Omaha

We just got back from a long weekend trip to Omaha. I had a celiac conference that I was attending, and Scott and the boys came along to go to the zoo, which we had heard was one of the best in the country.

The boys have been talking about this for some time, and were not disappointed. I'll have Scott blog about the time at the zoo, since I was in the conference at that time. But I can talk about the other things that happened.

The drive from KC to Omaha is a bit over 3 hours, through some lovely country, believe it or not. I find northwestern Missouri absolutely charming. The interstate travels along the floodplain of the Missouri, between the river and the bluffs that rise outside the path of the river. The hills were rocky and rolling, and in the midst of changing color. Every so often you saw a sweet red barn, technically in need of a paint job, but perfect in my view. Other things I saw: several McCain-Palin signs, a big "Trust Jesus" and "Choose Life" sign in the middle of a field, and a lovely cemetery on a green hillside that faces the western sun. I could be buried there, I think.

Halfway along the trip, we crossed into Iowa. Now, I've never spent much time in Iowa (never had a reason to!) Iowa seemed to be, well, Iowa. I was neither impressed nor unimpressed with it. I'm sure there is more to see, like the bridges and the rolling fields, Des Moines and all that. We came into Council Bluffs, IA, which is the twin city to Omaha across the Missouri (I was not aware of that until recently--the things you learn when you travel!). Omaha, overall, seemed okay. They had a really nice River Market area. But it is considerably smaller than KC, with a much different, more small town feel. Just for the record, I found Lincoln to be much prettier when we drove through it when moving, but it was summer then.

The conference was in an Embassy Suites in La Vista, a western suburb. The hotel was lovely--a cut above the places we usually stay (we got a deal with the conference). We had a suite, flat screen TV's, a slick bathroom, newspaper in the morning and a complimentary all-out hot buffet breakfast for everyone (GF for the conference, of course). Seth planted himself in a chair when we got there and declared, "I feel like a prince!" You are, baby.

I can't tell you how exciting it was to have a breakfast buffet that we didn't have to worry about for the boys' sake! The hotel did a very nice job, and the second day, Zac pushed back from the table and declared with his usual Zackiness, "That was the best breakfast I've had since I've been here." The boys (especially Seth) loved the Exhibition Hall because they had lots of food samples, mostly sweets and bread. Seth is looking forward to getting the free box of GF corn flakes that he made me sign up for.

It sounds weird, doesn't it, to be so excited about food? But that's how it is, this condition--it circumscribes your life in ways you can't imagine until eating GF becomes necessary. I had a mix of emotions at this conference--fear for our non-celiac family (and myself) because of the way this disease can mask itself completely for years while it does quiet damage, elation that Zac and Seth were diagnosed so quickly that their risk of complications is greatly reduced compared to most celiac adults, sadness to see many crippled, hunched, thin and sickly people there, but encouragement at the large number of very normal, healthy people there as well. One speaker talked about the blessing of a disability--how it makes you more dependent on God, more compassionate, more other-centered. How very true. And the boys aren't sick--no, it's just a condition for them, no more than hay fever is considered an illness. It affects us significantly, no doubt, but it has been a blessing in its own way, for all of us. And if this is the worst that ever happens to us, I'll take celiac, happily throw in across my shoulder and thank God that that's our burden. It is nothing compared to what so many suffer.

More on the zoo from Scott when he gets a chance.