"please, just come back home,
and don't say that you're sorry
and i won't say i told you so."

i told you so, keith urban

i can't believe that thanksgiving is next week. every year, i'm done with christmas shopping by thanksgiving because i hate and i mean hate the christmas crowds.

the day after thanksgiving, my mom and all of her sisters (she's one of 12 kids, 7 girls and 5 boys) and all of my cousins that are over 16 go downtown chicago to go shopping. i don't know how many of you have been to chicago around the holidays, but i guess it's like your regular mall except outdoor (which in chicago means 20 degrees and wind chill of -15) and the number of people is unbelievable. you can barely squeeze by people on the sidewalk. sounds like fun, right?

the only thing that redeems it for me is that we have lunch under the tree at macy's, which is formerly fields. they have this giant three story tree that they decorate with a different theme each year, swarovski crystals, nutcracker etc. it's inside of macy's and it's a chicago tradition to eat lunch under the tree (and lunch is, like everything else in the city, horribly overpriced). i am like a little kid when we go there. there is really nothing better to get me into the christmas spirit. there's christmas music and family is around . . . hot apple cider and coffee with bailey's. . . *shrugs* the older that i get the more i don't mind the crowds as much as long as i can have that special time with my family. i miss them so much!