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!!