philadelphia freedom.

i am unbelievably tired.

it sort of feels like christmas didn't happen. and i think i have managed to figure out why. the first reason is: i worked christmas morning. it sucked. not being a christmas person... i didn't think it would bug me that much. make good money with overtime, work a few hours, and be on with it. but... dragging myself out of bed at 4:30 after not being able to sleep (i'm sure due to caffeine in my system), showering, dressing, and going down to the station. it was dark. i was the only person here. it was just a bummed out feeling. at 9 tyler came to hang out with me and brought starbucks - which definitely helped me not be so bummed.

that was followed by a trip to the krusel household (tyler's mom's married name). it was pleasant. gifts were exchanged. his parents are always very generous. tyler and i each received a hoodie (which we both asked for - his was lined... so nice and warm), and $200 in those prepaid visa card things. and a stocking full of little goodies. all his siblings waited until i was done work to gather there too - which i didn't think was happening... so that was a nice surprised. only his step brother ryan, the youngest, wasn't there. he had to work till 2. i felt bad for him... because i know how it feels. tyler and i got a board game from his step brother chris and his girlfriend kendra. we're pretty into games. i can't wait to have a game night and play it!! it looks really fun.

at around 1 we took off and went to my mom's. well... as soon as we were in the truck to go to my mom's, i realized that we forgot to stop at the bank and get the cash for andrew's present. tyler was REALLY grumpy about the prospect of having to drive all the way into town to go to the bank. and then he realized that he left his phone at his mom's, and we had to stop back there too - which just made him more grumpy. haha. so i managed to convince him to just stop at the 7-11 so i could use the atm, and then it was a nice loop to go to his mom's and get his phone too.

we got to my mom's and rushed her off the phone. everyone gathered in the living room to open the gifts from us (i guess the gift opening in the morning was over very very quickly). i always get really excited to see people open the gifts i get them. its the best part. tyler and i got dean a sweater (a cashmere blend sweater in charcoal grey). i got rhiannon these purple leggings that have markings on them to try and make them look like jeans - we saw them when shopping at winners and my mom distracted her so i could make the purchase. she promptly put them on. tyler got her a book which she was excited to start reading (books are always a hit with rhiannon). my mom opened her present from tyler on christmas eve - they were really soft fleece pajama pants - blue with multicoloured peace signs on them, which tyler found amusing. i also got her a cashmere sweater. i think it was %100 cashmere though. in a beautiful deep red colour. it fit perfectly and looks really good on her. and andrew, as i mentioned before... got the money he asked for for his snowboard. i think he made a pretty good haul between everyone, actually. tyler got some felted slippers from my mom, which he was quite happy about. a case of beer from dean - which has become the traditional gift from dean to tyler i think. andrew got him a lamp - which he opened christmas eve. and rhiannon made us a mirror thing with some coloured glass and stuff around it (its hard to describe... i'll take a picture, its really cool! and she made it herself... best part).

and here is the second reason i don't think it felt like christmas. i didn't actually get a lot of gifts. NOT that i am complaining - i get to shopping and get some fabulous things i never would have been able to afford before. my mom's present to me isn't finished yet, but i saw the work in progress and i am really excited about it. it is this scarf/cowl/hood thing in a really nice dark eggplant purple. my friend kelsey has one that she wore over once, and i loved it. so i told my mom, and got kelsey to take pictures of it, and i forwarded those on to my mom... and voila. something that kelsey paid A LOT of money for... made for me!... but i haven't got it yet. there was this hat i spotted at a really cool jewellery/accessory store in town called blackbird (they have really cool vintage and reworked stuff) - it was felt, white, and kind of 30's esque in shape and style with a red felt rose on the side. it was gone when andrew and dean went to go get it for me, so i got a $40 gift card for blackbird. i can't wait until i have time to go in there and pick something! there are about a million things in that store that i would love to own. and tyler ALSO went to go get me that same hat from blackbird, like the day after i had seen it even, and it was already gone (which really bums me out... i fell instantly in love with that hat) and so he got me another hat... which... well even if i DID want to wear it... it doesn't fit my head (on a positive note, megan saw it last night and she thinks it is beautiful and can't believe i don't want to wear it every day). tyler's dad and step mom sent us some gifts too. tyler and i each got a card with $100 in it (handy to get a $100 bill... which we conveniently still had to give andrew for his birthday present). i also got a couple other things... which i won't talk about. they weren't really my thing.

so that is that... maybe it will feel more like christmas after i make a shopping trip?

my earrings were well received by everyone i gifted them to - which makes me very excited. anyone want a pair? send me an e-mail (eryn.kleyh@gmail.com) with your address and i will get some in the mail to you as soon as i get the little parts the lady at the bead store ordered for me (also... i ordered a whole bunch of BEAUTIFUL feathers from etsy yesterday - thanks prepaid visa card gift). the only catch is that you have to tell everyone who comments on them about my etsy store. hahahahaha. maybe i should make up some business cards and send them along with the earrings? what do you think?