Christmas Downtown

Every year since I was 16 or 17 I have gone downtown with friends of the family. Kailey (16-on the left) was a Junior Bridesmaid in our wedding. She is hard of hearing. I met her when she was 3 and she got me into sign language and deaf education. We have just grown closer over the years! Kailey's Aunt Robin, my friend, and her sister Linsey and I are the usual crew. Her older brother used to go, but now he is too cool for us.

Every year we go downtown and eat in the Walnut Room, shop in Macy's (Formerly Field's), look at the windows and just have fun. One year we waited NINE hours for the Walnut Room. It is much more reasonable now.

We take the El down, so this is our classic waiting for the El picture.

Me and the girls in front of the tree outside.

The tree used to be made up of many little Christmas trees put together, but now it is one HUGE tree!

The tree inside the Walnut Room. It was really pretty!

From the viewing window on the floor above.

The tree from our seats at our table. And we only waited about 30 minutes for lunch??? It was crazy. We waited 10 minutes to get a pager, 15 minutes for it to go off (when they said 60) and then 5 minutes in line to get seated. I should have bought a lottery ticket!

I took advantage of getting a wish from the fairy in the Walnut Room.

My DELICIOUS meal. Butternut squash tortellaci! Yum!

When the waiter brought Linsey's food and said, "Here is your applesauce", we both burst out laughing. Seriously??? A tablespoon of applesauce??? What if she had picked the fries? Would she have gotten 3 or 4!?

Kailey and I split the Frango mint ice cream pie every year for the last couple years and BOY IS IT YUMMY! That is one dessert I eat no matter how full I am!

Yum!

After that, we headed outside to look at the windows. This year they were a cute story of believing in Santa Claus.

This is how I looked outside looking at the windows.
I hate the cold.
I'm not ashamed of bundling up.
Though I could use a cuter headband.
Hmmm....maybe I could knit one of those ones that is wide in front and skinnier and buttons in the back...? Or maybe Target has them.

So that is one of my Christmas traditions. Does anyone else do the Macy's thing for a Christmas tradition? What other Christmas traditions do you have?