recent and upcoming happenings.

Christmas eve I will be flying to El Paso. (By the way, if anyone wants to drive me to Omaha...) Before the new year I will be driving back with my parents and two youngest sisters. To LeMars we go. We thought up until this week that just my dad would be coming, but once again the Lord had mercy and now they can all come together. Hooray!

My little sister got a new email and when she first told me about it she said it was blone chick. I was pretty sure that was a typo, but I just had to make sure... She's 13.

I talked to my brother last night until 2am, trying to discourage him from joining the military.

Before this week we have only had one brief snowfall this winter, for which I'm grateful. And then the dam broke and it all came crashing down in a hurry these last couple days. Like God was saying, "Hold it, hold it, steady.... Okay, GO!" But it's not so bad, really. Some people got a snow day out of it, the plowers only have to plow once or twice instead of at regular intervals spread out over days, people only have to shovel the walk once or twice instead of many times over, and the snow drifts are so pretty. Even though I spent a good share of the morning shoveling walks and digging my car out of a drift, I did not mind it. Perhaps my snow boots are the winter equivalent of my summer rubber boots. Perhaps all that exercise made me high on endorphins. Either way, with a good shove from a few good friends, my car was freed with minimum hassle and I'm no worse for it.

On Monday I went to the Hatchery with a small crowd and Dee and I ordered hot chocolate with Bailey's. It was quite tasty so tonight we plan to have another go at it in our own home while we snuggle on the couch eating ice cream and watching a movie. With Kun Dog.