Snow Day/Sick Day

How can it have been two months! I guess I can get homesick enough that I don't even know how to stay connected. Plus, there aren't very many stories of interesting places and cultural discoveries, unlike the past year's travelogue. St. Louis is a nice, family friendly city, and we are settling into a reasonably paced life full of blessing.

This month we are sending out a change of address/family picture postcard. If you have never received anything from us in the mail, if your address has changed, or if you know someone who would like to be included, please send us the address at cnrgibson@gmail.com.

As you can see from our photos, we made it to Montana for the holidays, stopping in Nebraska and Wyoming on the way there and back. Our trip was truly fun. We enjoyed every minute with Charlie's family--it was our first Christmas together! The children and their cousins got along very well, and we deeply enjoyed times of reconnecting with special family and friends. The kids got to go skiing for the first time. They were amazingly unfrustrated and could have handled a longer day than we had planned. This was even after Paul slipped on an ice patch while jumping on a pogo stick, giving himself a goose egg and a near concussion the morning before the ski trip. Our time in Montana was very full and warm, and we look forward to more road trips this year, returning to Montana and visiting other folks that seemed too far away while we lived in VA.

It is a beautiful snow day today. The snow started yesterday in the late morning and continued all day. The seminary closed at 3PM yesterday and is also closed today, as are the surrounding schools. We have a terrific sledding hill just around the next apartment building and an igloo under construction at the top of the hill. The sun has come out this afternoon as have neighbors of all ages. Everyone is sharing sleds--it's a great representation of living in community (the campus dwellers also like to share childcare, grill time, DVDs, and yard toys). The girls and Paul are beside themselves. They have been outside as much as they are able.

What about Thomas? He came down with a fever and cold yesterday and has been sick enough that he has not once mourned or begged concerning the snow! Charlie has been almost sick on and off all month and truly sick this week. He has had to miss class and to sleep during the day. I've been sick and functional. There are so many levels of sick. New photos as soon as Charlie is well enough.

If you come visit us, we will take you to the most fun playplace ever--the City Museum--or to the Third Degree Glass Factory where once a month they have fire juggling and swallowing, plus artists working as you watch and answering questions.

Love and miss you all!