Cathryn is...shmifty!

Another of our Grandmas turned...something that rhymes with shmifty this week! (Although, Grandma Kim did want to know how "thirty-five" rhymes with shmifty...)

This post was going to be super cute with video interviews of four-year-old grandchildren. But, after 3 trips to the store and not remembering camera batteries even one of those times...I had to surrender. So, now we'll have to settle for a pretty cute post with cute pictures that are a teeny bit outdated. :)

Grandma Cathryn (a.k.a. Joan Jett) and Milo playing RockBand. April 2008.

Why I love Grandma Cathryn by Milo:


"She has really fancy nails like Mrs. Bonnema."


"She lets us play with Nigel. (long pause) Well, but then he was dead."


"She plays RockBand with us."


"She, um, reads us stories and plays on the floor with us."

Grandma Cathryn and Isabel. July 2005

Why I love Grandma Cathryn by Isabel:

"She takes us out to her garden and shows us stuff. And she has tomatoes!"

"She lets us see where Nigel is dead." (translation: where Nigel is buried in the backyard)

"She has lots of dollies and she lets me play with them."

"She has pretty hair and it's red"

Spencer, Milo, Grandma Cathryn, Erin and Isabel. March 2006.

Why I love my mom by Spencer (as told to Erin over the years--and especially during our adoption study interviews--because far be it from Spencer to directly participate in blogging ;) )

"My mom always did such an awesome job of making our childhood FUN...even though we didn't have any money, we always had fun."

"One of the greatest lessons my mom ever taught me was that I had to deal with the consequences of my actions...if I chose to procrastinate and not do a homework project until the last minute, that was my problem. She never bailed me out. It taught me to be responsible for my own actions and to deal with my problems directly."

"My mom is such a great Grandma to our kids. She always plays with them, never hesitates to get down on the floor with them, and she's always willing to read to them."

"My mom makes no apologies for who she is. She is living her life just the way she wants and doing all kinds of stuff that she never got to do when we were kids...hiking, riding her bike, camping."

Why I love my mother-in-law by Erin:

Cathryn raised four amazing, unique, and strong children. They are self-sufficient, caring, and incredibly tight. They say you can measure a person's worth by their children--not sure I buy into that completely but, in this case, there is something great to be said of it.

Cathryn selflessly helped us when I was on bedrest, when the twins were in the NICU, and after they came home from the hospital. She drove nearly an hour each way to see them several days a week while they were so tiny in the hospital. That commitment and just her presence meant so much to us--more than we could ever say. She (and Melissa) were a huge part of why I stayed sane through all of that.

Cathryn is living her life to the fullest. She's been through some incredibly difficult times and trials and, like Spencer says, makes no apologies. She appreciates the adventure in life and is doing her best to experience it from every peak, trail, and valley around!

She holds no judgement. Cathryn loves her children for who they are and where they are in life--wherever that may be at the time. We've never felt pressured or judged by her to do something or be something. We've just always known that she loves us and is supportive of us no matter what. (She's this way with everyone I think--lucky everyone!)

Cathryn is incredibly smart, bright, and engaging. She is knowledgeable about so many subjects and could kick your fanny in Trivial Pursuit so watch out (she may be a wee bit of a gloater too so come prepared to win or suffer!! LOL).

We love you and we miss you Grandma Cathryn!! Hope you had a great birthday!!!!