50 Years is a LOOOONG Time!

 In a world where many marriages fail to outlast a nice pair of sandals, I am beyond impressed that my parents have made it FIFTY years!  Certainly this is worth a celebration!  Our whole family met just after Christmas to enjoy a Bahama's cruise together.  My parents didn't want a big party with their friends.  They wanted to go to the beach with their own little family - something we have been doing together since I was a little girl.  The perfect celebration for the Green family!

While hanging out at the beach with my siblings is one of my favorite memories of my childhood, and the beaches of the Bahamas were calling to us, we wanted the 50th anniversary to have its own little party.  The night before we embarked, we gathered everyone up at the conference center of the hotel to play some games and honor my parents. 

We played 'Candy Roulette' where everyone tasted a sample of various candies and tried to guess what each candy was - several dating back to when we were kids, like Bazooka bubble gum, Pop Rocks, Cow Tails, etc.  It was late by the time the last of us got into town and the party got started, but all that sugar seemed to perk everyone up!

We also did a trivia game about my parents, asking questions like when/where did they meet, how long did they date, etc.  Some questions even my parents didn't know the answers to!  (I gathered several of the information from their wedding album).

Another game I called "You Can't Boss Me Around Just 'Cuz You're Older Than Me!" had everyone racing to put all members of the family in the correct order from oldest to youngest.  There are a few birthdays that are within about a month, making it a bit trickier than you might think.

 It was fabulous to have the entire family all together in one room!  It has been nine years since we were all together.  Much too long!

After the games we showed a thirty minute DVD/slide show.  It showed pictures of my parents growing up, of their young family and me and my siblings when we were kids.  Then it featured each of our adult families and my parents as grandparents.  But my favorite part was at the end, when it showed pictures of us as kids doing something (like making gingerbread houses, playing at the beach, or at Scout camp) then showed the grandkids doing those very same things.  We even had a picture of my dad on his mission, followed by pictures of each of my siblings on their missions.  Add Kenny Rogers singing Through the Years and my parents were all kinds of teary by the end. Their gift was a blurb book with even more pictures and over fifty letters from people my parents have known throughout their lives.  Good stuff.  Great stuff.

For dessert?  Nothing would do but an ice cream cake from Carvels!  (Too bad the whole thing melted before we had a chance to each it!  Oh well, half melted ice cream cake is still pretty good.)

Mom and Dad:  I am incredibly blessed to have inherited so much from you both, and not just my enormous feet.  :)  You have established a legacy of faith, education, hard work, patriotism, love and service.  Not only have I benefited from your example, but so have my children.  You are amazing grandparents who love my children so completely - and they love you in return.  You have modeled a successful marriage that is not free from problems, but rather is dedicated to working through the hard things.  You are both incredible people and I love you beyond all words.  I don't know how I was so fortunate as to have you for my parents.  Truly, I am blessed.  Love you both!!!