Dexter, Missouri - Everyone wishes for a white Christmas and this year was no exception.  By 6 pm Christmas evening the Heartland was beginning to see some precipitation in the form of sleet and snow.  Within just a few hours some folks were reporting the ground to be covered with a white glaze of sparkling snow.  By morning most of the Heartland had five to eight inches of snow on the ground with snow drifts from three to four feet.

Southeast Missouri has never been known for its snow, there have many years we did not see any of the "white stuff".  If we did, it mostly would not have amounted to anything more than a light dusting.  Students were already out for the holiday break so no huddling around the tv to watch the news in anticipation of school letting out.  The real question most children wanted to know was "how much?"  Will it be enough to build a snowman or a snow fort?  Can we ride the 4-wheeler?  Can I go outside and play?

For Landon King, a kindergarten student from Paducah, Kentucky, he saw his first real snowfall.  What memories he will have of eating his first snowball and making his first snow angel!  Children of all ages were outside yesterday throwing snowballs, building snowmen, riding 4-wheelers, slipping and sliding down hills and falling into the snowdrifts.  What fun it was to watch them playing, laughing and having a great time just running around in the beautiful white blanket of snow!

Even college students like Lauren Dudley, a Freshman at the University of Arkansas, Jonesboro played in the snow.  She was was home for the holidays spending time with her family.  Instead of after holiday shopping, she took pleasure in building her very first snowman.  With a carrot nose and some coal for eyes her little snowman was cute as it could be. Some folks went all out with building of their snowmen, with scarves, mittens, coal buttons and eyes and even a corncob pipe. The Blizzard of 2012 will last in the memories of many and it was a day filled with much fun for the young and old.