Then till Now

Wow, I can’t believe my last update was December 16, over a month and a half ago. Just when I was starting to get good about posting more often, I fell off the wagon. Sorry to all of my loyal readers. Just think of it as I gave you a LONG holiday vacation from reading. Now that we are a month into the New Year, it’s time that I get back on the saddle, so here I go. Giddy up!

As always, the holidays were crazy, fun and busy. Some of the highlights were:

It was the first year that I sent out my own holiday cards. I typically am included in my parents’ card, but since I’m on my own this year, I decided to go ahead and send everyone a card from NYC. I also received quite a few cards from family and friends which was really great because I love getting mail (other than bills!)

I went Christmas shopping in the city, which was quite the experience. I know shopping around the holidays is crazy no matter where you are, but shopping in the city was insane. I felt so overwhelmed and claustrophobic so I went in, got what I needed to get and got the heck out!

I watched the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting on TV and then Alex took me (and his daughter and his daughter’s friend) to see the tree a few days later. It was spectacular. I know it looks big on TV, but let me tell you, that tree is huge. It was a really fun night that started out by going to Rock Center, eating street vendor honey roasted peanuts, then was proceeded by touring the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral and driving to Pelham Parkway to see amazing Christmas light displays.

Alex & me in front of the Rock Center Christmas Tree

The most elaborate Christmas light display I've ever seen

Nativity Scene portion of the light display

Katy and I threw a little Going Away/Holiday Party the weekend before Val left. We had snacks and drinks at the house and then headed to a local bar for a few going away shots. It was super sad to see Val go, but I’m so glad I got to spend 4 awesome months with one of my best friends in NYC. Our roomie experience is something I will never forget.

Val's Going Away / Holiday Party

Val is basically a hunk magnet! ;-)

Going Away Shot (#2 I think)

My friends Irina was in town from Switzerland!

My company holiday party, Patch the Halls, was the Tuesday before I left for holiday vacation and turned out to be a fun night. I was on the planning committee so I was doing a bit of behind the scenes stuff, but I still managed to have a good time.

Patch the Halls Holiday Party

The morning after the holiday party, we all (Blake, DJ, Val & I) woke up at 6:00am to embark on our journey back to Kansas. We met up with my Tio Martin in Jersey then headed west. This was my first ever road trip and let me tell you, after approximately 22 hours on the road, it might be my last. My Tio and I took turns driving so it honestly wasn’t too bad. I was so excited to arrive at my parents’ house, but considering it was around 3:30 in the morning, all I really wanted to do was hit the sack.

I spent my first full day back in Kansas by partaking in holiday traditions. I baked Banana Nut Bread with my mom, wrapped Christmas presents, and spent time with my family – my absolute favorite thing to do in the world!

Before I knew it, Christmas Eve was upon us and as always, the Zarate clan celebrated with brunch and opening gifts. Sitting around the table, then the fire with my Grandma, parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, niece and nephews was more special to me this year than any other year. The pics tell the story.

Jaxson & Adurina at Christmas Eve brunch

Carson rocking his new KU hat and chair

Jax & Aunt Wesa

Drina & Mina Sesa

Carson & Auntie Lisa

3 of my favorite people in the world!

I went to Christmas Eve mass with my family then we all headed to my Abuela’s. As always, we ate, drank, played games, chatted and stayed up until midnight waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. Once he did, we began opening gifts and sharing memories until the wee hours of the morning.

Cousinly love on Christmas Eve

Because my mom’s family does the Starks Holiday Party – a celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas in early December – we no longer have Christmas Day on my mom’s side of the family, which is why my Christmas day was spent resting and relaxing. I stayed home with my mom and dad watching Christmas movies and let me tell you, it was lovely. I, of course, am sad that I had to miss the Starks Holiday Party and I can’t wait to see my mom’s side of the family again in 2011.

I spent the few days after Christmas and before New Years spending time with my family and friends. I, of course, soaked up Jaxson, Audrina and Carson as much as I possibly could. I just couldn’t get enough of them so I took hundreds of pictures, proof below!

Lovable Jaxson

Princess Audrina

Sweet baby Carson

The next thing I knew, Alex was on a plane to Kansas City. I was so excited for him to meet my family and get to know more about where I come from. He was only in town for 4 full days, but let me tell you, it was go, go, go the entire time. I wanted him to see as many people and places as he possibly could in such a short time frame. He got to spend New Year’s Eve at the annual Zarate NYE bash. We had fun talking, dancing, drinking, chatting, and playing beer pong with family and friends.

Alex & I at Allen Field House - A Kansas trip must see!

