Celebrating my parents' 50 years Together!

The last week of April,from the Pennsylvania Gospel Express Benefit Auction our family went to Ohio for a week,to help my Dad and Mom. Dave and the boys split wood and stacked towering piles of it as Grandpa hauled it out of the woods surrounding their home. Meanwhile My sisters and daughters and I helped mom go thru closets and rooms upstairs,spring cleaned and repainted a room.Let's just say,my mom and Dad keep enough things that we ran into many interesting things that we all had to decide and confer with them on what to do with.We laughed,sighed and almost cried thruout the  hours of it.But the week ended with the climax of the celebration we had come to Ohio for on Sunday afternoon.Here we are setting up... The girls washed anything from plastic fruit to antique tractors and dusty tea pots.Deborah even got to choose one to put in her "Hope Chest", as I call it.

 Meanwhile My sisters and daughters and I helped mom go thru closets and rooms upstairs,spring cleaned and repainted a room.Let's just say,my mom and Dad keep enough things that we ran into many interesting things that we all had to decide and confer with them on what to do with.We laughed,sighed and almost cried thru out the  hours of it. The girls washed anything from plastic fruit to antique tractors and dusty tea pots.Deborah even got to choose one to put in her "Hope Chest", as I call it.

After a lot of of running  from house to house the week ended with the climax of the celebration we had come to Ohio for.  Sunday afternoon found us 5  Yoder  children  and our families  able to put on the 50th anniversary open house we had planned for our parents.Here we are setting up... 

My sister Linda's daughter, Marianne cutting the sheet cakes.

After spending several days at my parents house,Dave and the boys split wood and stacked towering piles of it as Grandpa hauled it out of the woods surrounding their home. Meanwhile My sisters and daughters and I helped mom go thru closets and rooms upstairs,spring cleaned and repainted a room.Let's just say,my mom and Dad keep enough things that we ran into many interesting things that we all had to decide and confer with them on what to do with.We laughed,sighed and almost cried thruout the  hours of it.But the week ended with the climax of the celebration we had come to Ohio for on Sunday afternoon.Here we are setting up...

The only original  items we could find from their actual Bridal Table at their wedding in 1965.The Styrofoam name placements,we just added fresh blooms from the tree in their front yard to bring out the color of the plastic flowers:). Notice the glitter glued around the edges..wow,how times change.

Sister Marlene did the chalk art and "the original diaper bag" is apart of the "memory Corner",with actual baby toys we used to play with in it.

Here is the bride's wedding outfit as well as  a dress and shoes one of us used to wear.

We rented a gym in the Mt. Hope/Benton area and had advertised  the event in the Shopper and Gemiende Register,not knowing how many would show up.

Their was a nice stream  of friends and relatives flowing in all afternoon.

Dave and so enjoyed reconnecting with  relations we don't see much living out of state,here;s a favorite neighbor couple of my childhood days and he was also a deacon in our church,kind,fun loving farmers whose family we spent many Sunday afternoons playing board games with.

 Deborah catches a precious shot of Dave talking to his 84 yr.old (widow) mother and sister ,Elsie.

Here she is signing in...

We almost forgot,what do you put on a bulletin board when you are not to display and photos at the event?

Ahh...these items in the memory corner mean much more to me that to you. Do any of them look at al familiart  or  similar to things you played with as a youngster if you're from the 60's or 70's?

Our actual bottles  that we drank from,the glass ones are coming back in,I've noticed.

Good old Alice and Jerrry stories....

Fresh Tulips from Linda and Mom's garden...beside dad's graduation diploma.

My mother is the one in the grey cleaning up some of the stray  cake crumbs as my sweet niece, Noelle observes.

Here is my only brother,Dave,the oldest of  the siblings and his wife,Marilyn visiting.

My fatheris the one in the vest.

2 of my youngest sister,Marlene's children,Noelle and Lauren.

My mother in the grey again.

My cousin ,Freda and I, childhood friends, catching up on all that has changed and yet what we have in common as parents of teenagers.

My dad talking to one of the guys who was witness for them at their wedding.

My Mom with her grandaughter, Lauren.

And here was the crew that put it all on ,my siblings!
Left to right, Marlene,ten years younger than I,Linda,five years older than me,Martha,Five years younger than I and  Dave,thirteen years older than I.
 It was a special weekend.I am grateful that in spite of our differences and issues,we have stuck together and always been welcome and open to each other's hearts and homes.