Grandma and Grandpa Suver's 70th Wedding Anniversary

When Ariel and I fly to Seattle, we always stop by Grandma and Grandpa's house for a visit. It always feels like home, often there is wood burning in the stove, and the smell of freshly baked bread greets you at the door. Grandma's ability to conjure countless pies and yummy things from her sleeves, would impress even Houdini. She's not happy until we have something scrumptious in our hands to munch while we relax on the davenport (what she calls the couch).

Grandpa's throne is his easy chair. He has several atlases, books, and maps stacked up around him like little turrets. Now, he's added an ipad to the pile, and is evidently a big fan of the "street-view" feature of the map app. He's always eager to point out where a story takes place on his maps; and he always has a story to tell. This December, he told us about his trips to Scotland and Morocco when he was a sailor during WWII; the missile that barely missed his ship and hit the one behind his in the waters off Normandy on D-Day; and the grass huts and starving villagers that he encountered in Korea. While on shore leave, he ran across some Korean children who looked like they were in need, and gave away all that he had on him - emptied his pockets, took off his shirt and his socks -- and returned to his ship looking like a desperate castaway. All these stories were very interesting, but what really caught our attention was when we learned that, in two days, they will have been married for 70 years. We asked if they had plans for the day. They said they hadn't given it any thought. We couldn't let them get off so easily, "70 years! That's huge!!! We have to celebrate!"

Ariel and I got moving. We had two days to organize a party, which meant mobilizing the relatives and initiating a telephone/email tree, setting the layers of a towering lasagne, and preparing handmade decorations.

Whew! With a trunk-load of casserole dishes and bake pans, we arrived at their house, but before the party started, we just had to pull Grandma and Grandpa aside for a little video interview, which we have posted above for today's "Finding Focus" inspiration. More photos from that day on our holiday post, here.

Congratulations Grandma and Grandpa!! And to all those lovebirds out there, just remember Grandma's advice... the secret is "patience."

xoxo,

Sam (+ Ariel)