"We should take a ride tonight around the town and look around at all the beautiful houses..."

John Mayer says it best, 'something in the way the blue lights on a black night can make you feel more'. Christmastime is the greatest, especially when you know all the fancy neighborhoods in your town. Our neighborhood has a few people who enjoy sprucing it up for the holidays with the lights and yard inflatables, but nothing compares to those in the fancy neighborhoods. I believe Mommy's favorite thing to do is ride around the neighborhoods and look at all the decorated houses. There are some nice houses in our neighborhood who like to get creative with their decorating, but the people in the shopping district get glamorous with their lights. No inflatables from The Home Depot in their yards, rather they wrap their columns, their railings, their trees, everything with golden lights. It's as though they're engaging in some sort of 'Whose House Can Look The Most Gold' competition that the rest of us are unaware of...

Moving along...

I was thinking about Christmas in Mexico some more, and I'd thought I'd share some more traditions and things that make me happy. To start off, we usually go to the children's wing in the hospital to hand out toys for the kids and toiletries for the parents who stay in the hospital with them. Following the distribution of gifts, which is kind of heartbreaking but hopeful, we gather around a Christmas tree and Nativity scene at the entrance of the wing and say the Rosary. My Tia will lead the Rosary and will sing Christmas songs, (all about Jesus, mind you,) in between the Mysteries. It's a bittersweet moment, for you have some of the kids being wheeled out to pray with their parents, you've got parents that haven't been home for days or weeks on end because they stay with their kids, and you've got the caretakers who have to cater to these sick children and who have probably become as attached to them as their parents. Everyone prays for healing and for miracles and it's a sad yet lovely sight to see everyone come together and pray for the same thing.

There are other traditions we partake in. The Rosary is usually repeated at home with the rest of the family who don't go to the hospital. The Rosary is followed by a reverence to the Baby Jesus then food. Of course food. The food is followed by more food, more deserts, and more beer. More importantly, the aforementioned traditions are accompanied by family, good friends, great conversation, and memories being made. Following ALL that, we have the opening of gifts, which is pretty much awesome. We have 2 young kids in our family and one baby, so to see the older two freak out about their gifts is phenomenal. Sometimes we go above and beyond and even though they might get so excited they forget to say 'Gracias', we know it means something to them and that's enough.

This is a little late, but I apologize for not having more stories about my parents. It's the holidays, you see, and I'd like to get away from making fun of my parents for a while and instead concentrate on what's important: love.

That being said, I give you more Christmas memories:

Tia, Mommy, Tia, Tia, Tia, Tia
Hahaha... I love it

Tio, Daddy, Primo, Primo, Primo, Tio... no idea. Whoops.
Again, LOVES it

More family enjoying a Christmas card game

Me with two of my cousins wandering around the street...
back when it was safe to do so at 2:30am.

Lulis and JJ
He later went off to become a musician and we haven't seen
him around lately. That's a shame. He was so nice...

Would you LOOK at all that food?
No wonder I can't ever wait to get there.

Tia, Me with Miguelito, and Mommy

Lulis and her firstborn.
He seems quite unamused with the gift, but I can assure you
he loved it.

Miguelito receives an offering of toys and an Osito Bolo.
He looks pleased as punch.

Daddy and the baby

Me and the baby

Lulis and her baby... so cute!

Me and Miguelito by the tree. It took a while to get this photo.
He kept laughing for some reason until he finally settled down.

Me at the Fundidora where my great-grandpa worked.
I look like I could kick butt at this job... maybe?

I'd have to find an apron that fit me, first.

Mommy, wake up! We're taking a photo!
Merry Christmas, yo!

I wish I got presents 3xs my size...

Mommy and Daddy witness the unveiling of the presents...

Pery and Tia Pera. She's got her apron on.
You know some good stuff is going down
in that kitchen. Mmmmm...

FELIZ NAVIDAD, HOMIES!

Well, there you have our daily dose of Christmas. I think this is a good way to get ready for the holidays and to get into the spirit of things. You must be asking, 'doesn't Daddy have a family'? That he does. We will meet them later on this week. I must be off. Chemistry studying has ravaged my brain. The white matter is just leaking out my nose in exasperation... Goodnight, all!

