forty one whole years.

December 16th 1970 this happened:

papa tom and mama jan were hitched!

(are they not so cute?)

fast forward a year or two and baby becky joined their small family

fast forward ten or twelve years and they went from having one baby to having six!

this picture has no relevance but i just really like it.

fast forward another four or five years and BLAM. i'm born! 

and yet another picture i just really like but has little significance to this story.

another five years later and oldest sister becky got married. 

(with second oldest and new husband beating them out by a month)

fifteen years later rob made the marriage plunge and everyone else did in-between. 

and this brings us to 2011.

add in all the spouses and kids that they've collected over the years and you have this. 

well. not even this. this is actually inaccurate and is missing a handful of us.

i just got thinking today about how my parents have been married for 41 years and what an amazing thing that is. 

2 people + love + faith = 7 children

and then

7 children (okay six) + spouses + love + faith = 29 grandkids 

2 + 7 + 6 + 29 + one on the way (!) = 45 people 

(including a little one on the way!!)

45 family members after just 41 years?  i think that is pretty dang awesome.

i also think i can speak for all of us in saying that we love you and are so grateful to be a part of your eternal family! 

Happy Anniversary mom and dad! Love you so much!

ps happy birthday today mindy! love you!