Alex & I on New Year's Eve

My parents dancing on NYE - aren't they so cute!

On New Year’s Day Alex and I ate a delicious barbeque lunch with my mom. I just couldn’t have Alex leave Kansas without tasting some delicious KC BBQ. That night we met up with my girlfriends and their boyfriend’s for dinner on the plaza and then went double date bowling with Blake and Val. Although I’m sure Val is going to hate me for pointing this out, but Alex and I won both games of bowling! ;-)

After almost 2 weeks in Kansas, the first Sunday in January came and it was time for Alex and I to hop on a plane back to New York. It is always hard to say goodbye, but this time was really difficult. I think it was a combination of a couple of different things. 1) I visited for so long this time and got used to being home that leaving was harder. 2) As the kids get older, it is harder and harder to leave them because they understand that I’m not coming back for a while. 3) I know the longer I live in NY, the more my sisters and parents find it difficult to be without me and it breaks my heart. The good news is, I am very good about visiting so I fight the tears with the thoughts that I will be home again soon. And it’s true, my flight is already booked for a trip home in April for Easter! Having a concrete date in my mind of when I will be home again makes being gone easier for both my family and me. I am already looking forward to Spring!

Well that brings me into the New Year and I have a great feeling about what 2011 has in store. I will catch you up on January in my next post, and I promise it won’t be months from now! ;-)

Back on the Saddle

Ok so I am WELL aware of the fact that this blog post is more than long overdue. Since my last update was the end of September and it is now the beginning of December, I have all of October and November to update you all on. I figured the easiest way to do so without boring the hell out of you would be in pictures and brief descriptions, so here goes my lousy attempt at an October update – back on the saddle again! ;-)

I started the month off perfectly with a weekend visit to Kansas City for my nephew Carson’s Baptism. I got into town late Thursday night, which means I got to spend all day Friday with my mom and the 3 most adorable kids on the planet! Spending time with Jaxson, Audrina and Carson is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I can honestly say that even though I live thousands of miles away from them, I think about them every single day!

Jaxson & Audrina on Friday morning

Baby Carson greeted Aunt Lisa with smiles!

Saturday morning the whole fam headed to watch Jaxson’s soccer game in Edwardsville. This was the first game of Jaxson’s I ever got to see since I wasn’t ever in town during Tball. It was so much fun to watch him run around and kick the soccer ball. I’m not even his mother and I was unbelievably proud of that little boy.

Jax playing soccer with the Sharks

The cutest player on the team

Audrina cheering for big brother on the sidelines

Carson's Aunt Rocks! ;-)

Saturday afternoon we headed to Sacred Heart Catholic Church for Carson’s Baptism. It was so nice to welcome Carson into our faith as another member of our parish. After mass and his christening, we headed to the Bonner Springs Community Center for the reception. It was nice to sit and chat with family and friends over a meal. Everyone passed around Carson like a little doll and although a little greedy, I held him every chance I got. I didn’t want to let the little guy go. When someone would come to take him from me, I wanted to say, “You live here, he’s mine right now!” But I didn’t, of course. I did get a lot of time with him and he did so well throughout the entire day of being passed around.

Carson looking adorable in his Baptism outfit

Carson and Aunt Lisa

Saturday night we celebrated my Tio’s 40th Birthday at a Salsa Club in downtown Kansas City. There was good food, great music, and fabulous company. It was my dad’s side of the family so of course there were about 50-60 people celebrating and having fun. It was the perfect way to get an update on everyone’s lives and update them on mine. Sadly, I don’t keep in touch with everyone (can you blame me, my family is huge) so family gatherings while I’m in town work out so nicely.

My mom & me at the salsa club

Sunday my immediate family woke up and headed to the Pumpkin Patch. It was a beautiful day outside and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Jaxson, Audrina and Carson (even though he slept most of the time) having fun at Kirby Farm. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and annual visits to the Pumpkin Patch are one of the reasons why.

Jax & Drina enjoying the Pumpkin Patch

Cutest scarecrow ever!

I love her faces

Most precious pumpkin in the patch

Sisters (and sleepy Carson)

Sunday after the Pumpkin Patch we headed back to Edwardsville for another one of Jaxson’s soccer games. Again, it was so fun for me to get to watch my nephew play soccer.

Jax blocking the goal

After the game it was time for me to head to the airport so I had to say goodbye to my family, never an easy task. The hardest part is always saying bye to the kids and every single time I do it, no matter how hard I try to fight it, I get tears in my eyes. This time was no different.

