Vlogmas *Christmas*

And after a long night of wrapping, we come to the morning we've all been waiting for! While most of use were still trying to rub the sleep out of our eyes, Cora had hers set on the pile of presents surrounding the tree. She just couldn't wait to tear into it all!
I loved seeing how excited she got over getting a bunch of fox accessories (especially since we share the same favorite animal!) and all her books! I love my little nerd! And Milli's of the age where she understands wrapping presents, but her reactions are always mimicking those around her. "So CUUuuTe!" Lol But besides all of our little ones, what we were all waiting for was Nicky's big gift: a Nintendo Switch! He kept talking to me about how he wanted to save up and buy himself one; little did he know, we all already pitched in for the thing..! Mum and Carlos bought the Switch & Breath of the Wild & I went in for a case and Pokken Tournament. He had the BEST reaction and definitely had a GREAT Christmas!


Per the norm, Mum slaved over the kitchen stove to create our wonderful dinner. A classic hispanic meal to close out the night with the family. But when they suddenly walked out with a cake and started singing me "Happy Birthday" I did all I could to not cry. I'm a sap when it comes to these things. I was leaving for Florida the next day and wouldn't be home for my birthday, so this meant so much to me. I had no idea they had planned it. These people are the most important part of my life and every chance I get to spend with them is the best. I love them.

Happy Christmas from my Familia to Yours this Holiday Season!!

Christmas Eve! |*Vlogmas*|

Here's a pro-tip: Do your Pictures with Santa on Christmas Eve to avoid the crazy lines!!
We learned this a few years ago on accident and since then we only go on the 24th. Most people stay ahead of the game and do their photos weeks in advance, but when you have a large family that's spread all over the place, it makes it hard to schedule such things. And now it's great because when we do, no one's ever there!
I did prepare, however, by buying a super cute Christmas dress! I bought it just for the photos and when I saw how everything came out in the end, I love the photos! Everyone looks so great! Most likely the best we've done in years..! Lol
We have a lot of traditions for the holidays so Christmas Eve is always super busy. We always start with Santa pictures,  playtime, cookies, prep for Christmas DAY, seeing the christmas lights, family exchange, and of course- wrapping the presents! Traditions are always important to me, so I made sure to document all that I could.



I love and appreciate my Cora. She takes after me with her love for the holidays and spending time with the family. I love my Cora with all my heart and miss her everyday when I'm away..! She was such a wonderful Elf this year! She went with me and Mum to grab a couple of extra gifts and to grocery shop for dinner. She was very hands-on and especially eager to make her cookies and to keep everything in order in her kitchen..! Haha
This year my younger brother, Nicky, started working! He was so excited to have his own money to get everyone's gifts! I loved being able to take him shopping and to see his face when everyone opened the gifts he picked out specially for them.
I've finally made it this far! My *Vlogmas* journey has made it to the big day- my favorite day of the year: CHRISTMAS!!

'Tis the Season |*Vlogmas*|

I love my nieces so much. Milli is almost 3 and Cora is 6yrs old which means that they're both such wonderful bundles of joy!! I love spending time with them and playing games and dealing with their crazy. Haha This also means that they're both finally of the age to really get into the Christmas spirit!! They just make the holiday so much more special.

After the wedding the Harkiewiczes came for a visit. The family is too sweet- I was surprised that they brought Mum a gift. A great gift, too! I'm so glad I have such great friends in my life. If only I lived a little closer and could see them more often.

And speaking of friends and family, DATP had our Annual Christmas Party!! This little group of pals are my absolute favorite. I have my sister and I have Kim, Kassie, and the Harkiewiczes, but the DATP Crew holds a very special place in my heart. I'm able to really open up to them. Every year I look forward to seeing them during the holidays. I finally got to meet some of their luvers and to catch up. Things got a little weird after some of the girls had a little too much to drink, but that's normal..! Lol



The ladies dealt with some wedding stuffs and we finally ordered our Bridesmaid Dresses for Mum's wedding! It really looks like everything is starting to come together now! The dresses are so beautiful and unique, I can't wait to see how everything ties in the end.

And we close the night with a few traditions of building a Gingerbread House! Cora loved the decorating and Milli loved snatching up the candies... Lol And although I didn't want to do it, I ended up being the one in charge of most of the assembly. Hah. Isn't that how it always works..?

I really looks forward to spending the last few days with my babies and my poopers. It really is the little things that keep my heart warm.

Home Tastes Like... |Vlogmas|

Sweet Grilled Texas BBQ!!
Went with my mom to taste-test some food for her wedding next year. You know the saying "everything's bigger in Texas" is certainly true about our portion sizes! So yummy!

