in the Life..

Here are a few photos to see what most of our days look like. Yes, there's cleaning and cooking along with errands and naps but you don't want to see photos of that. We are having a great time. : )

<---Check out Jareth jamming! That face is priceless!

Never a Boring Moment!

We have really enjoyed our first three weeks in Owatonna! There has been so much to keep us busy that time is already flying by. The area has a lot going on and great things for families to enjoy. There are several public parks and playgrounds to go to, many of which are within walking distance from "fed row" where we live. The kids and I have been walking a lot since we got here. Even the Hy-Vee grocery store is just a short walk away.
Our weekends so far have been full and fun. Last weekend we had "Breakfast on the Farm." We walked to the fairgrounds and were shuttled to Clover Glen Farm for a $3 breakfast which was held to promote National Dairy Month. It was really fun and the breakfast was delicious. (I am in love with fresh butter now!) Other than the pancake and sausage breakfast that was served, there were a ton of fun activities to do. Jareth had his picture taken with a cow and put on a button and he got to go on a lawn-tractor train ride. He loved it! There was also a bounce house and a petting zoo. He had a great time. The farm was beautiful and it was neat to see Jareth excited over all the cows.

 

This past weekend we decided to venture further north to Minneapolis to visit the Mall of America. We decided to take Jareth to the Aquarium and found discounted tickets online. He was facinated by the jelly fish and the sea horses but his favorite part was the underwater tunnel experience. We saw several different types of sharks, fish, and sea turtles. We ended up buying a membership by the end of our tour. It will be something fun to do when it gets cold and it was only an extra $10 per person for the membership and Jareth and Laney were free! Pretty good deal, if you ask me! The Mall of America is huge. Huge and overwhelming. Huge and overwhelming and time consuming. Huge and overwhelming and time consuming and pretty neat. We were there for about 7 hours and didn't even see the whole place. Suprisingly the kids did really well with the trip. We found a nice bench area outside one of the restrooms at Macy's to take break at and after that they both fell asleep in the stroller. My advice to anyone going to Mall of America is to get there when they open. It was really nice early in the morning but by lunch time it was crazy! Oh, and try the fish tacos at Kokomo's. They are yummy.

Our week days while dad is at work have been filled by trips to the park and playing in the backyard. The neighbors on either side of us are fantastic and Jareth plays well with their kids. He is having ball here. Jon is doing great at work. I guess I should call it school. He is in class from 7am-3pm and then does homework until 4 or 4:30 each day. Most days he comes home, plays with the kids, eats dinner, and goes back to the ATA building to study for about an hour or so. He comes home for lunch everyday and I keep busy while he is gone. I actually feel like I'm going to see him much more now than I ever did at his old job. All in all it is going well and I'm looking forward to the next several months.

Our Northern Adventure

Wer'e here! Actually we have been her for about a week and a half but we've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to sit down and write. The 15 hour drive went well. The first day we stopped for lunch in Cinci, OH for some of their famous chili. We decided to forgo Skyline and went to Camp Washington Chili instead. It's been around for over 70 years serving 5-ways, chili cheese fries, coneys, and even chili sandwiches. Aparently the 5-way is the way to do it. First you take cooked spaghetti noodles, yes noodles, and cover it with their famous chili. Then you add a layer of beans and a layer of onions. Finally you top the whole thing off with cheese. This is much different than the way we do chili in the south. First of all your beans are already in the chilli and you dump your chili onto your favorite chips or saltines, then goes the cheese, and if it's on hand, sour cream. I admit I still like the South's way better, but I have to say the chili at Camp Washington was pretty darn good.


Our trip was 15 hours so we decided we had better break it up with an over night stay. Since neither of us had been to Chicago we thought we would take advantage of this opportunity and go there for the night. Jareth and Laney did fantastic the whole day. Thank the Lord for portable dvd players and Disney. We stayed at a Hilton right outside of Chicago since we couldn't find a room for under $300 per night that wasn't in a, well, formidable part of town. After dropping of our luggage and freshening up a bit we headed to downtown Chicago for some deep dish pizza. After a little online research we decided on Gino's East. The place was huge with a loud, fun atmosphere. Jareth had quite a fit when we got there. Never tell a two year old he or she can have chocolate milk at a restaraunt until you know FOR SURE that the restaraunt serves chocolate milk. Not even a gooey chocolate chip cookie could simmer that meltdown. He finally stopped crying when we started ignoring him. Anyway, we decided to get two pizzas, a thin crust bbq chicken and a 1/2 Chicago Fire, half Supreme deep dish. The thin crust was to die for. The bbq was sweet and the chicken smokey. It had one of my personal favorite toppings on it as well, cilantro. It was SOOO GOOD! The deep dish was good but it wasn't exactly what we thought it would be. The cheese was on the bottom and then the toppings and the marinara. Everything kept sliding off the pizza slices. We thought it would be more like a pie. The ingredients were really good. Everything tasted very fresh. But I think we just may be more New York Style pizza people than Chicago Deep Dish pizza people. It was a fun experience though.

