Just The Two of Us: A Big Family Celebrating a 50 Year Love Story
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

A Big Family Celebrating a 50 Year Love Story myspace layouts, myspace codes, glitter graphics myspace layouts, myspace codes, glitter graphics


This time next week, my wonderful MIL and FIL will be on their way down from Wisconsin. We always look forward to seeing them. They are what we Floridians like to affectionately call, "Snowbirds", as they fly South for the Winter and then head back up North for the Summer. They are truly wonderful people. Last year, we celebrated their
50th Anniversary, three different times over the year.

Once in the Club Association in their neighborhood, where they are pictured above, and about 60 couples attended and celebrated three area couples all celebrating their Golden Anniversaries.

It was wonderful, and very memorable as just the two of us were amazed at how well Dad did when he got up in front of a microphone and gave a little speech. What stood out was at the end of his speech he said "...and the best thing I ever did was marry this little girl" (using her maiden name). Well, tears just welled up in our eye's as she looked up at him so lovingly and you could just feel all 50 of those wonderful years spent together through trial and tribulation.

Raising 10 beautiful children, Dad going through something like 9 or 10 surgeries, 4 surgeries that were for his back alone. Having worked 33 years of his life at John Deere.

One terrible car accident, years ago, that kept him flat on his back for almost a year. Thanks to Mom who sold milk from their two cows, made her own cream and butter sold some of that and gardened feverishly they managed to pay the bills and keep food on the table for their 4 kids, at that time, all while she was expecting their 5th baby.

Mom's sister Mary was living with them at the time, which really helped, and she had other friends that would help watch the kids while she would visit Dad in the hospital.

Almost a year later, upon having a second back surgery, Dad came home from the hospital, and they discovered he had Staph Infection, which can be deadly, well, shortly, after several of the kids came down with Staph Infection too. The new baby, Joanne, was hospitalized for 39 days at 9 months old. They had to tap her lungs twice to drain the fluid. Thankfully, God healed them all. We all loved our parents so very much, so we really wanted this to be special!

The big celebration involved all ten of their children, all ten of their married spouses and all of their twenty-four grandchildren with one grandchild on the way; one great-grandchild on the way.

If you could have seen the e-mails flying, as this was going to be a huge surprise party. Then it was quite something that our families were spread out all over the USA. There again, the Internet was a lifesaver

There were approximately 250 guest that came. Everyone had their assigned duties that they volunteered for in order to pull off this gallant event. I volunteered for to make about 300 invitations, stamp them all and send them on to Joanne who addressed and mailed them.

Lisa, made an incredible cake with all ten of us supplying her with our wedding cake toppers, which represented all ten of our marriages and get this...no divorces in our family ever! For one quick instant I thought about contacting the Today's Show, I mean just think about it...10 kids and no divorces! I really felt this was monumental in this day and age! Praise be the Lord!

Lisa, also got a unique and special little angel to represent each grandchild, on the cake, it was so very touching! She organized an individual skit or song for each and every member of the family, from the littlest tyke up to their own 10 kids, and then us In-laws. Being in the last group, we were each assigned a couple of lines of the song "We are Family". Talk about Side Splitters!

Keep in mind we only had one day to put this all together and if you were lucky enough to get a stab at singing into the microphone, you were lucky. I didn't get that chance, but was confident I knew my lines. lol Sue, my SIL, put together an awesome video with beautiful music, so she took Mom's treasured address book one day, in order to get all their friends and families addresses, and for weeks I thought Mom was going to call in the hound dogs, and talk about low, she ended up blaming Cindi and Jeremy's precious little 2 year old Josiah, at the time. Can you imagine. lol Sweet innocent little JoJo! lol We all gave her a hard time about that later.

When Mom and Dad finally sauntered up to the Youth and Ag building, having had my SIL, Deb and her hubby Noel take them out to dinner and then tell them they just want them to see a new house being built, as an excuse to bring them out. Well, half way up the walk they must have caught on, cause their expressions were joyful! After all, it is hard to hide 250 people! lol


Like I said, everyone played a part to make this a success, and they know who they are. It was a wonderful time had by all!

Sunday morning, all ten kids, and their spouses were led into church by The most wonderful sweet, kind, and inspirational, Parents we could ever dream of having. All of our children and extended family members filled the pews. My wonderful hubby read one of the readings, my heart swelled, as usual. We all renewed our wedding vows along side the couple of honor, who started their "love story" 50 years ago! The Lord has blessed us beyond measure and we are forever humbled!