Ally

Going to the Chapel and We're Gonna Get Married...

Congratulations are in order for my dear friends Lizzy and Thad(deus). Over Thanksgiving break, the pair FINALLY got engaged and I've never been more excited. It was quite a spectacle when they told me. They got me in a room, closed the door and shenanigans definitely went down:

Thad: Close the door.
Me: Okay...
Thad: Promise not to scream.
Me: Am I about to die?
Lizzy: We're ENGAGED!
Me: eeeee-
Thad: -SHHHH!!!
Me: eeee... *starts sobbing uncontrollably*
Lizzy: *also begins crying*
Thad: Gahhh, gay!
Me: Shut up, Thad.

Congratulations to the happy couple. It's about time. They've been together since freshman year and it was customary after sophomore year for me to ask Lizzy if he had proposed yet after every holiday and school break. I'm so glad that this time, she had a 'yes' for me...

Aaaaaah.
You liked it so you put a ring on it...

Love is in the air, people. It's everywhere I look around... especially on this campus. There's a saying that girls come to our school to get their MRS Degree. It's certainly happening in our class. Rome, Junior and Senior year are the times when people get engaged the most. Groundhog and Graduation are usually the times when drunken professions of secret loves happen. I've got my camera ready for this year. Well, back to Immunology homework. TTFN

Ally

Geometries Just Had Its Ass Kicked... and other Christmas things.

Class is over for the day, and I am proud to say that I dominated with my group today in Euc & Non-Euc Geometries. We were the only group to get the quiz done and correct. The teacher then had us parade around showing the class our model. It was a proud moment for me.. moving along...

Again, I am here with the Christmas music on. I am so excited to go home soon... in two weeks, I believe. The girls from my high school who go to school here with me were talking about going shopping back home and I was SO jealous. There's a shopping center back home that gets very festive for the holidays and I cannot wait to see it. I love driving through the street with the lights and giant ribbons and humongous ornaments... here, have a look for yourself:

The cutest part is that they put ribbons around the stores.
The stores are like ginormous presents. Awesome!

This just makes me so homesick, I can't stand it.

Would you just LOOK at that beautiful bow?
Our city just knows how to throw a lovely Christmas...

Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Gosh, I can't wait to be home for the holidays. Speaking of home, I'm compelled to ask about the home lives of the Peanuts gang. I'm currently listening to the song 'Christmastime Is Here' from A Charlie Brown Christmas, and it occurred to me to ask... WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS?! My concern for these children began a long time ago in Corpus Christi, TX while in town for either a funeral or a family reunion. Mommy and I were holed up in a hotel room waiting for whatever festivities to begin, and we were watching "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)". This film revolves around the Peanuts gang traveling to London, England. Their one chaperone is Snoopy... a beagle. I remember asking Mommy, "WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS??" I, for one, am appalled at the irresponsibility of the parents of the Peanuts gang. How on earth did they allow for their children to take off to London with a dog as their only means of security? It doesn't help that the dog is entirely delusional as he constantly imagines fighting the Red Baron. This concern probably stems from Mommy's obsession with ABC's 20/20... many missing teenagers and murder mysteries have made me quite cautious. Snoopy's just lucky Chris Hansen never questioned his motives for taking a group of children to London.

Why don't you have a seat, Snoopy?

Moving along...

There are many things happening before Christmas can get kicked off right. Here's hoping I have enough energy to plow through these next few weeks. Well, time to take a nap. I did not get enough sleep this Thanksgiving. I should've eaten turkey like a normal person, get the tryptophan necessary for a nice long post-thanksgiving nap/food coma. Talk to y'all later!

Ally

Christmastime is here, happiness and cheer...

Thanksgiving is over, everyone. That can only mean CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE!

