Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve is almost here and we're in the midst of the calm before the storm. We've had about 4 inches of snow, but plenty more is on the way this afternoon through Saturday (with a projected total of 14-20"). And the wind's picking up too. Instead of heading to Yankton for our Christmas Eve church service, we're planning to stay home. Reports are that it could get pretty bad pretty fast.

Right now Gracie is out on a short walk with her Grandma and Grandpa, you know, to burn off some of that Christmas/there's a storm a-brewin' energy. My kids aren't my kids when their Grandma is here, *insert crazy woman scream here*.

Mark spent the morning shoveling the snow we got last night, and he plans to do so every few hours, you know, so he doesn't have 15 or 20" to shovel when this storm finally clears out.

Ella is napping. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. I'm thinking we'll unwrap gifts when she wakes up. And spend the rest of Christmas Blizzard 2009 trying to get toys out of their boxes and figuring out new electronics.

Gracie just came in red and cold and wet and is telling us about the mountain of snow she just climbed. Thank you man in the snow plow (as I was typing that, I was thinking of the man in the yellow hat, LOL).

I am saying lots of prayers that as the weather deteriorates, the power stays on. We did buy a kerosene heater just in case. Yes, we remembered the kerosene! Actually, the husband of someone Mark works with was in Yankton, and he purchased it and dropped it off to us last night. Although we'd be plenty warm if the power went out, I'd rather not have to load the contents of my freezer and refrigerator into Rubbermaid containers and coolers and haul them outside. That's all I'm sayin'.

A game of Candy Land has just begun...

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas!