Uncle Ben

That's what he always told us to call him. Well, maybe not always. I actually don't remember the "Uncle Ben" thing starting until I was somewhere around 4th-5th grade, maybe. I never understood why he wanted to be called that when he was actually our grandfather. It was lost on me. I guess it made him feel younger... But we always thought he was cool as Grampy.

Dad & Grampy
(You see where I get my nose!)
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Well, maybe cool is stretching it. But we did think he was hysterically funny and we loved him to bits! I loved hearing him talk to Nana when telling someone a story. In the middle he'd stop to get accurate details, "Hey, Ess... Ess, where was it now?... that time that we saw such and such?" I also loved how he always- I mean, without fail- called Skip "Big Guy" when talking to him.

Skip with Nana & Grampy
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And I don't think my sister or I will ever forget our first trip to Florida. I was eight, which means she was five. Mom and Dad took us to Cypress Gardens with Nana and Grampy. It was there, while admiring the llamas that Grampy refused to heed the sign on the fence warning visitors about errant llama spit... Needless to say, he got coated in some pretty stank llama slime that day. I had never seen my nana laugh that hard before and I don't know that I ever did again after. While she was trying to catch her breath, Grampy, not to be deterred, attempted to sweet talk his way back into the llama's good graces... Let's just say it didn't go very well.

So, here's to Grampy- who always made me giggle.

I love you.
xoxoxo k.

Kiss