Meet Chupete

Javier and I were trying to think of how we wanted to spend our New Years (we had a little fund for NYE celebrations from various Christmas gifts) and after Javier rejected a multitude of my suggestions (including "maybe we could get a pet?") he came back at me the next day with "maybe we could get a dog?" We went to check out the canines at a local shelter 10 minutes before it closed and we both settled on Chupete as soon as we saw him. His full name is Chupete Suazo after Javier's favorite Chilean soccer player, Humberto Suazo. Chupete means sucker or pacifier, which the Chileans have decided is a perfect nickname for Humberto thanks to his bald head. Javier has had this name picked out for his future dog for quite a while - every time we'd see a dog he'd say "yeah - that could be a Chupete for sure." Chupete is pronounced Choo-pet-eh, and we call him Chupetito and Chupetín, which aren't any shorter than the original but they are endearing! Below are a few pictures from the last couple of spectacular & exhausting days with our new pup.

These first few are from 2 crazy days at the dog park - Chupete can seriously hold his own against the other dogs!

This one is Darla - so pretty!

This mini bulldog - Olive - was CRAZY about Chupete. She followed him around all day and was so sad when Javi picked him up to leave!

These two fought the whole time and LOVED it - I know these photos make it look like Chupete is ridiculously vicious and aggressive but he's really got a sweet disposition! He's just getting it all out at the dog park.

Ohhh kisses for me!

This was a little bag of goodies that the kids at Ensworth School made for people who adopt dogs or cats 

 C'MEER!!!

This card is hilarious - the writing says "Thank you for adopting this dog! Make sure you: feed it, play with it, scratch its tummy, give it sleep, and most emportant, give it (lots of) LOVE! Hope you enjoy!" 

Disciplining Chupetito

His whole body has brown spots but his little tail has only black spots! (he's a heeler/lab/beagle mix) 

my mom with Chupete 

He's my little muse now, so there will be plenty more of Chupete on the blog in the future!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas from the Rodríguez / McClure family!! For the past two years, Javier and I have flown down to Chile to celebrate Christmas with his family. Last year we arrived in Chile 4 days after our wedding in Nashville just in time to prepare for wedding v. 2.0 in Santiago, which was the day after Christmas. So tomorrow is our second first anniversary! This year marked several firsts for Javier: first winter Christmas, first white Christmas (it SNOWED in Nashville!), first Christmas in the USA and first Christmas without his family. It's hard when your family lives on another continent - it's not like we can spend Christmas day with one family and fly a couple hours to see the other family the day after Christmas. Christmas in Nashville was very relaxed - Christmas in the McClure family usually revolves around preparing for the next meal, working on puzzles / scrabble games and watching movies. It's AWESOME. Below are photos of the past few days around my parents house and a few additional photos from our Christmas celebrations last year in Chile.

Last year on Christmas day we drove an 11-seater van up dozens of hairpin curves to the top of these mountains - scared me to death. Especially to think that people do that in the WINTER - with chains on their tires. Lunatics. Anyway it was BEAUTIFUL - obviously.

Javier's grandma (eating homemade pan de pascua, or fruitcake, her specialty) and mom 

On our way down Javier's dad said "the only thing missing from this day is seeing a condor (Chile's national bird)" Lo and behold....

Every year since 1990 my mom has bought me and my brother an ornament or two that reflects something from our lives in the past year. This year, we started buying our meat from Emerald Glen Farm and the farmer, Weldon, sends out a newsletter every week before they come to the farmers market with an update on what's happening at the farm. I love it because he always includes photos of the animals and they look so happy - some people think it's weird to see photos of the animals they'll be eating in a few weeks, but I'd rather see the photos and know they are happy than eat food that comes from who knows where under who knows what conditions. Anyway, this all leads to my parents teasing us about only eating "happy" cows and pigs and chickens and eggs...hence the ornament of the year. That is one happy cow. 

My mom - total Santa babe

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!