Across the wide Missouri

It is a windy winter night in Iowa. Today started clear and cold, right around zero degrees out on our back deck. Now, the wind is blowing in some more snow. We had a couple snowstorms in the past week, just a few inches of snow each time, but enough to cover the roads with ice and make driving tough. Everything is still covered in white, and it looks like a white Christmas outside already, with plenty of lights on the neighbors' houses. We hope to decorate a bit tomorrow, and maybe do the whole cut-your-own Christmas tree adventure (which I picture something like this). We are also still kicking around the idea of replacing our outdoor Christmas light collection with the new LED versions. The are energy-efficient and durable, but the selling point for me is that you can safely string up to 25 strands end-to-end, instead of just 2. That means I wouldn't have to deal with all the extension cords, etc. Hmmm. I still have to deal with the icy gutters and snowy roof though. I know, I should have done it in November. This is why people leave lights up all year. Sarah and Asher are still in Omaha until tomorrow morning. They have been there since Tuesday to visit with family and attend services for Sarah's Grandpa Bob. I drove over to Omaha for the day yesterday. It was great to see Sarah's family, and the memorial was really touching. Asher is having a wonderful time with his Aunt, Uncles, Grandparents, and Elijah, his cousin from Michigan. Asher and Elijah are inseparable, and absolutely hilarious together. I'm sure Sarah will have all kinds of pictures when she gets back with the camera. We also got to spend time with our youngest niece, Isabella. She is so cute! On my way out of Omaha, I did manage to pick up some Omaha Steaks (a long-anticipated giftcard purchase), and a couple of Runzas. I have a real interest in quirky regional foods, and the Runza definitely fits that bill. A runza is a heavy, yeasty bread roll filled with a mixture of beef, onions and cabbage. It's real, honest comfort food, exactly what you need for a nighttime drive back across the mighty Missouri and the windswept, snowy plains.