                                  

The next morning we got up early and got on our way. We were in a hurry to get to our new home so we didn't plan to make any really exciting stops. Somewhere along the way we decided that since we were going through Wisconsin that we couldn't pass up the opportunity to try some cheese. Finding it was not a difficult task. I'm pretty sure there was a cheese store at every exit. We stopped at Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet in Deforest, WI. Jon stayed in the car with the kids while I went in for the goodies. There were so many cheeses in there I didn't know where to start. I asked the girl behind the counter which cheeses were the most popular and after asking me where my accent was from she pointed out a list of local and visitor favorites. The top visitor favorite was 7 year old cheddar and the top local favorite was, wait for it....... chocolate fudge cheese. You know I had to try that out so I asked for a sample of each plus a jalapeno havarti that sounded like something Jon would like. The cheddar was really good and very sharpe. It just crumbled in my hand. The jalapeno havarti was delicious. It was very creamy with just the right amount of jalepeno in it. Then there was the chocolate fudge cheese. O.M.G! It tasted just like chocolate fudge, walnuts and all. Talk about amazing. I got a half lb of each. Plus a bottle of strawberry wine. : )

 

Our trip was really great. We saw about a gazillion windmills in Iowa followed by a bajillion acres of farmland. And before we new it we were in Owatonna, Minnesota. We love our little house and the town is growing on us very quickly. Soon, I will post all about the things we are doing to fill our time and share some photos of our new home. Now, it's time for some chocolate cheese!!!

It's hitting me hard

I look around at the first house Jon and I bought together, where we brought both of our babies home to, and I get a little teary eyed. Slowly our family photos are coming down and boxes are being filled with our memories. The emotional attachment I have to this house is becoming more apparent each day of the moving process and this weekend I realized just how much I'm going to miss my friends. I keep having to remind myself that we are only going to be gone for ten months and that my weepiness is just me being over dramatic. Then, I look at Jack. The water works start. We are leaving him behind with my parents. I'm going to miss him so much. I've had him longer than I've been married and although his place on the totem pole is pretty low these days, due the the kids being born, he is still a big part of this family. He isn't going to understand why we aren't taking him. But again I remind myself, we will be back. It's only ten months. I'm going to have to repeat that to myself about twenty times a day, I think.

"To the Lakes of Minnesota"

From the Hills of Tennessee...okay, that's a little backwards but it works. We are very excited to announce we are moving to Minnesota for a little while!!! That's right folks, the Andersons are outta here! Jonathan got a great career opportunity that will take us to Owatonna, MN for 10 months of training before starting a new job with Federated Insurance. We plan to leave June 12th for our 15hr road trip north.
I have to say I was extremely nervous at first about the move. 982 miles is a long way to go with two small children. We know absolutely no one there and know absolutely nothing about the area. But now I look at it as an adventure. I'm really excited to live in a place that I would have never dreamed about living. I'm excited that it's just going to be us and I look forward to meeting people from all over the country. Owatonna is where Federated sends all their new hires for training. Whether you are from Knoxville, TN or Austin, TX when you get hired with Federated you train in Owatonna.
Of course I am going to miss my family and friends so much. Plane tickets aren't cheap and we are going to get homesick fast. Not to mention we are taking our kids from everything they know. Laney will turn one in Minnesota. I keep joking that she is going to have a norther accent when she gets back! It's going to be a wild ride, but we are so very ready for it! I plan, of course to blog the entire time we are there so everyone back home can keep up with us. Skype will help things too. We may have to adjust our phone plans though or we will be going over on our minutes every month!
We are so blessed to have this opportunity; it seems like everything is falling into place. Please keep us in your prayers as we start this journey!

Six Weeks Later

     I took a hiatus from Musings of a New Mommy when I got pregnant with Laney. I had a blog called Musings of a Pregnant Lady that I started when I got pregnant with Jareth and decided to continue it when I got pregnant again. Now I'm back on here to share my experiences as a mommy along with other things going on here in Andersonland.
     It's been six weeks since Laney was born. Time has certainly flown by and it's been great! The kids have kept me so busy. Two is definitely different than one! I have found a repeating pattern in my day. It goes a little something like this... Get up and change Laney. Feed Laney. Change Laney again. Jareth gets up. Feed Jareth. Get Jareth occupied. Feed Laney. Change Laney. Laney takes a nap. Desperately try to do housework while Jareth is playing. Play with Jareth and do no housework. Feed Jareth lunch. Pick up a crying Laney. Feed Laney. Change Laney. Remind Jareth to go potty. Play with Laney and Jareth. Tell Jareth to "be gentle." Put Jareth down for a nap. Feed Laney. Change Laney. Do a little housework while attempting to get Laney to lay down by herself on her play mat. Pick up Laney because she isn't having any of it. Feed Laney again. Play with Laney. Jareth wakes up. Get Jareth a snack. Change Laney. Remind Jareth to go potty. Try to start dinner. Ask Jareth to entertain Laney. Remind Jareth to "be gentle." Feed Laney while dinner starts to burn. Count down the moments until Jon walks through the door. Take a deep breath when he does.
     Throw in a few random dr. appts or errands and that's my average day. Don't get me wrong, I am loving my two little babies right now. They are so much fun and Jareth absolutely loves his baby sister. But let me tell you, it's a lot of work! And hardly anything gets done around the house. The only reason I'm writing this is because by luck they have decided to sleep at the same time. Usually when this happens I try to lay down too but I needed to do a couple of things around the house and I miss writing.
     Let's see, what else? Oh, since it's been six weeks since Laney's birth I have been cleared to excercise now. That means that monthly payment towards the YMCA won't be going down the toilet anymore. Now we've just got to get on a schedule so we can start working out again. Jon's been so busy at work he hasn't been going to the gym either. I need to lose about 16 more pounds to get to my pre-pregnancy weight but I'd really like to lose about 20. With Jareth I noticed the biggest difference when I started doing cardio so I'm planning to start with that and then add weight lifting and abdomenal excercises. I'm nervous about those ab workouts. I haven't tried anything yet and I've been told by other mom's with c-sections that it's not that simple to start doing sit-ups/crunches. I think I'll start out with planks and leg lifts to strengthen my core first. If anyone out there reading has any advice, I'd love to hear it! Wish me luck!
     Oh, and Laney went to the dr. today. She now weighs 9lbs. : )
  

