MIAMI Christmas Trip Summary

We got back today from spending 10 days in Miami surrounded by family and friends. We celebrated a type of Christmas Hanukah---is the only way I can describe christmas. Everyday Nico opened gifts!
I created this Summary (outline) for myself so as to remember all the the cool things we got to do on our trip. As I have time, I'll post more about each of the events with pictures and all! My goal this week will be to complete all these posts =)

20th I celebrated my 26th birthday at a Surprise Dinner...Check out my recent Birthday Post

21st We visited Peter's Parents new vacation home in the Keys which was BEAUTIFUL!

22nd We got to go fishing and Stand-up paddle boarding. We also went on a run...and ran through the Coconut palm Inn. In the evening when we got back, we visited with Nico's Great-abuelas; Eneida and Florence.

23rd Got to Celebrate Manuela and Juan Engagement with a beautiful ENGAGEMENT PARTY in Brickell! Thanks the ALFI and my dad, EVERYTHING was SPECTACULAR!

Thank you DECO PRODUCTIONS for a beautiful Set up! If you have a wedding, party, or special event coming up....HIT UP my cousin's Husband....Alfi at Deco Productions!

NOCHEBUENA:We got to cook a "piggy" with TIO TONY and ABUELO PETE and celebrate with the all of Peter's Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and my parents.

25th Christmas: Nico got some amazing GIFTS!!! MASS, and hangout with his little cousins.


At night, Mama and Papa got to celebrate Christmas with Friends at SANDBAR! It was the first time Mama got to Meet Tia Leilani's new BOYFRIEND!?!?!! Juankie!!!

26th Boat TOUR OF MIAMI! And then Peter went LOBSTERING

27th Hung out with Danielle, Danny, Aiden, and Jules in Miami Beach! Then we went to Dinner at Tia Yessi's house!

28th BEAUTIFUL 7mile Beach Morning Run, Hung out with friends, and Had a BBQ at my house.




At night we went to Yard House in Coral Gables...with friends...so much fun =) Good times.

29th Went to the PINCREST FLORAL PARK, and dinner at angela's house--where we had some DELISIOUS ribs, awesome appetizers, and played some pretty intense catch-phrase games of boys vs girls where we determined that GIRLS RULE!!!

30th And headed back here! And Nico got to hangout with the Pilots before we headed out to LA!

Bye 2011--New Years Eve!

Living in LA has been quite an adventure. We arrived shortly before christmas last year and here we are now....a couple hours shy of 2012!

I have really enjoyed the weather here in LA, the new friends we have made, and the opportunity to work at FORRENT.com! I have completed my children's book and am excited for it's debut some time in 2012! Nico has grown up into a walking, talking, playing, joking, hiding, sneaky little man who makes me laugh and want to pull my hair out at the same time. I love him with my whole heart.
Nico, thank you for growing up into such an adorable MAN!!! You make mama SO HAPPYYYYYY!!!

Peter has turned into a CALI boy...surfing like a pro! He also got promoted to ACADEMIC SALES with his same company (NI). I love what a great teacher he is to Nico and how he tries to motivate us all to be better, more adventurous, and a funner family!

We talked about moving back home to MIAMI but it didn't work out for now even though we miss everyone there very much. We'll see what the future holds and how soon we can make it back closer to the FAMILIA!

This year has had it's difficulties, I'm not going to lie, but if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger---and so i'd like to say that i'm STRONGer...since i'm still here =). This year has reminded me that NOTHING in this world is guaranteed (besides the known: death and taxes) but that's what keeps life interesting and what keeps you as a person trying to IMPROVE and Better yourself.

In light of improving oneself, I have written up my new years' resolutions (as I do every year).... which always seem to include something about running (more miles and faster), tightening my abs, writing a book, drawing more, eating healthier, being more organized, and traveling! However, at the top of that list is trying to be a better PERSON: wife, mother, daughter, sister,  family member, and friend. I know I have a lot of flaws and my patience dwindles...but I'm workin' on it =)

(New Years Eve 2010)

       (New Years Eve 2011)

I hope you all have a great NEW YEAR and that 2012 brings us all lots of LOVE, HAPPINESS, and HEALTH! I hope it especially brings Peter and I lots of PATIENCE---as we tackle the terrible twos.

God, thank you for all the opportunities in 2011 and I hope that I can see and appreciate the gifts that you set in my path on 2012!

Big Boy Room means Big Boy Bed too

Big Boy Room means Big Boy Bed too!

We moved stuff around the apartment and decided that Nico's room was going to be COMPLETELY his now...no more sharing with Papa or Momma (office space)....and the living room (for the most part) is going to be TOY FREE...HA...(good one Valeria).

