Because they first loved each other

This week, Eric's L. Grandparents will celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary. We went to a wonderful celebration for them on Saturday night.

I've mentioned at least twice before that Eric and I want to be just like them when we grow up. They are practically perfect in every way. We love being around them. Despite the fact that they have 26 grandkids, 10 grandkids-by-marriage, and 19 great-grankids (and at least one on the way, that I know of, and no, it isn't me), they still know who all these people are! AND, to top it off, you can really tell that they love each and every one of us.

They are both incredibly good-natured and kind. They have started all sorts of family traditions that everybody loves and looks forward to. I didn't really have a grandmother during my growing up years, so I feel really lucky to have married into a family with such a spectacular grandma.

Part of the festivities on Saturday night included a quiz about Grandma and Grandpa. Some of the facts I knew before the quiz:

• Grandma was the eighth of eleven children.
• Grandpa worked as head of the public relations department of the LDS Church before he "retired."
• Grandpa met President Reagan and President Bush (the first one).
  

Some facts I learned from the quiz:

• Grandma's wedding dress had 48 buttons down the back.
• The treasure box was blue.
• Grandma had a lot of jobs. A lot.

After the quiz all the grandkids and most of the aunts and uncles (or maybe all?) read excerpts from Grandpa's journal that he kept after he "retired" from his job with the Church and served for five years in a leadership position with the Church. It was great to hear some bits of his time, and especially to hear the bits where the grandkids were mentioned. I loved these parts best:

• A description of Eric's brother, Andrew as a "fat baby."
• The description of Eric's Aunt Susan as "visibly pregnant."
• An update that the twins were "healthy and developing nicely."

I loved those things best because when I think about the magnitude of the assignments Grandpa had during that time period, it's wonderful to know that of all the things he could write about, he still always made time to mention his family and the things that were going on in their lives.