Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Dave's 30th Birthday!!

Happy 30th Birthday to the love of my life!!!!!!  
Today is Dave's 30th Birthday!  He's been so busy at work, I think it just now hit him that he's actually turning 30!  I keep trying to reassure him that it's not so bad - after all, I've already been 30 for three months now!  =)
I had a hard time falling asleep last night - just couldn't get comfortable and little baby Anderson was moving all around - no doubt due to the awesome dinner Dave made!  I was thinking about our life together over the past six years and how much we have done together.  We are so blessed and so thankful.  And now, we're going to have a baby and a new chapter is just starting for us.  I am so thankful for my husband and decided to jot down a few things about how awesome he is!  In honor of him turning the big 3-0, I thought 30 reasons would be appropriate!  
30 reasons my husband is so amazing:
1. Dave's pickup line when we met was, "You're gorgeous!"
2. Dave can fix anything
3. Dave proposed to me on his boat in the middle of Dale Hollow Lake
4. Dave loves all 80's music, enough said
5. Dave's favorite song came on the other night at dinner and he stood up and asked me to dance - we danced in the kitchen, just because
6. Dave loves to cuddle - however, it's me that cuddles/spoons him!
7. Dave is an amazing cook and can turn any boring meal into a masterpiece
8. Dave is too tall for most things in life - especially British cars, doorways and king size beds
9. Dave is the hardest working person I know
10. Dave loves his parents so much
11. Dave has a huge soft side for dogs
12. Dave says he doesn't like chocolate, but if I make something chocolatey - he's all over it!
13. Dave talks in his sleep
14. Dave hates running, but he started running for me
15. Dave has more iTunes, than iTunes
16. Dave only wears polo shirts or collared button down shirts
17. Dave's favorite color is blue
18. Dave secretly dreams of opening his own restaurant someday
19. Dave hates surprises
20. Dave loves gummy bears
21. Dave cries when he laughs if something is really funny (the cutest thing I've ever witnessed!)
22. Dave's favorite beverage is sugar-free Red Bull
23. Dave is the most adventurous person I know - he kiteboards, snowboards, snowmobiles, wake-boards, hikes, mountain bike's - he'll try anything!
24. Dave bought not one, but two bouquets of flowers after our first ultrasound (one for me, and one for the baby!)
25. Dave can't sit still and always has to be doing something!
26. Dave's favorite pastime - racing go-carts and he thinks he could be a professional racecar driver
27. Dave makes me smile, every day
28. Dave started his own lawn and landscape company when he was a teenager
29. Dave makes spreadsheets for just about anything and everything
30. Dave asked my Dad for his permission to marry me

I am thankful for today and every day I get to wake up next to my husband.  He makes every day special and I feel so blessed that I have this amazing person to share my life with.  I love you Dave!!!!  Happy Birthday to the man of my dreams, the love of my life and the best friend in the whole world.

I LOVE YOU!!

I made him a mini brownie cake with white chocolate chunks!

This is the scarf I knitted him!

Isn't he so handsome!!

Thanksgiving 2011

We just celebrated our second Thanksgiving here in merry 'ol England!  While the Brits generally have a hard time understanding what the meaning of Thanksgiving is, Dave's boss understood enough to not care too much when he left work early so he could get home and cook!  
Dave purchased a turkey crown and was in charge of preparing it, the goose fat mashed potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese, and the stuffing (can you tell he's the cook in the family?!).  I was in charge of the green bean casserole and, instead of the traditional pumpkin pie this year, I made a Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart - thanks Ina Garten!  I started preparing the tart around 2:00pm - just in time to catch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at home!  (We have a slingbox that allows us to stream live cable from the States)  I was definitely in the festive mood!  Dave got home around 4:30 and started cooking right away.  I helped get things organized while he was busy adding ingredients and spices, etc. We were finally done with cooking everything around 7:30!  Whew!  It is always a fun time cooking Thanksgiving but also a lot of work!  We were definitely tired after all of that cooking and eating, and after calling both of our parents, called it an early night!  
We also celebrated Thanksgiving with some fellow Americans - RR employees also working over here and their families, this past Saturday.  It was great to be around Americans for once and to celebrate the holiday together.  It definitely made us miss home and our family and friends.  
We are very thankful this year - for each other, for our families and for our little baby on the way.  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Gifts from the Grandparents!

