Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas
I hope everyone had as great a Christmas as we did. To start off a great Christmas week, we celebrated Nick's birthday at Benihana's with Nick's folks and the girls.

We all love Benihana's! Last time we came here Kat was too little to eat anything, but this time she got to sample all the tasty things.

We spent Christmas with Nick's fam this year. It was a special treat because it was baby Dez' first Christmas.

We got a 2 gingerbread houses this year. One that Tia Gaby helped Ali make, and this one that our good friend Jim sent to the girls. Ali thinks it is all hers. If you look you can see Kat's hand trying to get a piece, and Ali's response to that hand.

I told Ali that if she shared with Kat then she gets to eat as much of it as she wants. This was the look she gave me.

A picture of all of us.

Thanksgiving (right on time)

This year we had a great Thanksgiving at Tia Gaby and St. Paul's house. I know that I am way late posting this, but we had a great time so I had to say something about it. Tita, Gil, Gibi, Tio and Beba were all there (Nick's aunt, uncle, cousin, uncle and aunt, respectively). Gaby and Paul hosted in there newly redone backyard and it was great. The food was good and the company was better. Nick was even able to be there, but being that he was post-call, I am not sure how much of him was there.


The girls hadn't seen him for 2 days, so naturally they didn't let him eat very much.

For some reason, (probably that I was too busy eating!) I never got a picture of us all eating or pre-eating. This is after we were all done. It was so great to see everyone, it makes me really grateful to be so close to family.

Surgery and a Sister

A few weeks ago I had a minor surgery to repair a umbilical hernia (picture at bottom of this post) I got during my pregnancies. I was lucky to have my sister Adele visit, and I was even more lucky was that she loves to bake.

She was surprised by our lack of cooking equipment. Most notably, she was upset that we don't own a rolling pin. We have always used this glass cup that is flat and straight. I think there is not much difference, as I have never owned a rolling pin, but she thinks that we ought to invest in one.

She took Ali out for a ride on her horse. Ali was in heaven. I am scared because I know one day she will ask me to get her a horse... thanks Adele!

She was loved the entire time on the horse, and when I told her it was time to get off she said that she never ever wants to get down.


It is very small for the amount of pain it caused. I never realized how often I get hit/kicked/pushed/punched in the stomach until now.

Christmas begins

This year is a unique Christmas for our family because we are staying home. Nick and I have been married for 7 1/2 years. In all that time we have never gotten a Christmas tree until this year! Here are some pictures of us setting up our first tree.

The girls LOVED to help put up ornaments!

Ali helped daddy put the star on top.

After a very short time we had to hold Kat to keep her from "helping" too much.

I think she didn't want the ornaments to stay on the tree, because putting them on was so fun. Since we have very few ornaments, she "had" to take them off so she could put more on the tree.

Ali had been looking forward to seeing Santa for the first time in her life. She had a mission, which was to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. "A blue spiky ball with lots of colors." Anyone have any advice where such a ball might exist?

Kat was not as big a fan.

The Millers joined us for Desmond's first trip to Santa.