Saturday, March 16, 2013
Racing
Tristan likes to race cars on the big track. He's not the greatest at it yet, but he's getting better. He just likes to push as many buttons as possible (and those change the tracks and make the cars crash……) and then he goes "awhhhhhhhh". It's really cute. It's fun to see just how much he understands and can interact with different things, he's growing up so much and turning into a little boy. We're glad he likes cars so much, because it's a good thing we can all do together.
Friday, March 15, 2013
House Hunters
Bluh, why does buying a house have to be so flipping ridiculous? Who decided it should be next to impossible?
Oh, we're probably not going to be buying a house. Forget all the stress it causes when you actually have the means, just multiply that by a thousand when you apparently don't.
So there is this great deal, a guaranteed loan if you buy in a rural area, and it doesn't require a down payment. The catch? Deferred student loans. I mean, after thinking about it, I guess it makes sense. Deferment is a temporary thing, a home loan is 30 years. But if the loans weren't in deferment, that would mean Nick was out of school with a real job making a lot more money. So too many what ifs with that. Unfortunately, the same thing applies to conventional loans. Deferred students loans and being a grad student make you too much of a liability, the bank can't issue a loan to such an unknown.
But wait! There is another option! First time home buyers have the option of using an FHA loan, where the interest rate is super low, down payment percent is super low, down payment money can come from pretty much anywhere, and student loans are not taken into account. If we were to go that rout, we would qualify for a $135,000 home. Not too bad for young people like us, wouldn't you say? However, FHA loans cannot be used in conjunction with rural housing deals, so a down payment has to be made no matter what. So with that, the mortgage insurance and tax, FHA loan tax, and closing costs, our total out of pocket cost for a home purchase, for even a $90,000 home, would be around $5,000. I guess that's not too much for established people. But for young college people like us, trying to afford a new baby and the move to Iowa.........looks like home buying is going to be something for when we are in our 30's.
Ah, so let the apartment hunt begin. I sure hope we have better luck with landlords in Iowa than we have in Utah.........
Oh, we're probably not going to be buying a house. Forget all the stress it causes when you actually have the means, just multiply that by a thousand when you apparently don't.
So there is this great deal, a guaranteed loan if you buy in a rural area, and it doesn't require a down payment. The catch? Deferred student loans. I mean, after thinking about it, I guess it makes sense. Deferment is a temporary thing, a home loan is 30 years. But if the loans weren't in deferment, that would mean Nick was out of school with a real job making a lot more money. So too many what ifs with that. Unfortunately, the same thing applies to conventional loans. Deferred students loans and being a grad student make you too much of a liability, the bank can't issue a loan to such an unknown.
But wait! There is another option! First time home buyers have the option of using an FHA loan, where the interest rate is super low, down payment percent is super low, down payment money can come from pretty much anywhere, and student loans are not taken into account. If we were to go that rout, we would qualify for a $135,000 home. Not too bad for young people like us, wouldn't you say? However, FHA loans cannot be used in conjunction with rural housing deals, so a down payment has to be made no matter what. So with that, the mortgage insurance and tax, FHA loan tax, and closing costs, our total out of pocket cost for a home purchase, for even a $90,000 home, would be around $5,000. I guess that's not too much for established people. But for young college people like us, trying to afford a new baby and the move to Iowa.........looks like home buying is going to be something for when we are in our 30's.
Ah, so let the apartment hunt begin. I sure hope we have better luck with landlords in Iowa than we have in Utah.........
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Happy Birthday Papa!
Today was my dad's birthday! Yeay!
I stayed up late last night baking him a cake hehe.
I stayed up late last night baking him a cake hehe.
And I'm soooo glad he works right near my house, because we invited him to come spend his birthday evening with us. After work, he and my little brother Phil came over, and we had pork chop and brown rice dinner and chocolate cake and watched some Curious George (for Tristan's benefit, haha).
