Happy Birthday GRAN!!

(First, let me say that Gran's birthday is on the 3rd, but I want to be sure that I have time to write a blog, so I am doing it about 3 hours early.)

Today is my grandmother's birthday. (Tatum calls her Gran) She is such a wonderful, healthy, beautiful, loving, strong, Godly, and inspirational lady. She is just an outstanding mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and I LOVE HER because...

-She is the best cook I know! (She has shared many recipes with me this past year, but there are so many more I still need to get from her. HINT, HINT, can we say birthday present??)

-We still have lots of fun together when we get to see each other.

-She loves her family!

-She loved my Grandfather for many, many years! (We all miss him very much.)

-She taught me how to make CHOCOLATE GRAVY.

-She and my grandfather did a great job raising my mother.

-She sings so beautifully and plays the piano.

-She still goes and does like she is 30! She lives on her own and drives and everything even though most people her age(77) can't go like she does! Gran has many more years ahead of her.

Of course, I have to tell a story about a time with my Grandmother. I can remember when I was very young (10ish?) and my grandmother and grandfather brought me and my brother (Matt) to Memphis for the weekend. I am not really sure WHY we came to Memphis, but two things do stick out about that trip. One was that my Matt who wore the hard contact lenses when he was younger, dropped one down the sink in the hotel. After much stress and many calls to the front desk, the contact lense was finally recovered. My grandmother was the one that kept everyone calm and acted quickly so that no one decided to turn on the water in the sink. The other thing that I remember was that we all went to a restaurant to eat and Matt found a hair in his food, GROSS! I can remember my grandfather telling Matt and I to calm down and to quit mentioning the hair because it would make my grandmother sick. I know this is random, but for some reason, I remember it.

Another great story, my grandparents took Matt and me fishing and Matt and I had our poles in the water. We hadn't caught a fish all afternoon or morning or whatever time of day it was, but we were still there. Matt decided that he needed to go behind the trees to use the restroom and I held his phone for him. What happened in those 2-3 minutes that he was gone??? I caught a fish on his pole! My grandmother and I laughed and laughed about that forever! Matt was so mad, and I ended up catching the ONLY fish of the day in that moment.

Long story, short, she is just a great example for everyone, especially me. She is a Godly woman, she makes the best of any and all situations, and she can whip up a mean meal!

Tatum already loves her Gran so much because Gran gives her some of the best kisses, best toys, and best smells (Tatum can't eat the food yet) ever. Antonio loves having a good cup of coffee with my grandmother. No one in my family drinks coffee except her, so I think she enjoys him coming over so she has a good excuse to make some coffee.

We all love you very much, Gran, and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!