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Grandma and Grandpa,

Thanks for showing me what it means to be committed in marriage. You stuck together through the thick and thin; 60+ years is no easy accomplishment.

Thanks for showing me the importance of family. Family get-togethers, thankfully, were the norm year-round. Family was always a top priority, no matter what.

Thanks for raising my dad and my aunts and uncles. He raised me and they helped shape the person I am today. And without them, I wouldn’t have the cousins I treasure.

Thanks for the times of baking and cooking in your kitchen. It was always fun to be included. You always made the best food and I will pass on your recipes.

Thanks for never letting me leave your house hungry. You never stopped asking if I wanted some food, and always made enough for an army.

Thanks for all the Swiss cake rolls and Twix. I think of you anytime I see one anywhere.

Thanks for watching me after school. The melted cheese sandwiches and fingers in the peanut butter were always my favorite.

Thanks for the times around the kitchen table. The conversation and laughs may have been simple but the time was irreplaceable. I will forever picture your spots at the table.

Thanks for all the crossword puzzles, word finds, card games and chess games. You always found simple ways to entertain me.

Thanks for making me feel special. Even with 30+ grandkids, you knew how to make me feel like I was your only one.

Thanks for putting me to work. You always included me in the tasks for the day. Although it didn’t feel like work, it just felt like fun. You let me mess around, maybe a little too much.

Thanks for the times on the farm. Some of my best memories with our family happened there. I have a memory for every foot of that place.

Thanks for the times in town. The fun never stopped no matter the fact you moved. The memories just continued in a new place.

Thanks for the times in the tractor. I loved spending long harvest days with you. It may not have seemed like anything special, but it was great one-on-one time.

Thanks for letting me stay up late at night gabbing with my cousins in the dark. Deeper bonds were made because of it.

Thanks for the times in your pick-up truck. It was always a fun place to be. You always would crack a joke, and your finger wave is something I always tried to copy.

Thanks for the hugs and kisses. There is nothing better than a grandparent’s love.

Thanks for showing me a life lived deep in faith. You taught me a lot about Jesus and helped me to grow in my faith. You showed me the importance of it all.

Thanks for all the lessons in life you taught me. You taught me things without even trying. You taught by just being you.

Thanks for coming to my birthday parties, religious milestones, school events, and graduations. It meant the world to me.

Thanks for teaching me to be content with what I have. That you don’t have to have the best of everything to be happy.

Thanks for all the memories you have given me. I will cherish them forever. I will tell my kids and grandkids about you. Your lives are ones I strive to live up to.

Thanks for being a part of my life. My life was made better because of you.

Thanks for being my grandma and grandpa. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better for the job.

Thanks for the privilege of being able to be called your granddaughter.

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Melinda Tietsort

Melinda is a married, mother of three girls. She works as a Physical Therapist Assistant, lives in rural Northwest Iowa and enjoys the farm life. She is a Christian and is trying to live the life God intends for her. She offers Christian encouragement and inspiration to others on her blog, "Pursuing a Christ-Centered Life." Follow it at: achristcenteredlife.blogspot.com

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