Well, the eyes say, "OH MY HEAVENS! This is HUGE!" When our server brought out the Flat Tire Sundae, I thought, "Yup, that is going to take a while to down... but every bite is going to be worth it." I was not disappointed. I loved every bite.... and by every bite, I mean there were several... this thing is huge. Definitely something to share.
So what do the taste buds say? Yummy all the way to the end! The brownie was warm and gooey and fudgey. It was very rich and it tasted like there were bits of chocolate in the brownie, which made it even more yummy. The yummy brownie was topped with lots of light whipped cream, some chocolate syrup and some ice cream that had melted just enough from the warm brownie.... a perfect blend of goodness!
This is seriously worth a drive out to Sheldon, IA for a taste of goodness.
I give it 5 scoops of ice cream AND I add it to my list of top 5 brownies! Now the hard choice of who is going to get moved down... or do I have a tie?
The Story Behind the Brownie a la mode....
Iowa has a special place in my heart.
This particular dinner experience is only a part of my visit. Let me start with dinner and then I will share my love for Iowa, the people of Iowa and how it has made me who I am today.
Dinner. This time I was out in Iowa for work. The night of this goodness brownie I was at dinner with Sara and Christi. Christi had helped me out tremendously in preparations for my trip and had put in several hours to make it a success for me and the participants in the class. Sara is just a joy to work with and has helped me out so much on several other projects. I feel very blessed to work so closely with this part of our business and to get to work with such good people. I love my job and the people I work with. That was a delightful dinner... thank you ladies for joining me and sharing this brownie with me!
Love for Iowa. I don't share too much about myself in this blog in regard to things in my past. I try to keep to just the stories, but Iowa is a big part of me, so I will get personal.... sorry, it's my blog. :) In May of 1999 I was called to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and to serve in the Iowa, Des Monies Mission, which covered all of Iowa. I served in Iowa from September 1999 - February 2001. Those 18 months were the best years for my life. For 18 months, all I had to worry about was teaching people about Jesus Christ, His Plan for each of us, His love for each of us as His children, and serve them. What a blessing and honor I had to serve my Savior Jesus Christ. I got to see so much joy come into people's lives as they shared their testimonies of Christ.... both those that are members of the LDS church and those that are not. It was so wonderful to have discussions with all faiths regarding their love of the Savior and how He has blessed their lives.
I served in Ames for 7.5 months, went to Cedar Rapids for 9 months and then completed my mission in Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.
This trip I was able to visit Ames and as I drove through the town, there was a special feeling. So many memories rushed back to my remembrance. I was humbled to have served there and grateful to feel that Spirit again.
Love for the people. As I travel through Iowa for work, that same feeling follows me. I love the people in Iowa. They are good-hard working people.
I can not write about all the people I love in Iowa... it would be an extremely long blog entry, but I will say this, the people I met in Iowa have made a lasting impression on my life and have helped me be the person I am today. I can not name them all, because I would be here forever... but because of the example they set of love, service, and happiness, I have tried to emulate those same things in my life. Because of them, hopefully other people all the way in Texas and where ever I contact people are benefiting from their example.
I remember how Susan and Janell would always be available for us if we needed anything. I remember when Susan wasn't feeling well, she still took me to the hospital when I was sick. I remember Janell driving us back and forth from Nevada and Ames when we didn't have a car and it was out of her way. I remember Allison and Jessica and Liz decorating my door for my birthday to make me feel special. I remember the countless appointments the sisters in the area would come on with us, even though they had busy lives. I remember Shannon always being excited to see us and have us in their home. I remember Mona bringing us food and saying, "It's the end of the month and you are probably almost of of money." I remember the Johnson family always looking for opportunities to share the gospel with their friends and every time we would go over they would all stop what they were doing and talk to the missionaries. Cary would always invite us to dinner and support us in the sisters we were visiting. I could go on and on and on.... I am so grateful for the examples of love I was shown while in Iowa.
I haven't even started on my companions. These amazing sisters I had the opportunity to serve with are some of my dearest friends. I truly love them. They are special daughters of God and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to boldly stand and testify of Jesus Christ and serve side by side with them. With these sisters I cried, I laughed, I saw miracles, I fell asleep during morning scriptures study and made up words to try and cover up that I wasn't asleep, I served, I walked through snow up to my knees, I made snow angles, had snow ball fights, invited people to come unto Christ, sang hymns, read Christmas cards to a blind man, painted houses, knocked on doors, prayed for others, prayed for them, read the scriptures, witnessed answers to prayers, testified of Christ, and witnessed several people enter into the waters of baptism and come unto Christ. I could go into details about each, but that could be a completely separate blog in and of itself. I love these sisters.
I don't know if all of these people will truly ever know how much they have influenced my life and how much I love them. But, I do.
So that is why Iowa is important to me... it's more than just corn fields, it's a place of growth and I am so grateful I was called to serve there and meet the people I met.
Thank you for letting me share something so personal to me.
