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.