Let's Back Up A Bit... Christmas 2011

Please allow me to back up a bit and write a few posts about past events.  While I don't blog as often as I had always hoped I do think it important for future me to be able to look back.

Christmas 2011: Hampton NH

While last year's Christmas in Texas was fun, there is nothing like being home with family for the holidays.  We were very lucky to have the time to drive home (yes drive) with the two pups and still have enough time off to spend a whole week in New Hampshire.  We spent the first part of the week in Maine having our family photos taken, visiting with great friends and adding to my every growing collection of body artwork.  We were very lucky to have a friend who was very flexible in her photography career to make a photo session work for not only our wallets but the short time we had up north.

Here is a look at just a few she took, and dare I say we have some pretty good looking fur kids :)

And once again I was able to visit my favorite tattoo artist Matt in Portland.  This time it was to add to my left arm where there is already 603.  My left arm is quickly becoming the story of my life and so with last year marking the 10th anniversary of September 11th, I felt it only fitting to add that to the story.  Above that is the phrase La Mia Famiglia.  With losing post paternal grandparents in the past year and a half and adjusting to being so far from my own immediate family I wanted a permanent reminder of where I have come from.  I have plans to honor both grandparents in a separate piece and I am working with my sisters to come up with something we can all get together.  Here is my latest and certainly one of the greatest: 

And as if all of that wasn't enough... it was the holidays!!! It was so awesome to see my family and spend time with everyone.  The dogs couldn't believe that houses existed with multiple floors... Smokey (my parent's dog) couldn't believe that his parents could like any other dogs.  This photo would prove otherwise, sorry Smokey:

As one can imagine there was lots of holiday fun to be had. Cookies, J-Dawgs birthday party, Christmas Eve Chinese food and of course... Christmas.  I think you'll get the gist of how great our time north was with the following photos:

Time with family was the best gift... All corniness intended...

Until June when we celebrate Mariana's graduation (What the ??!!!) Thanks Family :)