Christmas 2011 - At Home and Away!

Sophia and Jakers met Santa at Plaza Galerias. We even got to see Santa on Roller Skates (don't have a photo of that, but it was pretty cool!)


Christmas came quickly as it always does, and we were off to Minocqua in no time to celebrate with the fam! We made it a few days before Christmas and had time to help bake cookies and spend some time outside!



Dan, David, Korey and Jaxon came up, and we got a quick visit in with Grandma and then Grandpa!



We celebrated Jake AND Jaxon's first Christmas together! Surprisingly, we're all clean and showered on Christmas Eve - even with only two bathrooms for 10 people! Getting ready is one thing. Getting everyone to look at the camera and smile is another.





After church and dinner, Soph left her note for Santa (written by me but signed by Sophia herself). The questions had been on Soph's mind for weeks as Christmas drew near. She really hoped Santa would answer them!


As tradition would have it, the adults stayed up and exchanged white elephants! The 2011 White Elephant Winner? Korey's high school cheerleading plaque! I'm sure dad will enjoy it for years to come. Ha.


Later that night, Santa came! Seems like he spent a very, VERY long time organizing presents under the tree to make them all fit in the living room. Silly Santa.


The kiddos woke up in the morning, and presents, breakfast and more present-opening ensued. A few highlights from Under-the-Tree 2011:

Soph's Dora backpack!


And her makeup kit. Christmas quickly became a makeup party. The guys were such good sports and all looked really really pretty by the end of the day!





Jakers was thrilled crawling around and over the presents and got not one, but two walkers! But I think he had the most fun bumping around the exersaucer when Jax was inside!




A little downtime allowed for some actual playing with presents and playing around! We love our family!




The next day, everyone had to head back home and to work, and Soph and I did our own work putting together a gingerbread house! (That was really fun to do but fell apart about an hour later! Oh well!) Love you Soph!!! Merry Christmas!


Jakers was such a doll at his first Christmas! He was crawling everywhere and constantly smily - which is pretty much his nature. Just about everything makes him happy. And he looked so handsome in all his little winter clothes! Merry 1st Christmas Jakers!


Christmas Eve Day we flew our way back to Mexico and had our own family Christmas the next morning (in the sunshine)! Soph got a home-made vanity with all the fixins (and yes, that IS my bedhead she is about to make beautiful with bows and clips)!


And Jakers got an authentic Rayo McQueen (yes, that is Lightning McQueen's name in Spanish!) ride-on car. Which he loves. Not so much to ride, but to push around.


Merry Christmas little family!!! LOVE YOU!

Nina de la Semana!!!

On Friday when we picked Sophia up at school, we were told that she was chosen Girl of the Week based on her excellent behavior, attitude and participation! She had the assignment of pasting five pictures of her on a big piece of paper and bringing it to school this morning! (We, of course, added some pink glitter - sooo Soph!)


Congratulations Sophia! We are sooo proud of you!
Love, Mom and Dad

p.s. (Now perhaps we could work on excellent behavior and attitude at home.)

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas ...

As soon as the October and November holidays were over, we started to get ready for Christmas! We get our tree and decorate early on in December since we leave mid-month for Minocqua. We've got to get our tree time in!

Both kids were eager to help this year, and Sophia even snapped away on the camera to get a photo of the tree tied to the top of the car outside Costco!


Jake tried to help with the lights and the decorating while Sophia supervised and gave instructions (as usual).

Thanksgiving 2011

Last year we had our first big feast of a dinner and invited friends over to celebrate and share this tradition. This year, we were prepping for a wedding on Thanksgiving, so we didn't have time to handle all the bells and whistles, but we didn't let it go by uncelebrated either. Pablo, Sophia, Jake, Michelle and I ate Thanksgiving dinner quickly after wedding prep was done and before kids were ready for bed! (No time for photos. Oops!)

Sophia also had a Thanksgiving project at school and came home with this creation!

Tia Lala

Pablo's sister Claudia (otherwise known as Tia Lala) came to visit us in November for a few days! We walked the Malecon, went to Bucerias beach - pretty much played tourist with her for a weekend. (Unfortunately, we don't have great photos because we took them all on her camera and forgot to get them before she left!) So even if we don't have the proof in photos, we had so much fun and can't wait for her to visit again!




We also found out in the first weeks of November that Jake takes after Sophia in ways beyond their physical similarities. Soph is our beach bum, and it seems that Jakey is following in her footsteps!

Day of the Dead 2011

Pablo and I made a pact when our kids were born that we would do our best to instill in them elements of both of our cultures - including holidays! So the day after Halloween, we celebrate Day of the Dead. We set up our altar in remembrance of loved ones. While we find intricately-decorated and uber-complicated altars around town, ours is sweet, simple and special (due to the age group creating it!) and a way to teach our kids to take time to remember the people in our families who we loved and miss.


Flowers, photos, candles and pan de muertos - special sweet breads made for this day only! - adorn the altar.


Sophia can name everyone in the photos even though she's never met any of them - so if nothing else, this altar helps us keep the memory of our loved ones alive in our kids.




Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

Halloween 2011 - Cookies, Pumpkins, Fruit & a Burger

Despite it not being an official holiday in Mexico, Halloween has definitely gained popularity over the years!

We did some pre-Halloween prep: cookies!




Soph and Jake both turned up their noses at the pumpkin gook, and Pablo came to the rescue!





Of course, pumpkin carving can't just be "normal" in this house. Power tools were needed.


The drilling was sooo worth it!


Soph and Jake dressed in their gifts from Grammy Crawford for school, and Michelle made a Halloween cake that Sophia had no qualms about digging into!



We had our annual Halloween trick-or-treating outing with friends at the Marina boardwalk. Our group is growing! This photo was taken at the beginning of the evening, but by the end of the night, our numbers had doubled!


Soph went as a Strawberry, and Jake went as a Cheeseburger. While I thought they were really cute costumes, for weeks leading up to the big night Sophia was traumatized thinking that everyone in the Marina would want to eat she and her little brother. An imagination that won't quit.


And while it was Jake's first Halloween, we had an even younger trick-or-treater this year! Santiago was just three weeks old but dressed to celebrate in a super cute Halloween onesie we brought him back from the US!


Happy Halloween!