A walk with Papa

One of my favorite things is learning my family history. I love visitng with my grandparents about the "good ole days". It is so fun watching them remanice about their youth. On Friday after Thanksgiving, while most of my family was still in town, we took my grandfather, Papa, to his old neighborhood so he could show us around. We hadn't done this since I was 6 or 7 so you can imagine what a treat this was. Not to mention several cousins have been added to the family in the past 20 years and they needed to trip.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining, it was warm enough to not need a jacket and the air was crisp. Fall! It was a pure pleasure to listen to Papa tell his stories of his youth.

First stop, the curb where he crashed his first bike into. He said he didn't know how to use the brakes. The curb being referenced is directly behind Lyla and Carson. As I've mentioned, Lyla loves Carson and he was so good to make sure she didn't get hit by a car.


As we continued our walk (15 of us, we probably looked like Jehovah's Witnesses, just not dressed as nice) we ran into this older man coming out of his front door. He said, "well what a fine looking group." One of my aunts told him we were walking her daddy's old neighborhood. Papa introduced himself and the man said, "well Hal Nivens. We went to grade school together. I've got a picture of us from first grade." Now how about that! He kidnapped Papa in attempts to find the picture. He didn't, but we told him we'd have to come back by.

Next stop. My grandfather's old house. He loved this house. He spent more of his life in another home, but does not have fond memories of that house. (He was moved out into the middle of nowhere...which is now a booming neighborhood). But this house, this is the house that he loves. He remembers shooting out on of the windows with his bebe gun. Was my grandfather ever a little boy? I guess so.

Grandkid photo op. in front of Papa's childhood home.

We continued down to his best friend, John's, old house. As we stopped to look, the owner came out and remembered Papa from his stroll through the neighborhood a few years ago. She was so sweet and allowed us all to come in and tour her home. She said her husband bought the house in the 70's, and loves that my grandfather remembers how the house originally looked. I guesss he took her on a tour of her own home when he passed by a few years ago. Such a sweet couple. Papa was so excited to see them restoring it to it's orignial glory!

Papa pointed out the curb where him and his dog would sit and share lollipops. Yes, he really did take a lick and then let the dog take a lick. (He's still that way.)

And finally, Papa's elementary school. Such a small building compared to elementary schools now a days.

Remember the nice man, Mr. Rodriguez.... On our way back he came back out and had found the pictures. My papa from 1931. How crazy is that!

What's even crazier is how much my cousin Carson and Papa look alike. (He's in the second row on the far left....in front of the teacher)

The day held such precious memories for me. Papa won't be around forever, but the day will forever be held in our hearts. I think it meant a lot to him too.