Back in the Rio Grande Valley

We had seven straight days in the car. The day we went to northern Iowa with Bill and Jo was the least amount of time spent in the car and it was two hours up and two hours back. A light travel day as they say. It was good that we saw Dan and was able to visit with him because today we learned that he passed early this morning. His suffering is over and he fought this terrible disease harder than anyone I know.

A change in routine always puts me behind so I hope you will bear with me as I regain my footing on my daily chores.

I really did not mind the car trip as much as I thought I might. Seriously one of my biggest concerns was not having access to a bathroom as we travel. I have become very used to that convenience but as it turned out it was a needless worry.

Before we left Gary and Susan's and headed for Iowa I received an email from Bill Brooker saying they were heading to Iowa as well. They live in Arkansas. I told Butch that we might see them on the road. We stopped at a rest stop in Northern Missouri. As I headed back to the car Butch said, "Look who is here." It was Bill and Jo.We were very surprised to see each other. We went into the rest area building as it was far to chilly to stand and visit outside and made plans to ride together to see Dan and family the next day.

Here are pictures I took throughout the trip:

Old Snow in Southern Oklahoma

Elise bowls with Nana

A strike!

Story time- Note the fingers. Gary kept removing her fingers from her mouth. She would put them back. This happened several times and finally she told her grandpa. "You need to keep your hands to yourself!"

Funny story!

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed...

Ring around the rosie

More bed jumping

South of Des Moines

In Madrid Iowa

Our house...Insulation is doing a great job.

New Years Eve party. Sue Lucht and John Hamilton

Denise, our hostess, cuts the lasagna.

Jack Lewis and Mary Figenshaw visit in the kitchen

Bill Figenshaw, Kay N. and Pat Rusnak

Alice Hamilton, Elizabeth Hanson, Jim Hanson, Jeanne Myers and part of Butch in the foreground

Jack Harmer, Bill, Kay and Pat...while Denise cuts that lasagna

All these snow pictures were taken through the window at speed limit speed.

This one was taken south on I 37 near the rest area.

 The occupants were lifeflighted. This was the 3rd wreck we saw on the trip

Temperatures while we were in Iowa stayed in the single digits...like 4 degrees.