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October 27, 1911.
Yesterday was my Grandma's 103rd Birthday.
Yes.
You read that correctly.
103.
Absolutely Amazing.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you probably remember me talking about my Grammy and how amazing she is.
I blog about her birthday every year because I think it's pretty incredible that she has lived to be this old.
In years past, I have blogged about how incredible it is that she still lives in her own house by herself at her age.
But, unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore.
You see, 20 days ago on October 7th, we got a call from my Aunt that Grammy had a fall.
My Aunt lives in the same town as Grammy, so she checks on her several times a day.
The morning of October 7th, she went to check on her and Grammy had fallen.
Grammy wears one of those "Help, I've fallen and can't get up" necklaces so she can pull it and it will alert a dispatcher. Well, Grammy is stubborn and didn't pull it, so when my Aunt came over Grammy was on the ground. My Aunt didn't know if Grammy was hurt (because Grammy is stubborn and wouldn't say) so my Aunt called 911 and had Grammy taken to the hospital to get checked out and to make sure she didn't break anything.
The did some tests on Grammy at the hospital and nothing was broken.
They ran some labs/blood work and Grammy is 100% healthy.
The doctors and nurses couldn't believe how amazing her blood work was, they said it was better than most people who are in their 60's! That's my Grammy!
Even though Grammy  wasn't hurt, my mom and Aunt decided that Grammy shouldn't live on her own anymore. She is just too old and even though she can still walk, she is just fragile & her eyesight is going. My Aunt found a nice & clean old person's home for Grammy to live, so they moved her there right after the hosptial, just 20 days shy of her 103rd Birthday.
Pretty amazing that Grammy made it 102 years & 345 days living  by herself.
Even though it is sad that Grammy isn't living in her house anymore, it is the right decision.

This weekend we headed down to Grammy's in the Central Valley to celebrate her 103rd Birthday.
It was very strange seeing her NOT in her house.
The home she is at is nice, there are about 30 people who live there...Grammy is the oldest.
We reserved the outside area for Grammy's party.
  I made my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes (recipe HERE} but I put pink frosting on them because pink is Grammy's favorite color!

I also made the cupcake toppers.

Every year, I get Grammy a balloon & roses for her birthday.

My mom, Aunt & Grammy.

 My sisters & I with Grammy.

 My Aunt & her 2 sons with Grammy (my cousins are SO tall....6'4 & 6'8)

 My family with Grammy :)

 Rebecca & her family with Grammy. This was the first time Grammy got to meet baby Olivia (that is Grammy's 11th great-grandchild)

 4 Generations in this photo. Love it.

Me & Grammy. Can we talk about how she is rocking the side pony? Love her. She is still a spit fire!

It was so wonderful seeing my Grammy & celebrating her 103rd birthday.
It was emotional...seeing her in the home & not her home.
Wondering if this was going to be the last time I see her.
Feeling sad that her memory is fading.
What a wonderful life she has lived.
103...Incredible.

After the party, my Aunt, my mom, my sisters and I went to Grammy's house.
All her things are still there and my Aunt is going to start cleaning it out so they can sell the house.
My Aunt told us we could take things that were special to us.
It was very surreal being in her house knowing that Grammy wasn't coming back.
I had 1 thing that I really, really, really wanted from Grammy's house.
Her recipe box.
Every memory of visiting Grammy includes food & something on the stove or in the oven.
Every time we would go to her house, she was making something.
I think I get my love of cooking & baking from Grammy.
She was always making something.
When we were at her house, I asked my Aunt if I could have Grammy's recipe box.
She said sure, but she couldn't recall Grammy having one, since Grammy had memorized most of her recipes.
I looked through every kitchen cabinet.
I couldn't find it.
I looked in her pantry.
I couldn't find it.
I looked above the fridge and found some of her old cookbooks, but no recipe box.
I was bummed. I really wanted her handwritten recipes. I knew they had to be somewhere.
I looked in one last kitchen drawer and at the very back of the drawer, there they were....stacks of recipe cards held together by rubber bands.
JACKPOT.
I was so happy I could cry. I totally teared up.
Stacks of Grammy's recipes held together by rubber bands that were so old they were crumbling.
Recipe cards with Grammy's handwriting.
Recipe cards typed out with flour dusted on them.
Recipes as far back from 1920's & 1930's
(Grammy dated most of her recipe cards, so I knew exactly when they were from)

It may be Grammy's Birthday, but I feel like I got one of the greatest gifts, her recipes.
Seeing her familar handwriting on the recipe cards is so comforting.
Reading through the recipe cards & recognizing some of my favorite things from visiting Grammy's house....so priceless.

My plan is to go through the recipes and make a family cookbook for all the women in our family so that we can all have a piece of Grammy's cooking in our kitchens.
And, I will be sure to blog some of Grammy's recipes as well.

Happy 103rd Birthday, Grammy.
Thank you for being such an inspiration to everyone who knows you.

Everyone always asks Grammy her advice for living so long & for being in such good health 

Here is her list of advice:
1. Surround yourself with your family and people you love.
2. Drink Coffee every morning.
3. Have a Happy Hour cocktail everyday (Grammy's preference is a Cranberry Vodka)
4. Stay away from hospitals & doctors.
5. Be positive.