"Cousin Jenny, I'm going to be a cool rockstar when I grow up & I'll write songs for you."

~~My 4 year old Godson, Andrew

St. Louis was a wonderful time and the boys were as cute and fun as ever. They constantly amaze me with their senses of humor, generosity, and intelligence. Thursday, I spent the whole day with Andrew and took him to "Monkey Joes" which is a place full of inflatibles to bounce on, jump on, and slide down. We had a blast. Friday was Kevan's 7th birthday so Andrew, Lyse, and I went to his school and baked coffee cake with the kids and celebrated. Then Andrew and I picked up Kevan from school and had a surprise ice cream outing to celebrate his birthay. Then, that night, we all went to a Japanese steakhouse (which Kev requested) for his birthday. It was a great time. Papa and I drove home on Saturday to beat yet ANOTHER Iowa blizzard that took place on Sunday. Andrew is really into singing and music. He has a guitar now, a drum, and a microphone and he is always making up his own lyrics. We had such a fun time while driving in the car, belting out songs as loud as we could. He really loves Selena.

Iowa is absolutely frigid. According to the weather man we are supposed to have a -25 degree windchill tomorrow. I am seriously considering moving to Floridia with Catharine!! (SMILE) I hope Spring is coming quickly. He also said we have had a total of 50" of snow this winter...we haven't seen this much snow for quite some time.

Life on this end seems to be falling into place. While that always brings such excitement and peace, it is also slightly scary because you wonder how long it'll last before something falls! HOWEVER, right now I am basking in the decisions I have made and the incredible support my family and friends have given me and I'm enjoying the peace with life and in my heart. It sure is a nice feeling.

I finished the 6th Harry Potter book yesterday---I am addicted to them. I cannot wait to finish the series with the 7th. It is absolutely amazing how J.K. Rowling can make her characters feel so real it is hard to remember they are not real people and you are not friends with them. I find myself feeling sad when they're sad and happy when they're happy---it is quite odd. I have never had such an experience with characters in a book before. She really is a genius.

As I write this, I am sitting in Panera eating their delicious broccoli cheese soup and sipping on their homemade lemonade, enjoying the atmosphere and staying warm. Life is good!