Grandma and Grandpa,

The words “thank you,” don't even close to describing the amount of love and appreciation I have for you guys and for everything you have done throughout my 18 years. The song I played for you during the candle lighting ceremony at my Bat Mitzvah best describes how I know you will always unconditionally love me “Eight Days a Week," which also represents our mutual obsession with The Beatles.

I often think about my friends who have to travel to other states in order to see their grandparents, which they can only do during school breaks, and I wonder how they deal with that. I thankfully don't have to worry about that. I just have to call or text you and I know I'll be invited to a gourmet homemade meal that night.

On any given time of any day, I can quickly jump in my car for the 2-minute drive to your house or work to hang out.

I do not for one-second take for granted that fact that we live in the same town. You guys have come to so many school functions and games - in fact, Grandpa is one of the most familiar faces on the fields and in the gymnasium of Hewlett High School.

I also have so many vivid memories of when we lived in your house. Coming downstairs so early on school days where Grandma, you and I would do our best bonding. You sang the best learning songs and taught me so much during those special days - it's definitely because of you that I was able to read so early!

I’ll never forget all of the fashion shows the night before school when Emmie and I would show off what we would be wearing the next day.

Thank you for instilling in me the importance of family and traditions.

You two are most definitely the glue of the family, and without you guys, none of our lives would be the same. I wouldn’t be lucky enough to have my cousins, aunts, and uncles so close to me, and I definitely wouldn’t be considered “1 of 8.”

You never let any little argument between any of the eight of us kids go unsettled immediately, and your encouragement and instilling in us how the friendship and relationship among all of us cousins are more valuable than any friendship we can make in school. And you are right.

I'm sure no other kid has an annual "It’s Not Hanukkah Yet Party," where they get to decorate the Grandparents house and get pre-Hanukkah Presents. I'm sure not many Grandparents are able to sustain the attention of 8 teenagers playing the board games "Who's Smarter Than a Fifth Grader," and "Family Feud." (Well the huge bag of cash for prizes kind of helped too).

Having to make little Thanksgiving Gourmet Treats with our older and younger cousins on Thanksgiving is just another tradition that you make so much fun. Grandma, your insane cooking for every holiday will always be something I cherish for the rest of my life. You never fail to surprise me with the biggest and littlest gifts for all or no occasions at all.

You always have something up your sleeve and always an amazing way of surprising all of us.

You guys have given me the world, literally. Whether it was spoiling our entire crew by vacationing us to the Atlantis twice a year for 14 years or going to Mexico, Hawaii, Disney, Paris, and London, you have shown me everything. So many of our best memories were made on these trips, and there's always a new family joke that comes out of each one.

Losing Ethan in Disney, me clumsily falling in a pool in Hawaii while walking to dinner, leaving Emmie in the bathroom at the Atlantis, the big red tomato van in Arizona, and of course, remember when our flight got canceled?

Thank you for being children at heart and making everything so much more fun for us. Walking into your house is always an exciting adventure since any given dinner can turn into an adventurous night. You have so successfully learned how to keep us kids involved despite the fact that we're getting older.

Whether I’m messing around with you, Grandpa, hitting you and bumping hips, or sitting on the couch and watching some much-needed Law and Order, I can definitely say our relationship is one of a kind.

Grandma, I can always count on you for cutting my hours short at work even when I’m still working! (JK, had to get it out there though). And thanks for ALWAYS being there for me; for my calls when I'm happy, for my facetimes when I'm sad. The best and most frank advice I can get is from you.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for anything and everything.

To both of you, thank you so much for showing me what true love is and what it should be - 52 years and still going strong! I hope that one day I am lucky and fortunate enough to be in your shoes. You guys have been two of the most important role models for the last 18 years, and I know that you will be forever.

Love you always,

Lindsay Camryn