We let Tristan help pick out a Hot Wheels car for my dad for a gift; we thought that would be a nice thing to have from his grandson, and he could put it on his shelf or dresser. I'm glad my dad has been down here for the last year, it's been nice to be able to spend more time with him. I am sad that we won't be able to see him as much in a few months when we move for Nick's PhD, but at least we will be closer than we were when my parents were living in Alaska. I'm also a little sad that it has been such a hard time for my mom getting everything in order to be able to move down here, but the good news is she'll be here for at least a few months before we are gone.
But, like I said, it was nice to be able to have my dad over for his birthday. I haven't spent his birthday with him in wow, over seven years? Has it really been that long?????? I suddenly feel old!
Here are a couple pictures, and my cake recipe is at the bottom!
Easter Bunny Fudge Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter
1 3 oz white chocolate Easter Bunny
1 3 oz dark chocolate Easter Bunny
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sour scream
1 cup boiling water
Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder and soda, set aside.
Melt Easter bunnies and 2 tbsp butter. Cream sugar and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Add eggs, beating in one at a time. Add vanilla and melted bunnies. Mix in sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, don't worry, it's going to seem thick and doughy. Mix in 1/2 - 1 cup of boiling water, beating well, until the batter is a nice consistency I don't know how else to put that, if you've made a cake before, you know how thick a batter should be! I ended up only using 3/4 cup of boiling water. Pour the batter into two well greased 9" cake pans and cook at 350 degrees for around half an hour-45 minutes. Don't let it over cook! Test with a toothpick at 30 minutes to make sure. Remove cakes from pans and let cool on wire racks (or if you are poor and don't have any, just use parchment paper like me).
And, my favorite frosting.......
2-4 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp half and half
1/4 cup soft cream cheese
1/2 cup soft butter
Cream together butter, cheese, half and half and vanilla. Then mix in the sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency. If it starts to get runny, refrigerate for a little bit, then add a bit more powdered sugar and whip it again. (Happens to me all the time, I tend to get a little over zealous when softening my butter.....) Then frost your yummy fudgy cake!
Here are a couple pictures, and my cake recipe is at the bottom!
Easter Bunny Fudge Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter
1 3 oz white chocolate Easter Bunny
1 3 oz dark chocolate Easter Bunny
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sour scream
1 cup boiling water
Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder and soda, set aside.
Melt Easter bunnies and 2 tbsp butter. Cream sugar and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Add eggs, beating in one at a time. Add vanilla and melted bunnies. Mix in sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, don't worry, it's going to seem thick and doughy. Mix in 1/2 - 1 cup of boiling water, beating well, until the batter is a nice consistency I don't know how else to put that, if you've made a cake before, you know how thick a batter should be! I ended up only using 3/4 cup of boiling water. Pour the batter into two well greased 9" cake pans and cook at 350 degrees for around half an hour-45 minutes. Don't let it over cook! Test with a toothpick at 30 minutes to make sure. Remove cakes from pans and let cool on wire racks (or if you are poor and don't have any, just use parchment paper like me).
And, my favorite frosting.......
2-4 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp half and half
1/4 cup soft cream cheese
1/2 cup soft butter
Cream together butter, cheese, half and half and vanilla. Then mix in the sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency. If it starts to get runny, refrigerate for a little bit, then add a bit more powdered sugar and whip it again. (Happens to me all the time, I tend to get a little over zealous when softening my butter.....) Then frost your yummy fudgy cake!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Awesome News
I guess it's official,
We are finally leaving Utah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Dear Nicholas:
Congratulations! The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Admissions Committee has
voted to recommend your admission for PhD study to the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Interdepartmental Graduate Program beginning Fall Semester 2013.
In addition, you have been approved for admission to the Department of Ecology, Evolution &
Organismal Biology (EEOB) as your home department. Dr. John Nason, of the EEOB
Department, and Dr. Greg Courtney of the Entomology Department, will be your faculty coadvisors.
We are pleased to inform you that through a competitive review process you have been awarded
a Biotechnology Fellowship along with a combination research and teaching assistantship
appointment to cover your first academic year of study (Fall 2013 and Spring 2014)."
YEAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But even more exciting than that is that Nick got into the PhD program he was hoping for. He will be attending Iowa State University this fall. I'm very proud and happy for him that things have gone the direction he was hoping. I mean, it's still 5 more years of school, but as Shelly keeps reminding me, it will all be worth it in the end.
So we are very excited. If all goes as planned, we will be heading out there the end of July, early August. With a two year old, a one month old, a dog, and a cat..........yes, we are crazy. But it's like everyone says, this is the most exciting time of our lives, so we might as well live it up and be crazy while we still can. We hope to buy a house for while we are living there because it is considerably cheaper than renting. And they have this great deal where if you buy rural you don't need to make a down payment, so there are a ton of options for us out there. The whole state is basically rural! The only thing that doesn't thrill me is the tornadoes. I'd much rather be in an earthquake. I guess that's just because that's what I'm familiar with, but as long as we get a good house with a solid basement, we'll be fine.
So here's to us!
We are finally leaving Utah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Dear Nicholas:
Congratulations! The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Admissions Committee has
voted to recommend your admission for PhD study to the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Interdepartmental Graduate Program beginning Fall Semester 2013.
In addition, you have been approved for admission to the Department of Ecology, Evolution &
Organismal Biology (EEOB) as your home department. Dr. John Nason, of the EEOB
Department, and Dr. Greg Courtney of the Entomology Department, will be your faculty coadvisors.
We are pleased to inform you that through a competitive review process you have been awarded
a Biotechnology Fellowship along with a combination research and teaching assistantship
appointment to cover your first academic year of study (Fall 2013 and Spring 2014)."
YEAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But even more exciting than that is that Nick got into the PhD program he was hoping for. He will be attending Iowa State University this fall. I'm very proud and happy for him that things have gone the direction he was hoping. I mean, it's still 5 more years of school, but as Shelly keeps reminding me, it will all be worth it in the end.
So we are very excited. If all goes as planned, we will be heading out there the end of July, early August. With a two year old, a one month old, a dog, and a cat..........yes, we are crazy. But it's like everyone says, this is the most exciting time of our lives, so we might as well live it up and be crazy while we still can. We hope to buy a house for while we are living there because it is considerably cheaper than renting. And they have this great deal where if you buy rural you don't need to make a down payment, so there are a ton of options for us out there. The whole state is basically rural! The only thing that doesn't thrill me is the tornadoes. I'd much rather be in an earthquake. I guess that's just because that's what I'm familiar with, but as long as we get a good house with a solid basement, we'll be fine.
So here's to us!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
One of the worst things about baby number 2 is you know what to expect. And that makes waiting all the more painful. The first time around, you have no idea what is going to happen, how fat you are going to get........I kinda wish for that.
Yesterday we reorganized our room to make space for a bookshelf for Nick; he needed a place to put all of his school books and things. But we figured just make it so there would be space for the rocking chair and bassinet as well. The problem is, now that there is the space for it, I want to set it all up. I wish I could call it "nesting", but it's a little too far out for that. So I'm going to call it getting ancy. Good thing is though, we already have everything we need, minus newborn diapers. And it's nice that everything Tristan used, this baby can use so it doesn't just sit in the closet collecting dust.
Still, every time I look ahead and realize, man, I still have 12 weeks to go, I have to remind myself I have twice that many behind me. Which isn't too much consolation when you have to ask your husband to help you put on your socks.......but it's like looking forward to vacation. You think about what it's going to be like walking down the isle of a plane to find your seat, smelling that plane cabin smell and getting ready for take off. And you look forward to it, and can't believe it's already happening once your buckled up and ready to go. That's what this feels like to me, and I know once it's here, I'm going to wonder where all the time went, and be so excited when I'm laying in the recovery room no longer pregnant!
Yesterday we reorganized our room to make space for a bookshelf for Nick; he needed a place to put all of his school books and things. But we figured just make it so there would be space for the rocking chair and bassinet as well. The problem is, now that there is the space for it, I want to set it all up. I wish I could call it "nesting", but it's a little too far out for that. So I'm going to call it getting ancy. Good thing is though, we already have everything we need, minus newborn diapers. And it's nice that everything Tristan used, this baby can use so it doesn't just sit in the closet collecting dust.
