Just a few pictures of our trip to the Park.
Peyton loved the swings.
She looks so big in the swing.
Travel Questions Answered!
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
College Friends
During the holidays, Brandy and I were finally able to get to visit with Patrice and Colton. Patrice lives in Florida so we don't get to see her enough, but is planning on moving back before Baby Ricker #2 is here.
Little Colton is a cutey, but it's so funny to see how different boys and girls are. While Peyton was playing quietly, Colton was running around dumping his crackers on the ground. :)
Little Colton is a cutey, but it's so funny to see how different boys and girls are. While Peyton was playing quietly, Colton was running around dumping his crackers on the ground. :)
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| Colton, Peyton, and Presley |
Christmas 2011
Despite the sad times with the passing of Papa, we still gathered to celebrate Christmas with everyone.
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| P think Uncle Aaron is hilarious! |
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| She was more interested in the toys she already had, than her new clothes. |
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| Checking out some pictures of things for Baby Jackson. |
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| Helping Gramsy open her gift. |
We had moved our celebration to New Years Eve with my side of the family.
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| P just wanted to climb on the boxes, not really concerned with opening them. |
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| Nana and Grampa trying to build Avery's twins furniture |
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| Avery playing dollhouse with P and Papaw. |
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Goodbye My Papa
I had the honor of speaking at my Papa's viewing. Since he was Catholic, there is not the traditional eulogy at the funeral mass, so I spoke after the Rosary. I was very nervous and doubted whether or not I was going to be able to get through the words that I had written. His Viewing/Rosary was very beautiful and once I heard Bryan Marshall playing some of Papa's favorite songs on the violin, I knew that no matter how hard it would be for me to get in front of everyone to speak, I needed everyone in the room to know how special he was to me.
While the beginning was a bit shaky and the end was tough to say, I think it came together very well.
The man we come here today had many names, he was born Teofil Albert Klodzinski, but no one knew him by that name. He was either T.A., Tops, son, brother, friend, husband, brother in law, father, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and even great-great grandfather. But to me he was just Papa.
It takes a special man to be a Papa, not everyman can become one, but he was mine.
I have been reflecting the past few days on how to describe my Papa, and I keep coming back to one word: PROUD.
He was proud to be a veteran serving in the Army in Burma during World War II. For many years, Papa never spoke about his time in the Army, but once he started a couple of years ago, we couldn't get him to stop. I can remember one time we were going through old pictures and documents from the war and came across Papa's discharge papers. He was showing me them when I noticed, his occupation was listed as "Cook." Intrigued I asked him about this, and he just shook his head in agreement. But the reaction from Meme was priceless. She quickly turned to him and said "You mean to tell me, after all these years, you know how to cook??" And Papa just smiled. That was my Papa.
Meme and Papa have taught us all a very important lesson about love. This February they would have been married for 60 years and they dated 5 years before getting married. That's a very long time to share your life with someone. But they taught us love is more than the actions of saying "I love you". Sometimes it's a gesture or a kind word, but sometimes it's loving someone despite them getting on your nerves. When you really love someone you not only loving the good in them, when you love them, you love all of them, even the parts that drive you crazy and constantly make you roll your eyes. Now Meme is probably rolling her eyes at me right now as I say this, but that's ok. I know that she loves me and because it's true.
I think the thing Papa was most proud of was his family. Any visit to Meme and Papa's included updates on all other members of the family; had I heard that Aunt Debbie shot a nine point, had I seen the latest picture of Braxton, did I hear about Ryan and his latest story with the fire department, or any other update. He was so proud of our family and counted all of our accomplishments as his own.
4 Children
11 Grandchildren
9 Great Grandchildren with one more on the way
and even 1 Great-Great Grandchild
We are his legacy.
There is an on going debate between several of us grandchildren over who is Meme and Papa's favorite. It's a spirited debate that tends to surface every time we all get around each other. Technically, I think I took the lead last year when I named my daughter after Meme, but that is besides the point. What's truly amazing about the contest is we each truly believe that we are the favorite. How much have Meme and Papa loved us and shown us love and their special relationship with each one of us, that as adults, each one of us honestly believes we were loved the most.
How humbling is it to know there was that much love inside him for all of us.
Tonight and every night I am proud to be a member of this family, and proud to be the granddaughter of the greatest man I ever knew.
And from that silly old song he loved so much:
"Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene. I'll see you in my dreams."
Goodnight my Papa, I'll forever see you in my dreams.
While the beginning was a bit shaky and the end was tough to say, I think it came together very well.
The man we come here today had many names, he was born Teofil Albert Klodzinski, but no one knew him by that name. He was either T.A., Tops, son, brother, friend, husband, brother in law, father, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and even great-great grandfather. But to me he was just Papa.
It takes a special man to be a Papa, not everyman can become one, but he was mine.
I have been reflecting the past few days on how to describe my Papa, and I keep coming back to one word: PROUD.
He was proud to be a veteran serving in the Army in Burma during World War II. For many years, Papa never spoke about his time in the Army, but once he started a couple of years ago, we couldn't get him to stop. I can remember one time we were going through old pictures and documents from the war and came across Papa's discharge papers. He was showing me them when I noticed, his occupation was listed as "Cook." Intrigued I asked him about this, and he just shook his head in agreement. But the reaction from Meme was priceless. She quickly turned to him and said "You mean to tell me, after all these years, you know how to cook??" And Papa just smiled. That was my Papa.
Meme and Papa have taught us all a very important lesson about love. This February they would have been married for 60 years and they dated 5 years before getting married. That's a very long time to share your life with someone. But they taught us love is more than the actions of saying "I love you". Sometimes it's a gesture or a kind word, but sometimes it's loving someone despite them getting on your nerves. When you really love someone you not only loving the good in them, when you love them, you love all of them, even the parts that drive you crazy and constantly make you roll your eyes. Now Meme is probably rolling her eyes at me right now as I say this, but that's ok. I know that she loves me and because it's true.
I think the thing Papa was most proud of was his family. Any visit to Meme and Papa's included updates on all other members of the family; had I heard that Aunt Debbie shot a nine point, had I seen the latest picture of Braxton, did I hear about Ryan and his latest story with the fire department, or any other update. He was so proud of our family and counted all of our accomplishments as his own.
4 Children
11 Grandchildren
9 Great Grandchildren with one more on the way
and even 1 Great-Great Grandchild
We are his legacy.
There is an on going debate between several of us grandchildren over who is Meme and Papa's favorite. It's a spirited debate that tends to surface every time we all get around each other. Technically, I think I took the lead last year when I named my daughter after Meme, but that is besides the point. What's truly amazing about the contest is we each truly believe that we are the favorite. How much have Meme and Papa loved us and shown us love and their special relationship with each one of us, that as adults, each one of us honestly believes we were loved the most.
How humbling is it to know there was that much love inside him for all of us.
Tonight and every night I am proud to be a member of this family, and proud to be the granddaughter of the greatest man I ever knew.
And from that silly old song he loved so much:
"Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene. I'll see you in my dreams."
Goodnight my Papa, I'll forever see you in my dreams.
In Memory of Teofil "Papa" Klodzinski
July 14, 1922 - December 20, 2011
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