Blog No. 52 of 2025
This is it, the final post of 2025. I will not be doing a “wrapped” list of my 2025 blogs like Spotify, I am simply looking forward. Forward to a 2026 filled with more personal projects, more nature walks, more road trips to explore Florida because there are so many places I haven’t seen/been which honestly, is the direction I was heading in, in 2025.
I have nothing to tell about Friday so going to start off with Saturday when I hung around the house, wrapped presents and in the evening, Vance, Nick and I attended a Christmas concert at our church, St. Martha’s Catholic Church. The Rivas Family musical group Grupo H from Colombia, performed a host of classic and original Christmas songs at our church’s atrium. They were quite entertaining, incredibly talented and have a wonderful mission and the siblings in the group are all very accomplished academically and musically. After the concert, we grabbed dinner at Paquito’s Mexican Restaurant in North Miami Beach which is always a solid choice.
Sunday was a quiet day, didn’t do much and on Monday I did my food rescue in the morning and at night and took a nice long walk in between those two. I also drove down Enchanted Place again and it was wonderful.
Tuesday I helped Elizabeth with whatever she needed for the Christmas party she was throwing for her friends and although it was a bit chaotic because of the rain and everything out in the patio getting soaking wet, they managed to move it to her friend Sam’s house where they’ve got a covered patio and the evening was saved.
Vance, Nick, AJ and Elena at our house on Christmas Eve.
Jojo in his Christmas PJ’s at Christmas Eve.
Nick, Elizabeth and my sister Mari at Christmas Eve.
My sister Ana in the middle with her granddaughters Kate on the left and Hailey on the right at Christmas Eve.
My niece Tiffany (Ana’s daughter), with her daughters Kate and Hailey.
Wednesday was Christmas Eve so I spent the day getting ready for us to host our annual Noche Buena dinner with family. I got up early, put the pork shoulder in the oven and basted/marinated that baby every half hour for about five hours. It was worth it because it turned out delicious and was a big hit. We enjoyed it and the black beans and rice I made, the yuca and maduros from Little Havana Restaurant and the turrones my sister brought over for dessert. The Christmas Eve mass before dinner was beautiful and watching my great nephew Jojo run around squealing with excitement and dancing completed the evening. Check out the pictures above.
Thursday, Christmas Day, we did a quick gift exchange, I baked an apple pie and made a salad while Elizabeth baked gingerbread man-shaped sugar cookies and made creamy mashed potatoes. We then headed to my sister Susy’s house where we all gathered in her backyard, talking, eating and enjoying being together.
Today, I attended a mass in honor of my Mom who passed away on this day in 2004. As for the rest of the day, it’s anybody’s guess. But I know we plan to enjoy outings this weekend and over the next week while Elizabeth is here. We may go to the Frost Science Museum to see the DaVinci exhibition, go to the beach and hopefully have time to take a day trip to the Keys.
The birthday boy Mazen, in his new clothes gifted to him by his aunt and cousin.
Mazen and his brother Ramzi at their grandfather’s dinner table.
Today is also my great nephew Mazen’s birthday, happy birthday Mazen.
And here are my suggestions for what you can do and see around Miami this weekend.
There are still plenty of holiday light displays up including Enchanted Place in North Miami, Winter Wonderland Miami in Westchester, Winter Wonderland at Losner Park in Homestead, beautiful holiday displays in Coral Gables at Shops at Merrick Park. You can find plenty of others by clicking here.
I am subscribed to the Pew Research Center website and found this article particularly interesting where they surveyed adults 18-29 years old on their media consumption habits. Click here to read it.
That’s all for this last blog of 2025, see you in the New Year, right here, next Friday.
Grant and Michael at Restoration Hardware.
Vance with Port Canaveral’s bike donation for Toys for Tots.
And here, some photos I’d meant to share in week’s past and kept forgetting. One of Michael in his chef’s coat at work at Restoration Hardware in Charlotte, NC with his cousin Grant. Grant and his wife Esther went to dinner there, they live in Wilmington, NC. And the other photo of Vance earlier this month with the Toys for Tots bike donation from Port Canaveral.
