Dear Grandma,

I know it's been entirely too long since I've written. The holidays and the winter has been keeping me pretty busy and on top of all of that my computer got a virus. It's amazing that even technology gets sick. I am lucky enough to have a friend who's job is to take care of all of that, so he was able to fix the problem. Thank goodness he did, because Lord knows I would never have figured out and would have likely thrown my computer off the roof in the attempt.

Any break we thought we had gotten from winter this year was taken from us this past week. The snow hit Omaha - and hard - last Wednesday. So hard in fact that my roomate and I (and many other people) were stranded at home all day. Even my four wheel drive SUV couldn't make it through our street. I spent 20 minutes trying to get it back on the driveway after it had stubbornly planted itself in the middle of Franklin Street. The tires were spinnin' and the snow a'flyin...but she wasn't moving. Instead of risking our lives and sanity trying to get to work, Abby and I spent the afternoon in front of the fireplace watching movies and waiting for the snow plow. It was like the snow days we used to have in high school except I wasn't able to go back to bed and sleep until noon. Dang you adulthood and the fact that my body is programmed to be awake before 6 am. I couldn't even tell you how much snow we got, but it DUMPED snow for an entire day, and then spent another day blowing it into drifts across the streets of Omaha. It. was. a. mess. This week we've reached a new chapter "freezing drizzle and moron drivers." Please remind me again why I live in Nebraska.

This past weekend mom and dad were in town for mom's birthday. For months mom and I had dad believing they were coming to Omaha to celebrate mom's birthday - which was partially true. The "Surprise concert" that we were "taking mom" to was actually a surprise Beatles concert for dad. He was not especially excited to come all the way to Omaha to go out for supper, and boy was he surprised. I got him =) He thought for sure his birthday ended on the east coast...he's not the only one who can pull of secrets. =) We spent Saturday shopping and went out to eat for mom's birthday. It was a great weekend and I'm so happy they took the whole weekend and spent it with me. I'm certainly lucky.

Christmas is quickly approaching as is my dreaded week on call. Things are looking up though, there are going to be more people in Omaha over Christmas than I thought, one of my friends even invited me to eat with her family for Christmas. It still won't quite be the same and I will be missing my family, but it's nice to know I have options to keep myself occupied. Ive got my decorations up, my presents wrapped and have finally begun to get in the spirit, but, Christmas won't be Christmas for me until I'm home In Parkston with my family. I finally have Grandpa's star in Omaha. I remember the year we moved out of the house on 2nd and elm street - and away from the pretty star that hung on the street light on the corner each Christmas. I remember when you and Grandpa visited and presented me with my very own star for Mary street. That star now hangs on the wall in my duplex.

Things have really been going well with the exception of the general work frustrations. I'm happy and parts of my life that have seemed to be missing something are beginning to fill themselves in. I'm optimistic about the next year...hoepfully this will be the year I look back at and don't say "Boy, 2010 really blew." I've got high expectations. =)

I thought - very specifically - about you today at work. I remembered the day you came to the shop ... the first time I saw you after we found out you were sick. I rememvber the big smile on your face when you saw me and I remember the the hug where you squeezed me tighter than I thought your strength allowd. It's a great memory of a very difficult visit. My goodness I miss you.I thought of you again when I had a dipped Ritz (and then another). I'd give anything to make part of my trip to South Dakota in a couple weeks a detour through Amrour. But there's nothing worth seeing anymore in Armour....

I love you,
Kristen

I included a picture of my star from Grandpa, I thought he'd like to see it.