reason #3,204.

I love my mom for so many reasons. Here's one of them:

Upon leaving my parents' house on Christmas night to return home to my apartment, I thanked my parents again for their sweet gifts, especially the $50 gift card to Giant Eagle (a local grocery store chain). Accompanying said gift card was a note, in which my mother wrote that I could "use this gift card to buy another gift card for another store" (because Giant Eagle sells hundreds of other retailers' gift cards) "and get something I really want".

Her response to my expression of appreciation for said gift card?

"Don't spend it on vegetables, okay, Honey?"

And she was serious.

I love my mom.

with love from Pittsburgh,

Laura