Hey Everyone! First off let me apologize for not emailing yesterday, we had a huge blizzard and everything closed down (including the library) so we had no way to email. Thankfully the blizzard is over so i get to email!!! Yay!!

Here's me Top 5 from this Week :)

1. SINGLE ADULT DINNER: So we went to this Chinese buffet ( because there are a million of them in Iowa) with the single adults from the ward. Not like young single adults, like young at heart single adults. It was super fun. We ate too much food and had some really great conversations and laughed a lot. Basically it was a fantastic night!

2. EXCHANGES: This week we had exchanges with the STL's in Boone. It was awesome! I went to Boone with Sister Skaggs and our comps stayed in Webster. We had a lot of fun together! We went knocking most of the time and stopped to throw rocks in a frozen pond. Then we visited a member and her 40 year old son that lives with her was totally drunk and oh my lanta did he make for some interesting entertainment. He gave us carmel popcorn which was delicious and we talked a lot and...it was a very interesting evening. The next morning after studies we went to do service at this tiny bookstore and it was the greatest thing in the whole wide world because......they had 2 huge fluffy white cats just walking around. They're like the store pets! It was so fun! We got to clean the store and play with the cutest cats ever!! Then we went to Pizza Ranch for lunch and oh yeah we taught this man that called us and said he wanted to learn. So we find out that the missionaries have been teaching him for a couple years. He is bipolar schizophrenic and has been trying to decide between Mormonism and Islam. Totally opposite but ok. It was a really good lesson, we'll see what happens. 

3.CHRISTMAS EVE: Oh man this was a good day! We had district meeting and we had a potluck lunch with a roast and mashed potatoes/gravy and pasta salad and of course lots of treats. It was delicious!! Oh and the best part was we did throw-up Thursday meaning we wore the most mismatched, ugly, whatever crime against fashion you could think of. It was awfully awesome! We looked nasty. Then we went and talked to people in random places and all that good stuff. Then we had dinner with our bishops family and some of his family friends. It was fantastic! We had lots of food and treats and ok so in Iowa they eat loose meat hamburgers. Its like a regular hamburger but the meat is loose ground meat instead of a patty. Its weird but good. Then we played games and played music and dressed up and did a nativity thing. Fabulous night!! 

4.CHRISTMAS!: Best Christmas ever!! So first we went to Bro. Fortunes house and had breakfast with him and his family (waffles for the win!) and opened presents. Then we went to the Bairs house and played with their kids for a while and then we skyped our families and it was the greatest hour ever! Yes,Yes, Yes it was awesome!! After that we played with the Bair kids for a little longer and went and got our windsheild wipers replaced. Fun fun. But we got to talk to this really cool guy that basically just needed someone to talk to so it was fantastic. Then, to end our day we had dinner with the Nelson family! They are a young couple with a 16 month old and her parents were there too. I danced with the 16 month old for a while and had a grand old time. For dinner we had the traditional ham and green beans and rolls and potatoes and such. Delicious!! It was a fantabulous Christmas!!!!! 

5. BLIZZARD: So we had a blizzard. We went from no snow to ten inches in one day, Joy. It was crazy cause it was p-day so we had to go out and get groceries and stuff like that so we did and Hermana Smith is a very good winter driver. We went to this cutsie little restaurant with a member , Bro. Loffredo, and had a fabulous lunch getting to know him. Then we went to the store and got food and then the blizzard was getting bad so we went back inside for the rest of p-day and that night we had to go see people so we venture out and its still blizzarding and our car in totally stuck. So we shovel around it and I'm pushing while Hna. Smith is trying to go and this guy stops and helps us get it unstuck. Then we go down the road a couple blocks and its crazy outside but we keep going and then we get stuck again. So i get out and push some more and another guy comes and helps us out. Basically we have given up so we went to the nearby McDonalds and got McFlurrys and mozzarella sticks. It was a....interesting night for missionary work. 

Well everyone that's all for now. As always, I LOVE AND MISS YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!!! 

xoxoxoxo Hermana Rice

Throw-Up Thurs. District pic

Nativity! 

Cozy with pajamas and hot chocolate during the blizzard :)

This is the beginning of the blizzard. Iowa!