60 years

This weekend we had the opportunity to celebrate with my Grandpa and Grandma Johnson for their 60th wedding anniversary! What an accomplishment - 60 years! When I think about today's society and the trends of marriage, this certainly is amazing! Their example is a gift that they have given all of their family members and I am so grateful for that.

Dominic and I have only been married 12 years so to even think about 60 is almost hard to comprehend! But we see that it is possible. My grandpa takes care of my grandma as she does him. And although there have been some health scares in recent years, both looked healthy and happy this weekend!

We had a special meal with close family on Saturday night and they had a few of their wedding items on display, an album, her wedding dress...and all of their children stood up and shared a favorite memory of their family. Each one shared stories about the family vacations they took together, camping, fishing, long drives - sometimes with sick kids...but with laughter and funny stories to reminisce about.

Sunday we went to my grandparents church and as an extra surprise myself, my sister Beth and my cousins Greta, Annie and Rachel sang the song "Amazing Grace - My Chains Are Gone" in honor of their 60 years together. It was really neat to be able to get us girls together and do that for them, something I think we will all remember. My dad recorded it on this devise that he says can download directly to YouTube - so when I can figure out how to do that I want to add it to this post!

Then we spent Sunday afternoon in Northfield MN at my great uncle and aunt's house and they served us a wonderful meal and we had time to visit as a family once again. We don't get these opportunities to get together all of us like this very often anymore it seems - so it is fun when we do!

I am very blessed to have the extended family that I have. I have amazing parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. And I am also blessed with an awesome "in-law" family. It doesn't matter which/whose family gathering we are at - there is always good food and lots of laughter. I know that not everyone can say that about their families, so I am incredibly grateful to be blessed like this.

I hope that Dominic and I can create these same memories and situations for our kids in the years to come. So that they will be able to look back on their childhood and feel the great blessing of family as I have and continue to pass that along to future generations!

60 years....well Dominic and I have a ways to go on that goal, but if we forge together with God in the center of our lives...it isn't that far out of reach. I look forward to every coming year Dominic, you help make our journey together fun and I wouldn't choose anyone else by my side. Thank you for all you are in my life. I love you. K