The Whitfields: EJ + KJ = 40 Years

Last week, we joined together as a family to celebrate a significant day: my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. We gathered with many friends to recognize the love, the joy and the friendship that my parents have maintained for the last 40+ years as a couple.

The end of July and the beginning of August are a special time for D and E, for my parents, and for my brother and Alison; we all celebrate our wedding anniversaries within a week of one another. Doug and I were able to sneak away to Seattle for our anniversary night while our children played with Grandma and Papa. My brother and Ali also were able to have some kid-free time (again, courtesy of the grandparents-extraodinaire) to celebrate their marriage. The 4 of us "kids" are fortunate to see my parents continually model the relationships that we strive to achieve in our own marriages. They honor, respect, and validate one another. They appreciate their time with one another. A day doesn't go by when they don't kiss! They still look at one another in a sweet, romantic way. Their marriage serves as an excellent model for us and for our children, and we are thankful for what they continue to teach us.

The anniversary gave us one more excuse to spend a week in Spokane--swimming, playing, eating, drinking. Sophie even joined Papa on "Adventure 2" when they toured the air traffic control tower and watched as planes arrived and departed (as Sophie told my dad's friend who invited them up: "I'm going to be an air traffic controller when I grow up."). The Whitfield 4 were all in heaven and we survived the beautiful but long drive! We came home yesterday feeling rejuvenated; celebrating my parents--their marriage, their friendship, their community of friends--was a wonderful peak to our summer.