Still, every time I look ahead and realize, man, I still have 12 weeks to go, I have to remind myself I have twice that many behind me. Which isn't too much consolation when you have to ask your husband to help you put on your socks.......but it's like looking forward to vacation. You think about what it's going to be like walking down the isle of a plane to find your seat, smelling that plane cabin smell and getting ready for take off. And you look forward to it, and can't believe it's already happening once your buckled up and ready to go. That's what this feels like to me, and I know once it's here, I'm going to wonder where all the time went, and be so excited when I'm laying in the recovery room no longer pregnant!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Little Sister
Hopefully I don't get in too much trouble for this post.
I figured most of you who read this already know anyways, so I've got pictures I want to post.
Since Tristan is getting a little brother, we decided Korra needed a little sister. And mommy needed a snuggle buddy that didn't try to chew on her face.
And so, introducing Lilly!
The story of how she came to be is actually quite intriguing, but for another time. Suffice it to say shelter's don't make adopting animals very easy…..it's like they want to keep them. But once we got her home, it was all worth it. She is the perfect little sweetheart, gentle with Tristan, playful with Korra, and snuggly with me and Nick. There just isn't a mean bone in her body, no matter how many time Korra and Tristan try to (and succeed a lot of the time……) step on her. She's been with us a little over a month.
We're animal lovers, not ashamed to admit it. At the shelter, it was very hard not to adopt every single kitty there. Nick joked with the lady that they should have just shown me one kitty and said it was the only one they had, and I still would have taken it home. Hahaha, he makes fun of me, but he was just as bad. One day we can have lots of animals, but for now, Korra and Lilly are perfect. I'm so glad they get along so well, and that they are both great with Tristan. And, amazingly enough, Lilly has not demonstrated the out of litter box experiences all of our other cats have. I have high hopes for her, haha.
The only problem is, all three of them (Tristan, Korra and Lilly) want me at once. The minute I sit down, they are all trying to get in my lap. Lilly will curl up, and Tristan will shove her away, and then Korra will just attack all of us. Usually I end up sitting on the coffee table or kitchen stool to get away. And Lilly is probably going to grow up thinking she is a dog……she already tries to steal Korra's bone, likes hanging out in her crate, and rough houses with her incessantly. Which I guess is a good thing. And it's hard to tell in the pictures, but she does have a lazy eye……hehe which makes her even cuter. She also loves my hair, it's her favorite place to snuggle, she will burry her face in my hair and purr and drool and knead. I'm guessing that's because we adopted her just one week after she had been weaned. But, after everyone has gone to bed, and it's just poor pregnant insomniac me hanging out, it's nice to have a little kitty curled up on my lap purring.
I figured most of you who read this already know anyways, so I've got pictures I want to post.
Since Tristan is getting a little brother, we decided Korra needed a little sister. And mommy needed a snuggle buddy that didn't try to chew on her face.
And so, introducing Lilly!
The story of how she came to be is actually quite intriguing, but for another time. Suffice it to say shelter's don't make adopting animals very easy…..it's like they want to keep them. But once we got her home, it was all worth it. She is the perfect little sweetheart, gentle with Tristan, playful with Korra, and snuggly with me and Nick. There just isn't a mean bone in her body, no matter how many time Korra and Tristan try to (and succeed a lot of the time……) step on her. She's been with us a little over a month.
We're animal lovers, not ashamed to admit it. At the shelter, it was very hard not to adopt every single kitty there. Nick joked with the lady that they should have just shown me one kitty and said it was the only one they had, and I still would have taken it home. Hahaha, he makes fun of me, but he was just as bad. One day we can have lots of animals, but for now, Korra and Lilly are perfect. I'm so glad they get along so well, and that they are both great with Tristan. And, amazingly enough, Lilly has not demonstrated the out of litter box experiences all of our other cats have. I have high hopes for her, haha.