We drove out to Midland, Texas (only about an hour away from home) for some real home-made bbq! And it was so worth it. We found the perfect little place, a family run restaurant and within the first couple bites and sips of sweet tea, we were sold! There was a happy rumbly in my tumbly the whole drive home.

The next day I joined my mom & brother at their Boy Scouts Christmas party. We played games, I helped as DJ, and enjoyed the free food. One of the games included was "Name that Tune- Christmas Edition!" And whichever Troupe lost had to get up in front of everyone and sing. They weren't too happy about that.



The next couple days flew by. While my mother was at work and my brother at school I got to relax. I stayed with the puppies and watched TV (Criminal Minds marathons, of course!) and read a lot. I finally had the time to sit down and read The Christmas Shoes. It's always been one of my favorite songs during the season and I couldn't put down the book. It was absolutely beautiful. I can't remember the last time I cried so much while reading a story.

After finally getting to chill during my Holiday Vacation, the circus arrives! Haha, and by that I mean my sister. The next couple of videos will be much more exciting with my wonderful family and nieces running rampant as we prepare for Christmas Day.

I'm leaving out of town to visit my father for the weekend, so while I hope I will be able to get the next couple videos up, I make no promises!

Shopping Day |Vlogmas|

Ok. Although I absolutely LOVED the outfit I wore this day, I didn't take many photos or videos!! I'm so great at Vlogging, ya'll...

It was a super chill & boring day of Christmas Shopping with my mum. Literally spent hours at the outlet mall before heading home. But- SURPRISE- one of my Birthday-Gifts-To-Self arrived in the mail!! The new Sleeping Eevee 20'' from the Poke'mon Store and my precious Mimikyu plush!! I slept with my new babies every night. I love them so much.

Travel Day! *|Vlogmas|*

Because I was very limited to what I could do on these days, I wound up combing Days 2 & 3 of Vlogmas for this video.
On the 1st Day I worked all day @ Universal Studios before heading home to finish packing. And on the next I was traveling. With a brief stop in South Carolina (an airport I've yet to visit), I eventually landed back home in San Antonio, Texas!! Home Sweet Home! Although I didn't manage to get any photos or videos, I had a blast decorating the Christmas Tree with my family that night. It warms my heart knowing that they waited two weeks just for me to arrive! (T^T)

I Wanna Wake Up in Texas..!

Have you ever seen the Texas episode of SpongeBob??? Where Sandy is feeling homesick so SpongeBob & Patrick throw her a big party & she sings her awesome TEXAS SONG!? Well, I sing that song all the time- especially when I'm headed home. I just can't wait to fly home and "wake up in Texas." <3 nbsp="" p="">
I had been planning this trip back home for several months now. There was a lot of things I had to take care of, aside from visiting my family and friends, of course. A major part of the trip was getting my Bridesmaid Dress! The last time I was in San Antonio I had been measured and finally the dresses were here! They're so pretty and look wonderful on all the girls. Now all I need to do is find heels to go with and get it trimmed (by a lot).
Along with the wedding, I had to be a buffer between Sarah, Bride-to-Be, and her hair stylist, my mother! It was an idea I threw out there several months ago as well, but neither of them had gotten up the courage or taken the initiative to talk things over with the other person. So, in order to get the ball rolling, I offered to arrange a meeting between the two of them. It's understandable, of course. My mom has known Sarah since she was in high school with my sister, but she's my friend. I'm glad I was able to get them together to work things out!

Then, of course, I couldn't forget about my sister! I really wanted to try and be back in Texas in September, so that I could celebrate her birthday! Suzette's birthday is September 14th, and sure it's way early, but I wanted to do something with her! We managed to work it all out that she would drive from El Paso (she literally just moved there a month ago) the very same weekend I was visiting. Even if there were a few complications, I'm glad she managed to make it..!

And last, but most certainly, not least: San Japan! I used to go every year with the Harkiewiczes, but I had to miss last year! Everything I had to take care of in San Antonio revolved around the convention0 because WHY NOT!? And with so much happening the past week, here's a full rundown of the days I was home...

