Christmas in Chicago...

Due to the blizzard that unleashed its fury on Iowa last week, the roadtrip I had planned to visit J's family in Chicago was postponed a day.  I was so thankful that J and his brother stopped to meet me on their way home to drive the rest of the way with me!!  I did not want to brave those wintry roads by myself!!

Saturday night was the first of J's family Christmas celebrations and the only one I was able to make.  I've said it before... I just love J's family.  They are warm, friendly, wonderful people with genuine hearts.  I always feel so comfortable when I'm with them.

We munched on goodies, I played with J's adorable youngest nephew, and I got to meet a few more of his family members.  The hosts of the Christmas party made spiked eggnog in the most hilarious Christmas Vacation moose mugs!!

Sorry for the iPhone shadow!!  :(  Oops.

After the party, J and I spent some time with his family at his parents' home.  It was so relaxing... Being inside from the cold, sipping red wine, and enjoying the glowing fire.  We exchanged gifts and were chatting... We were shocked when we finally realized it was nearly midnight!!

I wasn't quite ready to leave on Sunday, but I was a bit worried about the roads and the holiday traffic.  We usually celebrate Christmas Eve with a small group of my family, so I thought I probably should be home in time for the morning when I would need to help my mom with cooking.

On my way home from Chi-town I needed to stop at Walmart and Target... Santa needed a little help getting candy for the stockings!!  :)  Have you ever seen Walmart or Target 2 days before Christmas??  This was my reaction...

How beautiful is my hometown at Christmas?!