Christmastime is Exhausting!

I won't bore you with all of the details of my Christmas vacation from work, but it was a busy one full of shuffling back and forth from Scranton to Mechanicsburg and from family to family. It was lots of fun and I was very depressed to head back to work today. 5:45 AM has never felt so early!

Here are some pictures that my Dad took of the church all decorated for Christmas. This is also what it will look like for the wedding:

The 12 Days of Christmas

This is hilarious:

Let's Play the Name Game!

I always think that names are very interesting. You're stuck with your first name for the rest of your life! And if you're a boy, you're stuck with your last name too. I mean who wants a crappy last name like Cianfichi for the rest of their life (just kidding!)?

I personally already have the names picked out for my future son and daughter, but I found the Top 10 Boys and Girls Names for 2008, from babycenter.com, so I thought I would share:

Girls:
10. Lily
9. Hailey
8. Addison
7. Madeline
6. Ava
5. Olivia
4. Isabella
3. Madison
2. Sophia
1. Emma

Boys:
10. Matthew
9. Logan
8. Jack
7. Noah
6. Jackson
5. Caden
4. Jacob
3. Ethan
2. Jayden
1. Aiden

I thought this paragraph of the article was also interesting:
"Among the hottest trends is a return to traditional names after several years of unique and unexpected choices climbing the list. Some of the fastest climbers were more classic choices, including Nathaniel (up 11 slots), Samuel (up 11 slots) and Oliver (up 13 spots) for boys. Traditional girls' names climbing the list include Victoria (up six spots), Charlotte (up 10 spots) and Sophie (up 15 spots)."

Sorry Carrie, I guess lots of other parents liked the name Charlotte too!

Rachel is still in the top 100, at #88! And Adam is #73.

What's your favorite name and why?

Wrap it Up!

Yesterday I went to the mall and finished my Christmas shopping! Yes, this will be the first year in many years that I will not be venturing out on Christmas Eve to buy a stray gift card or Bath and Body Works sampler. I AM DONE (the proof is my bank account!).

Last night, I decided that I would put on my Christmas IPOD mix, turn the Steelers vs. Ravens game on sans sound to see if Adam would make his TV debut (he went to the game) and wrap all of the presents that Adam and I bought for everyone.

I had just torn open my tube of cheerful ornament wrapping paper and had begun wrapping his parent's presents when I realized that I am a HORRIBLE wrapper. I know it's what's inside the package and who gives it to you that count, but I really wish my wrapped packages could have perfectly crisp corners and folds and adorable handmade bows. After a stressful hour and a half of wrapping, and trying to control the dog (who I discovered loves to eat wrapping paper, ribbon and price tags) I was fed up and shoved the last two presents into some random gift bags!

So, if you receive a package from me this year, please proceed to rip it open as fast as humanly possible and ignore the bulging corners, ragged scissor lines and awful end folds. I tried my best!

Deck the Halls! (Or the 1 Bedroom Apartment)

This year I made an attempt to "deck the halls" (or hall) in my little place in Baltimore with some Christmas decorations. Mom gave me a tree and a mini nativity scene and I created my holiday centerpiece and bought an inexpensive wreath for my door (because in Baltimore, it's dumb to spend too much money on something that will be hanging for all to see (and snatch!!)). Adam bought me two gorgeous poinsettias and I was all set.

After getting all of my Christmas paraphernalia situated and creating a Christmas playlist on my IPod, I realized that decorating and listening to seasonal music can really help with the Christmas spirit! Last year at this time, I was frantically studying for finals, job hunting and worrying about graduation. Now, it's crazy to look back on just how much has happened since then (but I'll save all that stuff for a New Year post). Here are some pictures of my newly-decorated place:


So put on some Manheim Steamroller or some Trans Siberian Orchestra and enjoy the holidays!

365 Days!

Everyone mark your calenders! The wedding is only 1 year away, and I can't WAIT!

Looking for a Christmas Gift for that Someone Special?

So I saw this on the news this evening and thought that the United States has hit an all-time low.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Planned Parenthood offering gift certificates

Anti-abortion groups condemn their sale

December 3, 2008

What do you get the person who has everything—except adequate health insurance? If you live in Indiana, consider this offering from the state's Planned Parenthood affiliate: gift certificates in $25 increments.

The vouchers, available online and at 35 clinics statewide, can be used for health services or contraceptives. And yes, they can be used to pay for abortions.

Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, characterizes the response to the gift certificates as "pretty robust, and generally very favorable."

She estimates that "about a dozen" certificates have sold since they became available Nov. 25. Planned Parenthood of Illinois plans to sell similar gift certificates starting Monday.

PPIN's move has enraged various anti-abortion organizations—Indiana Right to Life and the Indiana Family Institute among them. Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League and executive director of Stop Planned Parenthood, an anti-abortion group based in Stafford, Va., condemns the certificates as a continuation of Planned Parenthood's "annual attacks on the Christian community at Christmastime."

"We are talking about what can be done," Sedlak said. "Look, they [Planned Parenthood] could easily have said, 'these certificates are not to be used for abortions.' But they intentionally chose not to do that."

Those who criticize the gift certificates, said PPIN's Cockrum, are missing the forest for the trees. "We see 92,000 patients each year at Planned Parenthood of Indiana, and 5,000 of them opt for abortions," Cockrum said. "Ninety-five percent of what we do is provide basic health care."

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

Thanksgiving weekend was busy and full of both my family and Adam's family. Thursday, we had lunch Thanksgiving at Adam's, and dinner Thanksgiving at my house with everyone. It was fun, and this picture proves how big our family is becoming:

On Saturday night, the Cianfichi's and I headed over to Hershey so they could see the wedding reception site. I had hoped that it would be decorated for Christmas, but no such luck! We went to dinner and then walked around Hershey Park's Candy Lane:
Sunday we headed back to Baltimore, and yesterday it was back to the grind. Now, the countdown begins to Christmas!

On a completely unrelated note, what is the deal with rolling backpacks/briefcases? Today, I almost killed myself when a lady on the metro rolled her rolling briefcase right into my path. My mother has even told me that kindergartners have them....why does a 5-year-old even need any backpack period? Seriously, I think they should all be destroyed.