A Golden Anniversary

Today is August 31, 2017, and exactly 50 years ago my parents got married!

My parents got married in the Oakland, California LDS temple on August 31, 1967.

Here they are with both sets of parents.

My parents are having their own private celebration today but a few weeks ago, we--their children--gathered together and celebrated with them.  We had to do it a few weeks early since traveling before school started was a lot better for my brother and his family from Kansas.  I also had a brother come from Boston and a sister from Idaho.  I should give photo credit to my sister Heidi who took most of the pictures at the open house.

Mom and Dad, August 11, 2017

Just one brother and his wife are missing from this picture of my parents' 11 children and their spouses.  My grandmother is also in this picture.

Right to left:  SIL Melanie, BIL Aaron, Sister Liesl, and SIL Michelle.

I am the oldest child and this is my next sibling, Neil, who lives with his family in Kansas.

Brothers Tyler and Brian who specialize in the ridiculous picture faces.

My SIL Michelle, her parents and her son

On August 11, we held an open house for them in our backyard.  (It was our third open house of the summer but who's counting?)  We sent out invitations a few weeks ahead of time to relatives and friends and had a good turnout.  We served ice cream with hot fudge sauce and fresh raspberry sauce plus cookies and fruit.  I was pleasantly surprised with how many poeple came.  It was totally unexpected to see my uncle and aunt who drove up from Texas!  My aunt's health is not very good at all so it was really nice of them to make that long trip just for this occasion.  Another aunt drove from South Dakota just for this event and it was great to see her.  We also saw another aunt and uncle who have just recently moved here from California that we haven't seen for a long time.  There were also friends and neighbors that came.

The cute granddaughters including Camille on the end.

Brother Bruce

My cousin and his wife.

Two of my mother's sisters.  One drove from South Dakota!

Sister Liesl and her tired husband

The following day most of us went to a temple session in the morning followed by dinner at Joe Vera's restaurant in Provo which is pretty much a family institution.  This was followed by a family meeting at my parents' house.  That night many of us attended a church picnic and party at the local swimming pool.  Then the next day, we gathered at my sister's house for dinner.

My sister  JoEllen

My father and his siblings with their mother, Grandma Ellen who is 97.  My father is second from the left.  They are just missing another sister who was in Alabama at the time.

My father's siblings with their spouses and my grandmother.  My uncle and aunt in the front row drove all the way from Texas just for this event.

My parents, my grandmother, and almost all my siblings except one, their spouses, and their children.  They have almost 50 grandchildren (the 50th is due in a few weeks.)

After Sunday dinner at my sister's house

Out in front of my sister's house.

It was a good weekend and I'm glad we were able to honor my parents for staying married all those years and making a lot of sacrifices to raise all 11 of their children.  That is no small task.