29 Years

It's been a crazy 2022! We ended last year on a high note with a public announcement that we're having a baby. The "babymoon" photo on the right has special significance since Waikiki was where Kalina and I went on our first trip together. It's also where my parents went on their Honeymoon and it's the only place outside the continent (besides Portugal) that I remember taking family trips to as a child.

Today was a bit sad realizing that my father will never get to meet his granddaughter in person, but I know he will always be watching over her!

28 Years

This year I'd like to share a photo of my father as a teacher at Anne Darling Elementary in San Jose. He mostly taught 4th and 5th grade and was well-liked by his students. He'll always be missed!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I love you and miss you. I'm sure you would have loved this Red Velvet cake Kalina got to celebrate your 79th Birthday!

27 Years

2020 was another challenging year, but the silver lining is that 2021 is likely to be far better.

My parents were married at Five Wounds in San Jose (where I was baptized on the same day, a story for another time). In honor of my father's passing, I watched the Five Wounds mass today celebrated by Fr. António Silveira. I was very happy to hear my father's name a couple of times during the service--which you can watch over here.

Dad, I miss you and thank you for watching over mom and I during 2020.

26 Years

2020, the future. While we might not be driving flying cars or vacationing on the moon, we live in a world that is vastly different than just a few decades ago. We store all of the world's information in our pockets, can stream any show ever made in real time on our TVs, and some of the lucky ones have cars that can drive themselves on the freeway. 

My father always loved technology and I can't help but imagine what he would think about the world today or how he would use technology to help others. When he was living in São Miguel, he was actually the first person to televise mass in the Azores to reach as many people as possible. Decades before PowerPoint, he created multimedia slide presentations with transitions and synced music. Long before digital cameras and scanners, he would take photographs and convert them into digital images by drawing them pixel by pixel.

I'm where I am today because he taught me how to use a computer when I was six years old and always encouraged me to use technology to it's fullest. I can't ever fully express how thankful I am for the lessons he taught me in life. 

You will always be missed dad.

25 Years

Even though it has been a quarter century since my father passed away, I still remember him clearly and feel the impact that he had on the world. He always had tremendous love and empathy in his heart and brought out the best in people.

Today I thought it would be nice to share a few photos of his final resting place, which is right above a statue of Mary inside the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Chapel. It is a beautiful building with a lot of character that is comfortable to visit year-round. Mass is also celebrated weekly in honor of the deceased. I don't think my mom could have chosen a better place for him.

Thank you dad for being such a great role model. I love you and miss you.

Domingos Rebelo Documentary

As a Father's Day tribute, I uploaded one of my father's video productions to YouTube. This is a short documentary on one of the most famous artists to come from the Azores, Domingos Rebelo. The first half hour is in Portuguese while the English version begins around the 36 minute mark. Huge thank you to Filomena Goulart for providing the video!

Happy Father's Day dad!