Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth!

Alas, it is 11pm and 1 hour remains until Xmas 2006 is officially over. I am back home in bed with my laptop appropriately on my lap and Jordy purring next to me. I ate a lot, for me, and still feel quite full. We had yet another gorgeous warm day for Xmas here in San Diego - in the upper 70s. Last night was the big Araiza fest with cousins and aunts and uncles - to which amazingly someone failed to inform me (helloo!!!) that we were getting together on Xmas Eve NOT on Xmas Day like we used to. So there I was at Patrick's house helping him with (of course) last minute Xmas shopping before his trip back to Ireland and downing a pizza when my mom calls saying, "Gee, I hope you didn't get the dates messed up. But we're all over here and everyone is asking about you..." Unbelievable. A first in Araiza history. And of course: it happened to moi. Everyone was annoyed as I am in charge of playing the piano and organizing our singing of Xmas Carols. Not this year. I got there too darn late. The picture above of me and some of the Araiza Noses, er cousins and aunts singing is a picture from LAST year heh heh heh!

That said, I did get to see everyone if for a short while and then today I spent at my parents' house with just my immediate family. Christmas also happens to be my blessed mother's birthday - today she turned 68. I don't think it's coincidental at all that my mother shares the same birthday as Jesus Christ. To know my mom is to know that she is truly an angel walking amongst us. She is the holiest person I know, and has instilled a huge Faith in God in all of us. My mamma has spent her entire adult life helping others in the name of God and chrisitanity and even when we were young, and a poor family of 8, my mom and dad were always setting the example of giving to the church and to catholic charities - something that they have instilled in us.

Now, when she and my dad are retired and could be easily enjoying their Golden Years with their 9 grandchildren they have been volunteering and traveling the world for 10 years tirelessly as marraige counselors for a christian organization called Retrouvaille. As much as I know it wears them out and is emotionally draining on them, I am very proud as they have brought it to not only to the spanish-speaking communities of the USA but also to Latin American countries - where marraige counseling is almost non-existent in that culture. I love my mother very much and only regret that I have caused a difficult past year with the many major changes in my life. But she knows she did a fine job raising all her children with much love and compassion. Felicidades, mom!