One year ago today I thought it would be fun to write my Grandma Emma a happy birthday post in honor of her 96th birthday. I hoped she would enjoy seeing her photo and name in my blog and smile at the thought of this unique birthday card created just for her. One year later I’m pleased to report she thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention here and a quick look at my 2014 stats reveals readers around the world agree her long life is something special and deserving of celebration. Grandma’s 96th birthday card was my third most viewed post of 2014 and the photo below is of her reading through all of your kind messages.
Two of my favorite things about Grandma are her adventuresome spirit and beautiful smile. If there’s a costume around she’ll give it a try but she’s always been ready to make the most of any photo session. Here she is playing with her sister, having fun with a hula costume, posing with my Grandpa on their wedding day and in the line up as a member of her high school’s state championship winning basket ball team.
Grandma lead an active life farming, raising three boys, working as a typesetter for the local newspaper and golfing weekly until her mid 90’s. She even found time to drive a go-kart around the fields and Model T’s in the summer parade.
Grandma’s days are a little quieter now but I’m thrilled to once again have the opportunity to wish her a Happy Birthday. I don’t think she’ll mind if I quote myself from her 96th card as the sentiment remains the same.
Her feisty spirit, good heart and caring personality have carried her through a life full of twists and turns with both beauty and grace.
Keep your chin up and keep smiling Grandma, we love you!
Last year Grandma was the talk of the retirement community when word got out about her online card and all of the wonderful messages from lovely readers around the world. If any of you have a few words to share with her this year we will arrange for her to see them and I know she’ll spend an enjoyable day reading each and every one.
These are beautiful photographs
Best wishes
john
Happy birthday to this lovely lady.
The secret of healthy life, live life to the max… Right? So nice to see these lovely images 🙂
Wishing grandma a very happy birthday…
Happy, happy birthday, grandma Emma! Love these pictures! What a life you’ve led!
Happy birthday, Grandma Emma! Living life to the fullest for 97 years! Congratulations! –Patti
Happy Birthday, Grandma Emma, from Aberdeen, Scotland! It was lovely to see those photographs of all the things you did. Golfing until mid 90s – that is pretty impressive.
Have a lovely day!
Congratulations to your beautiful young looking Grandma. Pawkisses for an Enjoyable Monday 🙂 ❤
Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous–it’s an amazing feat to have reached such a milestone. You’re fortunate to have her here to share her stories and to gaze upon her past through the images, which help preserve her full life.
Happy Birthday from England! What a beauty, you remind me so much of my mother who was born in 1919. I hope that you have created a memory book so that all the wonderful things you have seen and done are recorded for generations to come. Have a lovely happy day with lots of CAKE!!
Jude xx
Here’s to 98!
Happy birthday. You’re a lovely example of life well lived and you’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.
Happy birthday to your beautiful grandmother, Lisa! 🙂
What a wonderful post. Happy birthday to your grandma.
Happy, happy birthday to your Grandma from snowy Toronto, Canada. I hope her day is full of love and laughter!! 🙂
Indeed, a Milestone for your Grandma Emma for celebrating her 97th Birthday. Wishing her the best of happiness and great health always. Happy Birhtday Grandma Emma.
Happy birthday Grandma! What’s your secret to a full life? May you have more to come!
Hope she has a great birthday. That feisty spirit has kept her going, up for anything, always relishing a challenge. Hope there’s many more ahead for her to enjoy.
Hi Lisa,
What a great birthday present for Grandma Emma! Your photos and wonderful words capture her perfectly! Please add all our love and good cheer for Grandma to your terrific post!
Much love from Dick, Dale, and Sara
Happiest of Brithdays, Grandma! We love you dearly, Erica, Wil, & Sophia
Thanks, Lisa, for hosting this fabulous virtual event! It really is the best of “brag books” — 97 full years is definitely something to brag about :).
Happy Birthday Grandma!!!
Alex and I are thinking of you and sending our love!
Thanks Lisa for posting these photos of your Grandma and my Mother. Happy 97th to her.
Happy Birthday Grandma Emma – sending you the brightest and the lightest snowflakes we’ve ever had – as every snowflake is an individual work of art, so are you!
Happy Birthday to your dear beautiful looking grandma.. Hope she has a great day!
Grandma K is a legend in her own time. One can’t help but love and admire such a strong and happy soul. Happy Birthday with more parties and parades to come. Love, Maryellen
And Lisa you are fabulous.
What a thoughtful birthday celebration. 🙂
This is a great idea! Thanks, John and Lisa. Happy birthday, Mom!
Happy birthday wishes to your Grandma! What a wonderful life. This is such a lovely post and the photos are terrific! 😀
Happy 96, Lisa’s Grandma!!! May the coming year be the best year of your life, and may we all be here wishing you a fabulous 97. You look like my Mamaw, and it sounds like the two of you could’ve been sisters. Or kindred spirits.
And I meant 97. Dang me. And 98.
Happy 96th Birthday to the most spirited woman I’ve had the pleasure to know!
Love you, Keri
I typed in 97 too, oops!
I love the photo of your grandparents lounging on the grass. Happy birthday, Grandma Emma! You are an inspiration–I hope I’ll be able to golf in my 90s!
Happiest of birthdays to your Grandma Emma from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Your Grandma is a rock star, Lisa. This is a wonderful post that filled my heart with joy!
wow great idea and belated birthday wishes 🙂
Happy birthday grandma… You made my day.
Happy b-day to grandma – wow – congrats – 97??? so cool!
what a beautiful post, Lisa! so precious! happy birthday to your Grandma! 🙂
Happy Birthday to your sweet Grandma!
It looks like Grandma Emma was ahead of her time. Quite the adventurer and quite beautiful too.
Her wedding picture is striking but the posed one on the grass with her hubby is the prize winner.
I hope Grandma Emma has a lot more birthdays. She looks like she has a lot more she wants to experience especially technologies. A great birthday gift from a kind hearted granddaughter.
Happy Birthday, Grandma Emma !!! ❤ ❤ ❤
Greetings from Isadora here in the west coast of Florida. 😍
Excellent photos, particularly the one of your grandparents at the top. Best wishes, Phil Stanfield
Aww- shame I missed this at the time, Lisa! I thought Dad was doing well at 87 🙂
You are so lucky to be able to enjoy the company of your grand mother 🙂 They are fascinating. I loved hearing stories from my grand father, it was always so nice and quirky.
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