Christmas in March

Ok, so we are not having Christmas in March, but I thought I would share some more photos and videos from our Christmas. Specifically, honky-tonks in dad's garage and Michael with my family.

My pop and hussybun playing Cribbage


Catherine Austin and Kari enjoying "McGoofy's Garage" music

Catherine Katie and Austin enjoying "McGoofy's Garage" music

Pop and Michael pickin' and grinnin' in "McGoofy's Garage"

Pop In-law and Son in-law

Got Michael to pick with dad, now just gotta get him to go fishin'.

Christmas with a new family

Because of the ice, we did not go down to Osceola on Saturday afternoon, as we had planned. Austin was not a fan of this. He was so excited for us to get there...Really he was excited and could hardly wait to meet Michael. He called me a few times and left messages asking us if we were coming down...One message he said that it wasn't bad outside...Which was quite untrue, he just wanted us to come down. What a funny boy. We went down to Osceola on Sunday. Austin met his new uncle and cousins and dad met his new son in-law.

Moments with my sister and nieces before the celebrations...
Kelli and me

Kelli, Kari and Karina

Kelli and her gymnastics moves

We opened ate, opened gifts, played BINGO for gifts (lots of lotions, candles and fishin' stuff). Mikey was hilarous during the BINGO game. His commentary kept us all entertained. Cannot tell you his funny lines, but I assure you that we were amused and had some good laughs.

BINGO TIME!!!

Catherine and Granny

Daddy and Daughter

Diverse son in-laws

Gedardo and Kim

Kari and Mom

GIFT TIME!!!

Catherine loves Japan

Bubble Bean opening her gift

Gedardo Kelli Karina and Kim

Dad and his westerns

Austin and Mikey and Star Wars

Dad and Kari

Nick and his dollar bill tricks

Bubble Bean and her puppy

The drive to Iowa

We left for Iowa on December 26th after Michael got off work. First things first...I will take a Colorado Springs winter over and Iowa winter any day!!!

In all the years I drove to Iowa solo, God showed mercy on me by giving me superb driving conditions through Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa! I think I hit a spitting of snow once, other than that, dry and clear from one state to the other.

This year, however, proved to be a little different. We experienced God's loving protection up close and personal....

We were just outside Adair, Iowa. Mom and dad called in a frightened panic and told me to listen to 1040 WHO...They had call0ins and were reporting adverse driving condtions that spanned pretty much the entire state of Iowa and down into Missouri and over into Illinois. They were reporting freezing rain, sleet, and ice qickly covering pretty much everything. Fortunately we had not seen anything of the sort. NOTHING but FRIGID COLD temps.
I pay very close attentions to mile markers and town/mile signs so that if anything ever happens, I know exactly where I am (a lesson I leared on a drive to Iowa about 6 years ago).

I made a mental note as we passed the "Des Moines 44 miles" sign. Within a couple wheel turns and clicks of the tires on the road...

"OH SH*T!!!! (I hit Michael to wake him up) What do I do? What do I do?"
No defensive driving skills and knowledge of getting out of a skid worked. I just saw the frigid world outside the truck spinning around us. We slid from one side of the road to the other. As we slid back to the other side of the road, we spun in circles a few times.

As I realized we were just going to have to ride it out, I gripped the steering wheel, closed my eyes and prayed, "OH DEAR GOD..." At that point, I heard some banging like rocks hitting the truck, some crunching and we came to a GRINDING HALT. I opened my eyes and where were in the median between the two interstate lanes.

Like I said, we experienced the almighty, loving protection of the Lord. No other cars were on the interstate...we didn't see an oncoming car in either lane for miles. We stayed on the interstate and did not descend the embankment when we slid to the right side of the road (there are a lot of places along the interstate that are in need of gaurd rails to protect cars from going off and into the rivers, trees, fields, streams and creeks found below). Michael and I got out of the truck and did not find any obvious damages, although we did find a lot of snow and chunks of ice torn up and strewn all over the road and median (the banging I heard).

We pulled back onto the interstate (heading West istead of East). The truck was working fine, we were fine and the kids uninjured but adrenline flowing! We turned around and headed East again and made it safely to Kari's place in Norwalk. There we relaxed and slept the day away....There was no going anywhere due to the ice strom that had set in.

No denying God's love and protection. He fulfilled His promise that He would send His angels over us to protect us.

you are my sunshine

i have fond memories of dad playing his guitar, singing songs and making up songs. dad can only handle being by himself for so long before he finds something or someone to entertain him. saturday mornings were prime time to wake his three darling daughters for some company. if we didn't rise with him wandering around the house talking to himslef and humming songs as he walked up and down the hall, fear not, there is always plan b...pull out the guitar, the amp and the microphone...a sure fire way to get the three of us out of bed.

there are several songs that dad has sang and kind of made his own over the years...but my favorite song that dad sings is you are my sunshine...this is dad trying out his new Christmas present. he was happy as a kid in a candy store! (sorry it is sideways...cannot figure out how to rotate it.)

I love you dad.