Farewell for now...

Hi there, Internet friends.

As you may have noticed, I haven't blogged much this summer. I could blame it on our move, re-prioritizing now that Matt is a full-time dental student, my lack of desire to sit in front of my laptop after I finish my workday (since I'm now a full-time telecommuter), or the piles of dishes that somehow manage to appear every night.... but the truth of the matter is, I just haven't had the energy to devote to this little virtual "home" I built the last couple of years & I'm at a point in my life where I want to be intentional about where I spend my limited free time.

So I'm going to disappear for awhile. Maybe a long while. Maybe a short while. Who knows when I'll feel like I need another creative outlet... but for the time being I have a lot of other creative aspirations that don't involve me in front of the laptop. I do enough of that already.

What - you may be thinking - am I going to do with all my free-time now that I'm not blogging? Well, if you've gotten to know me at all the last couple of years -  you've probably figured out I'm a planner & list-maker, hence I have lots of great things in mind. But before we get there (in case you care...and if you don't, just jump on down to the end), a little background on how & why I ended up saying sayonara to Simply Suz.

Actually, the decision to bid farewell to the blog came after a dinner conversation Matt & I had a few nights back. It was a familiar conversation for us.... we're at the point in our relationship/marriage where we're ready for that next step (a.k.a. starting a family), but because of our life situation, we've decided it would be wise to wait a bit longer.

That's tough for me to swallow. Especially when I look around & it seems like everyone else is expecting (including folks who seem to have just tied the knot yesterday, almost everyone we know who got hitched around the time we did, heck...even friends of my little brother are becoming parents)! Matt & I intentionally heeded the advice of wise, older couples who valued that pre-family time in their marriage, and decided early on that we wanted our relationship to be rock solid before we introduced a wee one. I came up with an arbitrary number of years when we'd "have it together," and thought that for sure, by year 4 or 5 we'd be ready. In my mind, that'd give us enough time to work out any kinks, travel (something I wouldn't trade for the world), be free enough to try brave things (like moving to a state where we didn't know a soul), be financially stable, and of course, grow individually and as a couple.

In many ways, we are ready. Our relationship has grown tremendously & we've learned (sometimes in difficult ways) so much about each other in the past 4+ years of marriage (& 8 years...almost to the week ... since we first met). Maybe year 5 was the magic number relationally, but there are so many other things that factor into our timing. I should stop and mention that in no way am I saying there is a "right" time to start a family... it'll be different for every couple. One thing I do know, is that the decision shouldn't be based on boredom, a desire to fix something amiss in your marriage (at best, it'll be a temporary fix... at worst, a baby will make things more difficult), or even (in our case) a desire to "keep up with the Joneses." It's a no-turning-back decision, and should be considered thoughtfully & prayerfully!

The truth of the matter is, Matt is already getting a taste of the demands of dental school, as am I. He has been a wonderful partner and such an amazing helper at home, but I would rather him focus his efforts on succeeding in school than vacuuming or doing dishes. That means that after my workday ends, I have to find time for all of that household maintenance stuff that I was fortunate enough to share with Matt before he started dental school. I know that some of you are thinking "you'll make it work" ... but I also know that Matt is going to be an amazing dad one day and I want our kids to get his/our full attention. For at least the next two years, he needs to be pretty much solely focused on school and I don't want to "rob" him of the opportunity to enjoy the early years of our (future) kids lives.

I think this sense of impatience & restlessness can be true no matter what your life situation & presents an opportunity not to focus on what you're "missing out on" but on what God can do in your life right now. A relationship, marriage, family, particular job not in the cards for you at this very moment?  Instead of feeling sorry for yourself (which I sometimes do), figure out ways to enjoy this season of life. I feel grateful that the Lord put Matt in my life early on, but now He's teaching me to be patient as we wait to grow our family. He's teaching me to look to Him and trust His perfect timing, instead of worrying about what everyone else is doing.

So.... the end of that dinnertime discussion with Matt was about what we want the next couple of years to look like. For Matt, his life is pretty prescribed/full with the demands of school. In order for me to prevent myself from resenting him or the 10 pregnant women/new moms I know, I want to be able to look back on this season of our life and feel excited about how I spent my time, closer to Matt than I've ever been, thankful for the ways in which the Lord grew me, and hopefully more prepared to be a mom when this is all said & done.

Here are my mini-aspirations for this season of my life. Some of these are going to be a challenge, some may seem trivial, but I'm taking this opportunity to set some mid-year resolutions, that will hopefully carry me through the sure-to-be-grueling (but also potentially amazing) next four years.

