Happy Birthday Tati

Today is my Tatas's birthday, he would have been 82!  Look at how great Tati looked for his 80th birthday bash!  He wore that "HAPPY 80th" sash with pride!  I remember how tired he looked before everybody got there, and how my heart sunk to see him there so tired and frail.  But then the party started and Tata, as always, perked up and was his charming self with everybody who was there to celebrate with him.  He greeted the hermanos and hermanas, chatted for a while, took pictures with people, and even gave his testimony.  I love that man.  And I miss him so much.  I wanted to share some pics from that day.....

Tata always looked sharp in his suits.  He liked to dress up and look nice.  He pretty  much set the bar and was always the best dressed. :)

That's Nana and Norma in the first pic.  The next one is not that great quality but boy did Tati have a great smile for that one! And the 3rd pic is Tati and Dad.  Tata was glad that dad was there, that he had been there for a while, helping out.  Im glad too daddy, thank you for being there for Tata and for still being here.....I love you.

Made with love by DEZ :)

Tata giving his testimony and praying before cake. 

It's hard to believe that my Tata, the man who raised me, is gone.  I remember holding his soft, pudgy hands and skipping when we would walk somewhere.  I remember him taking me out on my roller skates when he'd go on a walk in the neighborhood.  I remember that he would check my homework to make sure I didn't have any mistakes.  He would check my graded schoolwork to see what I had gotten wrong so that he could show me the correct answer.  When tata went for guitar lessons, I went with him.  Since tata had such chubby hands, his fingers couldn't reach all the guitar strings so he couldn't play very well.  That's when I started playing guitar.  I would practice with his music books and when he stopped taking lessons, I just kept on playing and learning from the books.  We sang in the spanish church group LOS UNIDOS together.  He loved music, loved to sing and he shared that with me. My tata stood with me when I didn't think anyone would be by my side.  He was strong, but he was humble.  I hope I made him proud.  I hope everyday that I make him proud. 

So many memories and its hard to get them all straight.  I love it when randomly, out of nowhere, I remember something about Tata that makes me smile.  It usually makes me cry too, just because it makes me miss him so bad.  But when you get those moments of remembering those precious times, you can't believe that you had forgotten it and you vow to yourself never to forget again.

I feel bad that Tata wasn't here to meet Dagny.  I know he would have been so happy and love her so much!  I hope that he met her in Heaven, when she was a little angel getting ready to be sent to us.  I hope that he got to spend some time with her before we ever even knew she was coming to us.  I have to believe that when I had that seizure and passed out on the middle of a freeway that he was with me, that he was the angel that guided my car safely to the median.  When I was in the hospital, in labor with Dagny, I wanted him there with me so bad.  I took a picture of him and used that as my focus when the contractions hit.  He was with me, I felt his strength, he helped me through it.  

I'm so thankful for his life and for having him in my life.  I miss him, dearly, on a daily basis.  But what can you do? Life goes on.  I will remember him and share my memories of him with Dagny.

I love you Tati, Happy Birthday!