My Favorite Easter Moment

  Here is a picture of me crying happy tears and my Irishman grinning like I've never seen him before (isn't he just purty? - sigh) whilst my mom and dad give us their blessing...

Ironically, as the day-after Araiza family get-together emails and pictures began today, my mother mentioned her favorite moment at easter was the singing together and the good food.

I wrote back and I qoute, "umm: the real best part about Easter was my dad announcing to the family Patrick and Elsa's ENGAGEMENT!!! helllooooo!! (See how it stinks to be the baby of a huge family?? By now the novelty has worn off). Well, I ain't no spring chicken but at least I am not going to be a crazy old maid with cats any longer.....!!!"

Enough said!

Feliz Easter!!

 It was a lovely and very warm San Diego Easter Sunday in Kensington at my sister Sylvia's house.
 



After over a week of being very sick it was lovely to get out and see the familia and...oh eat a lot.
 
 
Much fun was hiding the 500 or so candy-filled Easter eggs..!!?? I just don't get it - there are only 7 kids nowadays in our huge family - and we had THAT many eggs to hide??? Holy cow! It was a lot of fun and as usual I did some tricky hiding places (including laying down and putting them on my eyeballs). The kids have got to be on sugar over-load by now...



But the best part was having my dad announce after the prayer that Patrick and I are engaged. I give my Dad so little to brag about, unfortunately, in my life - it meant a lot to me for him to say it to the Family. It was short, sincere and - bam! made me cry tears of happiness into Patrick's shoulder. For I am happy, ya'll - I am HAPPY!!

Birthday Shout Out: Heather - 36!!

One of my best friends and roommates from college, Heather - is celebrating a birthday!! I highly recommend clicking on her link on the right side of my blog to check out her blog H1West (the freeway in Honolulu where she resides with her marine lawyer hubby Noel and their 2 photogenic children). Heather sports fabulous thick tresses of hair, a long hobby of photography and a writer's kinship of having a funny knack at blogging about everyday things... Best wishes and mucho love!

Alleluyah...!!!

 After 2 decades of not even wanting to ever marry (or feeling I deserved to marry or anyone deserved me he he he) E has grown up a bit, been around the block a couple times and made some decisions about Life.

With not much fanfare she has talked it out with her Irishman and emerged this weekend wearing that traditional Irish promise ring, The Claddah Ring, on that left hand. At nearly 36, and a couple proposals later, all I can say is that in my humble but vocal opinion - marriage is not based on romance, sex, a diamond ring, or a pretty house together, but rather the commitment to be together and see each other at our best and worst and through it all be willing to take each other's hand and still keep walking forward. I know P has already seen me at my ugliest and my worst, thank God there won't be any surprises in THAT department he he he.

Jokes aside, my wise mother, a marriage counselor, once told me, "Marriage is a decision made, Elsa." I am so truly blessed and happy to announce that my Patrick and I came to that exact conclusion together. God is Great!