Monday, October 31, 2011

it's that time again



From us to you - Happy Halloween! I get to celebrate by sitting in a classroom for four hours. I hope all of you are having a much grander time today than that!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Miami Trip, part 3 (the wedding)

On day 4 of our trip, Saturday came along, the day of my cousin's wedding. G's crankiness came out in full force. He made it through the rather long Catholic mass ceremony without a glitch, but he was done by the time of the reception. Plus, our preferred way off Miami Beach was closed right after the ceremony due to a fatal motorcycle wreck, so that threw the reception hours off schedule. Needless to say, Dave and G had to head back to the condo before dinner even started. At least we did end up getting some cute pics of G!

Yes, I'm cutting a molar. What's your problem??


Strike a pose!




This one is my favorite. We're totally getting it framed. Such a handsome little boy! My baby is gone. Pardon me while I weep copiously for his babyhood.


Dave,Grayson, and me with my Cuban grandparents.


My parents with my Dad's parents.


I love my Puso! He had a profound influence on my life when I was growing up. He is still sharp as a tack. I loved seeing him play around with G.



After the ceremony, and after we all made it to the reception, it was time to party! This pic below was the first I snapped at the reception as I was fiddling with my settings. But I love it so hard! That's the hubs with my cousin Steve photo-bombing. Dave was hardly drinking since he had to take G back to the condo early, but you'd never know it from this photo. haha.


Me and my cousins (yes, they're twins).





The happily married and oh-so cute couple!




Most of our photos with G have him in this same position. He just wanted to run around all night long.





Gah, I was so bummed when the hubs and G had to leave, but it was already past his bedtime. I actually would have kept him up later, but he was having serious attitude problems. On the plane ride back home, less than two days later, we saw that he had cut his first molar. It's rough being a toddler! Ah well, my cousins and brother with his girlfriend kept me company on the dance floor - and we danced all night long. It's been almost a week since the wedding and my feet still haven't recovered, the mark of an awesome wedding.

We spent more time at the beach and more time with family the next day, so I'll finish out my series with pictures from last Sunday sometime this weekend.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Miami Trip, part 2

On the second full day of our Miami trip, we headed out to Vizcaya. I love love love Vizcaya, which is a beautiful house and gardens on the coast that was built in 1916. The architecture and attention to detail is simply amazing.

This is the entry way after you go through the ticket booth. See what I mean? Ah-may-zing. I couldn't take any photos inside the house, but the outside alone is beautiful.



This is my brother and his girlfriend Christina. Isn't she gorgeous?


Off the back of the house. You can see the sliver of Key Biscayne in the background.


 This alcove to the right of the ocean is such a great place for pictures.






God, I love this kid.



Yeah, I'm on this rock. What of it?


There are stairs everywhere, so of course we spent the bulk of our time outside walking up and down them... and dealing with a cranky toddler when we wouldn't let him climb set of stairs #14 for the 20th time.









I just love Vizcaya. I pretty much have to go there whenever I visit Miami. It's a little pricey, but well worth it if you have the time to explore for a few hours.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Miami Trip, part 1

So last Wednesday, bright 'n' early, we finished packing up our suitcases (all three of them!) and headed for the airport. It was time for baby's first vacation! 

We had to wake the poor thing up way too early, but he was a champ. He ran around the Nashville airport's toddler playground - all airports should have those! - until it was time to get on the plane. We didn't buy G a seat since he's only 16 months old, but we hoped that the plane rides wouldn't be sold out so we could put him in his car seat. We got lucky both ways, so he got to sit in his carseat after all. I highly recommend trying that if you just can't afford to shell out hundreds of dollars for another seat. G did fantastic on the plane until we started descending. Then he started crying and grabbing at his ears, so I think his ears began to hurt. He was fine after that, though.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that G decided to cut his first molar on our trip? I'm so not even kidding about that.

The whole point of our trip was my cousin Binky's wedding. But it was also kind of a family reunion, even though we had almost all seen each other last Thanksgiving. However, it was the first time for G to meet my Cuban grandparents from my dad's side of the family, his other great-grandparents.

But FIRST, the trip was also baby's first beach!


He didn't really know what to think, and he didn't want to walk around without holding onto one of our hands. These pictures are of the first beach we went to on Key Biscayne, which is where we stayed. Dad grew up on the Key, so most of my memories of Miami as a kid are centered around the tiny island. We first took G to the beach at Bill Baggs Cape State Park. (On the last day of the trip, we took him to Crandon Park beach, which I LOVE much more.)

He did have fun in the sand!




He was cautious about the water at first, but then he started trying to walk out into it. ha.







That night, we went to have drinks on the roof of the hotel where a lot of the wedding people were staying. Such a gorgeous hotel! We did, of course, have to get a picture of all of us cousins.

Here we are in 2002. That's me second from the left, with my brother to the right. This was in Key Biscayne.


Here we are last Thanksgiving, at my parents' house in Alabama.


And this was us last Thursday night. I was wearing 3 inch platform heels! Man, I'm short. Aren't we cute?


Binky and Joe, the now happily married couple.


My brother Manny and his girlfriend Christina. I'm so glad I got to know her more on the trip. She's way too good for my bro. haha.


Mom, my brother, and me.


The whole fam.



I have a ton of more pictures to edit, but that was the first couple of days of our trip. Stay tuned for part 2, which involves Vizcaya!
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