From Our Familia this Navidad

In lieu of a Christmas letter, I give you the Alvarez Family Christmas Blog. I'm sure most etiquette gurus are barfing about this total lack of respect for the holiday tradition, but, let's be honest, it's December 28th and there is no sign of any mail coming from my home to yours. So, without further adieu, I give you the Alvarez Family 2010.

The biggest and most important event of 2010 was the arrival of AV, known everywhere else including on her birth certificate but excluding facebook, blogs and text messages as Ana Victoria Alvarez Hickey. Unless, of course, you are looking at her US birth certificate where she is just plain old Ana Victoria Alvarez. If I haven't made it clear to all of you on this blog, you probably haven't been reading this blog for very long or maybe we need to check your reading comprehension skills, my child is the cutest and most amazing child on Earth.

Ramon is doing his architect thing, making sure roads, highways and bridges are built correctly. Blah, blah, blah, People only read these to get to the pictures and to find out about the babies.

Shannon is still teaching little spoiled brats, I mean, lovely fifth grade children. Blah, blah, blah. Get to the pictures of the babies.

Here she is, in all her glory. The great AV at almost 9 months old. Hello, little princess.

Here we are. Ramon, Shannon and Ana Victoria Alvarez. Just about the cutest little Mexican-American family out there.

The whole family. In my world, we are known as the HIYA family. Hickey, Isbell, Young and Alvarez families in age order make a delightful and dangerous acronym. Watch out when the HIYA's are about.

From left to right: Ramon, Shannon, AV, Liam, Mom, Dad, Erin, Connor, Justin, Baby Sawyer (due any day!), Caitlin, and Josh.

Pretty cool considering this time two years ago, Caitlin and I weren't married and this time last year Liam and a still cooking AV were the only kids.

I hope my Christmas letter finds you still reading now and in the coming year. If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.

Feliz Navidad from our familia to yours.

We are go for travel...

This weekend starts the travel season for us and I'm so pumped! And, no I'm not being sarcastic for once.

We are heading to a little town outside of Pachuca, Hidalgo. (Look it up on a map!) My friend from college who is ultimately responsible for my being in Mexico and meeting Ramon, is having her big church wedding in her husband's hometown. It's sure to be a blast!

Then next week we head to Seattle. AV's first Navidad! According to weather.com it is supposed to be in the 50's in Denver where we have our layover which means ontime flights! Then it's supposed to be in the 40's and rainy in Seattle. Disgusting and delightful.

Christmas cookies, eggnog and family? Yes, please.

Yes, We're alive

I know it's been a long time. It had been a long time two weeks ago when I finally started writing my Thanksgiving memoir.

Then, it happened, again. Stupid Expletive Computer. Even though I got it "fixed" just two months ago, it is on the fritz again. Do I need to explain to you how frustrating it is to turn on the machine to have everything work except the screen. Blue lights blinking and taunting me with the computer's black screen seemingly saying "I hate you...Bah Humbug."

So, for now, you'll have to imagine. Imagine a witty post about Thanksgiving also full of pictures. Imagine a delighful ditty about how 5th graders and how the words "I will make you put on a coat if you don't stop being distracted by your own arm" came out of my mouth earlier this week. Imagine all my recounts of Ana Victoria and how wonderful she is.

Think of it as blogging Advent. Wait and prepare, because when I'm back, it'll be good.