Ice, Snow and Cold

Everyone told us that the weather in Kansas City had been unseasonably warm and we were glad to hear it.  Of course, we were still cold, because anything below 50 degrees seems cold to us.  There's just no escaping the fact that after living in Central America for 5+ years, we just can't handle the cold.

We finally went to see the new Star Wars movie with Steve and Terisa last Sunday night. When we got back to their house, the "winter storm" watch was all over the news.  Unfortunately, they didn't miss the forecast this time.  It started overnight with a mix of rain and sleet.  Luckily, Stephen found a way to park a car in the garage so that I didn't have to scrape off ice before going to my 8:30 a.m. doctor's appointment.  The temperature was still hovering around 32, so the roads weren't totally horrible, but we knew the temp was going to drop through the day and that snow would start up in the afternoon.  I came back home and picked up Stephen and we returned the rental car.  After a stop at the grocery store to buy what we needed for lunch, dinner and a pumpkin pie, we were home for the rest of the day.  

The snow ended about 4:00 p.m., so Jon ventured out about 8:00 to play games with his cousins.  Stephen and I made popcorn and watched Monday night football.  As much as I like to visit family and friends, I'm looking forward to being able to wear my flipflops, capris and t-shirts.  We head back to El Salvador on Monday, January 4, so we have a few more days of cold ahead of us.

Family Time

My first hug from Jon since September was Tuesday night about 9:30 p.m.  Thankful for his on-time flight which allowed us to eat at Minsky's Pizza before it closed.  We made it back to Lee's Summit about 11:15, and called it a night.

Last night we ate here at the house, but tonight we went to my sister's for dinner.  Both of our nieces are home from college (Jensen from Nebraska and Elizabeth from MU.)  Everyone but my sister-in-law, Jane, was there.  She was working late and missed the salad/pasta/break sticks dinner.  I made two pumpkin pies; Jon said he didn't think one pie would be enough for 8 people.  

Holidays are always special, but spending time with family (especially because we don't have very many opportunities) is an important way to celebrate!