Yacuiba (sixteen months old)

Shortly after Samuel hit his sixteen-month mark, the three of us traveled to Saúl's hometown, Yacuiba, to spend the holidays (and take out a new visa for me at the Argentine border nearby; in order to remain legal in Bolivia, I had to leave the country and apply for a new visa at Bolivian Immigration).

We've had more than our share of adventures since we arrived. Some of them, I'd rather forget--such as losing (and later recovering, thank God) my passport and Samuel's on our way to the Immigration office. But here are some experiences we will enjoy looking back on:

• Getting Samuel in touch with his chaqueño heritage

Yacuiba is part of the Bolivian Chaco--a region of the country characterized by grasslands, farming and cattle-raising (accompanied by a steady diet of red meat and red wine), and a culture that prides itself on its people's friendliness and shoot-from-the-hip sincerity.

Here's Sam with his grandma Gloria, modeling a style of hat traditionally worn by chaqueño cattlemen on formal occasions; below you'll see him sitting on a bombo drum, which is an indispensable element of chaqueño folk music. (Click here to view a music video with some of the sights and sounds of the Chaco. If you'd like to see some typical folk dancing, click here to see the light-stepping cueca and here for the imposing chacarera.)

• Spending time with with some of Saúl's relatives and childhood friends

Here's the younger generation: Samuel with Kevin, the son of Saúl's neighborhood friend Alejandro. Saúl, Samuel, and I attended Kevin's first birthday party a few days after we arrived in Yacuiba. On the table in the picture above are Cars-themed party favors and the birthday cake. In the picture below, the kids are entertained by wisecracking clowns; to the right of Samuel are Marcelo and Mauricio, the sons of Saúl's cousin Alejandra.

• Experiencing the wonder of Christmas through our toddler's eyes

As usual, the best Kodak moments happen without us catching them on film. I wish we could have captured the look of awe on Sam's face on Christmas Eve when he entered from a dark street into a patio strung with Christmas lights, garlands, and tinsel that reflected the light from the tiny bulbs all around. Or the way he watched the grown-ups dance later on, after the traditional midnight meal (yes, we all stayed up late that night!), and then copied their moves, bouncing and twirling to the music in his own corner of the dance floor.

As a Christmas postcard, the best we have to offer you is this blurry picture of Sam and me, taken on the 26th at the house of other family friends--along with our prayers that you were able to experience the wonder of Christ's birth in your own way, along with your family and friends. Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a blessed year 2o11!