Goodbye Christmas!!!

I realize Christmas ended 12 days ago, but my tree has still been up until today. Fernan and I finally decided to take it all down! Can I just say it is really fun putting it all up, but not so fun taking it all down!!! I think we are going to invest in a fake tree next year because the mess our Fraser Fir left behind was ridiculous!!! Fernando is still trying to take off all the tree sap from his hands!!! I am sad to see it all go, but thankful for the free space our apartment has to offer now!!

Picnic in the Living Room

It's so nice to have friends home for the holidays!! I mean it's so nice to have Huguette home for the holiday's...since she is really the only close friend that lives so far away!!! Anyhow tonight my friends and I decided to have a potluck dinner and catch a movie after!!! Our potluck dinner or should I say picnic...because that's what it turned into took place on my living room floor. Why did we eat on the floor with a perfectly good table only a few feet away? I have no idea, I guess that's just how we do things. Nonetheless I loved our little picnic and how cozy we were sitting together on the floor. I love girls nights, we just get so silly, laughing and talking about God knows what. I can't wait for our next dinner and a movie...oh and if you haven't see "It's Complicated" go see it for a good laugh!!!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as we celebrate our first as Mr. & Mrs.

This mornings disaster!!! Don't you just love Christmas?

Puchie in her Christmas Dress!!!

(I got her dress for $2.50 @ the Target Dollar Section...gotta love the dollar section!!)

A Relevant Christmas

I love Christmas!!! What I love most about Christmas is all the holiday parties that take place in the month of December and how there is always an excuse for people to gather!!! I love how someone will always volunteer to dress up as Santa for the kids, or that person who will offer there home or those who cook and bake for the masses, oh and how can I forget the decorations. Who doesn't love Christmas decorations? It just seems to me that people are most cheerful around Christmas time; except for the occasional scrooge and we know who they are. Heck they know who they are!!! Speaking of parties I have to say that this year's Relevant Christmas Party (my church) has been the best one I have been to yet!!! The Collazo family did a great job dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Clause along with their Elves, they are such a great family!!! May God bless them always!!! Our leaders did a phenomenal job with the food, games, decorations, portraits, and the list goes. I can't forget how thankful we are to IBB for allowing us to use there facilities. They bless us so we in turn can bless others!!!

Here are just a few pictures of our gathering!

The Collazo Family

They were so gracious to take pictures with everyone, in order to have a wonderful holiday picture to take home!

Annual COH Toy Drive 2009

For the past several years I have participated in the COH Toy Drive, it is one of my favorite events to attend and participate in during the holiday season. This year a total of eleven local elementary schools participated and over 335 children received toys, which were donated by city employees. What I love most about this event is seeing the excitement and innocence on the children's faces as they see Santa and Mrs. Clause come into the park on Police Motorcycles units. I love how they cheer for Santa to appear... :children chanting: " Santa... Santa ...Santa" and when he finally appears there is nothing but jubilation in the air!!!! Finally I love seeing them tear apart the wrapping paper to see what gift is awaiting them!!! Christmas is such a great time and I hope that people do not get so caught up in getting that they forget to give. I believe you get so much more when you give!!

Some of Santa's Helpers

Mr. and Mrs. Clause

K-9 Unit Presentation

Norma and I

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=88021@wfor.dayport.com

http://cbs4.com/local/Hialeah.Toy.Drive.2.1364508.html

Let's Talk Ornaments!

This year I decided to participate in the Nestie Holiday Ornament Exchange with the girls from TheNest. I have participated in other gift exchanges or secret Santa's before but never in one specifically dealing with exchanging ornaments! When the girls were beginning to put everything together I wondered to myself how on earth are we going to do a gift exchange over the Internet. I figured we would meet in someone house or something. I apparently was not really using my noggin!!! Hello!!! Anyhow Johanna did a wonderful job putting this whole thing together on www.elfster.com (very cute website to do gift exchanges), and I am please to say I received a very adorable ornaments of t two penguins kissing ornament from Virginia!!! Thank you so much Virginia I love it! I also want to congratulate you on your new baby as well!!!

My Husband and my mother were looking at me as if I had three heads when I noticed that I had received this package. I was jumping up and down like a little girl with so much excitement because I knew exactly what is was.

This is the Ornament that was inside the package and what was sent to me by Virginia...cute huh!!!

Speaking of ornaments here are a few others that either have some sort meaning or has been gifted to me by a friend or family.

My husband gifted me this ornament back when we were dating on our First Christmas together! He also gave it to me with a promise ring taped to the bottom of the umbrella and sticker on the boys foot indicating to look under it. I laugh looking back at that now!! Time as flown by.

This one my friend Ingrid gave me when Fernando and I got engaged! I love Ingrid she is always so thoughtful and thinking of others!!! I love you my friend!!!

I am hoping to get this one as our first married Christmas together!!!

Miami Lakes Festival of Lights 2009

One thing I love about living in Miami Lakes is that it seems as though everything is in walking distance, or perhaps I feel that way because I actually live on Main Street. Anyhow tonight was the Miami Lakes Festival of Lights and it was such a nice family event, with live music all down the street. There is nothing that puts you in the Christmas spirit than Christmas Carols and cold weather at least for us here in Florida. I know Puchie enjoyed her little walk down Main Street with all the people just as much as Fernan and I did.

HML Band

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...at least in the Herrera household it is. A few days ago Fernando and I bought some Christmas ornaments and ever since Fernando has not stopped talking about going to go buy our tree. So yesterday we went to the church across the street from our apartment to purchase a tree and found them to be very expensive so we decided to keep looking. We then visited Costco and they did not sell trees, so then on to Home Depot and they were not selling trees yet, okay so now on to Lowes they closed...ugh so we went home treeless. So after yesterday's run arounds Fernando and I were determined to get our tree today!! Much to our excitement we purchased our first Christmas Tree as Mr. & Mrs.

Searching for our tree

On our way home!

Finally Home

Some of our ornaments

Our First Christmas Tree as Mr. & Mrs. ...all we need is a Star!

Note: Photo Credit to Fernando Herrera

Christmas is just around the corner...

First let me start by saying Happy Monday, and state that I am super excited about the holidays! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I feel like Christmas is trying to take over before Thanksgiving can even get a chance to be celebrated. Anyhow, Thanksgiving is only three days aways and we are already thinking about Christmas. Last night Fernando and I bought some Christmas ornaments before the good stuff is all gone, and I think we barely made it in time!! Now I am mostly excited for this Holiday season because this will be our first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs. The first time we buy our tree and decorate it, and our first year to create new traditions as a family of two, so with that said here is a little preview of whats to come...

Note: Photo Credit to Fernando Herrera

Art on Palm / Tree Lighting Ceremony 2009

So tonight was Art on Palm's annual tree lighting ceremony. I remember my parents bringing me to Triangle Park as a little girl, and I would always write Santa a letter and put it in the giant red mail box found in one of the corners of the park. I remember running around in excitement looking at all the small decorated houses and taking pictures with Santa, but now as an adult I don't see the park quite the same, but it still is cute place for kids.

Placing a letter in the mail for Santa

Family and Friends

Me and my Honey!

Art on Palm