Chasing Sweet and Simple: Trip Home to Chicago!

We didn't have a chance to get back to Chicago over the holidays this year (well last year I guess it is now..) because of Manny's football schedule and it being my year to work Christmas day. So it worked out for us to go home for the New Year and most importantly to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday on December 30th. This was something my siblings and I have looked forward to since my dad caught us telling someone he was "almost 50" when he was actually in his early 40's! It was so fun to be together as a family and to celebrate a very special person in our lives.

My trips home (or anywhere to see my family) are never long enough and always end with tear-filled plane rides home, and this trip was no exception! We packed a lot into a week-celebrating a late Christmas, Luke's basketball tournament, a 50th birthday celebration, a trip downtown Chicago...and hitting up all our favorite pizza places in the area- Giordanos, Gino's East, and Lou Malnati's- yes all three...multiple times! So minus all the eating we did, the few extra pounds that came home to california with me, and the highly anticipated snow that we didn't have...here is our trip home to Chicago!

Celebrating Christmas together! These 2 (my 14 month old nephew and my grandma) were the most fun to watch open their stockings! They were so excited about each thing they opened!