As I type, I have my Christmas playlist on. It is now acceptable to play Christmas music. I have all the greats:

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
Auld Lang Syne - Dave Francis & Mairi Campbell
Carol of the Bells - The Bird and the Bee
Christmas Tree - Lady Gaga
Christmastime is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio (Charlie Brown Christmas)
O Holy Night - Green River Ordinance
Last Christmas - WHAM!

I could go on and on...

I hope everyone out there had a most wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a great holiday because you get to spend time with your family and eat gratuitously and not feel horrible about yourself. You'd think you gain plenty of weight with all that eating, however according to The New England Journal of Medicine, the average American gains ONE POUND between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I say that's fair. It must be all the mall walking and shopping that burns all those calories and sheds the weight. I was a little surprised because I always feel like I've gained at most a Backstreet Boy in weight during that time. That is probably the reason people love the holidays... the food. I must agree.

I am a little disappointed that I will not be traveling to Mexico this year. That's where the most damage is done. SO MUCH FOOD EVERYWHERE!!! We wake up to food, stay at the table and wait for more food to arrive, perhaps go out and get more food, come back to more food, eat food in the evening, and then perhaps sneak some leftovers at around 1am while watching a movie in the kitchen. It's probably the most unhealthy tradition known to man, but by GOD is it delicious! Aside from the plentiful food, there is a disgusting amount of Coke and cerveza consumed during that week... aside from other alcoholic beverages.

I mean, just look at the size of that bottle.
I disgust myself sometimes.

The rest of this post will be dedicated to reflection and nostalgia. I feel as though I owe it to my family since I won't get to see them this year.

We usually travel to Mexico to visit Mommy's family in the MOTHERLAND, but this year it's just too dangerous. It's always a great feeling, though. I love the packing and the anticipation of getting on that plane. I love the plane because I get my own seat... you're probably thinking I'm an idiot, "Of course you get your own seat, silly!" No. I mean that the plane is situated like this:

[seat](isle)[seat][seat]

therefore, I get the lone seat in that 'row'. It's fantastic except for that damn snack tray destroying my elbow and waking me from my high-altitude slumber. The landing is exhilarating. We land at the airport surrounded by mountains, usually quite early in the morning, and the sight is lovely

...not to mention a little blurry.

We are greeted by my cousin who works at the airport and from there we move on to luggage claim and meet up with the rest of the family. That's the best part of all, seeing the faces you've waited 12 months to see. Nothing beats that feeling! Then, it's off to the house where we are greeted by more family:

'Sup, fools?

The moment we walk into that house, the festivities get underway. There's usually something being made in the kitchen by one of the best cooks ever, perhaps people are heading out the the mall and take me along, maybe music being played while people clean, but I can always count on something fun happening. Enough about that for now. How about a tour of our great city?

Our lovely Nativity scene all lit up... beautiful!

Mommy wait patiently in the car while my Tia
goes out and fetches some foodstuffs.

The mall we frequent is always quite busy this time of year.
That year, the mall was Sesame Street themed. Totally boss.

The Cerro de la Silla as viewed from where Erika wants to
open her night club on a mountain.

The longest love affair I've ever had is with Carl's Jr.
Best. Burgers. EVER.

Pery drives the old Suburban to...

...LETY to get some cookies and perhaps a cake for my birthday?

This is Mommy's favorite house in all the land.
It's pretty amazing.

Jason and Vaca are ready for Christmas for sure.

Fun with the children :)

Chios in her signature color. Looking good, prima!

The Lovebirds, pt I.

Chepis and my Tia.
Some good food is in the process of being made here.

Chios and my Tia

A younger me and my cousin Pery

The Lovebirds, again.

More dancing

Relaxing at about 2:00am

My cousins who are responsible for my musical tastes...
Thank you.

The debauchery has taken its toll.

The Lovebirds, pt II.

Those are some lovely memories. Well, 13 minutes 'till class starts. I'll talk with you all later! We will continue this post either this afternoon or tomorrow. I'm looking forward to sharing more Christmastime memories with y'all!

Ally

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am super excited because Mommy, Daddy and Stacy are all coming up to spend it with me! I thought I was going to do a whole list of things I'm thankful for, but there are so many things... well, I am thankful for family. That's about all I have to say about that. Seriously, I could go on and on, but I'm really tired- WHAT!? IT'S ONLY 7:30?? Oh this Daylight Savings crap is really starting to bug me...

