Slowing Down for Once

Last week found the Ross-Boon family on the move. While Julien was headed out to the West Coast for work and then to Phoenix to see family, we headed up to Iowa to see my folks. We arrived just in time to celebrate my parent's 47th anniversary with them. It's funny that they don't make a big deal out of it. How many people do you know that have been married that long? Not only did they have a big anniversary to celebrate but also my Dad's upcoming retirement. My Dad has been at the same company for 44 years. (Once again, how many people do you know who can say that?) He started there when my parents moved back to Iowa after my Dad got out of the Air Force. And there he stayed. Despite the LONG hours, working weekends, changes in management (I wonder how many CEOs he outlasted. :) ), changes in technology, he stayed there and worked his butt off. He decided that it was time to hang it up and slow down for once. We're hopeful that he'll learn how to do that but at the same time, we're being realistic. He actually retired this week and not while we were there. We weren't able to stay for the party they had on his last day at work as much as I wanted to. I hear it was quite the event. Lunch, a cake, even entertainment. (They had an accordion player there. No I am not kidding.) And LOTS of people. After that long, you tend to know everyone you work with. At the end of the party, he turned in his badge and waved goodbye. Now he can sit back and relax and enjoy himself. And get to work on his to-do list cause there's no way he's going to sit around for long. :) A big congrats to Dad! No one deserves a break more than he does.