Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Life

It Really Is All About Love

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Hi Friends!  I hope you have had a great week! It’s gorgeous here in Michigan today!

A Very Special Weekend

Last weekend was such a special one for both my parents and my husband’s parents. They both were celebrating their anniversaries! My husband and I decided that we would each attend our parents’ anniversary celebrations.

My husband’s parents, Pat and Joyce Kennedy, were celebrating their 60th Anniversary! These two went to school together in Bartley, Nebraska. Both group up in families that farmed.  High school sweethearts, they married in 1959. Dwight D Eisenhower was President of the U.S., And Alaska and Hawaii became states that same year. Bread cost 20¢ a loaf, gas was 25¢ a gallon, the average cost of a new house was $12,400; the average price of a new car was $2100. The movie Ben Hur premiered. And the first Barbie hit the market.

They decided for their special day to renew their vows in the same church they were married in in Nebraska, St. Catherine’s Parrish in Indianola, NE.

And yes, that is her wedding gown!

They had four children: Mike, Troy, Michelle and Tom.  All four children were able to be at this ceremony.

From this beautiful union came the 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren!

They have moved all over the country, and have treasured all of the memories! Currently they live in Florida and love it. But they never lost their love for their roots in Nebraska and they travel back every year to see family, to remember, to find that sense of peace – they would call this their true home.

And my parents, Doug and Joyce Shanks were celebrating their 70th Anniversary, married May 27, 1949. Harry S Truman was President of the U.S. The Berlin Blockade came to an end, and Nato was established. Gas was 17¢ a gallon, a loaf of bread was 13¢, a postage stamp was 3¢ and the average price of a new car was $1,420. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” hit broadway and introduced us to the beautiful song, “Some Enchanted Evening” as well as many others.

I just love the clipping from their wedding below, notice all the detail that was paid in the article! This was just after the end of WW2. My parents had grown up during the Great Depression and the war, and people did not have the abundance they have today. But notice how the newspaper lavishes this occasion with such intricate detail. It shined a spotlight on young couples and celebrated this moment as a community.

My mom and dad met while in high school in Toledo, Ohio. They were married shortly after high school.

They lived in Sylvania, Ohio until 1980, and then they moved to Florida for 10 years, but their heart was back north… home. And so they moved back to Sylvania and still live there now, and wouldn’t live anywhere else. This is where they spent the happiest years of their lives. They have 6 kids: Doug Jr., Susan, Kevin, Amy (me), Stacey, and David. And then the grandkids came… 16 of them! And now the great grandkids are coming. Currently they have 8 great grandchildren. Every baby that is born is another miracle to them!

This picture doesn’t show all of them, but pretty close!

Both Troy’s parents and mine have known tremendous hardship and blessing. Life is that way, isn’t it? They truly have known the best of times and the worst of times, but they meet life’s challenges standing strong, hand in hand even if it is with an ache in their heart and tears in their eyes. They never stop treasuring what matters: love, home, family and being there for each other and their kids, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. They have reached out and helped everyone around them so selflessly. They would never lavish in good things for themselves when someone else nearby needed a hand. And they continue to find the good in every single day, living with purpose, and taking a big bite out of life!

Troy and I are so blessed to see this example of love. We are watching and learning from these dear folks. Hoping when we face challenges in our lives to do it with the same beautiful example we see in our parents. And for the purest example, we can look to is the Author of love and life, our Heavenly Father. And nothing we could ever do will separate us from His love. Goodness, isn’t it good to know how much He loves us?

The courage and the fortitude to live a life that is rich and full is available to all of us if we can keep our focus on the things that really matter. It’s never been about wealth or possessions or status. What really matters at the end of the day is love, and showing it to the dear ones in our lives, our spouses, kids, siblings, parents, friends, whoever we have been blessed to do this time in our lives with. In the end, it really is all about love.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend, my friend!

I’ll be back Tuesday with another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”   1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

 

 

 

Amy Lynne Kennedy

Amy Lynne Kennedy

Amy is married to her high school sweetheart, Troy. They have raised two sons and live in Michigan. She graduated with a degree in education, and loves fashion, fitness, food, fun and most of all she truly loves all people.

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30 comments

    2. Amy, what a beautiful post. Loved seeing the celebrations of marriage and the pictures.

  3. Amy,
    What a lovely post sharing your parents and your husband’s parents anniversaries with us!
    I can’t believe the details that went into researching their wedding days.

    Hugs,
    Robin

    1. Thank you, Robin! It is just so special to have both celebrated the same weekend! So my husband drove to Nebraska to celebrate with his parents and I (and my son) drove to Ohio to celebrate with my parents!

  4. That was so fun to read. I’ve seen that newspaper article before, and I still smile all the way through. It was wonderful seeing everyone last weekend. Love you!

  5. You are so blessed with your large loving family. I’m sending you warm and happy thoughts for a beautiful week!

  7. What wonderful examples!! An your mother-in-law can still wear her beautiful gown. What a tribute to both couples.

  9. Yea, Michigan! My parents were both from Detroit originally. And I love Ann Taylor. Hope your recovery from that nasty break progress well. But I LOVED the part about your parents’ 60 anniversary. The same wedding gown??!! Now THAT is impressive! Thank you for a lovely post!

  10. Amy,
    First of all, thank you for the update on your recovery. Second, both sets of parents – excellent examples of marriage being a covenant relationship with two people and God. Third, And the reminder that nothing separates us from the love of God. Finally, your Mom’s wedding announcement is similar to mine, that’s what small towns do, celebrate love and family.

    1. Thank you so much, Eugenia! I’m getting there! The more I do with my ankle, the more I can do! But I have to ice and elevate quite a bit. That truth about nothing separates us from the love of God is what helps me get through the toughest things in life. I am holding that one in my heart for the rest of my life. I love my mom’s wedding announcement too! I would love to see yours someday! It is just so precious to see those details! My mom’s bridesmaids each wore a different color, and I have a tiny swatch from each of their gowns. I love things like that!

  11. Beautiful tribute to the enduring marriage of both sets of parents; and to the power and strength of love which holds no ground without the resilient threads of tenderness, joy, sorrow and forgiveness. Such magnificent tapestries!! 😘❤️

  12. You are truly blessed. Your elders have truly layed the foundation for the following generations to strive towards. I love the stories. TFS You are truly blessed.

  13. It’s a pleasure to know you, Amy, and your posts are always so uplifting. I envy you and the love that you share with your beautiful families. My husband’s and my families were not that close, and my own mom dis-owned me 4 years ago. My husband and I have each other, though, and hope we are a good example to our own children.

    1. Oh Christina! I hope you and your husband have a lifetime of amazing adventures together! With more love and joy than any couple ever had! Thank you for your very kind words!

  14. Congratulations to you and your hubbys parents on their Anniversaries! That is a testimony to marriage and relationships. I loved reading about world evdnts, prices during this time. My mom made me a scrapbook when I was 40 and she listed prices and events in 1968 when I was born, fascinating too!
    Love the pictures too Any😊
    Have a great day
    Jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com