In other news, this Friday, Miss Stacy Loo turns 16 years old!!! I already bought her some presents for her Super Sweet 16... I bought her a party with all her friends featuring a musical guest who shall remain a secret until the MTV cameras get there, I bought her a car, I bought her several purses... just kidding. I did get her some delicious treats for joint and hip health and a pretty pink jacket. She'll be the prettiest sheltie out there :)

I was getting rather emotional thinking how Stacy is 16 and she's been with me pretty much since the 2nd grade. We've grown up together and it's hard thinking that she may not have much longer with us. She has been able to survive getting lost a great many times and having one medical scare. The Good Lord has been kind to our family in that respect... He's allowed for Stacy to have a long and enjoyable life with us, and for that I think I am most thankful. Stacy's pretty much been my best friend since I was about 6 or 7 and she's always been there for me. I can't wait to spend her birthday with her and I hope that God allows us plenty more birthdays in the future. I swear, that dog just REFUSES to die. She definitely knows there's so much more food out there that she hasn't tried... I'm betting that's why she's lived this long. One day, Stacy. One day I'll let you try a pizza or something.

According to Mommy and Daddy, her grooming was a success and she is clean and fresh for travel. Daddy said that the good people at Petco put little pink bows in her fur to top it off. It was pretty hilarious listening to him and Mommy trying to take a photo of Stacy. There were several obstacles to overcome:

1) Mommy didn't quite remember how to take a photo on her phone
2) Stacy didn't want to stay still
3) Mommy had her finger over the camera
4) Stacy decided to take a nap

Eventually the photo was taken and I can't wait to see it tomorrow... until then, I guess I'll play some Farmville until it's time to go to sleep, which isn't long from now. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ally

BREAKING NEWS

"A 55-year-old woman was murdered with a sword this morning in Brooklyn, and WPIX-11 in New York is reporting that the assailant was 31-year-old actor Michael Brea and the victim was his mother, Yanick. Brea had a few small acting credits, including an appearance on Ugly Betty. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department was not yet revealing the names of the people involved, but would confirm that a sword was used in a murder that took place at 2 a.m. at 501 Park Place in Prospect Heights. Records indicate that Brea’s mother lived in Apartment 2 at that address."

That's the worst thing I've heard all day. The craziest thing is, although unmentioned in the above article, he decapitated her with a SAMURAI SWORD! I told Daddy and he was pretty much speechless... that is until his wit kicked in and he had a few clever words to share:

Me: Daddy, did you hear about that actor who decapitated his mom with a samurai sword?
Daddy: Are you serious?! He had to have been high on drugs... gosh. Oh wow. That's almost (sigh) almost... I'm speechless at that one. At that- wow. So I guess he must have been upset at something?
Me: I guess so.
Daddy: My gosh. Hmm. I guess we'll continue to hear the saga. I'm sure he had a reason for doing it.
Me: What? So it's the mom's fault now?
Daddy: Haha. Well, you know, obviously if you're his defense attorney, who else are you going to blame? The poor lady can't defend herself now, so, you know? That's what will happen. They're gonna blame her. She attacked him or did something inappropriate. They can say anything now cause she can't refute it.
Me: That is true.
Daddy: That is wild. That is one sick puppy... and it's close to Thanksgiving, too. You know, they can say he confused her for the turkey. What city was this? Where was this?
Me: In New York City.
Daddy: Well, they're kooks, anyways.

Speaking of Thanksgiving... anything to get away from this morbid story...
THANKSGIVING!
Oh, I am excited for Thanksgiving. We're going the restaurant route this year because my family is coming up from Houston to spend it with me. Even the baby is coming, too. She's excited. Tomorrow she will have a spa day to be ready for traveling. According to Daddy:

"She'll be neatly groomed, in the fanciest part of town. She got a rabies shot yesterday, license tag and the whole works, so, you know, she's ready. [...] She's had a couple of eventful days, 'cause yesterday she took a ride, then we took her to get her shot, then we met some dogs there, some cats, you know how that is."

