Those Crazy Rivera's!

I just returned from Allentown, PA where the Rivera’s celebrated a belated Christmas.

We started out by going to my Aunt Angie’s home in Easton, PA (yes, the same Easton, PA where little three year old Adolph Hitler Campbell lives). My Aunt Angie and Uncle Chris had their Victorian home decorated with lots of red bows all over the bushes and trees. It was nicer than their neighbor’s homes that were covered from head to toe in lights. My Aunt Angie’s in-laws (the Finan’s) were coming over for the day so we just did a quick visit there to drop off our gifts. Papa gave all his sisters necklaces from the Natalie Rivera Jewelry line and Aunt Angie loved hers and immediately put them on. They did look pretty on her. Mommy gave her earrings and Cousin Terry and Cousin Erin got the Ariel necklaces. Everyone seemed to be really happy with their gifts so we took off and left to visit Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Jovino’s grave site. My Aunt Angie decorated the grave site with some Poinsettia’s and wreaths. Mom and I took some extra time to think of Q-Ball and remember her spirit this Christmas.

We then headed off to Allentown to visit my Aunt Juanita. There all the Rivera’s congregated from four states. I had cousins coming out of the wazoo! Everyone was really nice to me and took the time to tell me how much they missed Q-Ball and let me know how much they loved me. Mommy kept on showing any new member who walked in how I looked in my new argyle sweater and scarf. My Aunt Juanita loved her jewelry and told mommy it was the first time someone gave her jewelry as a gift and she loved it. That made mommy feel happy and you know what happens when mommy feels happy, we all feel happy! The whole family was very supportive of the jewelry line, for some reason mommy didn’t tell her family about her business venture this year?? Perhaps she thought her dad would let them know. I don’t know. Uncle David said that Dad was very proud of mommy's jewelry line and that made mommy happy as she definitely would always like to know her daddy is proud of her. Papa said he would be prouder when we turn a profit and we all laughed and agreed (as she is the woman putting food in my bowl). Cousin Nick offered to built mom’s website from scratch as he had lots of ideas so mom was jazzed (insert jazz hands here).

OMG! The food was sooo good at the Rivera’s this year. I was only able to eat the pork shoulder but everyone was stuffing themselves with Spanish rice, lasagna, baccalo (codfish salad) and pasteles (a meat pie with vegetable crust). Mom didn’t see but everyone at the table was sneaking me food from underneath the table. If I had bad manners before you should see me now ☺

I got lots of gifts and gift certificates for pet toys but I would really like to just buy treats instead of toys. We had a great time seeing the crazy Rivera's and catching up on family news which in a nutshell was: Jennifer is pregnant and due in the summer. Nick got a good job and is working just outside Philadelphia at a graphics firm. We met his very pretty girlfriend Keegan today and she got inducted into the Rivera Hall of Shame. Steven is becoming an artist (Mom and I actually liked his work). Steven has a nice boyfriend too. His name is Alex, he is still a student and designs bags. Ryan is going to Apex to learn how to repair air-conditioners and refrigerators, his brother is joining the Army to learn how to fix helicopters. Aunt Angie just got diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis; Uncle Jesse gained weight and looked much healthier than at our last family gathering. Uncle Jay was traveling without his woman Betsy (he did a great job with the pork shoulder!), Terry as usual had her hands full with Aidan, Eliza was almost as cute as me, I can go on.

Everyone kept on telling my mom she looked really healthy which she immediately mistook for looking fat so I am expecting to see the trampoline pulled out of the closet as she belongs to the school of “you could never be too rich or too skinny”. If she had my nervous metabolism she would be much more skinnier but that’s the problem when you are too mellow.

When we left to go home I snuggled in the backseat of the car with mom. She hugged me to her and said. “I hope you know how much you are loved PP”. I nuzzled my nose to her and closed my eyes hoping that she knew that I did know. Yup! I’m just a sentimental sappy pup around the holidays! Chow for now!