I got back to New York late Sunday night and on Monday evening, I had another visitor. Although I was tired and didn’t really have much time to adjust after my weekend trip, I was more than excited for my friend Cassie to visit. I met Cassie my sophomore year at KU as she was an exchange student from England. I was fortunate enough to get to visit her while she lived in Scotland and I was studying in Spain, but hadn’t seen her since. During her 9-day visit she did a lot of exploring on her own while I was at work and then we spent the evenings together. We also did some touristy things over the weekend that she was here, including lunch at South Street Seaport and walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge

Manhattan Bridge

I can’t recall if I ever mentioned that I put together a team of co-workers and joined the NYC Social Sports Club Volleyball League. If not, I just did. We played games every Wednesday night in September and October and ended up placing 8th out of 16 teams, which really isn’t bad considering some of the players had never played volleyball in their lives. I forgot how much I love volleyball considering I hadn’t played since sand volleyball over a year ago. I really enjoyed it and it was good exercise and fun spending time with co-workers outside of the office. Not to mention, having something to do every Wednesday was nice. It beats the usual going home from work to either go to the gym, read, or watch TV.

Patch Set Hit

Another notable for the month of October (and again in November) was a work conference in the city. The October conference was right in the heart of NYC and the November conference was in San Francisco. Although these conferences were A LOT of work to prepare for and meant a lot of late hours at the office, they were really fun and it was enjoyable to see the execution a success.

Co-worker and friend Megan and me at the conference

Co-worker and friend Claudia and me enjoying the conference

October ended with a Sweet 16 party for Alex’s niece, Ashley and Halloween. Ashley’s Sweet 16 reminded me of my Quinceañera, which brought back fond memories from 8 years ago (I can’t believe it has been that long!) I didn’t really do too much for Halloween except dress up for a work party the Friday before - I was a zebra because it was easy and I already had the stuff.

Alex & Me at Ashley's Sweet 16

As you can tell, October was a busy, but great month!

10 Day Vacation!

I decided the best way to blog about my vacation to Kansas City is by breaking it down day by day and through visual aides, aka, pictures! :)

It was a very busy 10 days, the breakdown:

Friday – I arrived in KC around 10:30pm where my brother-in-law George picked me up from the airport and took me over to my sister Kim’s house so I could stay the night with her and Baby Carson. Michael was out of town so it was a perfect opportunity for me to spend time with my sister and nephew, although I didn’t really help much until Saturday morning considering I didn’t wake up at all during the night time feedings. I still am unsure how mothers do it. I NEED my sleep and can sleep through just about anything. I didn’t even wake up when Carson cried because he was hungry. This makes me a little nervous to be a mom as I’m not so sure I’m cut out for the job. I guess I have plenty of time to worry about that though.

Get in line girls, Carson is a stud

Saturday – I spent Saturday morning spending time with Kim and Carson and then we met up with my mom and sister Andrea and headed to a baby shower for my cousin’s wife. It went well and I’m excited to meet the newest Zarate addition when he/she (they didn’t find out the sex) arrives. Have I ever mentioned how big my family is? Between my mom’s side and dad’s side, I have a huge family, and it continues to grow with more and more babies being born every year. It definitely has its pros and cons, but for the most part I absolutely love it. I’m not going to lie, it can get exhausting (when I lived in Kansas) trying to attend every family function because there are SO many, but at the same time, I love that there is always something to do, something to celebrate, people to see, etc. I tell people all the time that I love my family, we are the best in the world, and I’m obviously not biased at all. ;) Saturday night my parents, grandma, the Elmer clan and me went to my Madrina Monica’s pool to barbeque and swim. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this night. It was simple yes, but the combination of family, food, margaritas, and swimming made for a nice Saturday night in Kansas!

Audrina and Mina (Godmother in Spanish)

Jaxson and Aunt Wesa

Sunday – Sunday morning I didn’t feel too hot considering the margs and tequila shots from the night before, but I managed to wake up to go shopping with my mom and sister Kim. I am not going to lie, I felt like crap, but it was still fun spending time with lovely Zarate women minus the fact that my sister Kim encourages me to spend my money. I went to KC with a half empty suitcase and I came back with a 50 pounder…can you say, Shopping Spree? I spent Sunday night hanging out at my parent’s house with by BFF Val. It goes without saying that I very much enjoyed the QT (for you out of daters, that means quality time). Lastly, Jaxson had a sleepover with me on Sunday night. After Val left, Jaxson and I watched a movie and went to sleep. He always asks to have sleepovers with Aunt Wesa when she’s in town, but little does he know, I enjoy it way more than he does. I absolutely love spending time with my nephews and niece.

