Work holiday party

I was slightly dreading our annual Cartoon Network holiday party. It's always super fun, but as you may or may not know, work has been - how do I put this lightly - trying for me lately. So I wasn't sure I wanted to spend several hours trapped in a big room with all these people that I already have to see on average 40-50 hours a week.

But we went. And it was really fun! Honestly, I drank several Vodka Sprites and failed to sample much of the food, so I really can't tell you any distinctive highlights besides Josh carrying around a fake turkey and riding a giant tricycle through the dance floor (he is a bold one, isn't he?), but as always, there's pictorial memories:


Matt, Josh, Lori, Banks


Lori and I and drink #2?3?


Josh and Banks


Clint, Matt, me, Josh and aforementioned fake turkey


Josh and me


Lori, me, Grover


Grover and Ryan


Aww, TCS plus one - Paul, Lori, Lauri Clay, me, Matt Leho, and Petrika


Take 2


After party at the Independent - Lori and Banks


Melissa came and met us!

And here are the pictures from the photographer in the ... photography (?) area of the party ....


Jerome, me, Jon, and Josh - those guys were visiting from France


Matt, me, Drew, and Siobhan


Petrika, where are you??


We are one serious family!


Oh, haha, no we're not, we're hilarious!

Overall, a very fun night, and I'm glad I went. And glad I'm not working this week! Ha!

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We're engaged and that means we have parties

My parents threw us an engagement brunch party over Thanksgiving weekend in Philly. It was really nice. And of course, there was MORE family and MORE food. That's pretty much what the weekend was about. The whole thing was slightly overwhelming, but really sweet and great to have all those people together and wishing us well!

I don't have that many pictures of the actual party because I was busy saying hi to everyone and then bye to everyone (I seriously think that's all we did for 3 hours!), but here's a few and some I stole from Heather:


Bells on! (for Mom)


Chocolate chocolate cake - excellent! (We continued to eat this at every meal including breakfast the next couple of days.)


Lots of delectable delights


Omelette station


Thanks Mom and Dad - it was great!




Cutie!


Michael and Dad


Babies - eek!


Court, Erica, little Leah


High school girls plus additions


Last night - Tacconelli's pizza for Aunt Susan. This place is kinda crazy - it's a total dive in Fishtown, and you have to call in and reserve your dough. Once all the dough is reserved, they won't let anyone else make reservations for dinner. The white pizza is totally worth the trip though!


What's left after scarfing down 3 pizzas


Say pizza cheese!


Happy and fat

Turkey (and Mac n Cheese!) Day

Thanksgiving this year, for the first year in as long as I can remember, was not at my mom's. It was at my Aunt Ilene's. And it was yummy (I actually ate some food because there was mac n cheese this year - thanks Aunt Sue!) and great and family-filled, but unfortunately, my great uncle was in the hospital, so it was less family filled than it should have been. From what I hear, he's doing better every day, so I'm giving thanks for that.

Josh and I had a great and exhausting trip up to Philly. I had been looking forward to a soft pretzel for weeks leading up this trip, and told Josh every day in the week before it, "5 days till soft pretzels," "4 days till soft pretzels," etc., you get the point. And then we get off the plane, and Jay's Pretzels stand is closed! What?! So Josh calms me down and says, don't worry, we'll get one on the way home. And my dad picks us up and we drive downtown to get my Aunt Susan from her hotel, stopping no less than 3 places on the way to get soft pretzels, including the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, and guess what - apparently pretzels are not made on Thanksgiving! It was traumatic. I mean, I think the Pilgrims totally would have chowed down on soft pretzels had they existed then. Anyway, I ate my fair share of squishy dough the rest of the trip, so it's all okay. But I really think holidays are no reason for no pretzels.

Here's some pics!


Thanksgiving night drinks - Aunt Susan, Jayme, me at the Ritz downtown - cool hotel because it's a converted bank (notice the columns in the back)


Jay and Clay


Cool bar at the Ritz


View of City Hall


My little Natalie - okay, Heather's little Natalie




Heather, Lou, and Natalie


She likes to get the whole family involved in the dance parties


Friday night dinner at Aunt Stevie and Uncle Roy's (Aren't they cute?)


Yum - lots of food!


All the redheads! Sami, me, and Robbie