Julia's Baby Shower

March 22, 2014 by sal in Family

It's five weeks before our baby girl is scheduled to arrive, and it's clear she'll be well-loved (and spoiled!) by a great group of friends and family. We couldn't be luckier. The ladies of Texas threw me a beautiful baby shower in McAllen on March 22nd. Mom and Michelle came in from Mexico and Austin, and the crew from Brownsville joined us, as well. Many thanks to Nury for organizing a fantastic event, to all of the hostesses for their generosity, to Happiness Cupcakes and Lisa for the phenomenal cakes, and to all of the invitees for sharing in the fun. To view the entire album, click here

Arrived in Texas!

March 22, 2014 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels

We've arrived in Texas after a series of flight delays with kitties in hand. We are adjusting to the humidity, oxygen, and Cubanera well. We took a quick trip to San Antonio to visit our OBGYN and the baby is head down and doing well. Spring is in the air as my sneezing can attest but at least we are able to enjoy Texas' spring wildflowers. More pics to come...

Gender Revealing Party

December 28, 2013 by sal in Family

Thanks to all those that came out to our gender revealing party. We had a great time and being able to share this moment with the family was special and meant a lot to us. Vince was the only person who knew the gender of our baby and he stuffed the piñata with the appropriate color of paper, bows, and ribbons. Once Eduardo broke the piñata, pink items fell to the floor revealing that our baby is a girl. Holy shit! I'm going to be a dad!

Also, thanks to Lisa from Happiness Cupcakes for the great cakes!!

To view the entire album click here. Thanks to Vince for capturing Vivian's excitement over her coming niece as well as capturing the piñata hits of several Major League Baseball players. You'll see what I mean when viewing the album.

Christmas in Austin

December 25, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography

I'd like to thank Michelle and Vince for hosting Christmas this year. We had a fantastic time during our week in Austin and the food was delicious. From Vince's bacon and pancakes, Michelle's Kimchi, to Suzan's pecan pie -- they all were delicious! Thank you for the gifts and we will be seeing you shortly. Below are some pics of our week in Austin. To view the entire album click here.

McKinney Falls Hike

December 24, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels

With all the goodies we have been eating lately, we were in need of some exercise. A beautiful day for a hike along McKinney Falls where we got to enjoy some fall colors. A video of Vince sketching the landscape.

http://svelazquez.smugmug.com/XMAS2013/Austin/McKinneyFalls/i-VBTngBg/A

Below are some pictures. To view the entire album click here.

The Hunt for a Christmas Tree

December 22, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels

Michelle landed a job at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center as part of the Ecosystem Design Group at the University of Texas at Austin. As part of her work, she does prescribed fires for research and to inform restoration and regenerative practices. The fields for their research contain a plethora of Juniperus ashei -- a perfect specimen for a Christmas tree. With approval from her office, Vince, Michelle, Suzan, Julia, and I headed out to the Lady Bird Wildflower Center in search of a Christmas Tree. Afterwards we treated ourselves to some Texas BBQ at Salt Lick and then Julia made her very special snickerdoodles!

Below are some pictures of our adventure. To view the entire album click here.

South Padre Island Family Weekend

June 23, 2013 by sal in Family, Food, Photography, RGV

Julia and I spent a long weekend at South Padre Island with my family. The current at the beach was strong but the waves were fun for boogie boarding. The days many activities included a day trip to South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center where we saw a lovely Crocodile (or Aligator) feast on a raccoon, a Saturday with the Brownsville family, and a drive to the dunes to photograph the landscape and beautiful sunset. Links to our videos: Sal Boogie boarding Julia and Sal boogie boarding Cubanos en las olas Crocodile feasting on a raccoon

To view the entire album click here

Mexico Despedida

June 07, 2013 by sal in Family, Food, Photography, Mexico, Friends

After two years of great memories, great friends, and great times, our tour in Mexico has come to an end. We said good-bye to our boxing instructor Changa and other boxing amigos at a great last class. Our Mexi-friends treated us to a delicious despedida barbecue at the Moose, complete with grilled fruit sangria and empanadas, and came to say good-bye during happy hour at the St. Regis. Our little family--including Ceniza and Compay--crossed the border to spend home leave in Texas, where we've spoken more Spanish and eaten more tortillas than when we were in Mexico. We're already missing the Mexi-crew dearly but enjoying a summer packed with family time before the next adventure. Click here to view the entire album.

Graduation Weekend in Austin!

May 19, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels

Congratulations, Michelle, on completing your masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Texas Austin School of Architecture. We had a great time celebrating your accomplishment last weekend in Austin. One thing is for sure, we are going to have to get used to the heat and humidity when we travel to Texas and DC this summer. To view the entire album click here.

