To Read on the Journey

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Happy Birthday Vava!

Today my g-ma (or Vava as my kids call her) celebrates her 82 birthday.
We celebrated G-ma's birthday with family this last weekend in Modesto.

My g-ma is just over 5 ft tall, perfect g-ma size. She makes the best sweet bread in North America (her sisters in Flores, Azores makes some yummy sweet bread too). She tells me funny stories, recites poems, or sings little songs from our island.
She daily eats sweet potatoes, and oatmeal, she also walks, she says these things "keep her healthy." She loves to garden. She can often be found crocheting or knitting. She loves her family deeply, and desires the best for each one. We speak a couple times a week, I love to answer the phone and hear her say, "oh creda," (oh my child). I am warm in grandma's love.

Pictured here are 4 of my 5 aunts (left to right Violet, Marie, G-ma Josefina, Vicki, and Hilda). I love my aunts!
Aunt Violet is independent,and has a spark to her.
Aunt Marie loves tradition and heritage, she is hard working 'ella nunca pada" (she never stops).
Aunt Vicki is intentional about family, compassionate, and strong.
Aunt Hilda has the greatest laugh. We have many fun memories together from when I was a child living in my grandparent's home (she was still living at home).
My Aunt Vera (not pictured) has a soft voice, and gentle kindness.
All of my aunts are beautiful, sensitive, thoughtful, loving, and care deeply for family. I am blessed to have them!

My 1/2 brother Shus, joined us to celebrate g-ma (No, I did not misspell his name. My dad named him after Confucious, - I am soooo glad my name is Denise). This is a treat as he knows little of his paternal side of the family. I see so much Teodosio in him, and I pray when he is with us he will feel a sense of belonging that he has never had before. Pray for him as he takes healthy steps forward in his life (he is recovering from drug and alcohol abuse).
(left to right- me, Vava, Shus, and my sister Toni)
Finally Aunt Violet got herself some fun wheels. We had fun making g-ma climb in.
Ah, I LOVE HER!

7 comments:

Kristen said...

Happy BIrthday to your grandma! She looks so cute in that car :o) It looks like a wonderful weekend with family.

Sarah Markley said...

So cool! Wow...your family is big and sounds like so much fun!

Alana said...

Love the pictures of Vava in the car!

It looks like you have a wonderful family!

nikki n. said...

Your family sounds like so much fun ! Happy Birthday, Vava ! It's wonderful when we can spoil grandmas who have spoiled us through out the years, with their love, faith, gentelness, and since humor !!!

1 Cor. 13

Jennifer Partin said...

Happy Birthday Celebration!

How blessed you are to be surrounded by such wonderful family!

I loved that last photo! She seems like a hoot! :)

(i'll be praying for Shus too)

Earen said...

Happy Birthday to you grandma!! Special times...

JancyT said...

Wow, this is so weird to see a pic of Shus after all these years... I lived next to him and probably you, in Turlock, a long time ago. I had a crush on him for like a week, and because of the fact that I thought he had the coolest first and last name ever, I named my teddybear after him. The reason I still remember this is because after 17 years I still have my teddybear Confucius Teodosio. The only reason I ran into you guys on this site is because I am doing a paper on the ancient philosopher Confucius, and googled the name wrong! Weird as heck, but Wow what a small world...