My Grandpa Steele

  Today is my Grandpa Steele's birthday.  He passed away ten years ago and I miss him terribly.  I have so many memories of my Grandpa.  He was so wonderful!  My cousin Danielle and I would stay with my Grandparents for several weeks out of the summer when we were younger.  When we would first arrive he would always drive us to the grocery store and let each of us pick out our own SUGAR cereal.  (Something we never got at home)  Then he would tell us not to tell Grandma, (HEE HEE :)  We would go back to his house and hide our cereal in a special spot he made for us in the cupboard. (I'm sure my Grandma knew we did this, but we sure thought we were sneaky!)  I loved these HEALTHY  Shaklee chocolate shakes he would make.  All I had to do is mention how much I loved them and within minutes I would hear the blender going.  YIPPEE!  My Grandpa was also famous for his fresh squeezed orange juice.  He'd go out back, pick the oranges, come in and squeeze them for us.  Oh how I love my Grandpa!  

  We loved to swim, so every morning he would drive us over to Uncle Jack and Aunt Ada's house to swim.  He would drive us home for lunch, then we would beg to go back, so OF COARSE, he would drive us back to the pool where we would swim until dinner.  Our toes would get SO raw from the pool floor.  Grandpa would pick aloe vera, cut it open and rub it on our toes to make them feel better.  I always knew my Grandpa loved me.

  Pretty much anything I wanted my Grandpa made sure I had.  Once, my cousin and I were watching t.v. and a commercial came on for some HEAVENLY CREATION made by Dairy Queen.  We said to each other how yummy that looked and never thought anything else about it.  Little did we know, Grandpa had quietly snuck out the door. Maybe ten minutes later he came walking in the door with one for each of us!  He never said a word, just smiled at us as we laughed and squealed with excitement.  

  He loved to TICKLE!  Oh man, I HATED being tickled by Grandpa!  He would tickle you until you literally thought you would die from lack of oxygen!  He brought the phrase tickle torture to a whole new level!

  HE WOULD SQUISH BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS BETWEEN HIS FINGERS!!!  UGHH!!!  He loved that we would scream in disgust when he did that! 

  I love that he loved my Grandma so much.  My Grandma's FAVORITE color was pink.  He made sure she had the PINK house of her dreams!

  He was so strong and he always had gingersnap cookies hiding somewhere in the house that he loved to SECRETLY share with you.

  When I think of my Grandpa I always smile.  I always knew my Grandpa loved me.

  My most favorite memory of my Grandpa............definately sitting on his lap with my head on his shoulder.  He had the best shoulders to rest your head on.  

  I love you Grandpa and I miss you terribly!  I tell my kids stories about you all the time.  I can't wait for them to meet you some day.  I SO look forward to the day when I will be greeted by you on the other side.  It will be so nice to rest my head on those big strong shoulders of yours again.  

  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA!!!