Mom and Dad's actual Wedding Anniversary date is December 29, 1955. Therefore, several of the kids and their families went out of their way to come down to Florida for Christmas, and to celebrate
their true Anniversary. It was one of the most wonderful and exciting Christmas' that any of us could ever remember! Just to all be together, sharing, laughing with oodles of cute little cousins running around. The splender of it all was joyful and truly memorable!

The guy with the cowboy hat on is Carl, my hubby's second cousin, he did a great job as DJ and as he was riding around the dance floor during one of his fun songs he spun for us on his "horsey", I got the strangest effect with my camera. lol What a wild man!


Mom and Dad look lovingly into each others eyes as they renew their vows, and she said, "I'd marry you all over again"!




Here is a picture of the Family at Church.
Just the two of us are so very blessed to have such a wonderful family, I will share the big Christmas surprise we received last year, soon...The icing on the cake! So, we hope you all have someone who inspires you in your lives!

19 Comments:

At 2:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow what an awesome post! I just love all the updates. Jack and I are heading for 50! We will be celebrating 27 next June!

 
At 3:42 AM, Blogger Susie said...

Pamela,
This was such a touching and tender love story. In a long marriage one day turns into another and before you know it so many years have passed.
It's hard for me to believe that Bill and I will celebrate 40 years in June.
May God bless your parents and the wonderful family that so obviously loves them!

 
At 3:51 AM, Blogger Barb said...

Oh Pamela, love stories like this make my heart sing. What a beautiful couple and what a huge, beautiful family. You are blessed.

 
At 4:52 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Awww ... that is just too sweet! I wish everyone could have that kind of love story.

Feel free to visit my site and leave your thoughts anytime. =)

 
At 1:36 PM, Blogger Chrystal said...

How proud we were of granpa and granma, they've been through a lot in their fifty years. :) Gave us great examples to live by though. :)

 
At 1:58 PM, Blogger Susie said...

What an unbelievable party! Your parents are even more unbelievable for all they've gone through. About the no divorces in 10 kids is pretty amazing. I think it is definitely newsworthy. On a side note, the FIL is doing great! Thanks for asking.

 
At 2:14 PM, Blogger someone else said...

What a wonderful story of love and your tribute is so special. I hope you have a really blessed time while they're visiting!

 
At 4:16 PM, Blogger couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

Wow! That's happiness!

 
At 6:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm proud to be one of the daughter-in-law of this family !!!
All my sisters are envious that I have such good parents-in-law !!!

 
At 8:24 PM, Blogger Michelle said...

wow! What a wonderful surprise celebration for 50 years together! and yes that is something about no divorces! How neat you all were able to pull this off - memories to last a lifetime!

 
At 8:38 PM, Blogger Linda said...

What an amazing story. In this crazy time we're living in it is so heartwarming to hear "love stories" like this one. Their love for each other and the love you all have as a family is very special.

 
At 9:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful post Pamela :)

Hope you all have a wonderful time while they visit :)

Hugs,
Sandra

 
At 10:33 PM, Blogger HLiza said...

Wow.. to be together happily with someone you love for half a century is really something awesome! It's nearly like happily ever after..

 
At 10:35 PM, Blogger Carole Burant said...

Oh Pamela, I so enjoyed this post and reading your words, I could see everything in my mind (well of course the pictures helped! lol) and what a wonderful day that must have been!! They certainly do look very much in love still and their story is a beautiful one!

 
At 4:18 AM, Blogger Susan (5 Minutes For Mom) said...

What a beautiful couple!

 
At 9:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

My goodness, Pamela, that is one of the most sweet and beautiful posts I hav eread in a long time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing such a heartwaarming story. God bless!

 
At 5:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What an amazing couple. Going through all of this and still holding the family together. What a great way to honor them. Just having everyone make the effort to come down to Florida is a testament to how much they are cared for. The party looked like a blast and wow all of you coming into church must of been something. I loved looking at the pictures. I still can't believe it, 10 children no divorces. I say yes call the Today Show.

 
At 10:02 PM, Blogger Pamela said...

Thanks so much, Mom and Dad are a blessing to all of us kids and we love it that they actually live down here in Florida for six months out of the year as Snow Birds. They do a lot of traveling now. Usually, making sure they see each of the 10 kids at least once a year. They live on a beautiful golf course in WI and have a darling little Retirement home here in Florida. Dad has been retired for about 12 years now. They are blessed!

 
At 5:25 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

congratulations.

 

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