Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet grandma! She turned 88 today and is just as spry as ever. Well, she claims she's not, but she gets around very well for someone her age.

In honor of my Grandma, here are 88 memories and special things about her.

1 - She loves God and is very faithful to the church.
2 - She goes to the Temple regularly (she received her endowment maybe 15 years ago.)
3 - She loves everyone. And I mean EVERYONE! There is nobody left out of that sentence.
4 - She's very optimistic and looks for the good in everyone.
5 - She never complains. At least not that I've heard.
6 - She used to have all her grandkids sleep over at her house.
7 - She always made us waffles in the morning at those sleep overs.
8 - She walks around the neighborhood daily to get her exercise so she can keep up with her grandkids at Disneyland.
9 - She's always helping someone.
10 - She always goes above and beyond her call of duty.
11 - She's strong.
12 - She's very independent.
13 - She's a great listener.
14 - She's brave.
15 - She's classy.
16 - She almost always attended the piano recitals, concerts and plays of her grandchildren.
17 - She will drop everything at a moments notice to help anyone.
18 - She received Midvale City's " Woman of Achievement" award and seemed embarrassed by it.
19 - She's humble.
20 - She's patient.
21 - She's gracious.
22 - She's not afraid to speak her mind.
23 - She's a great teacher.
24 - She was a great wife.
25 - She's a great mother.
26 - She's a great grandmother.
27 - She's a great "Grandma Great".
28 - She reads her scriptures daily.
29 - She reads something everyday to exercise her mind.
30 - She read War & Peace at age 84 because I read it (and she understood it better than I did).
31 - She stays up on all current events.
32 - She can talk to you about anything.
33 - She can use a computer.
34 - She always gives hugs and kisses.
35 - She has the Spirit with her constantly.
36 - She will give up the front seat so she can feel "young" (my family had a house rule that the oldest always got the front seat).
37 - She is artistic.
38 - She never raises her voice.
39 - She's a great cook and bakes the best coconut bread.
40 - She still drives; but not on the freeway.
41 - She visits her son (who lives in a nursing home) almost 5 days a week.
42 - She's musical. She plays piano and sings.
43 - She played Beth in the play "Little Woman" when she was younger.
44 - She has a witty sense of humor.
45 - She loves good movies and likes to recommend those she has seen.
46 - She got her ears pierced when she was in her 70's.
47 - She tells me stories of her "old age" like how she woke up on Saturday and went to church, thinking it was Sunday.
48 - She believes she still has a full life ahead of her but says her car needs to last longer than she does.
49 - She has a beautiful smile and she uses it all the time.
50 - She worries about everyone.
51 - She takes pride in her family.
52 - She took care of her younger brothers as she was the oldest.
53 - She learned to sign at a young age so she could communicate with both her parents, who were deaf.
54 - She continually checks in on her Aunt who is failing in health (and is only 1 year older than she is.)
55 - She is honest.
56 - She would leave all she had and move if the Lord asked her to.
57 - She's a law abiding citizen.
58 - She's patriotic.
59 - She believes in the leaders of our country, and she votes!
60 - She always looks for the silver lining.
61 - She valiantly took her children to church each week by herself (grandpa wasn't active).
62 - She had her children sealed to her and Grandpa only a few months after Grandpa died (since he got a recommend before he died, they didn't have to wait the full year).
63 - I have never heard her swear or use any kind of foul language.
64 - She used to die her hair brown to hide her gray. The first time she did it I thought she was somebody else.
65 - She wears a wig now and at first was very self conscious of it. But we think she looks adorable.
66 - When Grandpa would curse or complain about something she'd always say "oh Ivan" but she never got mad.
67 - She kept a closet full of dress-up clothes that we would always use for our skits we'd make up.
68 - She would gladly sit through our skits and then clap and cheer and praise us as if we were creative geniuses.
69 - She was very good at shorthand and use to record all her grandchildren and great grandchildren's baby blessings up until about two years ago.
70 - She still gives all her children (and spouses), grandchildren (and spouses) and great grandchildren something for their birthday and Christmas. It must cost a fortune!
71 - She still throws a Christmas party for her family every year and will probably do so until she dies.
72 - She still has the family over for "Midvale Harvest Days". We have a big feast and watch the fireworks shoot off from the school behind her house.
73 - She loves visitors and would be happy to sit and talk to them all day long.
74 - Nobody is ever an inconvenience to her.
75 - She is the most sincere person I have ever met.
76 - She used to go the Midvale parade with us every year.
77 - Once she asked me to back her car out of our driveway so she wouldn't hit another car that was close to her. It was a very hot summer day and I could barely touch her steering wheel. I got out and told her we should get some wet rags and she said "No. I'll be fine". She got in the car and next thing I saw was her pulling out two hotpads. And that's what she used to drive home.
78 - She loves my dad's new SUV because it has running boards and she can actually get in it.
79 - The family always went to her house on Sundays and she always had treats for us.
80 - She had a gumball machine at her house we could use whenever we wanted. And she provided the pennies.
81 - She loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was so thrilled when my sister made it into the choir.
82 - She's very good at the art of compromise.
83 - She had my brother-in-law remodel her kitchen and she was so exited to be living in the 21st century.
84 - She never gives up on anything.
85 - She's always on time for everything.
86 - She has a great deal of trust in others.
87 - She'll never say no to anyone, unless you're a telemarketer.
88 - She a blessing to anyone and everyone who knows her.

She is such an amazing woman and I am so lucky to be her granddaughter. I hope I can grow to become the kind of person that she is.