We are feeling very loved over here in the Anderson household - two packages in as many days from Grandma and Grandpa Pike and Great-grandma Wuensch!  Baby Anderson is already loved so much and she is not even here  yet!  
My parents went up to Michigan for a long weekend a month or so ago and stopped by my Alma Mater and picked up these cute little onesies!  How cute are they!?!  (Referring to my parents and the outfits!)  I thought it was so sweet they thought of Baby Anderson!  I can't wait to put these on her!  
My grandma is an amazing knitter, sewer and crocheter - and as you can see by this adorable little bear below, she can pretty much do anything!!!!  How cute is this little guy!? 
Just had to share these thoughtful little gifts with all of you!  We feel so blessed to have such an amazing and loving family and we can't wait to see you in a few weeks for Christmas!  Thank you Mom, Dad and Grandma! 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Baby Update: 22 Weeks!

Well, we are officially in our sixth month of pregnancy, ALREADY!  I cannot believe how fast it's gone!  I am feeling great and feel Baby Anderson move around and kick all the time - pretty sure she's going to be a soccer player like her mama!  I'm still walking almost every day and/or going to the gym to stay in shape.  Unfortunately, sleeping has become a bit of a challenge for me.  I can't seem to get comfortable and lately, my right leg has been falling asleep for some reason!  Also, Dave doesn't call me "pee-wee" for nothing!  Regardless if I stop consuming liquids after 8:00pm, it never fails - I still have to get up and pee about four times a night!  Good thing I have a sympathetic husband!  
As many of you know, we're flying home for Christmas!  We are so excited to see all of our family and friends and of course to celebrate my absolute favorite holiday!  While we're home, my sister and my Mom are both throwing baby showers for us, so I've been busy registering online.  It's definitely not as much fun registering online as opposed to scanning items in the store, but this will have to do!   Not going to lie, it's hard trying to pick what to register for with all the choices that are out there!  I've asked several of my friends who are mom's what I absolutely must have and their recommendations on certain products - and that's been really helpful.  I've also done research on a lot of the products out there - different types of bottles, shape of bottles, BPA free, etc., just to give an example.  It's enough to make you go crazy!  But it's a lot of fun too! =)  We feel so blessed that Amy and Mom are throwing showers for us and of course for all of our family and friends who can come - especially during such a busy time. 
We are registered at three places - buybuyBaby, Target and Pottery Barn Kids (I tried to keep it to two, but couldn't resist Pottery Barn Kids!).  In case anyone is interested, you can find our registry information by clicking the following links:

buybuyBaby: http://www.buybuybaby.com/regGiftRegistry.asp?WRN=-2092646876
Target: http://www.target.com/baby/registry/Hz-XqqbbTIDyGSg3VkGK-Q
Pottery Barn Kids: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/registry/2893705/registry-list.html

Baby Anderson has a new ride and she's not even here yet!  =)  Dave and I decided to purchase a stroller  "travel system" which comes with lots of accessories - car seat, bassinet, a second stage seat,  and foot-muff - it even has a rain guard and bug netting!  It's a Quinny Buzz 3 in steel blue!  I absolutely love it!  It's a three wheeler and can turn on a dime!  It's made of aluminum and is super light and easy to collapse!  
Only three more weeks until we are home for Christmas - not that I'm counting or anything!  =)  Can't wait to see everyone!

As requested, I will post baby bump pictures soon! 


