I HEAR WEDDING BELLS

I'm so excited and happy, that I want to share the news!! My baby sister is ENGAGED!! Her wedding is being planned for May of next year.  As a baby and small child, she was very close to me, and I to her. Our mother and I were her main caregivers. I was 9 years old when she was born, and I will never forget the day she came home. I immediately took on the"big sister role" and was excited to help out in any way possible. We have had our differences throughout recent  years, but deep down, I understand it is not her fault that "things" are the way they are in our family.  I wish her nothing but happiness, and I am very excited for her and also because she asked me to help her with the plans. Here are some ideas I really like, of course she will be the final decision maker on all, but not without my input, *hehe*. Also, PLEASE I welcome any ideas, suggestions and/or advice with the wedding plans. Right now, I am in search of her invites. We have decided to print them ourselves. I am actually going to ask a very good friend of mine to help witht this. *hehe* Her colors are CORAL, GOLD with a touch of BLACK.

Visiting Abuelito y Abuelita

This past August, Benny and I took a much needed, heartwarming trip to my mother's hometown of Talpa. Talpa is your typical Mexican little town or "pueblo", whose main attraction is Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, a "Sister Virgin" who is adored by many devoted catholic people from all over, including me!! Talpa has several "Fiestas" throughout the year, this is when thousands take pilgrim trips to visit the virgin.

We visited Talpa during it's "off" season, which I personally prefer. Being in Talpa was refreshing, physically, mentally, and spiritually. We stayed at my grandparent's home and spend lots of quality time with them. The lifestyle in Talpa is very different than here in L.A. It's much more laid back and people seem very friendly. Computers and cell phones are seldom used for communicating and socializing. It's a place of cobblestone streets and where everyone knows everyone, outsiders are easily spotted. Church bells tell you the time of day and call the next mass. 

This was Benny's first visit, and I was happy that we both were able to connect with our family culture and traditions.  I look forward to visiting again soon.

My sister's Roaring 20s Birthday Party

When the idea first came up, I asked myself, how the heck am I going to pull this off? Well, lucky for me, Adriana came to the rescue. Without her help, my sister's 30th party would not have been as AMAZING as it turned out. Thanks so much Adri!! Here are some awesome pictures taken by Adriana.

Mi Abuelito

My grandfather is in his 80's and has recently started having some health problems; needless to say it worries me. My grandfather was the first positive male figure in my life. As a child I was fortunate to spend my entire summer vacations in Mexico with my grandparents. During my time there, my grandfather would take me along with him to work on his farm and tend to his animals. I was exposed to nature in a way many children I grew up with never did, it was amazing. I hold those vacations dear to my heart because I was able to spend lots of time with my grandfather, which was very meaningful to me, especially because my father has never been part of my life. Inside his tough and stubborn shell was a sweet, funny, and caring grandpa. He always had stories to tell and old folk songs to sing. I really miss him and my grandmother too of course. I can't wait to go visit them this summer. I pray that my grandfather’s health holds up. Till then, I love you Abuelito & Abuelita!!!

 This is a recent picture of my grandfather. I like this shot, because it captures him in his true essence. He is so stubborn about his work on the farm that he now has a driver take him there so he can see that everything is going the way it should. As you can see he also refuses to ride inside the truck. My grandfather is not supposed to be working anymore, but no one can stop him. Perhaps it's what keeps him going. All I know is that if he is happy doing what he's doing, well then maybe we should just let him be.