The Home Stretch....4 Days 'Til TX

It's been an exciting week! Kyle's been studying for finals and I've been working hard to get things wrapped up at work before I am gone for almost 2 weeks! This is gonna be great! I can't wait to be home.

Kyle and I tried out a new restaurant on Friday night called Monticelli. It was pretty good. Then we went to (where else!) the Ritz Carlton for our usual favorite...a brownie sundae dessert. Yuuum. On our way to the RC we witnessed a strange sight. Remember, it is about 8:30 at night as we head to the RC and we kept hearing people yell things from all different directions. We then realized there were people in groups of 3 or 4 running along the sidewalks who were doing the yelling (couldn't really tell what exactly they were saying). However they didn't really look or were dressed like professional runners. And it wasn't just one rogue group because we saw several of these groups of "runners" pass. Some were wearing Santa hats or Christmas-y attire. Then from behind us we heard jingling...like jingle bells on a reindeer and then WHOOSH a slightly round man with a reindeer headband jogged by with a jingle bell belt on so with each step he took he sounded (and looked) like a reindeer. It was weird. Kyle noticed it was a full moon out. Somehow we were trapped with the crazies on Walnut Street.

But we safely made it to the RC. We people-watched and had a nice evening of conversation and enjoyed the big Christmas tree in the atrium. It's sad to think that when we come back to Philly Christmas will be over and the winter will be in full force. We've been warned that (weather-wise) it gets much worse here . YIKES!

Today I volunteered in the nursery at church and played with the kids. They're so cute. We had this one little girl, Kennedy, who looked and acted like an 80 year old woman in a 2 year old body. It was hilarious. When her 4 year old cousin arrived in the room looking skeptical because she doesn't normally stay in the nursery Kennedy walked up, stood right in front of her and put her little hands on the cousin's shoulders, rubbing them up and down as if to comfort her and said "dear, dear!" (or maybe she was saying "there, there"?) and then gave her a gentle hug like a little old mother would do. What a riot! She is an old soul in that little baby body.

Well, it's off to start packing tonight. I'll be in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday and then we leave early Thursday morning.....So I've got to get my packing done tonight!