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

UK Drivers License

Driving in the UK over the past year has been quite a learning experience - driving on the wrong side of the road while seated on the right hand side of the car, to shifting gears with your left hand - it's definitely something that takes a little time getting used to.  The legal rule here in England is that if you are a non-EU full-time resident, you have twelve months to attain your UK drivers license.  Dave and I of course waited until the very last minute to do this!  Talk about pressure! 
The first step in attaining our UK license was to apply for a Provisional License - it's like a learner's permit - and you can't take the written test without it.  We had to fill out some forms and submit a passport photo (ours look like mugshots).  The other caveat - I had to submit our passports!  Not only was I worried about sending out these important documents, but Andy was coming to visit us and we were going to Paris and would obviously need them!  The application process apparently can take up to 4 weeks - 4 weeks!  We didn't have that!  Nevertheless, the applications HAD to go out.  I overnight-ed them and crossed my fingers.  Luckily enough, our brand new Provisional licenses as well as our passports were returned to us within a week and a half!  That's lightening speed in British terms!  They don't do anything fast here!   
After Andy's visit, Dave and I signed up to take the written test - the Theory test.  We purchased 'The Highway Code' and another book to learn the motorway rules, signs, speed limits, etc.  The test was two weeks away - November 1st - I studied the books - went through all 1,000 questions and felt confident I knew them all.  Dave on the other hand, studied the day of!  The Theory test was 50 multiple choice questions and Dave and I both scored a perfect 50 out of 50!  
It is highly recommended by Dave's company and I guess the UK government in general to take some driving lessons, even though we are already competent drivers in the States.  So I researched a few driving schools and found one - F-1 Driving School.  I set us up with one hour lessons each with a guy named Steve.  Dave and I were fine on the driving - just had some UK techniques to master - i.e. three-point turns, roundabouts and correct positioning, steering without removing your hands from the wheel, MSM - mirrors, signal, maneuver rule, and as a side note, if you stall the car or hit a curb, you automatically fail on test day.  I ended up taking two more hours of lessons with good 'ol Steve.  After what turned out to be my last lesson, I pulled into our driveway and we went over how I drove, etc. and he then starting chatting  about recipes and all things cooking.  After about twenty minutes I noticed it was already 5:00pm and started looking for Dave to pull in.  About a minute later, Dave pulled up and I mentioned this to Steve - so we got out, I thanked him and he jumped in the driver's seat.  I unlocked the front door and just as I was stepping in, heard a loud crunch noise!  Our driving instructor backed into our neighbors parked car and dented the driver side door in!!!!!!  I don't know who was more mortified, Steve, or Dave and I!   
Due to the fact that we were so close to our twelve month mark, we wanted to make sure Dave got signed up to take the Practical driving test ASAP as he drives to work everyday and absolutely needed to be legally certified.  Unfortunately, when you sign up, it takes four weeks to get a driving test time.  Luckily, there was a cancellation at the driving center for Friday, November 4th!  
Because we're technically learner drivers, Dave had to put the 'L' plates on our car when he took the driving test!  Hilarious!  Below is a picture of him right after he passed (check out the beard!)!  He only had one minor driving fault for not checking his mirror when he turned!  (You can have up to 15 minor faults to pass).
I still felt like I needed some practice - Dave drives a lot more than I do here and I wanted to make sure I was ready.  Dave and I went driving around the neighborhood, I worked on my maneuvers and just my confidence in general.  It's not like I haven't been driving for half my life - this was easy, right?!  Well, I still worried, but signed up for the Practical driving test November 10th and of course worried for no reason because I passed with flying colors!  I only had to minor driving errors - both for signaling to turn prematurely!  Here's a pic of me right after I passed!

Dave's Homemade Jalapeno Pickles!


If you know Dave and I, you know that we LOVE Costco!  The only downside about Costco is that we don't always have room for all the large quantities we buy (this goes for food, toiletries, even house cleaners)!  Not a bad problem to have, I guess, and if anything, it's made us more adventurous in the kitchen!  So, we had a large supply of cucumbers - and I knew no salad would ever be big enough to accommodate the large quantity that needed to be eaten before they went bad!  So, Dave decided he was going to make pickles! 
He researched various recipes and then decided - as he usually does - to make his own version!  So, he made "Dave's 81 Varieties Pickles" - flavored with jalapenos!  He even made his own label!  I don't know about any of you, but the fact that he went to all the trouble to do this put a huge smile on my face!  I have the most awesome husband ever!  (Oh, and he had a big smile on his face too - pretty sure he was really impressed with himself!)
The cucumbers will take a week to "pickle" - so we'll see how this goes!  I'm excited to try them!  
By the way, I'm still not having any crazy cravings, but they do say pickles top the list of pregnant women's must-have foods!  Maybe this will be the catalyst!? 


Friday, November 11, 2011

1st Annual Fry-Day!

Our fellow ex-Patriots, Jered and Linnae Taketa, also RR employees, have become our good friends over the past year of living here in England.  Their two-year assignment was coming to a close and for months we had all been talking about using our deep-fryer and have a "fry-day!"  So, because of the timing, Dave and I threw the 1st Annual Fry-Day/Going Away party in Jered and Linnae's honor!  
 Dave made them a sign!  In case you can't read the bottom, it says, "Cheerio and Bon Voyage you Yanks!"  Nothing like getting an official send off from the Queen herself!  =)

The menu was an array of random items - all of which were of the unhealthy sort, but who cares!  We were like kids in a candy store frying up all these delicious "delicacies!"  The list included: fried zucchini, pork tenderloin, mozzarella, chips (fries), chicken wings, chicken fingers, and for the finale' - fried snicker bars! 


