No thanks, I'll pass...

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR FREEZING RAIN... SLEET... AND SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING... LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP ON MONDAY AND CONTINUE IN WAVES MONDAY NIGHT. THE FREEZING RAIN WILL OCCASIONALLY MIX WITH SLEET AND SNOW LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING AND EVENTUALLY CHANGE TO ALL SNOW TUESDAY EVENING. THE SNOW WILL END WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* ACCUMULATIONS... ICE ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 1/2 AND 3/4 INCH ARE LIKELY... WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 3 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS TO 6 TO 12 INCHES IN PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EASTERN MISSOURI.

* WINDS... NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL GUST TO 40 MPH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

* IMPACTS... SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATION AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS MAY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. THE COMBINATION OF ICE... SLEET AND SNOW WILL MAKE ROAD CONDITIONS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND THIS COULD LIMIT TRAVEL FOR DAYS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TRAVEL WILL BECOME DANGEROUS ONCE THE FREEZING RAIN BEGINS. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. AVOID ANY DOWNED POWER LINES AND BE READY IN CASE OF A LOSS OF POWER. UNTREATED ROADS AND BRIDGES... SIDEWALKS... AND PARKING LOTS WILL BE TREACHEROUS. ADDITIONALLY... 6 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA. THE RAPID ACCUMULATION OF SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY DIFFICULT... IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. IF TRAVEL IS NECESSARY... MAKE SURE TO EXERCISE CAUTION. BEGIN YOUR TRAVEL WITH A TANK FULL OF GAS... AND CARRY A WINTER STORM KIT WHICH INCLUDES A SHOVEL... FLASHLIGHT... CELLPHONE... AND BLANKETS OF EXTRA WARM CLOTHING.

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More Information

... DANGEROUS WINTER STORM TAKING AIM ON REGION BEGINNING MONDAY...

.A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION... MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN... WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY AND CONTINUE IN WAVES THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL MIX WITH SLEET AND SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY NIGHT... BECOMING ALL SNOW AS COLDER AIR WRAPS INTO THE SYSTEM. FREEZING RAIN WITH A LITTLE SLEET WILL BE THE PREDOMINANT PRECIPITATION TYPE FURTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. SLEET... SNOW... AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY... WITH THE MIXED PRECIPITATION CHANGING TO ALL SNOW BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

THE GREATEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... WHERE AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 12 INCHES WILL BE LIKELY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF 3/4 INCH ARE LIKELY ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

THE SNOW WILL END DURING WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT WINDS WILL INCREASE BEGINNING LATE TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM DEEPENS ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS WELL AS AN INCREASED RISK OF DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES DUE TO THE ICE ACCUMULATION WILL LAST INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

Slow Saturday

Today has been a perfect Saturday before school starts for the semester.  I met with one of the women from church for breakfast and Bible study.  Our time this morning was one of the best I think we have had yet.  Our conversation was more real and we were both able to share about our lives.
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon cleaning the apartment and hanging out with one of my roomies.  As exciting as that may sound to you, I loved it.  We don't get quality time together often so today was special.  Plus, who doesn't love a clean house?!
After cleaning and talking and a little bit of putt-zing around we ventured off to Winslow's Home for a snack and conversation.  Really, my lunch was a brownie, a goat cheese cookie (you must try one), and coffee.  The company, conversation, and food were fantastic.  We spent three hours eating, drinking, and chatting.  I highly recommend a slow Saturday, especially if it involves good conversation and a goat cheese cookie! 

Jan Term

Jan term started right after the new year and I have spent my month enjoying life here in STL!  We also got a good bit of snow here though it doesn't have quite the same effects as it does in the south.  Covenant did delay the opening of school by an hour to allow for the clearing of roads one morning.  Too bad it didn't impact any class I was taking!

 The first picture doesn't do it justice but it is a long way up the hill without snow.  Put snow on the ground, snow boots, and pull a sled with a small child behind you up the hill and you have a killer workout!  After getting cold enough we all came home for a warm lunch and to curl up under some blankets!  It was a great first trip to Art Hill!

One snowy day I adventured out with Rebecca and her kids to sled at Art Hill.  Art Hill is in Forest Park.  The hill is huge and people from all over town come to sled on snow days.  They put hay bales at the foot of the hill to stop people from running in to the pond at the very bottom!  It was cold and windy but my hot hands did their job and we had a blast!

Just in case

You have been living under a rock...Auburn WON the National Championship!!! War Damn Eagle!!

No, I didn't get to go to Glendale. No, I didn't get to go to Auburn.  I had my sweet Auburn family here in frozen STL to watch the game with.  It was a great night of food, fellowship and an amazing game!

So excited that we have bragging rights for the next year!

Sara Groves

I love some Sara Groves.  She speaks truth in her lyrics and I have spent A LOT of time listening to her over the past year and a half.   Different songs hit home at different times depending on the week or the day.  This one though, Something Changed, speaks to my past year at Covenant.  A lot happened during 2010.  There was a lot of personal and spiritual growth.  God became so much bigger to me.  I have felt the tension of living in the "already-not-yet" in a way I have never felt it before.  "Already-not-yet" meaning we live between the ages. We live in the time post Christ coming and redeeming us from our sins, but not being fully redeemed.  We feel the weight of the broken world we live in.  We also long and hope for Christ's return in which he will renew all things.

The Lord is still working on those walls around my heart but he has definitely broken them down.  I'm sure 2011 holds another year full of the Lord working in my heart.

Something Changed By Sara Groves
Something changed inside me broke wide open all spilled out Till I had no doubt that something changed Never would have believed it till I felt it in my own heart In the deepest part the healing came And I cannot make it And I cannot fake it And I can't afford it But it's mine Something so amazing in a heart so dark and dim When a wall falls down and the light comes in And I cannot make it And I cannot fake it And I can't afford it But it's mine

2010 in a few pictures...

Nashville trip

New Year's day the ladies and I made a quick trip to Nashville before we all had to start back at work and school for the New Year.  Katherine, Emily, Laura and I had a fabulous girls night hanging out, eating, drinking and laughing!

 We had a great dinner at Pie in the Sky Pizza and then headed out to Opryland hotel to walk around and have some dessert and coffee.  I don't know why  I think I can drink coffee at night, even if it is only 1/2 caffeinated because I was still up all night!  These ladies are such a blessing to hang out with.  I loved our time together and so glad we were able to squeeze in a trip before the New Year got under way.  Thanks for such a fun trip!