The only problem is, all three of them (Tristan, Korra and Lilly) want me at once. The minute I sit down, they are all trying to get in my lap. Lilly will curl up, and Tristan will shove her away, and then Korra will just attack all of us. Usually I end up sitting on the coffee table or kitchen stool to get away. And Lilly is probably going to grow up thinking she is a dog……she already tries to steal Korra's bone, likes hanging out in her crate, and rough houses with her incessantly. Which I guess is a good thing. And it's hard to tell in the pictures, but she does have a lazy eye……hehe which makes her even cuter. She also loves my hair, it's her favorite place to snuggle, she will burry her face in my hair and purr and drool and knead. I'm guessing that's because we adopted her just one week after she had been weaned. But, after everyone has gone to bed, and it's just poor pregnant insomniac me hanging out, it's nice to have a little kitty curled up on my lap purring.
Big blue eyes
Pet the kitty
Usually he will just shove her away immediately, haha,
but this time he let her sit and pet her for a bit. It was sweet
Fur Cut
Summer is coming and it is starting to warm up. Which means lots and lots of shedding. Fortunately, my sister Becky came for a visit and gave us all sorts of great tips on doggy fur. Who knew there was such a thing as a perpetually shedding undercoat that's soft as silk and staticky as cling wrap?
We ended up going to Petsmart and getting one of those super heavy duty steal brushes. And oh man, is it fantastic! It pulls all that nasty fur right out! And her coat ends up looking fabulous. Of course, we went back to Petsmart later and got some clippers to do a little trimming. Ok, a lot of trimming. It's ok! It looks a lot better than those hack jobs I used to do on Suki. And we left her poof tail, so she looks like a little fluffy poodle or something. The good thing is, we will have an easier time grooming her, she won't be boiling in the summer, and we won't notice her hair everywhere as much.
Only thing is, the silly vet we took her to to ask about her acid reflux told us shaving her coat off would ruin it. We are hoping we didn't shave it too much to cause damage. Apparently Nordic dogs have very finicky fur. We'll see what happens as it starts to grow out again. Then again, that woman was probably the most boisterous idiot we have ever met in our lives......we were wondering if she gagged and tied up the real vet. The whole first 15 minutes of our visit was a bad infomercial about heart worm medicine, without a brand name or price attached. No "hi how are you?" or "so what are we seeing you for today?"......then it went straight into preschool talk about doggies and acupuncture. Maybe people who work with animals all day assume everyone is as dumb as a puppy.....but all we walked out of there thinking was that she had the IQ of a pancake.
Anyhoo, back to Nordic fur......hahahaha, we're very happy with our grooming purchases, and Korra looks adorable.
We ended up going to Petsmart and getting one of those super heavy duty steal brushes. And oh man, is it fantastic! It pulls all that nasty fur right out! And her coat ends up looking fabulous. Of course, we went back to Petsmart later and got some clippers to do a little trimming. Ok, a lot of trimming. It's ok! It looks a lot better than those hack jobs I used to do on Suki. And we left her poof tail, so she looks like a little fluffy poodle or something. The good thing is, we will have an easier time grooming her, she won't be boiling in the summer, and we won't notice her hair everywhere as much.
Only thing is, the silly vet we took her to to ask about her acid reflux told us shaving her coat off would ruin it. We are hoping we didn't shave it too much to cause damage. Apparently Nordic dogs have very finicky fur. We'll see what happens as it starts to grow out again. Then again, that woman was probably the most boisterous idiot we have ever met in our lives......we were wondering if she gagged and tied up the real vet. The whole first 15 minutes of our visit was a bad infomercial about heart worm medicine, without a brand name or price attached. No "hi how are you?" or "so what are we seeing you for today?"......then it went straight into preschool talk about doggies and acupuncture. Maybe people who work with animals all day assume everyone is as dumb as a puppy.....but all we walked out of there thinking was that she had the IQ of a pancake.
Anyhoo, back to Nordic fur......hahahaha, we're very happy with our grooming purchases, and Korra looks adorable.
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