Here's the crew!  We've already talked about doing the 2nd Annual Fry-Day once we're back in the States!  Can't wait!  


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Baby Update: 20 Weeks



We're having a......GIRL!!!!!

Up until this point during my pregnancy, people have been asking what I thought we were having and to be honest, I had no inkling, no motherly instinct, no intuition, no gut feeling.  All I had and still have is the hope that baby Anderson is happy and healthy.  We had our second ultrasound last Tuesday, November 1st.  Once in the scan room, the sonographer wasted no time checking baby's organs and growth/development.  The sonogrpaher said baby looked great and healthy and that everything checked out fine.  Dave and I were relieved of course but were anxious for the next part as well - determining the gender!  Baby Anderson did not make the sonographer's job easy, as she was moving all over the place and for some reason, kept scratching her head!  At one point she even gave us the "thumbs-up!" It was hilarious!  My little one is already making me smile.  
After some searching and baby moving around a bit, the umbilical cord moved out of the way just long enough to see that we were having a girl!  It was such an exciting moment for us!  We're having a girl
Now, onto my next task - decorating the nursery!  As a girl who grew up in a pink room with pink flower wallpaper and pink carpet, I'm a little "pinked" out.  Dave and I love all shades of blue and decided it would be our main color.  I've started looking at crib bedding and am having a tough time deciding on anything - is it bad that I definitely know what I don't want?!  I don't want any characters - sorry Pooh, sorry Disney Princesses.  I don't want anything gaudy or loud, just something sweet and understated and simple.  The search continues!  
Here are baby's ultrasound pics - she wouldn't hold still long enough for the sonographer to get a good shot of her head/face, but her arms and legs and spine are very evident.  Our little one!  =)

Monday, November 7, 2011

Oh, Brother!

My brother, Andy came and visited us in October and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was!  I hadn't seen him since last Christmas, so we of course had a lot of catching up to do and of course, traveling to do!  =)
Our plan was to do some traveling around the Derby area for a few days, London for a day and then head to Paris.  Dave had to work most of the week (mainly because we're using up the rest of his vacation days so we can be home longer at Christmastime).  But first on the list, we had to take Andy to our local neighborhood pub, The Honeycomb.  It was band night and chock full of entertainment...and a few laughs!
The next morning, we got up early and drove down to London to visit an old high school friend of Andy's and also, so he could do some site-seeing.  Andy's already been to London a couple times and just wanted to make the obligatory rounds.  Although Dave and I had been to London a few weeks before, we were more than happy to site-see again and we of course made sure to take Andy to the Thames for a pint on our favorite pub barge!  Andy's main reason for seeing London, though, was to check out the new Lee Valley White Water Centre.  It was recently built and will be used for the 2012 Olympics.  If you know my brother, you know that he is an extreme outdoors-man and loves camping, hiking, biking and white water kayaking - so he was obviously elated to check this place out!  
While Dave was working, Andy and I worked out - ran and lifted (I ran, he lifted!) and got caught up on what was going on with each other, etc.  We also did a little research on Paris and consulted our handy travel books to figure out what we wanted to see and do once we arrived.  I also drove him out to the Nottingham White Water Centre so he could check that one out as well.  It was a bit dated and you had to hire your own equipment - which by the way was more than a mile down the road.  Not sure we could have fit the rented equipment in or on our car if we wanted to!  So, we walked around and watched other people have a go at it. 
On Wednesday, we took the afternoon flight to Paris and arrived around 7:00pm at Charles de Gaulle Airport!  We were so excited!  We opted to take the Metro instead of a taxi to our airport - probably won't make that mistake again!  Nothing against the Metro, but it's crazy busy and dirty!  Also, it took us two hours to go about 25 miles!  Oh well, it's all an experience!  Luckily, our hotel - Le Meridien - was right next to a Metro stop - very convenient.  The hotel was amazing!  Huge king size bed!  Andy, being the awesome brother he is - took one for the team and slept on the roll-a-way - what a trooper!

(I'm 17 weeks along with Baby Anderson in this photo =)
The first day started out a little cloudy, but by the afternoon, had cleared up (as you'll notice in my pictures).  Our first stop of the morning was a cute little bakery - we picked up fresh baguettes - mine had fresh tomatoes, eggs and mozzarella!  Breakfast of champions!  The shop had an array of everything you can imagine - chocolate pies and cakes and truffles and macaroons and pastries!  I could have stayed in there all day just to smell all the delicious foods they were baking! By the way, it's true what they say about Paris - there are more cafe's than you shake a baguette at!  Haha - sorry, I couldn't resist! 

