My cousin's 50th wedding anniversary

Ed toasting Sharon and Tom

On July 6th we traveled to San Destin, FL (Miramir beach area)to attend the 50th wedding anniversary of my cousin Tom Nix and his wife Sharon, at 6 pm, with a big dinner at the beach house of their daughter Janet's husband Ed Lemaster's family.

We actually arrived there around 4 pm and were surprised that there wasn't nearly the traffic we had expected for a 4th of July week-end. We enjoyed visiting with lots of my cousins, children of my dad's only sister, Aunt Mattie Lena Stanley (deceased). Tom and Sharon and their daughter Janet and their son Jimmy all live in Orlando. Siblings Linda Westbrook, Betty Sauls, and Kathy Edmondson all live in Elba. Their brother Bill from NC wasn't able to attend. It was so much fun sitting on the deck looking out over the Gulf of Mexico, enjoying the breezes, and talking to the relatives and watching the kids play or swim in the backyard pool.


Their daughter Janet and her husband Ed, along with their teen-ager Clay, were busy decorating when we arrived. Their nephew and niece, Stevie and Denise Sauls, assisted with decorating and the snack table. The delicious barbecue meal was catered and cooked on the spot. It was more than we needed to eat, but so good. 

Betty and Kathy (Tom's sisters)

After we ate on tables around the pool, and visited for awhile, we went upstairs to the living room and deck, for the beautifully decorated anniversary cake. The seashells were made of white chocolate. Ummmm
Janet had made large posters of some of the wedding pictures taken in 1958 and placed them around the big living room.

Denise and Sharon

 Their Best Man, Taylor Steele, who was Tom's best friend in high school, and his wife Joan came from Enterprise and surprised Tom and Sharon when they arrived. Other friends from the past came to the celebration, along with many of Tom's relatives. Sharon and Tom met in Atlanta when he was working and going to school and she was in nursing school. Sharon was from Gallion, OH. We were also living in Atlanta so we got to know Sharon before they got married. Sharon was from Gallion, OH. Her immediate family (parents, sister and brother) are deceased.

Tom is just a few years younger than I so we have known each other about 70 years! We don't see each other very often since they have lived in Orlando, since before Disney World. We see each once or twice a year.

Taylor Steele and Tom

Janet and Denise

Tom and his family, and his siblings and their families always spend a week or two together at the beach every July and their 50th wedding anniversary just happened to fall in July so it was the perfect time to celebrate the occasion while they were all together. I'm so glad they invited us to share this memorable event with them.

Stevie Sauls and sons, Collin and Chase