For Ryan Anderson and his newly freed wife Gypsy Rose Blanchard, they've got a busy end-of-year calendar.

Anderson, 37, a Louisiana special education teacher, picked Gypsy up from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri on Thursday, 

where the victim of Munchausen by proxy had served eight years for her role in the murder of her abusive mother Dee Dee.

Gypsy and Anderson's relationship prior to her release, will be shown in Lifetime's gripping new docu-series The Prison 

Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, premiering Jan. 5, and the pair opened up to PEOPLE in exclusive interviews ahead of her release.

One thing his wife has asked for to celebrate being free: "My gumbo," Anderson tells PEOPLE.

I'm from Louisiana and Gypsy loves my gumbo, so I plan on making a big gumbo for everybody. That's what she wants.

 including dad Rod, stepmom Kristy and her half siblings, are gathering to welcome her home and recreate the holiday for her.