Happy Birthday Grandma

Born on the Fourth of July! She's a Yankee Doodle sweetheart! She's a Yankee Doodle Gal!

Many of you have become acquainted with my Grandma. In Bloggersville she is known as Judith and can be found at Flight Song. To me she is, and always has been, Grandma Judy. Many, many people have been touched and entertained by her beautiful writing and heartwarming stories. I was lucky enough to grow up with her. Anyone who does not know this women is truly missing out!



This is me the day I met my Grandma - the same day I met the world. At the time, I had no idea who she was. I was unaware of the relationship she had to me. At the time of this picture, I had no idea how much of a role she would play in my life. This was the beginning of the best kind of friendship - the Grandma kind!

When I was real little, I didn't live close to my grandma. Many of these years we spent separated by cities. Other times, it was by states. But I always knew her. I remember talking to her on the phone on holidays. There were always presents from Grandma under the Christmas tree or on the birthday table, even if she couldn't be there in person. There was nothing better than her visits. I remember how the school day seemed like it would never end on the days that Grandma was arriving. After school, I would run the whole way home to see her.




These pictures were taken on one of those visits - one of the best ones. Grandma came to visit and went with us to the Denver Zoo! (The cutie brunette in puple is Krissy, aka Missing Marbles). She was always a fun grandma - chasing after ducks with us and sharing our ice cream. There always was (and is) a part of my Grandma's heart that remained a child. That's the best kind of Grandma to have!

When I got a little older, Grandma moved into a cute little house right down the street from us. During the summer months, I spent nearly every day there. I would get up, get dressed, and tell Mom, "I'm going to go play with Grandma." And boy did we play! We did puzzles and played board games and watched movies (our favorite was Pinnochio). Once we even baked a cake together. What a disaster! Not only did we get more ingredients all over the kitchen than in the mixing bowl, but the cake was a wreck! We accidentally put the thicker icing between the layers and the thinner icing on the outside of the cake. The top layer kept sliding off! Finally we got the thing to stay together, but to this day the whole family still teases us about our "Leaning Tower of Piza" cake! Needless to say, I will not be asking my Grandma to bake our wedding cake.

It wasn't always about playing, though, especially as I got older. My Grandma was a great teacher. She influenced me in my love of reading. She was always reading to and with me. Even now she is always handing me books to read, asking me to overlook her highlighting and margin notes. My Grandma was also my main influence in writing. She was always writing stories for my sister and me. She used to record them onto audio tapes and then send them to us. We would listen to them over and over again! At one point she gave me an old typewriter and taught me how to type - long before the schools were teaching keyboarding. I still have a love for both reading a writing today, and still vow to dedicate my first published work to her (a promise I made at age 7).



As I continued to grow up, our relationship changed, but never lessened. We remain close, and now we play "big girl" games. Grandma bought me my first prom dress. She was there when I graduated from high school. This is her and I on my 21st birthday - she came all the way to Grand Junction to have a margarita with me! She was there at my college graduation. She will be there when I become married. I hope to someday have a picture of her holding my newborn child.

Now Grandma is finally in Grand Junction. She is finally home. We get to "play" again, and for the first time in years, I get to be with her on her birthday. Life could not be better!

Those of you who do not yet know my Grandma, go to Flight Song (in my sidebar) and prepare to be amazed. Those of you who have met her, you are very lucky. Those of us who are blessed enough to call her Grandma - we are the luckiest of all!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Judy. I love you!