Apparently the family has been busy getting ready for the holidays. Mommy bought some new greenery for the house for Christmas decorating, or as Daddy put it:

"She's found some kind of, you know, junk to put on the stairs."

He has quite a way with words. So eloquent. Daddy's been getting ready by fixing up the house, rather, hiring people to fix up the house. Stacy got that new commode to sleep next to, the pergola is getting a touch of color tomorrow, Stacy's also having her doggy spa day tomorrow to get all pretty for Thanksgiving.

Speaking of the holidays, when do you think it's appropriate to start playing Christmas music? I, personally, have been listening to Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas II You" in the privacy of my own bathroom while doing my hair and makeup. However, this afternoon my friend and I heard a girl playing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" in the student center... then at Boston Market they were playing "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town"... I think it's alright to do so with your iPod or in your room while doing work, but I'm of the opinion that Christmas music in public is acceptable AFTER Thanksgiving. That is to say, punching an elderly woman to get the last Roomba at Target's Black Friday Sale to the musical stylings of Bing Crosby is totally acceptable. Bing Crosby any other time is not. Punching an old lady is pretty funny, too, but again, I digress...

Well, that'll do it for this evening. My apologies to Becky for misleading her with regards to this evening's post. I told her I'd cover our favorite topic: SHOWS ON TLC. No fear, though. The moment the two of us get back together, we shall do a MEGAPOST on the following:

Say Yes To The Dress

Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta

What Not To Wear

ya'know, the classics. Anyways... time to retreat into my shell for the evening. Hot diggity dog, it's WAY past my bedtime. Oh well. In case I don't see ya: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Be safe when you travel, make sure the TSA agents have bought you a drink before they get to business, eat so much turkey you end up in a food coma, come out'tha closet, you know, the usual...

Ally

The Honorary Narvaez

I figured I'd get this posted now so I could get back to studying for Biology...

THE HONORARY NARVAEZ: Becky
Alias: Beeks, Beeksies, Beekaleeks, Badunkadunk

Hold it there, fellas. She's got a boyfriend.

Becky is my bestest friend in the entire world. Whoever I marry will be the love of my life, but Becky will undoubtedly be my soulmate forever. Think Christina and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy. We are a little bit of one another. That is to say, we have a very similar sense of humor and a strange brain link that allows us to know what the other is thinking. She's as close to a sister as I've got. We became friends in high school. Never mind how we became friends. I have a feeling that if things in high school didn't happen they way they did, we would've still become best friends.

A lot of the funniest things that happen in my life happen with Becky around. She's a lot like Stacy, in the sense that she doesn't realize how hilarious she actually is. An example would be the eHarmony story. Now I tell this to a lot of people, but because she has a boyfriend now, I feel it's okay to share this with the world. I give you the eHarmony Story:

This took place about a year ago? I'm not sure. Anyways, we were watching a minute-by-minute documentary on 9/11. It was pretty much the only thing on TV that wasn't reality garbage. By the end, we were both pretty depressed, so I changed the channel to find another show. We landed on TLC and a commercial for eHarmony was on. There was a moment of silence during which we listened intently to the commercial. When it was over, Becky tells me, with complete sincerity:

I'm just saying, I think I oughta jump on that eHarmony bandwagon soon.

I just about died. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. Then we both started laughing. Then my parents came home and I told them this story. They were laughing. Then we went to San Antonio a few weeks later, and I told the rest of my family this story. They, too laughed and laughed. However, in a very Beeksies manner, she got them with a solid joke of her own:

Becky: You know that Balloon Boy drama that happened?
Uncle Robert: Yes?
Becky: They say that was just Michael Jackson ordering take-out.
Family: LOLOLOLOL
Me: ...

Well, there you have it. The last member of our little family. I promise there won't be a dry eye out there on Becky Story Days. You will laugh so hard you'll cry, you'll shoot milk out your nose, you'll poo. Whatever. Talk to you all this evening!

Ally