Chiapas 2013

April 14, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels, Mexico

Julia, Suzan, and I took a trip to San Crisotbal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. We stayed at Parador Margarita, a charming inn not far from the Zocalo. The service and breakfast were fantastic. Our first stop was Sumidero Canyon which was simply amazing. For me it was the sharp rise of the ocean floor as the river cuts through the mountains exposing the extremely slanted layers of limestone that was most impressionable. The air unfortunately was a little hazy due to the farmers burning their fields. The next couple of days were spent exploring San Cristobal and its markets where locals sell their handmade stuffed animals. We found a some great restaurants especially Comida Thai. How we craved Thai food! On the last day we drove to Chamula de Chiapa, an indigenous village in the mountains. To view the entire album click here.

Easter in San Miguel

March 30, 2013 by sal in Family, Photography, Travels, Mexico

I finally got a chance to see Suzan's beautiful place in San Miguel during the Easter weekend. The views are amazing! To view the entire album click here.

Velazquez Reunion 2012 - 2013

December 31, 2012 by sal in Family, Photography, RGV

This past Christmas I was lucky enough to spend time with family that I haven't seen for quite some time. My brother Andresito who is currently living in Puerto Rico, my nephew Luisito currently studying medicine in the D.R., and my cousin Luis Felipe and Uncle Luis from Miami all flew down for the holidays. It was great to see everyone and one could only hope that many more reunions like this continue especially with our upcoming move to Quito, Ecuador. To view the entire album click here.

Thanksgiving Vacation 2012

November 25, 2012 by sal in Family, Food, West Virginia, DC

Julia and I were fortunate to travel back to the East Coast for the Thanksgiving holiday with stops in D.C., Roanoke, Virginia, Summersville, WV, and Thomas, WV. Many thanks to those who hosted us and met us along the way. Below are some pics from our trip. Click here to view the entire album.

Roanoke, VA

Bright Family

Uncle Bill carving the turkey

Silas and Julia

Daisy and Silas playing hide and seek

Sunset over Thomas, WV

Greg, Maggie, Julia, and Sal

Mineral De Pozos

May 27, 2012 by sal in Family, Photography, Mexico

Vince, Michelle, Suzan, Julia, and I decided to drive to Mineral De Pozos, a once thriving mining town now practically abandoned, for a picnic and to take some photos. To view our pictures from the entire weekend click here.

San Antonio - Austin trip

May 01, 2012 by sal in Family, Food, Photography, Travels

Our trip to Texas was intended for furniture shopping but instead became a fantastic long weekend to catch up with friends and family. Oh yea...and let's not forget the food! Many thanks to Lisa and Andrew for meeting up with us for brunch and Sangrias at Picnikins. To Michelle and Vince for hosting us in Austin, taking us to a fantastic Thai restaurant (2 thai peppers!), and giving us some good ole fashioned Texas BBQ! To Allen, Aixa, Aleina, and Ailani for taking us to Joe's Crab Shack for some great crab legs and then spending the afternoon chillin' in your backyard patio. Flights to San Antonio are very reasonable from here so we definitely look forward to paying you another visit! :) To view the entire album click here.

Cuernavaca Visiting Tio Fernando

November 28, 2011 by sal in Family, Mexico

Took my parents to Cuernavaca to visit my uncle Fernando. We met up at Las Mañanitas and enjoyed the afternoon by the pool. The next day Fernando took us to Tepotzlan, famous for the remains of a temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco mountain. Unfortunately rain set in and cut our tour short. We had an "adventure" driving out of the town as we slid up the steep hills on the slick wet stone roads. After we met up with some of my uncles friends for a little Cuban food and dominoes. Definitely will be returning.

Click here to view the entire album.

Sangiving in the D.F.

November 24, 2011 by sal in Family, Food, Mexico

Our parents flew down to join us for our first hosted Sangiving. Julia made a fantastic turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, while I.... For dessert we had pumpkin pie and Suzan's famous loco cake! A game winning field goal by the Cowboys was a nice addition to the day and at night my dad and I stepped outside to enjoy some Cohibas. A good day indeed -- thankful for being able to spend time with our wonderful parents.

Where's Waldo?

November 23, 2011 by sal in Family, Mexico

Alebrijes at the Zocalo

November 06, 2011 by sal in Family, Photography, Mexico

Zuzan is in town visiting this massive city. We took Suzan for a leisurely bike ride along Plaza La Reforma. This is a great way to explore the city at a leisurely pace plus there are several areas where one could "rent" a bike for free! When we arrived at the zocalo, we were greeted with giant alebrijes! Washington Post has an interesting article covering these alebrijes.

Sal's 40th Birthday Weekend in McAllen, TX

October 05, 2011 by sal in Drinks, Family, Food, Photography, RGV

Julia and I flew into McAllen to celebrate my 40th birthday with family and friends. It was a celebration of salsa, cigars, and dominoes. To view the entire album, click here.