Blessed...

Today marks my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary.  Yes, you read that right. Seventy!  I can hardly even imagine being alive for seventy years, let alone being married for that long.  I'm pretty sure there are very few people who can make that claim.  But these two can.  And it's nearly impossible for me to express in words what their example has meant to all of us.  I know the road has not always been easy, but the richness that has come from their lifetime of commitment to God and to one another is immeasurable.  We celebrated with the extended family today, a family that includes 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren.  It's a rare occasion these days that we manage to get so many of us in the same spot at the same time, and it was such a treat to get to catch up today.  Earlier this week, I overheard a conversation Grandpa was having with an acquaintance.  At one point, the fellow he was talking to asked him, "Jack, you have such a legacy and all this family around.  What do you attribute all of it to?" Grandpa replied, "I'm just blessed."

I want to point out that today also marks my parents' 45th wedding anniversary.  And although 70 is hard to beat, 45 is no small accomplishment.  Mom and Dad, you too have set such an amazing example for us of what God intended for marriage.  Thank you for loving each other, committing to each other, and never giving up on each other.  I hope and pray that some day C.J. and I will be able to say that we, too, have been married for 45 years!

If you are interested in seeing more photos from the day, feel free to watch the slideshow below.    Enjoy!