Random Happenings

This past week I returned to Philly after the Thanksgiving holiday. I had a great time at home catching up with my family and seeing some of my old friends. I have so much to be thankful for this year and continue to be so blessed. As always returning to Philly was bittersweet, on one hand I was excited to see Joe and my friends and on another sad to leave my family... and so continues the dilemma of all of the things I love being torn between two cities. I hope someday I will be able to figure out where I really want to be, but for now, I am just taking the 'wait and see' approach as a few key elements continue to unfold... Anyways, I digress. 

After another unexciting week of work and housework.. I was ready for another weekend. I bought Joe an Ipad for Christmas and was so thrilled when it had come in the mail on Thursday. I wrapped it up in an abnormally large box for an ipad to throw him off and hid it away. I spent all day Friday convincing him that I had bought him a ski helmet for Christmas for our trip to Utah. He did not want a ski helmet, but I have been saying its a good idea for skiing out west. He would have been disappointed with that gift. I lasted until Saturday afternoon, when I caved and gave him his Ipad as an early Christmas present. I know, I know.. its December 4th, but patience has never been my virtue and I love giving gifts probably more then I like getting them. Now I know why Oprah got a "high" off of her favorite things show! Its really fun giving people expensive things. We spent a few hours on Saturday messing around with it, it is so addicting. I am very excited because I also will be getting one from my mom for Christmas. Ipads for everyone! hahah. 

To thank me for being such a wonderful girlfriend, Joe took me to the Christmas village at Love Park in Philadelphia. We shopped around to all of the different Christmas stands and ate and drank our way through the village. After the Christmas Village, we made a brief stop at Macy's to see their annual light show. After that, we stopped and got a drink at R2L at the top of the Liberty Two building in center city. From the restaurant you can see the whole skyline on a clear night, it was beautiful. After that we went to Vintage, a wine bar that I had been previously last year for a wine and food pairing class. Our meal was great, and we were able to be seated right away which was good because by that point we had done a ton of walking!

Today we relaxed for most of the day, then Joe's parents stopped by on their way back from KOP mall. I had brought them back some Abbott's, so I am glad we were able to get together so I could give it to them. We went out for a nice dinner, and they stopped by after to see my Christmas lights and retrieve their ice cream. 

All and all, a great weekend. Looking forward to more Christmas celebrations in the coming weeks. In a week, Joe and I will celebrate our THREE YEAR anniversary. Time is really starting to fly lately. I have made it my goal for December to really try and enjoy today, here and now. Because soon, today will be yesterday... I have spent a lot of this year worried about the future. For now, I am just letting it go and enjoying all the season has to offer. xoxo

"For me, that year Christmas stopped being about tinsel and wrapping paper, and started being about memory. At first I was disappointed. Until I learned that memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you wish to never lose. And I learned from Winnie, that in a world that changes too fast, the best we can do is wish each other Merry Christmas." - The Wonder Years