Just got home from another wonderful Christmas Day with my family (minus sister Sylvia and company who were with the in-laws out of town). It was Mom's 73rd birthday today and we had a lovely time. Tomorrow P and Ciara head, without me this time, to Ireland to see his folks. It will be just me and the animals. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", they say -- I miss him already.
I love my family and am lucky to have my own little one, as well.
Those of you (Heather, Heidi, etc) who are photographer types won't be surprised to hear that one of our Xmas gifts between my husband and I was a new...camera! hehehhe P is constantly upgrading, downsizing in quantity, etc etc - - we are selling my Canon Rebel and he sold the Olympus EP-1 that we shot our Vegas elopement video blogs on and we got each other the new EP-2 . Here is P trying out the video. And to my photographer-friends - - we WERE going to get the new Mark II 5D - - but decided it was just a huge price and a big camera while I am still such a beginner.... hehehe I give it a year and we will have it...
By Martinez standards - this prayer-ditty is NOTHING - - usually we sing songs, say a huge prayer, read excerpts from the Bible - - well, we DID have to do the whole Jesse Tree thing before opening gifts - - hehehhe
Happy Birthday to my momma and blessings to us all!
Again, this video is from last year (2007) but I barely got it off my folks' camcorder in September and now onto Youtube - it took over 2 hours to load 8 minutes onto Youtube - so slllooowww!
That said: this video is quite amusing. You see a typical day at my mom's house - a lot of people talking at once (there is a reason why I speak so loudly, ya'll - - it is just to be heard!!); kids playing and running around, animals running around, and my mom's ever-present knack of shooting the ground when using the camera.
If you can stick watching it though, it's pretty funny. Starting with my mom's opener: "It's Christmas 207," and brother Gabe corrects her, "2007, mom..." - priceless.
Then if you can look out the window you see Patrick's dog, Fred-the-Basset chasing me and the kids around randomly while my niece recounts Fred visiting her dog, Lucy.
Also note that when Aunty Elsa takes over the Big Wheel Green Machines that Santa brought the kids for Xmas - I always liked those things as a kid - I am out for blood - - when you see me crash, I really am in pain landing on my tailbone... and what is funny is that no one pays attention to me but skips my injured body face down on the concrete to pay attention to the escaped Chihuahua named "Weeny" that ran into our yard from the neighbors to play with Fred...
Total pandemonium - that is why we are a lively bunch in our family! :)
I have in my head right now the Harlem boys chorus' recording of "Christmastime is Here" on the famous Charlie Brown Christmas TV special. I love how the boys, although blessed with lovely, angelic voices (that only kids can have) still don't quite always make it to the pitch of the notes they are singing. It comes off as flawed, and slightly out-of-tune - - and, yet: it is perfect in its warmth and intention - out-of-tune notes and all :)
I am posting these pictures from last December of us decorating at P's house with his daughter and dog. It's a year late, but I actually never even saw these photos until about 2 months ago as Patrick has so many pictures now that he never gets around to showing anyone. I think they are lovely and worth posting.
We were fooling around with one of P's cameras (perhaps it was new, I don't remember). My man had on his pea coat that showcased his rugged handsomeness and I managed to get some photos of him that I thought really captured a lot going on behind his dark eyes and demeanor - something that every photographer should aspire to, I think.... :) Happy Holidays for now! Click on slideshow below!
Christmas Day is always extra special since it's my mom's birthday as well (who more appropriate to share Baby Jesus' birthday than my very religious mamma?)
So, celebrating my mom's 69th along with the holiday was just my immediate family at my parents' home in Bonita. A yummy mimosa brunch, followed by a late-afternoon tamale lunch, games, stories, and the unveiling of the annual family and grandkids gift: a top-of-the-line foosball table. We felt this was a great gift as we grew up with 2 foosball tables as Xmas gifts when we were kids. Of course they were extremely cheap versions but I'll tell you - - we played those things with heads, legs, handles falling off until the whole table buckled down and died. As one can imagine, even though the grandkids all play soccer and said, "wow" - - the Uncles and Aunts took it over right from the start playing 2 on 2. I don't know how my sister Ceci talked my mom into letting us keep the big thing at her house but it is definitely great to have!
I was extra pleased this year because my boyfriend Patrick was in town as opposed to last year. He had joined me the night before for XMAS eve and then came in the afternoon to my mom's house with his daughter, Ciara and Fred-the-Basset. Any time being able to spend with my entire family as well as P and co. is a rare and true blessing to enjoy.
I love my big Martinez family so much. And I love my little Merritt duo so much too. I'm a blessed gal :)
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!
Christmas Day is always extra special since it's my mom's birthday as well (who more appropriate to share Baby Jesus' birthday than my very religious mamma?) 
I was extra pleased this year because my boyfriend Patrick was in town as opposed to last year. He had joined me the night before for XMAS eve and then came in the afternoon to my mom's house with his daughter, Ciara and Fred-the-Basset. Any time being able to spend with my entire family as well as P and co. is a rare and true blessing to enjoy. 
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!
