eye candy

some videos that caught my attention today

spurs best franchise in ALL sports for the decade. great to be part of the silver and black the past 10 years.
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"last night effed around and almost got a triple double"


2:11 mark is puro cara

feliz navidad, happy kwanza, happy hanukkah

whatever it may be...hope you enjoyed your holiday...lets get ready to ring in the new year!

snaps from christmas eve and day.

la tamalada serna

my family, like just about every other latino family, gets together every holiday season for a tamalada. for as long as i can remember, my grandmother along with her children, have spent a weekend in december making tamales. my aunts and uncles would produce up to 40+ dozen in one afternoon. eveyone would take their share home and the rest would be eaten christmas eve.

well, things were a little different this year, the grandkids decided to run point on the tradition. my grandmother has 18 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. between 30 of us we should come out on top, right.....piece of cake. i really wanted two things to come out of "our" tamlada: for our family to enjoy the tamales we made and to find out how long my grandmother has been making tamales.

christmas eve came and went, and we didn't hear any complaints on the tamales. just saw a lot of empty ojas piled up in the trash can...check.

now on to my second pursuit...

so...my grandmother and i had a conversation while stuffing and rolling the tamales. i found out that she's been making tamales and has been part of a tamalada for 59 years straight. she explained that the tradition began a few years after marrying my grandfather. my grandfather's folks would host a neighborhood wide tamalada and it all started over a promesa to la virgen de guadalupe. long story short: great uncle diagnosed with cancer, great grandmother prays to the virgen, great uncle is cured and bam...la tamalada serna is born. my great grandmother now has to host a tamalada, her promesa, every year that she is alive. my grandmother further explained that this wasn't just a gathering to make tamales...it was a neighborhood block party. my great grandparents lived in the projects, or "courts" as they're called in san antonio, on the westside of downtown. they would shut down their block in the hood and host family and friends from all over town. music, food, friends and family is what their tamalada was about. the gathering started small and grew as the years went by. good times!

my grandfather and great grandparents have since left us, god rest their souls, and my grandmother is getting up in age and no longer has the stamina to deliver mounds of tamales. that being said, i believe it's time for her to sit back and enjoy the foundation that she laid for us.

grandma, thank you for carrying on the tamalada tradition. thank you for all your wisdom and sharing your knowledge with us. your love and devotion will continue through us.

a few snaps from our tamalada

tres meses

bc celebrated three months yesterday, so pops brought out the shutter box to catch some snaps of the snuggle bug. wifey and i pulled out the bumbo to assist with the uprights and it worked out quite well. looking good mija!

~oj~

currently listening to

stevie ray vaughan - texas flood

new addition

our second daughter made her way into the world last friday. she came a week early and on a full moon....to all those who believe in superstitions. coincidence...hmm??? momma and baby are fully recovered and are doing great. thank you to all the family and friends that came by or dropped us a line of congrats and well wishes.

so, without further ado, i introduce to you bianca christine serna. welcome to the world mija...we love you!

4:00 am.....can't sleep

haven't been up this late/early in a loooooong time

got a lot on my mind

mind is racing

trying to keep it all together

the man up above

wifey, i love her

FOUNDATION

daughter, i love her

baby girl, i'll see you soon

teardrops

family

the j.o.b.

at least i have my priorities straight

still thinking about the white 575 pigeons

that should have come after family, hah

inked up

livestrong, survivor

footprints, nice script

it'll get better, not that it's bad

hasta

~oj~

they give me strength

been a minute...

...since the last time i posted. wow, so much has happened since june 1. the girls are up and running, lives have come (welcome young world) and gone (r.i.p. ed, farrah, mj), lr2, nursery #2, potty training, chongos, 17 mths old...i could go on and on.

now on to some of the photos i've captured thru out the month...

peek-a-boo with pops

t and p1

chelsea girl

cupcake couture

fralo's

our good friend val celebrating 34 years

all snapped by art serna

6 more weeks and p2 will be here!

~oj~

currently listening to

HILL COUNTRY

THE RANDY ROGERS BAND

select footwear sunday fun day

big ups to manny and heather from select footwear for hosting the crew for some bbq and ice cold beverages.  b was all up on your grill and killa kas posted up the ones and twos.  oyster sauce on the chicken wings, FTW.

good people = good times.

~oj~

all snapped by art serna

some new snaps

check the link.  a good friend of mine is starting up a buisness mixer every wednesday night out at coco lounge off 281/1604.  all walks of life out there.  the homie killa kas is spinnin and yours truly is snappin every wednesday night 5-10.  come out and have a drink with us.

~oj~

would?

alice in chains

the past week

so i added an inexpensive lens to my camera bag and snapped a few photos over the week.  started off at the office and ended at a golf tournament for christy's hope.

~oj~

the compadre getting silly

mija and me

11:00am shotgun start

fairway of hole #1

W.O.M.D.

matt easily carried the water

second birdie on the day

all snapped by art serna

it was a good day

ice cube