Ahhh.. there’s nothing like a good old Iowa blizzard to cause us to slow down and enjoy the season. And last week’s blizzard pretty much crippled us statewide. They even parked snow plows in some areas for awhile due to reduced visibility. I ended up home from work for 4 wonderful days. I got all the Christmas decorations up, including a small tree in Josh’s room, got a lot of Christmas cards ready to mail, planned out some of my Christmas baking. I even watched the best movie in the whole world (It’s A Wonderful Life)… just doesn’t get any better.

Oh, and Caesar, who loves the snow infinitely more than I do, couldn’t wait to get outside and roll in the snow!

What a blessing to know that God is watching out for my loved ones. Rick decided to go to work at 2:30 in the morning during the height of the blizzard conditions. He made it about 2 miles, up to the main highway, before he found a woman stuck. He spent some time trying to help her before they determined they would just have to get her car off to the shoulder. Then he turned around to drive her back down into town to her home. By then he said the snow drifts were nearly to the hood of the pickup truck. The good news – he got her to her house; the bad news – the snow threw the belt off the truck. He made it to within a mile of our house before the truck died.
The silly guy decided he’d try walking home (I guess he was trying to spare my having to drive through the blizzard to pick him up), but didn’t quite get an eighth of a mile before he had to stop and knock on someone’s door. He was able to go in and warm up for a bit before he went back to the truck and finally called me. Right before he called, God woke me up. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it!)  I was deeply asleep but suddenly woke up. In my disoriented state, I finally realized Rick was not in bed with me. I looked at the clock – 3:55 a.m. I was trying to calculate how close to work he would be by then (in the best of conditions it’s an hour drive). I worked hard at not getting too anxious. Several minutes later, the phone rang. I was out of bed like a shot. I KNOW what that phone call means. I managed to clear all the snow off the truck, drove the monstrous hill down into town and got him picked up. If that woman had not been stuck where she was, I hate to think how far Rick might have gotten before running into trouble… requiring me to drive the same distance to pick him up.

I was successful in my attempt to write Josh a letter every single day. Unfortunately, there was one day in the middle of the blizzard in which mail delivery was canceled. It just meant I mailed out two letters the next day. I had forgotten the anticipation I used to feel when I was younger about receiving a letter in the mail until I started watching for mail from Josh. I suppose we lose a lot of that anticipation when the only things showing up in the mail are bills. He’s been sick since the first days he was there. And so little sleep… A couple of days ago they were given the privilege to use their cell phones to call home. It was wonderful to hear his voice, but I could hear the congestion. I just wanted to tuck him into bed with some cold medicine and make everything all better. He sent me another picture:

He flew home today for the holidays. Rick picked him up from the airport in DM after he got off work this afternoon. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, I went out and gave him a big hug. He seems taller. But his cheeks were flushed and his ears were burning up. It just feels right, with him back home. I am going to treasure every day that he’s here.

As promised, Rick turned on the Christmas lights this evening. He was waiting for Josh to get home – “then it will be Christmas,” he said.