Merry Christmas!

Whew. Long day of post-Christmas shopping done and gone, thank the Lord. My Mom and I decided that 10:30am was soon enough to get to OakBrook mall; good thing, too, since the mall was a complete madhouse when we left at 2:30pm. Moral of story: never go to the mall on the day after Christmas after 2pm. You won't come out alive.

Recap of Christmas Eve/Christmas Day:

--Enjoyed a long day of cleaning and cooking to prepare for dinner with the cousins and Uncle Jack (Dad's uncle).

--Ran random errands for Mom at the last minute.

--Feasted on peppercorn beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes (among many other delicious dishes) for Christmas Eve dinner, served by Mother L. Job well done.

--Went to church with the cousins and Jack.

--Opened presents the next morning with immediate family.

--Ate breakfast: waffles, bacon, fried potatoes. Yurrrrm.

--Took Xmas nap.

--Saw "Marley and Me" with the Jaderholms, cried like a baby.

--Went to sleep happy to have a young and healthy puppy.

Needless to say, it was a great couple of days. I've actually really enjoyed having Uncle Jack around, too--not that I wasn't looking forward to having him, I just wasn't sure how I'd feel about having a guest in our house for two weeks. His jokes and snacks around the house have been quite fun. :) I exchanged some stuff I got yesterday morning for some really great "layering pieces" (as my Mom loves to say), and I'm feeling very lucky that I found so many good deals today. Best deal of the day:

The bridesmaid dress for my roommate Lama's wedding. Ralph Lauren, bought at Macy's. Down almost 60% of the original price. I was seriously wondering if God sent me to find that deal today. It's possible.

Favorite (can I actually choose one?) thing I received on Christmas morning:

Funny thing is, I've been trying to wear my hair like hers for weeks. Can't manage to get it to obey like that. Sweater's cute though, even if my hair has major static issues.

Whatever.

Merry Christmas!