Ruthie

Six years ago, while I was in Mongolia, my Grandma Frost passed away. For my entire life she lived more than 2,000 miles away, and yet, I always felt like we had a very close relationship. She was a woman with a great sense of humor, a great style and unlike most old people, she smelled amazing and probably drove faster than I do right now. As a little kid I loved visiting their old home in Kaysville, Utah. It was always stocked with licorice, coke and all kinds of treats.

When I was a young girl I remember she came to visit and we had a "just for girls" tea party with coke and cookies. I remember watching the sparkle in her eye as she toasted my tea cup and proclaimed being with the girls was always the best time.

When I was born my parents decided to honor my Grandma by giving me her name of Ruth as my middle name. For some reason I never liked that name. It always seemed too old fashioned to me. However, when I got to college my teammates decided (because they were too many Kates on our team) that I would go by Ruthie. At first I tried to fight this decision, and then came to love my new nickname. For four years, I only answered to Ruth or Ruthie or BabyRuth on and off the field.

Sometime during college I got in a very strange game with my Grandma. We started to play a game of flipping each other off. I used to love to see her roar with laughter as I would show her different ways to give the bird. I think her favorite one was when I would blow on my thumb and my middle finger would appear. You haven't lived until you've seen a woman in her eighties give you the finger from across the kitchen.

Lastly, I remember my Grandma always being so interested in my life. She was there when I first entered the world, she comforted me when I said good-bye to my first crush (this should be a whole other entry..."When Kate thought she met the man she was going to marry at 18."), she was one of the first people to say I could do it in Mongolia, and I know, she was there when I did marry the love of my life a year and a half ago.

She was an incredible woman, and I will always try to honor and live up to her name. I miss you Ruthie.