Food, friends, and family

So I feel bad posting a downer post after my Thankful Thanksgiving post, but it has been a long few weeks.  Thanksgiving was good - after working Wed night, spending Thursday with my in-laws, working Thurs night, going to the NE/IA game with Brendan Friday, hanging out with my sis/BIL/niece Friday night, working Saturday, I was sure ready for a vacation!!

Even the dogs were tired! (Maggie, my niece-dog, and Wrigs)

Brendan had a conference in Chicago, so we packed up and headed out Sunday after Thanksgiving for Chicago.  We spent 3 nights at a nice hotel right downtown Chicago.  It was really, really nice.

View of the festive buildings from the corner by our hotel

We took full advantage of our lack of responsibilities... (luckily we have good friends in IC who were willing to watch Wrigley)

Wrigs hanging out on Tucker's dog bed - he's a bit bigger than her! 

I wandered around and shopped ALLLLLL day (x 2.5 days :) - I wish I could say I did my Christmas shopping, but I did not.  I shopped all for me.  I came out of the mini-vacation with a new pair of black boots, some new MAC make-up, a couple of dresses, and multiple new shirts.  I now am exclusively wearing leggings/jeggings/skinny jeans with knee high boots and some form of loose fitting or long shirt!  Brendan attended his conference during the day and then we went out for a few fabulous (and I will admit rather fabulously $$$ once we drank our way through a few bottles of wine) dinners.  We ate at The Purple Pig, which was amazing.

I enjoyed some fabulous Spanish wine and pined for my days inn Espana with mi amiga Laura... (we will go back some day!) enjoying manchego and Ribera del duero.  Also had a phenomenal French wine I wish I had written down the name of.  We also had some phenomenal meats and cheeses and tried bone marrow for the first time! (B has a photo of that, which I wish I had to insert here).  I finished off with a braised pork shoulder, which was to die for (literally I almost did die i was sooooo full!).  The next day I did more shopping but took a break for a bocadillo i also wish I had a pic of (for Laura's sake - it had jamon serrano, manchego, y membrillo!!).  And then hung out at a coffee shop for a bit to do a few work things and enjoy this...

Didn't taste quite as good as it looks, but I am sort of a coffee snob... 

Then we met up with some friends who live in Chicago and who always show us a good time with great wine and great food!  We started with drinks at the rooftop bar at our hotel.  Then we headed to Avec for some French food!  We also enjoyed this...

Then ate some of these... (ok, I'd tell you what they are, but I don't remember-just that they were DELICIOUS!) as well as a bunch more delicious things...

 And finally had some dessert as well as a bottle of this...

 When you're walking or cabbing it home there's just no reason NOT to!!! (Told you we were enjoying the lack of responsibility :) lol... It was such a great time, and it was so nice to hang out with brendan.  Sadly our pocketbook felt the strain, but it was fun, and worth it in the end!

To completely change tone, unfortunately while I was in Chicago (as some of you know) my Grandpa passed away.  Luckily Brendan and I both had the weekend off following our time in Chicago, so we were easily able to go back for the funeral and to spend time with my family.  It was a really wonderful service honoring a wonderful person.  If there's good to be found in a time like this it is things like spending time with this girl...

 ALL of my family was back.  Which means that sitting in Grandma's kitchen looked about like this...

There were at least 14 people in the kitchen at this point. I think there were 38 of us total... 

We also had classy drinks like this...

sometimes you have to just chill things the old fashioned way 

 And even more time with this girl... (she had a mouth full of, and covered with, chocolate :)

So all in all it was a nice weekend spent with a lot of great family.  Alright, well there is more to say, but I'm exhausted (probably bc it's midnight!) and I think this post has been long enough already!  In the next post - chronically our Christmas tree!  I hope you aren't kept awake with excitement!! :)