 After we put all of Nico's toys in his room, we got a toddler rail for his crib!

 Nico was very Helpful!!!

 All of Nico's Books and Toys...are now in HIS ROOM!!!

We set up some NEW BETIME RULES for Nico's NEW ROOM...check out the rules HERE!

1 year anniversary of Living in LA!

2010 2nd Day in LA!

2011 Almost a year later!

We moved to LA December 23rd 2010 at 11pm---Happy 1 year anniversary to US!!!

My 26th Birthday!

Some may consider having a birthday 5 days from christmas a mis-fortune...and I'm not going to lie, at times I did (when I thought I was getting gipped by family with the 1-4-all gift)... but a perk of my birth DATE is that our christmas travels have always been on or around MY BIRTHDAY! I have always been blessed to celebrate my special day of the year in some pretty interesting ways and places =), this year was no different!

This year we set off on our Christmas vacation Trip the 19th of December at 10:30pm....taking the red-eye from LA to MIA...which meant that I turned 26 in MID AIR! I have flown a lot on my birthday* but I don't think I've every woken up on my birthday on a Flight =).

*I will never forget my 10th Birthday when the whole plane sang me Happy Birthday on the Flight as we headed to Connecticut to see SNOW for the first time---which by the way Nico has me beat for sure! He saw the real thing falling from the sky when he was 3 weeks old in Austin and then got to see it all around at Yosemite National Park when he was about a year and a half.

Hello Miami!!!! Happy Birthday to ME!!!

When arrived in Miami we went STRAIGHT TO BREAKFAST at LA CARRETA with my parents, sister, and Peter's dad! I had DELICIOUS steak and eggs with freshly squeezed orange juice....if you could only image how tasty it was. To top it off I had freshly butter drenched cuban toast (as they only know how to make at Cuban Restaurants) and then headed straight to the hair salon where I received the royal treatment (after some not so nice comments about my appearance) from hair coloring to PANI/PEDI with foot rub and all--thanks to MY SISTER =).

After my mini makeover Manuela dropped me off at the FLORES B&B... I got to hangout with my pumpkin head for a while and explore the Flores' abuelos new remodelings around their home... Mama and Papa went out for a run (humid/hot) and then got ready for dinner, which I thought would be just Peter, my sister, Juan, and I....but turned out to be a SURPRISE DINNER FOR ME at Crazy about you!

Thanks Peter and Manu for setting up this surprise for me =) and thank you all:

Juan, Maru, Nico, Anthony, Yesi, Jeanette, Danielle, Danny, Chris G., Patrick, Vicky, Angela, Andrew, Barbie, Vanessa, Michi, and Arturo for joining in on the CELEBRATION!!! I had a blast!!! And THANKS to all of you who celebrated with me in Spirit...all the calls, FB messages, emails, and notes MADE ME FEEL SO SPECIAL---MUAHHH!

Our Own Christmas Celebration

So we celebrated Christmas here in LA together as a family the 3 of us before heading out to Miami.
It was a practice run for Nico...I don't think it prepared him for CHRISTMAS that awaited him in Miami.

 The Flores abuelos sent him an Early Christmas gift that papa built the night before so that Nico could unwrap on "Christmas Morning".

 First thing he found was the AIRPLANE!!!!

 It's an activity table with a TRAIN, BOAT, CAR, Helicopter and whole bunch of other things. The coolest part for momma and papa is that is transforms into a brown coffee table when Nico is sleeping!!!!

 I made bunuelos for Breakfast!!! They were delicious! Here is the HOW-TO Guide!

 Peter got a mechanical RAZOR!

 Nico got a Train!!

 Momma got a GRIDDLE!!!

Notice that Christina and Cecila are on the Skype screen! They joined us virtually along with Tia Manu on Skype (iphone)! It was such a FAMILY EVENT =).

 Nico got ELMO BOOTIES.....

 ....and SPIDERMAN rain boots!!

 ...Which he put on RIGHT AWAY!!!

 (Super dad gift.....hehehe)

 A Thomas the TRAIN HAT!!

 2 Pijamas!!!

 A MEMORY MATCHING GAME!!!

 A THOMAS THE TRAIN PILLOW PET!!!

Peter and I also got a whole bunch of other GREAT GIFTS like glasses, watches, and clothes! Thanks Piri for making Christmas so FUN and for making Nico and I wait to open our gifts..lol!

Later that day, Chris Caraballo came over to visit and watch BRONCOS FOOTBALL and brought Nico a HANDY MANY CHAINSAW!!!!

Thanks Tio Chris!!!