I've moved for a few months!

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Beautiful, Beautiful Utah

Last week the Anderson clan made the 1,773 mile trip to Wanship, Utah. I've never been west of Missouri so I was so excited when we decided to spend vacation with our friends, the Belnaps. Evelyn and Jeremy took the plunge and moved to Utah from Hilton Head Island a year ago for a job opportunity. From sand to snow, talk about a change in altitude! But they have really made themselves a life there. I was amazed at the difference in lifestyle, not to mention the beauty of the landscape. First impressions of Utah:
1. It's simply stunning. I must have stated 1000 times that the mountains were beautiful and that if it weren't for the winters I would consider moving there.
2. Everyone owns a horse. I'd say every 3rd home had a horse in it's back yard between Wanship and Park City.
3. The people there are active. Snow shoeing, skiing, hiking, and fly fishing seem to be on the weekend to do list when they aren't chopping wood to prepare for winter.
4. Lots of mormons. Lots of kids. Lots of pregnant women. Park City, where we spent most of our days, seemed to be very family oriented. Everyone was super friendly.
5. Summer weather there is amazing. With no humidity, their 85 feels like our 75. And at night it gets cool enough for a campfire.
We did a lot of fun things while we were there. Our first day we went to the Sundance Film Festival and did a hike up to Stewart Falls. It was a beautiful hike. Evelyn secured a Kelty for Jareth to ride in so he was happy as can be on daddy's back.
Our second day we went to the zoo. Jareth loved all the animals. The zoo there wasn't very big but it was really nice. The Knoxville Zoo could really use an update. We watched the bird show and one of the birds took a donation out of Jareth's hand. He thought it was really cool. The show was a lot better than I thought it would be.
Let's see... I believe the third day was when we did the ski lifts in Park City. The views from the lift were so pretty. I really enjoyed doing that. We also did a little shopping at the outlet mall.
What else? Oh, we went to a really fun street fair called "Park Silly." That was a lot of fun. There were street vendors, food, a make it yourself bloody mary bar!, and a farmer's market. Downtown Parkcity is so cool. The buildings are painted so pretty! It's just a really lovely place.
My favorite part of the trip was of course my time spent with Evelyn. We don't see eachother often so when we do I really enjoy our talks. She is such a wonderful friend and just an amazing person. She and Jeremy are so happy together and they've really made their home together so nice and inviting. We jokingly refer to their home as the Belnap Bed and Breakfast or the BB&B. Evelyn was in the kitchen practically the whole time we were there. She is a great cook and really enjoys being a hostess. I felt right at home and very taken care of. It was sweet.
We loved our trip to Utah. Actually we would like to go back to see what the winter is like. Jon wants to ski of course but I would be happy sitting by the fire the whole time. We'll see if we can make that happen. It was definitely a trip to remember.

Still Here, I Promise!

I know it's been a month since I've last blogged. There's been a lot going on in the Anderson household. In July we celebrated my birthday with dinner at Nama followed by a Harry Potter 3D event. It was the last movie of the series and it was awesome. I can't wait to share the books/movies with Jareth. I hope he finds Harry Potter as magical as I do. : ) Jon got me a watch for my birthday along with some shoes, a book, and a dress that he picked out all by himself. I had a great birthday! Our families even came to Knoxville to go out to eat.
Let's see...what else? Oh, we had a family reunion in Cookeville. It was nice to see some family that I rarely get to touch base with. Of course it wasn't the same without grandma there. But I got to see her sister, Janice, and that was really great.
Something else that has been keeping me a little busy is photography. I've been doing a few sessions for people who, don't laugh, I found on craigslist. It's been a lot of fun. I love doing it and the extra cash helps. I put some pictures up on my other blog, http://heathersphotojourney.blogspot.com/. It's really hard to put myself out there. Confidence isn't my strong point so I have trouble telling people about what I'm doing. But I would love to start my own business. I'm just scared. We will see.
Well, Jareth wants me to open a new toy so off I go. More fun developments coming soon!