Overnight Trip to Calaveras County

This past Friday, we drove to Calaveras County to attend Uncle Ken and Aunt Rosalee's 50th wedding anniversary. We definitely wouldn't have missed the wedding anniversary party, but we were also really looking forward to driving out to that area. It is dotted with quaint little towns- Jamestown, Sonora, Murphys, Angels Camp, etc... Jason and I visited there about 8 years ago, and fell in love with it then- we discovered we still love it. The main streets have so much charm with their antique stores, mom-n-pop shops, cute cafes, etc. We stayed with family friends, the Atchisons, who live in Murphys. They have an incredible home that backs onto the golf course. Everywhere you turn in their home welcomes you to sit down and relax. We are so thankful for their hospitality- in addition to our family of four, Jason's mom, and his sister and her family also stayed there.

Jeremy loves playing with his cousin Noah!

The main reason we went was for the anniversary party. It is truly an occasion worth celebrating- 50 years!!! I am still in awe! Jason's cousins, Brad and Terri, did an amazing job organizing the celebration. In the foyer in the church, they displayed original wedding gifts amd cards that had been received 50 years ago. In addition, they displayed items of sentimental value that Ken and Rosalee had exchanged during their dating years, and then later throughout their marriage.

I was most impressed by the pages of records that Ken had kept of every single date that he and Rosalee had. How romantic! At the front of the church, they displayed Rosalee's wedding dress. They were even able to find the original cakemaker to recreate the wedding cake. The actual program consisted of a meal, slideshow, a few games, toasts, cutting the cake, and a sharing time. After the party, we all returned to Ken and Rosalee's home and were able to spend some quality time with family. I truly felt blessed to know this wonderful couple, and felt very encouraged by them through this special occasion. What an example for Jason and me! We love you, Ken and Rosalee! Congratulations!