A treasure found!

God certainly writes in “crooked lines”... (this sounds much better In Portuguese: “Deus escreve certo por linhas tortas...”)  The family albums project has given me so much insight into His role in our family.

The other day I found a homemade card with a note that mamãe wrote after I announced to her that we were expecting Number Six. Her home-made cards were always made with old holy cards—she had a score of them!

In her note, her prayerful words asked God that this child would live for His glory alone, and that she would bring blessings and joy to both her parents and her siblings. Above the prayer she glued a gorgeous holy image (German) of the Nativity of Mary, with the letters of Our Lady’s name above... M-A-R-I-A...  I am so glad I kept it and glued it to our family album.

This sixth child, our tiniest baby, we named after the Blessed Virgin herself as the card displayed..., and she grew up from a young age with her heart turned to all that was high and good. She brought immeasurable joy and countless blessings to her parents and siblings in so many ways. 

And she entered religious life on the very Feast of the Nativity of Mary!

What a grandmother’s prayer can accomplish!

Praise God whose deeds are unfathomable and wonderful!

Old photos

I have been looking at old photos I took from Mamae's family albuns... thinking of framing for Christmas.

Rio-Niteroi Ferry

Joao and Margo

I was the happy baby in this one

First Holy Communion

A family classic

Bother Eduardo was the baby

Art Museum field trip

The ten of us! Marta is the baby so it's 1972!

Probably my favorite photo of Mamae and Titia

Family Photo Albums

While in Brazil I finished photographing my mom's fmaily photo albums... and have been steadily adding them to the blog. Enjoy photos such as this one...  of her with newborn granddaughter Ana Patricia.

New post on the Braga Family Blog

I feel like I have been editing these for so long! Many of the photos needed a little digital restoring, which I enjoy doing.  I post a few favorites below, the whole post is at http://historiailustradafamiliabraga.blogspot.com/

I want to make my little horse dress again for future grandchildren! 

A visit to the Museum of Art in Rio with our many cousins. 

My musician brother Eduardo and I. We spent so much time growing up together...
He was smart and sensitive then, and still is today! 

I remember this. Isn't it amazing? I was 3! The stool with my name on it was my first "special" item I have a memory of, and I had it for years and years.

In the new home my parents built. The Sacred Heart wasn't even hung on the wall yet! 

At Sitio da Vovo', our grandmother's acreage in the mountains we spent every summer!

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday is a common social media activity and today I have one! I was looking and beginning the editing of the last photos I took from Mother's photo albums from when I was in Brazil last spring.

My First Holy Communion on November 11, 1970! My parents, my homeroom teacher Sister Brigida, OSB and my beautiful godmother!

Family Photo Albums

Just published this morning: Volume V: One Year in France, first half.

Read about the entire trip, starting in Portugal, traveling to the North (Oporto) to see the grandparents, and then arriving in France by train, via Paris, touring that wonderful city, and settling in Metz. The had my four older siblings then, and the fifth would be born while they were living that year in France. All detailed, with maps and explanations of typical Mamãe! Plus, letters received, and sent! Including a detailed letter from her to our auntie describing everything! Second half tomorrow!



One more thing:
Mamãe shows the tomb of Don John and Dona Felippa of Lancaster, she always said that she cried when she saw the two holding hands on the tomb at Batalha Monastery ... She was the mother of Prince Henry The Navigator. I searched and found better online photos below.

I always remember how Mamãe had these beautiful things ... The perfect European trip would be one where we'd visit all of the beautiful things Mamãe talked about and described with such love and admiration.

Family Albums Blog, progress

Just posted Volume Three: Time of Engagement. Awesome pictures!

New Blog: Family History!

When my mother was expecting my little sister Marta, her tenth child, she had medical orders to rest, feet up. An active person, she needed and found a huge project to accomplish during those months: she organized all of the family photos and put together our beloved "family albums". This time in Brazil, I had the opportunity to take photographs of each page of the first ten albums, and three separate travel albums she also made.

I just sent the link to my siblings and family in Brazil. Enjoy it here.