Happy 50th Birthday Grandma Lizzy !

Tonight we celebrated Liz's Birthday. Nick decided that since his siblings couldn't be here tonight, we would all record 50 memories of her. Thank you Chris and Jordan for helping with this!! We missed you so much, but hearing your memories made it feel like you were here.

I have admired and loved Liz for years, but listening to her read these sweet memories from us gave me an even deeper respect for her. Her whole life was devoted to children, and I have an even stronger desire to be a fun and loving mother to Danny.

Enjoy!

50 Memories for 50 Years

1. I remember how much Liz loves to camp, and if we did not have time to camp, we would drive to Emigrant Springs Park and make breakfast with the kids on the camp stove. - Dan

2. When I was in primary it seemed like she was always the music leader. She wore a Noah's Ark dress (or maybe it was a necklace) and it was my favorite! - Sarah

3. I remember having tea parties and dancing with Mom while we watched Fantasia together. She was my best friend. She always played the prince! - Jordan

4. I remember many, many summers of strawberry jam. Mom would buy big tubs of strawberries, we would take them home, and we would clean, cut, smash, and store a whole year’s worth of strawberry jam. I remember eating so many strawberries, my stomach would ache! - Chris

5. I remember when I got my wisdom teeth out, liz was so nice to me and made me pudding, and gave me an excellent ice pack. - Carl

6. I remember, and will never forget, the thousands of times mom would sing to me and scratch my back as I fell asleep at night. “Angel Friends” was my favorite song and I can still hear her voice singing the words. - Nick

7. I remember when I had to get my blood drawn and I was REALLY nervous. Liz showed up after seminary to go with me so I wouldn't have to be alone. - Sarah

8. I remember when Mom hurt her back really bad. She couldn’t do a whole lot on her feet, so she taught me how to do them. I think that the conversations I had with Mom while ironing Dad’s pants and shirts are among my most cherished memories. It was those conversations that encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon all the way through when I was ten. I loved being able to discuss all of the scriptures with Mom, and share all of my thoughts with her. She never criticized me, or made fun of any of my childish thoughts and ideas. - Chris

9. I remember hanging out with Chris’s mom in the middle of the night when she showed me how to cook a turkey upside down. Chris and I had been married for less than a year, so it was nice to spend some time talking and getting to know her. - Stephanie

10. I remember her always having a panic attack whenever her cell phone vibrated in her pocket! - Sarah

11. I remember Mom taking us for ice cream after our paper routes. I think that that ice cream is the best I’ve ever had. I always got chocolate and vanilla twists. Those ice cream trips were often the highlights of my week. - Chris

12. I remember her reaction to the news that she would be a grandma. She laughed, cried, and think she may have even danced. - Sarah

13. I recall the countless nights that Mom would Scratch my back and Sing the Angel song to me while I fell asleep. - Jordan

14. I remember when I was over before me and Jordan were married, Jordan got me a piece of banana cream pie, and when liz saw it she thought it wasn’t cut well enough and she went to get me another piece, tripped and spilled it all over the carpet. - Carl

15. I remember Mom teaching Nick and I the concept of taxes and tithing. I remember how we didn’t have a problem with tithing, but we were outraged that the government would take money from us. I think that’s because Mom taught us how important tithing was. She was always careful to teach us gospel principles when we were young, so that when we were faced with a real-life application of those principles, we were ready to make the right choice. - Chris

16. I will never forget how caring Mom was each time I got a migraine and how she would do everything in her power to make me as comfortable as possible. - Jordan

17. How can we forget how much Liz loves Hot Chocolate. - Dan

18. I remember Mom making tons and tons of chocolate chip cookies. I bet she has made more than ten thousand cookies in her lifetime. I got so good at making cookies with Mom, I memorized every ingredient and how much of it we used for making them. - Chris

19. Making strawberry jam every year with Mom and the brothers - Jordan

20. I remember Mom videoing all of our Christmases. We would always have to wait for Mom to get the camera ready before we could come into the family room, where Santa had left all of our presents. Then, when we started opening presents, it was all we could do to keep ourselves from diving into those presents while Mom moved the camera so she caught every moment. - Chris

21. I remember how much Liz loved a "Hot Fudge Brownie Delight" from the Dairy Queen. - Dan

22. I loved having “Anne of Green Gable” marathons with Mom and remember how she always called me her little Anne. - Jordan

23. I remember the time Liz took the taxes to the accountant and found herself on top of the car, because the accountants dog was a little excited to see her. - Dan

24. I remember one time, when Nick and I went with Mom and Dad to Lehman Hot Springs pool. We were the only three there. I tried to get a basket ball from the pool, and accidentally fell into the deep end. I never thought of Mom as a particularly athletic person, but when she jumped into that pool to rescue me, I never saw someone swim so fast. - Chris

25. Every time I have performed, auditioned, and dreamed about music, Mom has always been there. I can’t remember a time that she hasn’t believed in and supported me when it came to music. Even when I didn’t believe in myself. - Jordan

26. I remember the first time I stayed over after I was married to Jordan and I had to get up early for work and liz got up and offered me everything in the kitchen, it made me feel very welcomed and loved. - Carl

27. Mom made the best school lunches in the history of Pendleton public schools and I remember her always being the first one up each morning just to prepare them for us. - Jordan

28. I remember Mom driving us all over town. Baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis practice, piano lessons, paper routes, recitals, scouts, Mutual, etc., etc. She probably spent half of every day just driving her kids from place to place. And she didn’t do it for us alone, she drove our friends around as well. - Chris

29. Liz loves to go to the Coast and walk on the beach, fly kites and just spend time with family and friends. - Dan

30. I remember after getting married how liz packed all of our gifts up into boxes so me a Jordan didn’t have to worry about it at all when moving down to Corvallis. - Carl

31. She always made me feel so welcome when I first started spending time with Nick and coming to his house a lot. it wasn't long before she started treating me like family. She invited to me to dinner all the time and on family trips. - Sarah

32. I remember Mom getting Ice Cream for us every time the Ice Cream truck came up our street. Since we lived on a dead-end, he didn’t come very often. I remember that one time, we didn’t make it before the Ice Cream truck drove away. Mom hauled us all into the car and we drove up and down every street on the North Hill, trying to find that truck. When we finally gave up, Mom took us to get Ice Cream from the store. Even though we never caught the Ice Cream man, I had so much fun! - Chris

33. I remember when Chris’s mom and dad came down to Utah for an emergency trip the December before I left for Jerusalem to meet this strange girl that Chris was going to marry. It was the first time I met Chris’s mom—we went out for scones at Granny Annie’s, and I think she decided that maybe I was okay? ;) - Stephanie

34. I remember Mom taking Nick and I fishing. We would go all over the Blue Mountains, to rivers and lakes, just so we could cast our lines in the water. I don’t think we ever caught anything, but we had so much fun. I think that one of the best parts was all of the singing we did in the car as we were on our way to and from our fishing trips. Mom would sing with us all day, if we let her J - Chris

35. I remember mom helping me with my newspaper project. I had weeks to get it done but, of course, I had put it off until the day before. I don't even know if we slept that night, but mom stayed up with me and helped me get it done. It's thanks to her that I made it through high school. - Nick

36. I remember, when I was really little, Mom used to go on walks with me to Pioneer Park. I remember she would help me climb the ladder for the “big slide” and how scared I was to slide down it. But then, she would sit me in her lap, and we would slide down together, and all my fears would melt away. - Chris

37. I remember Liz locking herself out on the roof of the house when she accidentally shut the window she was washing. - Dan

38. I remember Mom playing with me in the sandbox in the back of our first house. We would get all of our plastic animals and load them onto Noah’s ark, then we would get the hose and flood the entire sand box with water. If that sandbox is still there, I’ll bet if you dug deep enough, you would still find a few of those plastic animals in that sandbox. - Chris

39. I remember when Liz was pregnant with Chris and her water broke in front of the ice cream store in Hermiston Oregon, after spending a very warm July day in the boat watching others water ski. - Dan

40. I remember Mom helping us learn the Articles of Faith. We sang those songs so many times, I don’t think I’ll ever forget them. We sang them while she combed our hair, we sang them in the car, we sang them before we went to bed, we sang them in every spare moment. - Chris

41. I remember watching Liz read books and sing and play the piano with all of our children. - Dan

42. I remember mom reading to us at night and in the mornings. She would read scriptures to us first, then we would pick another book that she would read to us. I’m sure she wasn’t too very interested in those stories, but she read them anyway, over and over. - Chris

43. I will never forget everything Mom did to help me with Carl and I’s wedding and the love and kindness she has shown Carl as he has become a part of my life. - Jordan

44. I remember the hundreds and hundreds of breakfasts Mom made for us in the morning as we were getting ready for Seminary. I know for a fact that there wasn’t a single student in Seminary whose mother did that for them every morning. I’m sure that I bragged about it as much as I possibly could, just so everyone knew exactly what I knew; that my Mom was the best, and no one could argue it. - Chris

45. I remember a red polka-dot dress that Liz wore when I first met her, and my heart turning like a wagon wheel. - Dan

46. I remember Mom getting us up every Saturday to do our paper routes and then treating us by taking us to our favorite donut shop were we devoured those delicious pastries. - Jordan

47. I remember water skiing with Liz on the Columbia River, she loved to water ski!! - Dan

48. When we called to tell your parents I was in labor and at the hospital they jumped in the car and drove all night to come see their new grand baby. Your dad said your mom is never packed all the way when he comes to pick her up. This time she was standing out in the drive way holding her bags and ready to go! - Sarah

49. I remember the look on the police officers face, when Liz and I were pulled over at 3:15 am in the morning after trying to find Christopher, who said he lost track of time. The look on the policeman's face came after he found out why our little red van had been up and down our street so many times that night. She had been looking for Chris while I was asleep. - Dan

50. I remember all the birthdays that mom worked so hard to make special for her kids. The amazing cakes she would make, from rabbits to basketballs. The banners and balloons. She would spend days making sure it would be a memorable day for her children. We remember each and every one of them thanks to her. But it doesn’t end there, she dedicates every day of her life to her family. How grateful I am that she came into this world 50 years ago today. I love you Mom! - Nick

Happy Birthday Liz! It was wonderful to spend your Birthday with you. We love you!