This past Saturday, my brother and I threw my parents a surprise 25th anniversary party. After months of planning (we started in February) the day finally came. Thousands of phone call whispers and countless close calls got us to this afternoon. For two kids, ages 17 and 19, with no steady source of income, this was no small feat. Our parents are always home, so choosing a restaurant, planning and buying things and decorating was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Our proudest accomplishment is the collage we made out of a "2" and a "5."

But it was all worth it when I saw their faces when everyone yelled surprise! My mom was beyond shocked, but it was amazing to see that my dad, a former detective, was fooled! Even though we're young, we wouldn't have wanted to spend our money in any other way than spoiling the best two parents we could have asked for. Here is the speech we made during their toast:

25 Years

300 Months

9,125 Days

219,000 Hours

100 Million Minutes

Six Billion Seconds

Now, Six Billion and one seconds

Well, Six Billion and two seconds

Me: We would like to give a toast to the best parents that anyone could have asked for. Throughout these 25 years, they have shown unconditional love and support to each other and to us even when things got tough. It is truly inspiring to have a front row seat to watch their relationship form right before our eyes. We didn’t get to watch their relationship start however. They met back at St. John’s, but we don’t know if they met in class or through mutual friends or at the bar, and I don’t think they know either. Well Dad continued to ask Mom out until she finally said yes, and the rest is history. They got engaged in Lancaster, married 25 years ago last week and, by the way, it poured, so the rain really must have brought good luck and they honeymooned in Hawaii. Well, actually their honeymoon lasted six years until I came along and they haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since.

My brother: Then they decided one wasn’t good enough so then I came along. And since we were born, they have never been on vacation just the two of them. We’ve been to Florida more times than I can count, cruises, road trips, not Hawaii, but it just goes to show how selfless they really are. They always put us before themselves. From cheering us on when we failed at basketball … and baseball … and soccer, to cheering for us on our graduation days, they have always been our number one fans and we’re definitely theirs. They have taught us life lessons when we made mistakes and they always have an old saying for every occasion.

Both of us: But what’s really proven to us that they are perfect for each other is when Mom will turn to us and say, “Dad’s gonna say it’s cold in here.” And sure enough, Dad walks over and says it’s cold in here. Or when they literally say the same exact thing at the same time. But we really know they’re perfect for each other because they were the absolute best team to raise us two. I want to be able to sacrifice for my family the same way my parents do for us and I want to instill in my family the same values and morals that have been instilled in us: hard work, perseverance, challenging ourselves and most of all respect. Sometimes, ya know, we think two people are right for each other by how they look into each other’s eyes or the way they act when they’re together (and that’s true for you guys, too), but the ultimate sign is how you worked together raising us and are so willing to sacrifice everything for each other.

So, Happy 25th Anniversary to two people who have set a very high standard for us. Thank you for showing us the perfect example of two people in love. We hoped you were surprised today and enjoy the rest of the party. Let’s raise our glasses and toast to two wonderful people on this special day. Here’s to many more years together. We love you!