Advice: Am I Being Tacky?

John and I pretending to be annoyed by Faith.

John and I have been through a lot the last few years.  A whole lot:

• We beat back the Divorce Monster
• I had the breast cancer scare which led to a cervical cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment, and eventual eradication (hopefully forever).  
• John began his own highly successful sports league while juggling movie production and his regular job.

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• We watched several close friends struggle through divorce, which inevitably rocked our own marriage, especially for John.
• We gained a daughter, Myla, and lost her to miscarriage.  That, itself, was a terrible trial for John and myself.
• We finally put the pieces of the "Vince Puzzle" together and started seeking therapy for his Sensory Processing Disorder.  We also went through the trials of school and daycare - dear Lord... what a process!
• We had to say goodbye to folks we love and care about.  

So these, among other random bits, have caused us to grow, change, and love more deeply.  Looking back at this journey has made me so incredibly appreciative of the marriage I have and the friends and family who have supported us these last ten years.

As a result, I want to throw a special party this year.  It's only our 7th year as a married couple, but it's our 10th together as a couple.  

I want to throw a fire hall banquet, invite all those who have supported us through love, prayer and example and celebrate the blessings they've all been to John and I.  

I want this to serve as both a THANK YOU to our family and friends for being so supportive over the years, and as a "Marriage is Worth It!" witness.

So many of those in our group of friends are incredibly jaded about the institution of marriage.  They are vehemently against marriage on the grounds that it's an archaic, pointless practice that only ends in divorce, they are indifferent, or they look at marriage as something they can't do until they've amassed enough golden eggs (whether that be money, a house, career satisfaction, etc).  Very few of our friends look at marriage as a sacrament of power, love and beauty.  

That makes me sad.  It really does.  

So while I want to thank everyone for their support of us, I also want to show our friends that marriage IS something worth investing in.  And once you are married, it's worth fighting for.  It's a constant choice to love one another, every day.  The honeymoon fades and the cutesy names will sometimes turn sour.  However, with support and love, a married couple can weather the natural dips in romance and find a deeper, truer connection than they started out with.  

When I asked John if he'd be OK with this, he was, but thought the idea of "throwing ourselves a party" was tacky.  He said he'd feel like an idiot explaining to people the purpose of the celebration.

I can understand his hesitation.  I mean, who the heck throws a 7th anniversary party?
To me, though, it's perfect timing.  Usually the 7th year is associated with the "7 Year Itch" in which couples are often teased about the eventuality of affairs stemming from the stagnation of marital relations.  

For us, this 7th year - though incredibly emotional - has been anything but stagnant. John and I love one another better now than we ever have.  

And I say "better" because we both make the conscious decision to be better spouses to each other.  

So I do want to celebrate that, especially given the fact that we have the added bonus of me being cancer-free (assuming the annual test comes back clear which I'm sure it will).  

We've got a lot to be thankful for, and I feel my gratitude overflowing.  As such, I want to use it to thank others and share those blessings we've received with others.  

Is a party a bad idea?  Do you think maybe I should rethink how I go about doing this?  I'm not looking for gifts or anything.  I don't want anything from anyone.  I want to do this FOR everyone.  Our anniversary just happens to provide a perfect backdrop.  

Thoughts?