I'm Baaaaaack!!!!

i am back from the frost-bitten, arctic, blustery midwest!!! and would you believe we DROVE????? we took our trusty lil Ford truck with 4 wheel drive...and my very confident truck driver...the hubs......never batted an eyelash....but I DID!!!!.......he is a little "over" confident....and THAT is what worries me....but of course he and i are NOT on the same page on that subject!!! to him it is a delirious challenge to maneuver thru the beating and sleeting snow and tackling snow drift after snow drift.......all the while my knuckles are blue from hanging on for dear life!!!!! it especially is a "sensation" when i actually hear and FEEL the tires leave the ground and make that little "whisk" noise....oh boy...and that happened several times!!!

the first day of traveling we, of course, ran into a snow storm from Illinois and on......finally after fighting it...we decided to stop.......of course...the Steelers were playing (and won btw...).....that DID help to make Larry's decision....so the next morning when we got back onto the interstate, within 30 minutes i counted over 25 cars and trucks and semis in the ditch, many turned on their tops...some were literally shredded......uh......thank you GOD for the sense to stop....altogether there were over 40 accidents along the way.......

we had a wonderful time with my Mom and Dad......my Dad has an amazing spirit...one of determination...aka...stubborn....one of strong will...aka....made of STEEL...one of delightful humor...aka...a comedian for sure......as we spent our days there he seemed to improve each day in strength...and even got quite obnoxious....in a good sort of way...one in which is known to be quite common...like his old self!!!! my mom and i, on one particular day...looked at each other and said loudly..."he's baaaaack"!!!......he was full of it that day....

my Mom is his wonderful care giver and there is nothing she does not do....she has always "babied" him, and of course he loves it...but now she does so much more...they have a wood burning furnace which needs tending to constantly...and it is hard MAN kind of work, but guess who does it? my MOM , of course! she is constantly getting his food ready...his medicines together....and seems to rarely rest......

man, i am a WIMP compared to them...NK!

and let me tell you.....keeping up with their Dr. appts. and in home nursing care is like juggling 100 balls at once....oh my!.....it made me dizzy!!!!

it was a wonderful week, full of love and laughter...and well...Dr. appts.......

the snow was gloriously beautiful...even tho it froze every orifice in my body......here are some pics on a FROSTY morning....

we made a stop in DesMoines where we have the dearest friends on earth...tho we did not see ALL of them, we saw a few and we had wonderful fellowship!

we ended our stay with breakfast at the ever so famous Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant! yummy.... here are a few pics from there: