Christmas 2015 and a Happy New Year

Our trip to Juarez actually started with a trip to Laredo TX. You see, we had intended to go to Laredo on our last trip but time was just not on our side. So, we postponed it to December. Someone's tire hit us on the way to Laredo and destroyed the front of our car, but it will get fixed and no one was hurt. It was good to see my grandmother again, and spend a couple of days with her. I have a couple more pictures of her playing with and talking to the kiddoes and I have been trying to add them to the post but blogger just won't let me for some reason?? I'll have to post them another time.

We headed to her house each morning and had breakfast with her, then spent the day talking or watching old movies.

We visited Grandpa Joe and left some flowers for him, and a rock on his tombstone.

Then we headed to Juarez, where we quickly got into an argument about whether or not the huge Christmas tree that my parents bought for the house in Anapra would fit in the house of Juarez.

I'll be the Christmas tree! 

Of course, we made cookies, as per our annual family tradition.

Como regalo de Navidad, trajimos delantales para los que siempre ayudan, y uno para Aunt T, la nueva de la familia!

todos en nuestros delantales, haciendo la masa.

heeeey! my parents took a selfie!!! I have such modern parents!

My mom also read the Nativity story to Miss E on an app on her iPad

The church had a series of posadas, and we caught the last one, at my sister's house :)!

More pictures of the cookie making. Sorry for the weird order.

Miss E's star shaped empanada worked out!!

My nephew decided we should give ourselves the challenge of making cookies without a mold. I made a nativity scene :)

Of course, after everyone voted against me -tan poca fe!!- my parents decided to buy a little Christmas tree.

One of those nights we went to a local park for some seriously lit up fun:

And then Chrismas Eve (which we also celebrate in Mexico):

And Christmas Day at my Abuelitos' :

The VIPs aka the tamale making team :D

the older cousins. we also took a pic of the younger cousins, and a third one of the aunts and uncles, ie my mom and her sibling, but again, blogger wont let me add them. ugh. maybe I reached the photo quota for this post!

and a pic of our family

the silly version

my grandmother caring for my grandfather

some of the younger cousins playing games or watching tv or something

the younger girls were singing Frozen songs with a toy karaoke machine

There was also the traditional Christmas star pin~ata, bolo (candy), and lots of jokes, laughter, and fun.

Then the next day, it was my Aunt S's birthday. Her oldest daughter organized a surprise party and we totally surprised her!! It was a lot of fun. My cousin is a great cook and she organized such a beautifully decorated party! There were balloons floating in the living room, and my aunt's favorite pictures were taped to the strings- so as we walked into the party we all enjoyed a glimpse of her life. It was beautiful.

My aunt wiping her tears and talking to the group.

Mr E and all the younger kids had fun with the balloons.

eating a delicious dinner

the little cousins had their own private party!

My parents invited us to their favorite Chinese restaurant:

And then a happy New Year celebration. There was admittedly a little more drama than usual with regards to figuring out what we would do. Between waiting for a student visa (the family party we usually attend happened in El Paso this year... it was in Anapra last year) and figuring out a growing family's modus operandi, we didn't know what we were going to do until the very last minute! The visa did come in time, after all, and we ended up joining the traditional Cruz family New Year's reunion. Our family comes together each year to party, but also to reflect on our year, listen to each other, and pray together as the new year comes. It is something so special to us, and I feel blessed to have such a support group. 

eating dinner together

Miss E and her cousins at the coloring table

A day or two after New Years we decided to go to the children's museum. It is HUGE. High tech. Beautiful, modern, well organized... just all around impressive. And so much fun.

After that we hung out, watched a really cool Spanish show, El Barco, on Netflix (didn't finish it and it's not on the US Netflix, sigh) and ate a lot. And that, my dear friends and family, was our time in Laredo/Juarez/El Paso this Christmas break :)