Love Always, Your Best Friend

June 19th marked our 3rd year anniversary!  Can you believe it? I can't. Life seems to have just flown past and it sure hasn't seemed that long.  We didn't get a "real" anniversary this year since we were on vacation. 

 But during that time we got to see family, Moab, my brother off to the Missionary Training Center, friends (friends and more friends), Blake, Lynn, and Chloe, and of course got a new car! Not a bad anniversary after all:)

More on all that later....In the meantime...

Happy 3yrs to my best friend, soulmate, goof-buddy, husband, my man, and any other gag-inducing lovey dovey names.  

 Here is to an eternity of struggles, love, and adventures!

Love Always,

Dani Anderson

Meet Xena!

Finally, I actually have something to blog about:)  Currently Andrew and I are on vacation visiting my family.  For the last little while we have wanting to get a new car and thought finding one in Utah would be our best bet since we have limited options close to us in ND.  A car is something we needed before I started school back up in August.  I have 20 minute commute to school each way, every day, so relying on just one car just wasn't cutting it.

So happy news is we finally got a new car!  Our first time with a BIG, new purchase.  We are super excited.  We have been looking at something that we can travel with (since we are big on road trips), something with lots of space in the back, something with decent gas mileage, and something that will maintain its value. 

It came down to a Subaru Outback or Chevy Equinox.  I was partial towards the Subaru.  So today we went out car shopping.  Due to my mom's suggestion we went to a Toyota dealership to check out a RAV4.  We LOVED it.  We still went to test drive a Subaru and it was a really nice car but not as great as the Toyota.  We went immediately back to the dealership and picked out the one we liked.

As most of you know I am super indecisive so it took me about an hour just to decide on a color I liked! haha.  We want to show you our newest addition, Xena:

Isn't Xena a beauty?

Yep.  Super excited for our compact SUV

So there you have it.  Finally something exciting has happened.  We couldn't beat a deal like this.  With 0.0% financing and a $500 rebate for military personal we love the car all the more.

Now we get to take it on our road trip back home!  Next stop, Rexburg, to visit Baby Chloe, Lynn, and Blake!  We can't wait to see what new adventures this car will take us in.

Love,

The Andersons

Budgeting Rocks!

Get ready for that awkward little topic called money. Things have gotten a little crazy the past couple of weeks.  It is one of those things where things are going great and everything suddenly seems to pile up!  You know what I am talking about?  

Anyways... this post is dedicated to my little testimony about amazing having a budget can be.  haha

So, at the beginning of the year I told Andrew we really needed to start a budget system for us.  I had taken a finance class in college and wanted to put that knowledge to good use.  Before January we had just been taking out our debit card whenever we needed or wanted something.

Ummm...yeah not a great idea.  We were having problems and barely making it to each pay check.  What was the deal? We really didn't have an excuse when I realized we could cover all our necessary bills and still had money left over for food, gas, and savings.  I realized that we really needed a budget.  Of course it worked!  Instead of having problems or having no money at the end of the month things were finally turning around...

We knew exactly where all our money was going because we allotted a certain amount to each category (i.e bills, emergency fund, our personal spending fund, savings, food, vacation etc).  I know money can be something embarrassing to talk about, but for us it is saving our little behinds right now!

We found out we had to get a lawn mower( immediately since the base has strict regulations), customized foot inserts, our big vacation in Utah coming up, and we were thinking of getting family pictures.  These $$$ all came up within a weeks time, no joke.  

Luckily, we had started our budget early and we already had a separate vacation fund.  We had been saving, and the emergency fund and savings covered our lawn mower and foot inserts.  We won't be able to do pictures for another month or so but at least we have the important things taken care of.

A lot of things came up, and it stinks seeing money go out the door, but at least we were prepared.  Thus, this is why I have a testimony of budgeting:)  We can save, pay our bills, and still do things that we want to without worrying pay check to pay check. 

Love,

The Andersons

Doggies

If you ever need an adorable picture to brighten your day... 

Just look at our two crazy dogs:)

Maia lazy-eye Mew Mew and Athena Wolfhound Bling Anderson

Easter 2012

What a unique Easter it was for us.  This Easter was the first time away from family!  Some how we have always been able to have Easter with my family who really made it special.  This year were weren't so lucky.

But you know what?  It was still fun!  The "Easter Bunny" came to our house this year too.  Here is what he brought us:

Here are all the Easter gifts :)

 

 He was very excited about the miracle whip (which I hate!)

my special basket

the Easter Bunny Also visited the dogs!

I realize this blog is a little late but it at least I finally had time to put it up.  Not too much has happened as far as updates.  I am finishing this semester, Andrew is still working, and we are planning a trip over the summer!  But more on that later ;)  Andrew is TDY in Grand Forks till Thursday so it is kind of sad for me without him. This Easter really put it into perspective that WE are actually a family.  While it is nice, we don't need to have every holiday with other family.  It will always be me and him so why not cherish every moment?

Speaking of perspective.  Easter is really more than the Easter Bunny I have come to understand.  Without kids the whole Easter Bunny part isn't as exciting.  We didn't have egg decorating or an egg hunt.  We just like having any excuse to get gifts for each other... 

I hope someday when we have little ones they learn about the real meaning of Easter.  It isn't about the commercial part but the remembrance of some who suffered for us.  

Here is a little link to the real meaning of Easter: He is Risen

Love,

The Andersons

A day for writer's block

It's crazy.  I honestly don't know what to say in this blog post.  I tried to make a goal for myself to update the blog at least once a week.  I have done pretty good as of the late.  But seriously, I don't have hardly anything to write. 

Nothing new.  Same old, same old.  Not moving, not pregnant, still in school...this is the life.  

So maybe just some basic updates I hardly think are blog worthy.  Update 1, I officially found out I will graduate from the nursing program December 2014.  It feels so far away I just can't wait to get started.  The program itself is 5 semesters and they have certain studies during each semester.  For me, it will be a really light load.  We are talking barely scraping by with 12 credits each semester.  I have done so many of the classes for it already I am already ahead of others who are stuck with 18 credits for the first couple of semesters.  I can't combine any, but at least I get to completely focus on nursing.

Update 2, my injury.  I am supposed to be starting races for outdoor track but I am injured.  I feel like I am falling apart from silly things.  Like muscle weakness and a little plantar fasciitis in my foot.  I am so tired of doing alternative work outs, I just want to run!  Running is such a major part of who I am that not doing what I love is just depressing.

Update 3, Andrew will hopefully be starting school again soon.  He will most likely just be taking a few classes here and there at night or online while he works.  Basically, he is completing the degree for his job so he can eventually rank up.  I am really proud of him for starting with this and then hopefully he finds out what he wants to major in along the way:)

So there you have it.  I gave 3 updates.  Nothing too major but at least it is something.  Sometimes I think that I will be grateful doing this blog and being able to look back at all the events of our lives!

Love,

The Andersons

4 years ago...

4 years ago today we had our first date.  

A blind date mind you,but who would have guessed we would have become:

best friends, spouses, soul mates?

He gave me roots.  I gave him wings. He is fire to my ice. My yin to his yang.

You get the picture...  Well here we are 4 years later.  Before we got married, March 22nd we counted as the anniversary we first met (a day after he returned from his mission!) We don't count "monthiversarys" now, but this day will always have a special place in our hearts:)

(our early days)

Happy March 22nd to us!

Love,

The Andersons