Thursday, August 21, 2008

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

A song that speaks

Wind blowin' on my face
Sidewalk flyin' beneath my bike
A five year-old's first taste
Of what freedom's really like
He was runnin' right beside me
His hand holdin' on the seat
I took a deep breath and hollered
As I headed for the street

Chorus
You can let go now, Daddy
You can let go
Oh, I think I'm ready
To do this on my own
It's still a little bit scary
But I want you to know
I'll be okay now, Daddy
You can let go

I was standin' at the altar
Between the two loves of my life
To one I've been a daughter
To one I soon would be a wife
When the preacher asked,
'Who gives this woman?'
Daddy's eyes filled up with tears
He kept holdin' tightly to my arm
'Til I whispered in his ear

(Chorus)
You can let go now, Daddy
You can let go
Oh, I think I'm ready
To do this on my own
It's still a little bit scary
But I want you to know
I'll be okay now, Daddy
You can let go

It was killin' me to see
The strongest man I ever knew
Wastin' away to nothin'
In that hospital room
'You know he's only hangin' on for you'
That's what the night nurse said
My voice and heart were breakin'
As I crawled up in his bed, and said

(Chorus)
You can let go now, Daddy
You can let go
Your little girl is ready
To do this on my own
It's gonna be a little bit scary
But I want you to know
I'll be okay now, Daddy
You can let go
You can let go

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Just wanted to say...

Happy Father's Day! to my Dad and my awesome Father-In-Law, Dean. I love you!

Friday, April 25, 2008

Seems like yesterday

As we approach a year of being without Dad, I thought I'd share some random pics Dixie had and scanned for me. Thank you so much for these. They are priceless. This one was taken in August of 06 while he was in remission. He looked awesome and this is how I remember him most - strong, tan, happy, grilling (probably steaks) on the back patio grill. Wish I were there now...
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Dad and Ricky

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Pops and Nick

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Austin and Pops

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Giving his baby away

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Fishin'

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Doing what he loved

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Dad and Dixie

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Meeting Delaney for the first time

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Angie and Dad

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Delaney's first steps

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Popadopolos and Shorty

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Angie, Dad, and Keri - June 06

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Delaney and Pops

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Dragonfly Story




As most of you who read my blog already know, since my Dad died there have been some incredible things that happen with dragonflies. For my Mom, it is Cardinals. Because of how he loved them, I would have guessed hummingbirds, but not so. For the past 11 months, he visits me as a blue dragonfly. They land on me, they surround me and my children all the time. Anyway, I heard this story a while back and read it again tonight on another blog. I thought I'd share it with you... because it makes too much sense not to...

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, …scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond.They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more."Look!" said one of the water bugs to another, "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think he's going?" Up, up, up it slowly went...Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. His friends waited and waited but he didn't return."That's funny!" said one water bug to another…"Wasn't he happy here?" asked a second…"Where do you suppose he went?" wondered a third…No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled.


Finally one of the water bugs gathered his friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.""We promise," they said solemnly.One Spring day not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and fallen into the broad and free lily pad above.


When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come over his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings...The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from his new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself flying about in great curves. As he flew through the air he felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere.



By and by the new dragonfly landed happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was, that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! Above the water, he had become a dragonfly, swooping and dipping. There they were scurrying around just as he had been doing some time before.



Then the dragonfly remembered the promise. Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water…"I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."And the dragonfly winged off happily into his wonderful new world of sun and air...




Monday, February 11, 2008

2 Februaries ago...

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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Happy Birthday, Popadopolus!

Last year we were in our Disney World condo celebrating Pop's 60th birthday along with Jason's and Bradley's. Here's a clip of that wonderful, cherished moment... wish we were back there.





The girls and I sang "Happy Birthday" to your picture tonight. I know you heard us. Miss you every second.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Letter From Heaven

(My Aunt Retta sent me this... It is wonderful!)

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say...
but first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay.
I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.
Here, there's no more tears of sadness; here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight.
Remember that I'm with you every morning, noon and night.
That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through,
God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you."

It's good to have you back again;

you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.
I need you here badly; you're part of my plan.
There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do.
And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you.
And when you lie in bed at night, the day's chores put to flight.
God and I are closest to you....in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years
because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry; it does relieve the pain.
Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned.
But if I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand.
But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er.
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb;
but together we can do it by taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too...
that as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain,
then you can say to God at night......"My day was not in vain."
And now I am contented....that my life has been worthwhile,
knowing as I passed along the way, I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low,
just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go.
When you're walking down the street, and you've got me on your mind;
I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.


And when it's time for you to go.... from that body to be free,
remember you're not going.....you're coming here to me.

~Author~ Ruth Ann Mahaffey

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Pictures from last September


These are pics from a year ago - some from the reunion and some from Alabama. He was in remission, feeling and looking like his old self. They are the last pictures taken of him before he found out the cancer returned. Lord, I miss that warm, loving, funny man.
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Aunt Lucy and Dad
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Uncle Bill and Dad
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