(Scroll to the bottom for playlists and visuals – pictures and video shorts)
And so it came to be. A precious celebration of Berto’s 1st Communion – and more:
- RemDana’s 40th birthday & 10th anniversary
- Mirabelle’s growing spunkiness
- Esme’s recent baptism
- 20 years of our family in Silver Spring
- 50th anniversary of RR1’s high school reunion
- GD’s unwavering love
Faith, family, and fun.
Could not have asked for better weather. Could not have asked for a more authentic feeling of simple enjoyment, grace-filled conversations, and connectedness.
Truly houses full of love:
- In ours:
- Carmencita and Julio with Bobbie and Chris in the lower suite
- Toti and Luisa in Iggy’s old room
- Ibri and Elina in Rembe’s
- At RemDana’s:
- Jeff and Dorothy
- Jason and Ruth
- At Iggy&Jess’:
- Julito
We started with a dinner at El Sapo with the Villafañes and Gilgenbachs.
The next day, the 1st Communion mass was special:
- Berto read the petitions – in Spanish
- Father Emilio was the celebration
- And the Sacred Heart Church looked beautiful with all the 1st Communants and full school participation
- (Plus dominoes later at night at the house!)
Then it was time to pick up the pig and prepare it – at the Eastern Market, from Canales Meat of course.
Saturday was the pig day:
- Graced with beautiful weather
- Six of Berto’s friends
- Two of Mirabelles’s friend
- Father Emilio, Manela, and Mamusa
- And music by DJ Legendary Dave-O, accompanied by Denise, Danny, and Julie.
The Caja China Pig was outstanding yet again – our 16th pig in “the chateau in (the other) Potomac”.
So many highlights:
- The children dancing the Cha Cha and Macarena
- The friends laughing and chatting away
- The bar flowing
- The children running around unscripted
- The Agüero family reconnecting
- Ah, and the food sides: All from El Golfo, of course. (Except Manela’s fantastic flan!)
(Did I say the weather was beautiful?)
Then on Sunday, we went to the Shrine of Immaculate Conception for Berto’s s
2nd communion 🙂 Afterwards, the Villafañes headed back to the country of Miami. Ibri and Elina, Toti and Luisa and us went to Annapolis for dinner. Precious.
Monday was final cleanup for GD and RR. There was little to do because everyone had been so helpful the day before. The storms that – thank God – did not come on Saturday came Monday night.
And now it is Tuesday morning. Beautiful day again.
How do you say “thank you God – and La Virgencita” – and really mean it – for blessing us with so much?
What good is it to say ‘thank you’ if you don’t internalize it and intentionally mean it in a way that you can operationalize it in a commonsensical way? Here is where the Spanish word Gracias helps. Grace.
To say Gracias is to be grateful and be open to the grace that changes you because of what others do and say; and changes others because of how the goodness in us (which we are all born with) helps those to whom we say ‘Gracias’.
Thus, to all who joined us in this most excellent celebration, prayed for us from far away, all who wished Berto well in his 1st Communion, and all who rejoice in knowing the goodness of faith, family, and fun: A big ¡GRACIAS!
Playlists & Visuals
- Dave’s Playlists:
- For Children: Cha Cha and Macarena (PIG: E – Cuba)
- Musical Journey: From Baltimore to Havana via DC, Atlanta, and Miami (PIG: C – MD/DC/GA)
- Visuals:
For more on all our Caja China Pigs, visit: