My mom thought it would be fun if all the grandkids wrote a little something about what Grandma meant to them and this is what everybody sent in.
Kristen:
"The things I love the most about Grandma is how she was so great and helpful when my dad was in the hospital. I have great memories of watching Touched by an angel with her when I was younger..."
Nathan:
So its Grandma's birthday today (which for the sake of continuity I'll assume means she's turning 40-something) and I'm going to take a break from my materials lab write-up (read: procrastinate) to say a few things. First off, I'll state the obvious and say she's a wonderful grandmother whom we all love very dearly. I've enjoyed these past few years here living close to grandma and grandpa, and meeting for the occasional lunch. I know for most of my life I haven't had this opportunity due to the places in which I've lived, so its a pleasure to finally be able to see them on a semi-regular basis.
The fondest memories of Grandma that I have took place in the same home they live in now. I remember spending the night there on occasion as a kid, and waking up to a wonderful home-cooked breakfast. Grandma always used to make me this cocoa oatmeal (whose name I cant seem to remember for the life of me), and that was probably my favorite food as a kid. I loved staying over there and had a blast learning how to twiddle my thumbs with Grandpa. Visiting for Thanksgiving always brings back those memories.
Now as I said before, living here at U of I gives me the unique opportunity of meeting her for lunch when my schedule permits. I get to find out firsthand what she's been up to as a retiree and also get that special Grandma support and praise as I fill her in on life as an engineering student.
Happy Birthday Grandma Thompson! Thanks for all these wonderful years of love and support!
Richard and Sarah interpreted my mom's request as a free-association thing and chose to list the words that came to mind when they thought of Grandma. Apparently she's been good to everybody's stomachs over the years...
Richard Scott said that when he thinks of Grandma, he thinks of:
Baggy jeans
Diet caffeine free soda
Cocoa wheats
“Oh My”
Riding in the back of the old truck
Riding Go Carts
Dolly World with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunie Aunie and Uncle John
When Sarah thinks of Grandma, she thinks of:
Thanksgiving
Fried Chicken
Cocoa Wheats
Crafts
Dress Up
Dyed permed hair
Fruit roll ups
Pringles
Antiques
Crafts
Going over to the church and playing
Matt:
What I Love Most About Grandma:
I love that Grandma was involved in all the truly important parts of our lives: weaning off of nursing, potty training, and riding bikes. Some of my fondest memories include times I spent at Grandma's house. I can still remember her spending so much time making us berets so we could be like army guys.
I love that Grandma always made it a priority to be at the events of our lives. She came to graduations, weddings, and for me, my ordination.
Grandma still cooks me my favorite breakfast...and even cuts it still for me. I don't think I would even know how to cut egg-n-the-hole right now if I had to.
Grandma is so loving. I just love going to any place that she is because I know she is so excited to be with us and it just makes that moment special. Though it's sad, it actually means something to me that she cries every time we leave because it shows how much she loves us.
I could go on and on about all the things I love about her from learning to swim later in life, to getting ordained, to writing books, to her competitiveness with Daniel, to so much more but the thing I love best is her love for God. I have been so blessed to have the examples that both her and Grandpa have been.
I love you Grandma!
Mary
What I love most about Grandma is how she loves.
She has a genuine love for God:
She is always sharing what she and Grandpa are doing in the area of ministry and how God is using them. They are willing to do whatever God calls them to do.
She has a genuine love for her family:
It's so special to see the look on her face during Thanksgiving because she is THRILLED that the family is together and having a good time.
She has a genuine love for life in general :
I think we all saw the pictures on the blog of Grandma playing basketball with the neighbor girl! You can't tell me Grandma doesn't' love life! She is willing to try new things and doesn't let life pass her by.
Grandma, you are wonderful Grandma and I love you!
Chris:
Happy Birthday Grandma! I hope you have a great birthday, and I cant wait for Thanksgiving and for you to meet Jessica. She is very excited to meet you. It gives you one more person to make egg in the hole or coco wheats for. I love you and we all cant wait to see you.
Me (Daniel): The things that I love the most about my mom - her energy, creativity, and innovative spirit - are also the traits that make her most like Grandma. Everybody remembers that when Grandma finally had an empty nest, the first thing she did was buy an electric bass and amp and start rocking. The second thing she did was learn to swim. I kid Grandma a lot about not getting the internet, or computers, but the fact is I remember Grandma becoming the ebay queen long before I even had a personal email account. I love the fact that she's always making things: songs, books, crafts. My mom used to tell us how when she was in school Grandma kept her in the latest fashions by checking out fashion magazines and then hand-making whatever she saw. I remember a table in the old house with rocks frozen in glue (does that table still exist? I want it!), that Grandma had made. Those are the kinds of things I admire about Grandma, but mostly what makes her such a great grandmother is the classic stuff. That she dotes on you and makes you feel like the center of the world (this is particularly true in my case, since I am the favorite grandchild). Everybody luuuuvs Grandma's cooking and desserts, and with good reason. That stuff is GOOD. I love Grandma for taking my jokes in stride and for loving her whole family with such devotion. Happy Birthday Grandma.
9 comments:
Happy Birthday, young lady!
I miss playing Scrabble with you already -- I hope we get lots of time on Thanksgiving.
xo,
Kirsten
Happy B-Day Mom. Will call tonight. Have a great day. Get some Chinese food...
A few years ago I took Gabe and Em to the park to play baseball. Grandma/mom ran the bases. She once fell down my steps to the horror of Gabe and Em. She once choked at my house which freaked everybody out. I did my version of the Heimlich and I nearly broke her ribs. Of course all the things everyone else said is true. She sets a good example and helps me raise my kids. I love my mom.
I love my mom too. And she loves me...in spite of the fact I RARELY get her birthday card or present to her on time...including this year.
I mailed it all yesterday...but when I call her she will say, "Oh you shouldn't have done that."
I love her.... giggle (especially when she is with her sister),that when she calls and can't get ahold of me she automatically decides I am in the hospital and Matthew isn't telling her and she calls HIM and then I get an email from him, that every year at Thanksgiving she stares at my hair and then wistfully says she wishes she could do her hair straight (she just has never connected the dots that perms and curling irons CURL your hair), that she still does exercises for her "big tummy", she can make a dollar stretch beyond belief, she ALWAYS cared about her appearance and taught us girls by example (it's her fault we love clothes, shoes and purses), no matter what parsonage she lived in she decorated it and made it a beautiful home, and she can make something out of nothing! She was always doing something new...
including...
The time she decided to make a "souffle" (sp?). Dad knew the hard work she had put into it so he decided we were ALL going to eat it. All of us kids gag reflex took over. We were going to have to sit at the table until we ate our part. I would try and then gag. That just made dad mad. Trish gagged worse than me. Finally in total desperation I realized when I gagged I could put my napkin over my mouth and spit it into the paper napkin. Needless to say the napkin trick worked, I finished with a nicely wadded up napkin on my plate and cleared my plate. I was free. To this day, souffle means to me what Chinese Rice means to my boys....
All we wanted was for her to stick to her wonderful fried chicken or tater tot cassarole..
I remember she had a wonderful, frugal habit. She would find (for example) a WONDERFUL pair of shoes for $2.00. Oh...what a deal. She would talk about her "deal". Then we would realize she had to buy an outfit to MATCH the shoes....and in those days your purse had to match your shoes....so off she would be to find the things to match her wonderful deal!
She could sew anything...once making Dad a suit.
I failed my boys. I never learned to sew. Consequently they were known to (during high school) mail their clothing that needed sewing to mother. She would mail it back__ done like a pro!
Happy Birthday Mom! I think this is a good tradition to go down memory lane every year for your birthday. The topics are endless...like our "mini-skirt" wars...the evil eye across the room when you didn't think I was sitting like a lady...the time I ran away from home and wrote my dramatic running away letter on the sheet of my bed and I watched people search for me from the woods....ha! Trish was always the good sister....
I love you mom....and yes I will call tonight. (we all know she will be sitting by the phone tonight).
Happy Birthday!! I can't wait to meet you in person. I'm so excited for Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy your very special day.
What a wonderful day for me!!! All of these comments and all the telephone calls make me feel like "queen for a day." I love each one of you more than you can know, and am so honored to be your mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Thank you so much for making it a great day. Getting older isn't so bad when one has a loving family like I have.
Mom, Grandma, GG
(Cole sang "Happy Birthday" to me.)
What a wonderful day for me!!! All of these comments and all the telephone calls make me feel like "queen for a day." I love each one of you more than you can know, and am so honored to be your mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Thank you so much for making it a great day. Getting older isn't so bad when one has a loving family like I have.
Mom, Grandma, GG
(Cole sang "Happy Birthday" to me.)
OOPS!!! I don't know how my comment got on twice. I couldn't figure out how I could erase one.
Happy Birthday Mother,
I just got in from a seminar on hypertension. (fun, fun!) I hope you got your message this morning. There was nothing on the blog when I left for work. Memory banks are phenomenal! I think if my children had responded in verse form they would have acknowledged the many times you cared for them and your willingness to try new fun things with them. They would remember you being there for their school musicals - especially Hans Branson, and Sarah would recall baking together and working the garage sales together. To this day she loves the flea market and enjoys garage sales. She took my sewing machine home to sew a slip cover for her sofa. Does that remind you of something you would do? Ingenuity, courage and integrity come out in many memory making events and are caught more than taught. Richards phrase "Oh My" stands for many times he has observed you take a stand for something you believe in wether he agreed or not. By the memory of it he will forever be challenged to stand up for what he believes. Food items really translate to nurturing and love, and they come with all kinds of warm associations. Both make it very clear they will not miss Thanksgiving, not for the cocoa wheats they might miss, but the love and bond of family they experience there. Thank you for seeding these values and memories into all of our lives! Now to bed...I love you,
Trish
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