Family Traditions
We always have a good time getting together as a family. They say it takes a village and our village is full of love, support, and fun. The great thing is that we want to celebrate one another, pass down our cherished family traditions, and create new memories. If there is a reason to celebrate, we celebrate with our whole hearts. It does not matter the distance or the place, we will be there for each other with open arms and unconditional love.
Tamale Party
The smell of slowly stewed meat fills the air as more aunts, uncles, and cousins fill my Grandma's house. It's our annual tamale party and we are organized in an assembly line to make hundreds of tamales for Christmas dinner.
The little kids are put on leaf drying duty, my Grandma flavors the masa, I smear masa on the leaves, and the end of the table places the meat and an olive on the masa. Through the work, I listen to my aunts tell hilarious stories of their childhood and growing up in a family of 13 kids.
Birthday parties
We love to have fun as a family and tend to go over the top on celebrations. My Mom’s 50th birthday party “Cinquentanera” was no exception. Everyone dressed up in Marie Antoinette costumes and wigs. Leading up to the event we had wig decorating parties and all the ladies couldn't wait to show off their much-anticipated creations. One of my favorite party memories was when the DJ gave the cue to start the fashion show catwalk. My Grandma was the judge and we all strutted down the dance floor with our coordinated moves to see who would win best dressed!
Family Get Togethers
Both of our families celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year. We started the week with multiple visits to the beach and now we are all sitting at a long table outback stuffed with delicious homemade sides, turkey, and pie! Grabbing our blankets, we slowly make our way to find seats next to the crackling fire to watch The Grinch on the outdoor movie screen. Hot chocolates are passed around and topped with marshmallows. Once Elias goes to bed it’s time for karaoke that goes late into the night. The family cheers on the singers and asks for encores!