Jax and me at the Movie Theater

Monday – I spent Monday at home with my mom, Jaxson and Audrina and then we went to visit Kim and Baby Carson. I know I say this ALL the time, but I really do love spending time with the kiddos. They are so much fun to be around. It’s amazing to watch them grow and learn. I am envious of my mother’s job of being a stay at home Nana. Monday night I met my 2 Bonner BFFs for dinner at Jose Peppers. Jen, Megs and Me are unbelievably close (we have matching tattoos to prove it) and always have so much fun together, even if it’s just chatting over dinner and margs. It’s always so nice to catch up in each other’s lives. I can’t wait until they come visit me in NYC in Sept! After dinner I drove to Basehor to have a few drinks with my long time friend Nick. Once again, it was so nice to catch up with friends. I made a conscious effort to spend time with as many family members and friends that I could during my 10 day vacay.

Jen and I at Jose Peppers

Tuesday – Tuesday day I spent over Kim’s house with her and Carson. I tried to soak up the little man as much as possible as I know he is going to grow so fast and I’m going to miss so much. Tuesday night I went on a Sushi date with Kim and Michael. We are the only ones who like, let me rephrase, LOVE sushi so we went to an awesome Sushi Bar called Sakura. Kim and I have been planning this dinner for months. She wasn’t able to eat sushi while pregnant so we promised each other that after Carson was born, we’d go out for sushi and boy did we. We ate lots of delicious sushi and had a nice time chatting. Afterwards, I headed to my friend Blake’s house to hang out with him, Val and other high school buddies. We sipped wine, chatted, and I helped Val look for some jobs in NY. She is moving to the city with me at the beginning of September and I can’t hardly wait! More details to come on the big move! ;)

Baby Carson is so sweet!

Wednesday – Wednesday day I spent more time with the fam and Wednesday night I headed to downtown KC to spend time with friends at a bar to benefit a good cause. A friend of ours had a bad golf cart accident and was in the hospital for about 2 months. The Shark Bar at KC Power & Light held a benefit night for him in order to raise money to help pay the medical bills. It was a fun night with friends and it was nice to know my money was going to a good place. After P&L we headed to Westport to have a few drinks and do a little dancing. Well actually, we hadn’t planned on the dancing part, but when you get us girls together, dancing is inevitable. Needless to say, it was a fun night with my girls.

BFFs!

BFF from high school, Jen & BFF from college, Val

Thursday – Thursday was one of the only days my entire vacation that I didn’t do too much, which was nice and relaxing. I spent time at home with my fam and then a few of us headed to dinner for Taco Thursdays. My mom and I then pampered ourselves with manicures and pedicures. It was definitely nice mother/daughter time that was much needed.

My beautiful momma and me

Friday – Friday was Audrina’s first birthday so my mom and me packed up the kiddos and headed to Andrea’s job to have lunch with her. It was nice to visit my sis at work and her co-workers very much enjoyed meeting Jax and Drina. Friday night we ate dinner (Red Fortune Chinese – one of my favs that I wish we had in New York!) and then sang Happy Birthday to Princess A! She got her first cup cake, which she loved (the proof is in the pictures). Afterward I headed to a local bar for a night out with friends. Again, it was nice to catch up with people while I was in town and knowing I wouldn’t visit again for a while, I really tried to see everyone.

The birthday girl loved her first cupcake!

Mi otro mitad and soon to be roomie! :)

Saturday – Saturday afternoon I went to my cousin’s Baby shower (Again, the fam just keeps growing) and from there I headed to a wedding. My sister’s Brother-in-Law got married and considering our families are really close, it was nice to be in attendance for the big day.

Abuelo and Miss A

That face makes my heart melt!

So handsome in his tux! ;)

Sisterly love!

Being an aunt is the best job in the world, I'm so blessed!

Sunday – Sunday was Audrina’s birthday celebration so we headed to Lion’s Park for the party. It was so much fun to see all the kiddos playing and having a good time and so nice to see all babies of family and friends. The best part of it all was obviously seeing Princess Audrina enjoy her big day. The pictures say it all, and what they don’t say, Andrea does: The Elmers. Happy Birthday Sweat Pea, Mina Lisa loves you so much!

Audrina loved to be the center of attention, of course, she's a diva! ;)

She enjoyed her cake and presents too!

Carson sporting his I <3 NY onesie!

After the party I headed home to pack my bag and then it was off to the airport. It was definitely hard to say goodbye, especially after being home for so long, but at the same time I was ready to get back to the city. On the plane I reflected on my vacation and couldn’t do anything but smile. I thoroughly enjoyed every single day, spending time with every single person. I am one lucky girl to have such a great life with amazing people in it. To every one of you, thanks!