Easter 2011

You didn't read that wrong - - I am just so backlogged on this darn thing that I am going through pictures and memories and want to put them up even if they are late. This was from Easter at my mom's last year. Egghunt and all! hehehe

beating my star soccer-playing nephews at Foosball - - !

as usual, I got cold so I had to change clothes :)

Never too old to do the egg/candy hunt!

Easter Earthquake

Easter 2010 was one to remember for a couple reasons. Starting with my leaving early for some work for a few hours and consulting with the visiting Easter Bunny to leave Ciara's basket and eggs on the table for her to find later when she awoke. Well, turns out our trusty hound knocked it off the table and ate ALL the eggs! The evidence was literally all over his doggybed - - the oinky!!!

Later, my Aunty Nora later would comment: "We will remember Easter 2010 as the one with the earthquake at Margie's"...

Alas, 'twas another lovely and priceless family get-together at my mom's for Easter Sunday a couple weekends ago. Visiting were part of the Northern Cal crew of the Simmons and Adler families - - with baby Esme making her debut. It was also my first Easter as a married woman and stepmom to Ciara after 2 years ago our making our Easter engagement announcement to the familia.

And, yes, there was a 6.9 Earthquake in a nearby Mexico bordertown about 100 miles away. Just the day before P, Ciara and I were taking a road and photography trip to Imperial Valley - right on the other side of the border where the epicenter was. Geez, we would have felt it a lot more out there... my prayers and thoughts to all those affected :(

On a lighter note, here are some videos of seconds after the quake - you hear my German brother-in-law Sven commenting with my other brother-in-law Doctor Joe. I did reflect while it was happening that if I was to die, I was okay because at least I had my family surrounding me. And I'm not joking about that..

click on slideshow below:

Easter 2010

Someone get that girl a Hankey!!

If you read my blog last week stating that I somewhat successfully was able to transfer some video from my parents' video camera to my computer - after I thought I had lost it all - you will understand that I will be (except for any technical difficulties) posting some videos onto Youtube and here.

They are mostly of family, and I certainly wouldn't expect any one of you readers to spare a couple minutes watching them. That said, this blog serves, more than anything- as a journal of my life - which includes family, travel, my cat, friends, deep thoughts, poetry and YES: Patrick.

Call me a martyr but I am posting the video of last Easter which was when we announced our engagement to some of my family -only about half were there. I admit, that I cried upon viewing it the first time but they were mostly tears of happiness at seeing such a joyous occasion.

Too bad, for whatever reason, uploading it onto youtube lost the good quality the original has. This video is much more grainy but that might be just as well since you can't really see the tears streaming down my face the entire time on the video he he he :P

Of course, my huge family has a great sense of humour so I want to point out things I thought were noteworthy to watch out for.

Firstly, my oldest brother Gabriel is filming - he didn't know what was going on - so you hear him first asking out loud, "What? What is going on?" as we await my father's announcement. Another thing that I love is seeing my autistic nephew, Ryan, jumping around and pounding on the piano excitedly when he hears the family cheer for us. He most likely was unable to wrap his head around why we were cheering - but the fact that he was happy and cheering along with all the rest makes me think that deep down inside that beautiful boy knows exactly what is going on - he just doesn't vocalize it like we do... :)

Next you see Gabe congratulate Patrick and welcome him into the family with a hearty handshake and even heartier, "I wish you, 'good luck', Patrick...goooood LUCK" - gotta see it to hear the emphasized comic timing.

Then you see my oldest sister, Cecilia and Gabe looking at my Irish Claddah ring that Patrick brought me from Ireland and you hear Ceci comment to me and then pan to the camera, "It doesn't look 'masculine' one bit.." - hilarious!!

But the best part was hearing my dear mamma ask for everyone to pray for us (deaammn, ya'll didn't pray hard enough - shoot!!) and 'how she wished that Ciara - their new granddaughter-to-be was there with us all that day'. My family knows that it takes a lot to be involved with a someone who has a child from a previous relationship. Especially if you have a heart and concern similar to mine in regards to children. I remain utterly grateful for my family and extended family's ease in acceptance and love for Ciara and Patrick right from the beginning. I know we are loud, gregarious and very spiritual and that sometimes overwhelmed my shy, quiet Irishman - but he was extremely blessed to be in our family and I suspect he knows knows it quite well.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Latino family without right after the short, but important announcement and cheering, the host and other sister, Sylvia, jumps up and commands, "Okay, now we can eat!" as if to say, "Okay, let's get to the REAL announcement that: dinner is served!!"

As I mentioned in the blog written about it at the time (click here), there are sometimes downsides to being the youngest - mine was just another engagement announcement in a huge family - which probably was just as well as you can see how self-conscious Patrick was during the whole thing - he doesn't like being the center of attention - sigh :)

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!!