All Because Two People Fell in Love

Last weekend we went out to Alabama to celebrate my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary. It was so nice to get together with everyone and to look around and see what these two people had created. The sign on the guest book table read, "All Because Two People Fell In Love."

 

My grandparents, Posey and Edna McLeod, were married in November of 1941. They had seven children, one of which is my dad.

 

I'm not one to use the word "blessed" very often, but how very blessed are they that all nine of them are still alive and healthy?  I think it's pretty awesome. 

Those seven children gave them a total of fifteen grandchildren, and we grandchildren have given them 34 great-grandchildren so far, and they're still coming (two of them with an ETA of January). That's a lot of people... all because two people fell in love. :)

It was a very nice reception.  The turnout was great, with over 100 people in attendance.  My mom and aunts made some great food (mmm... chicken ball...), and they asked me to make a cake.  I was very happy to make this cake for the celebration:

Here's our crew with my parents and grandparents,

 

and here's Cannon giving Grandmother a high-five (that's his new favorite thing to do):

I loved this table they had set up with all the old and new pictures of everyone.

The seven children.  Can you tell which one is my Daddy?

And I've always loved this one too.  All four of the McLeod men served in the military at one point or another.  Grandaddy (top left) was in WWII, Roy (bottom right) was in the Korean War, and Daddy (bottom left) and Tommy (top right) were in the Vietnam War.  Happy Veterans Day to all of them, by the way!

It was a very nice gathering; I really enjoyed it.  And what a beautiful day for it.  After the party I was helping clean up while Josh took the boys out to the playground.  I took a break at one point and walked outside to check on them.  I stepped out the back door and had to stop for just a minute.  It was sunset, and a gorgeous one at that; the air was clean and crisp; I was looking at several gorgeous trees in front of me full of vibrant fall leaves; I looked to my left and saw my dad and two of his sisters walking into the distance, headed to look at my grandparents' future grave site across the street; I knew that my husband and two sons were around the corner, all happy, healthy, and full of love.  

I was so happy and so sad at the same time.  Happy, because even though it seems unmanageable and crazy at times, what an incredible stage of life I am in right now.  So, so many moments to cherish and try to hold onto forever.  And sad, because 1) no matter how hard I try to hold onto these moments, they are going to pass faster than I want them to, and 2) it's heartbreaking that some people can't enjoy such a peaceful, reassuring moment like that.

Oh, life.

(didn't mean to make this post about me... sorry)

Grandmother and Granddaddy, thank you for falling in love 70 years ago and creating such a big, beautiful family.  I am so proud to be a part of it, and can only hope to have the same with Josh decades from now.