After that, we began the trek to the Eiffel Tower!  Not sure how many miles we logged the three days we were in Paris, but my feet were ready to fall off by the end!  =)  

One thing that did save our feet turned out to be the best idea ever - we rented bikes!  There are bike stations all over the city and all you need is a credit card!  You can pick up your bike at any station you come across, ride it for however long you want, and return it to any station!  It was great and a great way to see Paris!
It was a perfect fall day and we rode our bikes all the way down the River Seine to the Louvre.   Unfortunately, Andy's credit card was not accepted because it didn't have a pin and chip in it (we tried to rent a bike for him on our credit card, but only 2 bikes per card are accepted).  So Andy walked while we rode around and met up at the Louvre. 


After the Louvre, we were ready for some refreshments and a snack!  We stopped at a street-side cafe and I of course had to take a picture of the cute little cafe' (coffee) I got!  It is always interesting to people watch and taste the local food and drinks.  Unfortunately, when you sit outside, you also have to contend with all the Parisian smokers - and there are a lot!  It made for a quick snack, but definitely a good break for the feet!

After our coffee's and snacks, we headed back to our hotel.  Andy, walked and Dave and I rode our bikes.  We stopped at a few places along the way to take pictures - it was a beautiful evening! 
After getting back to the hotel and relaxing for a bit, we decided we'd venture out and find a restaurant.  As we walked, we checked out every restaurant and their menu in search for what we were looking for.  By the way, we didn't really know what we were looking for (but we were hungry)!  After about a half an hour of this, we came upon a corner restaurant called Le Relais de l‘ Entrecôte, that was packed full of people  There were even people waiting in line outside to get a table!  We figured this place must be "the place" to go, so we got in line!  We also attempted to decipher the posted menu, but could only make out the word "frites!"  
Now, this wasn't a restaurant where you give your name and then wait to be seated.  At this restaurant, you just stand in line and the (what we termed) "madame" of the restaurant would come outside and call out a number and if your party was that size, she sat you.  There were a bunch of couples ahead of us, and being three, I was uncertain of how long it would take.  But soon enough, the madame called out three and we rushed to the front!  Once inside, it immediately became evident that this restaurant wasn't your typical French restaurant - it was sort of like a Holly-Hock Hill (you central Indy Hoosiers know what I am talking about)- they served one meal, and it was the same thing for everyone!  We loved it! 
We were served steak with frites, fresh French bread and the boys shared a bottle of the house red.  It was the best restaurant we went to while in Paris and I'd go back in a heartbeat!  Oh - also, you were served two servings, no matter what!  I tried to communicate to the waitress that I was full after the first serving, but she insisted I have seconds!  Oh well, when in Rome - well, in this case, Paris!  =)  The waitress was very sweet and between her broken English and our non-existent French speaking skills, we had a few laughs!  We of course ordered dessert - and by the time we were all done, it was almost midnight!  I couldn't believe how late it was already - that and the fact that restaurants stay open this late!  The atmosphere was great, warm and inviting and this old corner restaurant, teeming with history, turned out to be our little lucky find!  What a great end to a great day!
 Friday was set to be another full day and we were excited to get going!  We stopped for breakfast at a cafe close to our hotel and ordered the "Full English Breakfast."  I don't think the little bagguettes we had had the day before were enough for the boys!  Haha!  Because it was clear and sunny, I wanted to head back to the Eiffel Tower for a few more pictures!  Dave and I saddled up on our bikes and Andy walked ahead.  After a quick stop at the Eiffel Tower, we headed to Notre Dame Cathedral.  
We got on our bikes and started riding basically the same path we took the day before - rode right down the Seine, past the Louvre and Notre Dame was a few blocks after.

After Notre Dame, we continued walking around, taking in the sites. 
Moulin Rouge was next on our list of must-sees and while on the walk there, ran across this bar/restaurant!  Had to take a photo!

 Siblings pic!
Later on that night, before dinner, I wanted to head back to the Eiffel Tower yet again so we could get some night shots (thank you Andy and Dave for your patience)!  We just so happened to get to the tower right on the hour mark when all the lights flicker on and off for about five minutes! - it was  amazing!  Dave captured some amazing shots with the moon in the background!  

Paris was amazing -  I am so glad I got to share this trip with two of my favorite people - the love of my life and my awesome brother!  =)