Wednesday, August 30th:
I usually take early flights from Orlando to Texas in order to spend more time with the family, but there really was no point this time around. With Mom working and Nicky at school, there wasn't anyone to pick me up (A), and B, I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with... So this time around, I got to leave in the afternoon! It was an easy flight. It was the 1st time I flew with JetBlue, and I am certainly a fan! They're quite cheap and they have excellent Guest Service: Free TV Service, lovely Attendants, and lots of really great snacks!
In order to bring just my one carry-on luggage, I made sure to keep two big items out: my Kigurumi and Hogwarts Robe. People kept giving me weird looks. I walked onto the plane carrying both of them, pretending one was my jacket and the other a blanket, haha. But midway through the flight I got cold... Aaaand, after much debate, I slipped on the Kigu! The older gentlemen next to me kept looking over. I really thought he was thinking me mad, but when we were disembarking, he spoke to me. He loved the Kigu and thought it was a brilliant idea to bring it along!
After several flights now, I've come to the realization that FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, flight to Austin are waaaaay cheaper than to San Antonio. (WHY?) Luckily, Austin is only about an hour from home, so I waited till my mom picked me up. We spent the whole drive home talking about everything that was new, discussing dinner plans, and listening to her favorite country jams. You know, one of my absolute favorite things about being home, is getting to eat some home cooked meals.  It's all I ever want. But, of course, my mom bugged me the whole way home asking what kind of food I wanted her to make. Lol

Thursday, August 31st:
In light of everything happening in Houston with the Hurricane, my mother was almost called away to assist with the Relief Team. Although it would have been fantastic for her to have gone and assisted, she never got called in all weekend. There seemed to have been too many nurses already flown into the Eastern Region of Texas affected by the Hurricane. Instead, she remained in San Antonio as assisting nurse in the shelters they opened downtown. I really must do a shout out to her and the other Relief Team Members that put in such a wonderful effort. That's true Texan Pride, right there. I even learned that H-E-B was a main contributor to supplying those in need all over the region... it's times like these, I'm proud to have grown up in the Lone Star State. <3 nbsp="" p="">Meanwhile, Nicky was at school and I stayed home watching TV, playing video games, and relaxing. Lol It was really nice after working for over 2weeks straight. Mom & I wound up at the mall, having our very own girl's day out. We shopped mostly with our eyes, discussed some wedding details, ate lots of sweets and candies, and even got a facial from Origins. She took me to visit the brand new, and totally GREEN H-E-B Super Market that opened up near our house. And I am in LOVE. With all the new healthy options available, and even some "make your own organic peanut butter" stations- I know that when I'm home, I'll definitely be a frequent visitor! And by the end of the day, I was packed and ready with all my cosplay & snacks necessary for an awesome Con Weekend!

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 1st-3rd:
SAN JAPAN WEEKEND! Con Weekend are always a blast! Friends, Family, Nerds! What more can you ask for??? Lots of things happened this weekend (sort of), and it certainly deserves it's very own Blog Post! So Stay-Tuned!

Monday, September 4th:
SOMEHOW, I wound up doing my absolute favorite day on this Labor Day: Chilling with the Family, staying inside, and watching ANIME. That's right! I got my family hooked on my current obsession with My Hero Academia!! After having to say by to Suzette and the babies, Mom literally ran back inside so we could watch more of the episodes! Lol I love my family.
We watched a few episodes together, before I had to drag mom mom out to meet with Sarah and her fiancé, James. We, of course, visited the local Starbucks (where else are you supposed to have meetings??) We sat and talked wedding details for about an hour before we said our farewells. And within a couple weeks the two of them had settled on a look for the wedding! So proud of the two of them! And after returning home, Mom forced me to put on the next episodes of My Hero. We got through pretty much about half of the 1st Season, and spent the next couple days finishing it up...!

Tuesday, September 5th:
It was a struggle to wake up early in the mornings, especially since I was on "vacation." But it was well worth it. Nicky drove for me! How strange to think that he's old enough to be driving a car and actually receiving his Permit! Not my little brother!
After I returned home, I got to spend the rest of the day with Mum. She even wanted to watch more episodes of My Hero, although we stayed up extra late just for her! Haha. And that night, we hung out for more Anime, before I had to pack up my things for the next day.

Wednesday, September 6th:
Always the worst day of a trip- having to say goodbye. Nicky went off to school and I went off to prepare for my flight. Everything was packed a little differently (thanks, San Japan). I also had to leave behind a very important item! Carlos, my mom's fiancé, gave me a Concert Ukulele he had! But because we didn't have a hard case for safe travel, I had to leave it behind! (T^T)
SO! Without my Uke, and after a sad kiss goodbye Mum & Nick's furry babies (Link, Navi, Zelana ((Yay, Zelda Themed Dog Names!)), and Mewsette), we loaded up my things into the car. I was almost late to the airport. Thank goodness for Mom being a speed-driver and for Austin having a tiny airport. Literally, as soon as I got through Security they were calling my name. The plane had arrived early and they were ready for take-off! I boarded the plane and we were off!

And so, here I am, back in the most Magical Bubble of Orlando Theme Parks..! Most people would give their lifesavings to be here, in my shoes. But honestly, all I ever want to do is be home with my family. It's always nice to return and get back to my everyday life of work, work, work, and more work... But all I ever want to do, is wake up in Texas... <3 nbsp="" p="">