Santiago received his baby blessing and was baptized. . .

on April 9th, a BEAUTIFUL spring morning. It was a joyous day filled with love for Santiago, faith and family. The ceremony was held at a small but very charming, quaint church. Would you believe me if I told you Santiago slept through the entire ceremony? Oh, by golly, he did! Bless his little heart! He didn't even flinch when the priest touched his head with baptism oil. Santiago wore a 'pope' gown and cap made by my mother in-law. It's raw silk with beautiful lace detail.

Dear Santiago, you came into this world so tiny, yet with such great promise for the future. Before you were even born, God planned wonderful things for you. As you are baptised, may you feel God's love and the love of those around you, and may you always follow in his way.

Love, mom

Well, we are now back in Las Vegas!

Hooray!

We landed late last night and immediately I started to feel . . .

what is that????? . . . . . Grandchild theft-related guilt?

These days there are all manner of technologies designed to keep us close together

in a world that is increasingly keeping us far apart. Unlimited cell phone minutes,

emails and text messages, Skype, Google Chat and FaceTime . . .

but sometimes that all just isn’t good enough.

Some days I long for my in-laws to live near us. I have always been, and will always be

one heck of a homebody. Weirdly, even though I am in my late twenties, and I have a

family of my own now, that home for my which my body still longs seems to be the

home of my dear old mom and dad and my in-laws cozy home.

And aren’t I getting a little too old for this already?

How old is too old to feel homesick? 90? 92?

Oh, good.

Santiago with grandpa Juvenal

We had to surgically remove the two from each other.

farewell friends.

We leave TOMORROW for our first family vacation with our little boy. This time tomorrow we'll be 37,000 feet high up in the air! And while I'm reeeeeally excited, I'm also feeling very anxious, scared and nervous, it will be Santiago's first airplane ride!!!

Perhaps, I have Pre-flight jitters???

We've taken this trip before. . . . . but never with Santiago. He is only eight and a half months old and won’t remember this trip, but I know we always will. We will remember and cherish it all because nothing is sweeter than a first time family vacation with just the three of us.

we'll meet again in 9 days!

same place, same time.

OK, good.