Marshall & Susan

Jed and Nikki are two good friends of me and my hubby. Jed wanted to do something really special for his parents, Marshall & Susan, for their 40th wedding anniversary. So, they planned a party. But this wasn't just any party. You see, Marshall & Susan met while serving in the Peace Corps. Because they were busy helping others in need, they had a very sweet, simple wedding ceremony without all the traditional rituals and pageantry. So, for the big anniversary party, Jed and his brother Henry flew in some out-of-state friends and even some of the friends their parents served with in the Peace Corps all those years ago......as a surprise.

As each surprise guest was announced, it was so wonderful to see the emotions between family and friends who had been apart for too long. It was a beautiful evening filled with laughter, tears, music, food, stories, and memories.

Happy Anniversary Marshall & Susan!!

For a slideshow of some of their images, click here

The next day, we all hung out at the pool and relaxed. That pool was not only fun, but offered some relief from the unrelenting Orlando heat. We had a good time splashin' around and being silly. Here are some of the poolside antics.

Jed and sweet little miss Leola Rose

Nikki and Leola chillin in the pool

We all got fake tattoos (Jed's is the real deal). Mine (not pictured) was an adorable dragon wrapped around a battle axe.

Super-sassy time!

Ozzy is a better swimmer as a toddler than I am now. It's a blast to watch him swim like crazy and then say "I did it!"