1. Support Matt. I want nothing more than to see him succeed in dental school. We have worked too hard to get to this point for me to now become needy and value something I can certainly handle (like dish-duty, which I despise) over his success in school. That means taking responsibility for all of the household stuff and relieving him so that he can focus on school... More importantly, my enthusiasm for him, my prayerfulness, & my patience really need to be a top priority. Maybe babies need to sit on the back burner awhile longer, but our marriage should be thriving.
2. Be incredibly active. Again, to some this may seem trivial, but I know when a family comes along, I'm going to have a lot less time to spend at the gym, riding my bike, or going for a run on a whim, so I want to take time to enjoy these things because I really and truly feel best when I do. Plus, I need to get out of the house more often (since I now work from home) so I am excited to make this more a part of my life than ever before.
3. Give back & get involved in the Gainesville community. I'm pumped to start volunteering again with Young Life, a ministry I am passionate about and which really shaped my college years. In addition to having an opportunity to pour into college and high school kids, I know it'll help me feel connected to our new community.
4. Grow in my faith and find a great local church. We were blessed to get plugged into 2 great churches in Chicago and North Carolina (Calvary in Oak Park and The Summit in RDU) and these churches both challenged us to go deeper in our faith and were places where we met friends and built community. We're still "shopping around" - but I'm anxious to find a church home soon!
5. Read. Despite my crazy travel schedule, I've managed to read four books in the last month (which is more than I read our 2 years in N.C.) and I'm wondering how I wasted so much time on Facebook, watching television, and working on this blog when I could have been burying myself in a good book. In short, I'm a big nerd and I really like to read. From observing my sister & friends who are mommies, I recognize that this is a luxury!
6. Be creative! I have developed a real enjoyment for photography, so even though I won't be sharing my photos on the blog, you can always check them out at http://mcandrew.smugmug.com/ (and get a flavor for what's going on in the McA's lives)! Additionally, I'm looking forward to spending more time on some random house/craft projects, as well as one of my favorite things to do.... cooking!
7. Make time for adventures. I get a kick out of sleeping in a tent, breathing fresh air, climbing up mountains, exploring new places, & taking beautiful pictures. That's a heckuva lot easier to do without young kids, so although it'll be more difficult time and budget wise with the demands of school, I still want this to be a priority. I need an escape from the daily grind & have something to look forward to!
8. Talk to my friends instead of stalking them online. I came to the realization that I was spending more time keeping relative strangers up to date on our life than picking up the phone or writing an email to my nearest & dearest friends and family. Shame on me. One of my New Year's resolutions was to write letters every week much like my grandmother does, and I've failed miserably at that. It's time for me to take my mode of communication off the computer & intentionally invest in those individuals who truly mean so much to me. 
9. Get good rest. Because I won't do a good job of accomplishing anything on my list if I'm running myself too thin.
10. ENJOY exactly where we are right now.

So friends, that's all. I will leave the blog up and just might decide I want to start posting again, so don't write me off just yet!  Again, you can keep up with us via our smugmug site (I've been pretty successful in weening myself of facebook so you won't see much there), give me a jingle, or shoot me an email at mcandrew dot susan at gmail dot com.

All the best!
Suz

What We've Been Up To {Some Snapshots}

I know what you're thinking....

Hello??? Anybody there???

Believe me, I hear ya & I recognize it's been quiet at Simply Suz lately. Don't you worry, I do have an excellent excuse -- we have been traveling (including a major out-of-state move) or hosting family 6 of the past 7 weekends. To top it off, the weekends prior to our marathon travel-stretch we were packing, preparing for our move, & saying goodbye to our NC friends! Needless to say, I am exhausted both physically & emotionally & have not had any time or energy for blogging!

Here are some snapshots of where we've been & what we've been up to the past couple of months....expect full feature blog posts on (most) of these happenings in the coming weeks!

Weekend of May 14th...
I did a photo-shoot for my super-cute, super-sweet, preggo girlfriend, Lori, & her hubby Dave. Lori is due at the end of the month, so hopefully I'll get around to sharing some of her darling photos before her little man arrives!
I also enjoyed a special treat that week at a work... a team getaway.... sailing in New Bern, NC!

Weekend of May 21st....
We headed north to New Jersey for my beautiful cousin, Sara's wedding. We were joined by (most of) the Lohuis fam (Mark...you were missed!). Hannah had on her dancing shoes, so she managed to keep us on our toes!
Weekend of May 28th (a.k.a. Memorial Day Weekend)....
We flew out west to Wichita, Kansas for brother Tom & sister Caroline's wedding. It was a McA-filled weekend!

I'll be sure to fill you in much more on that, including the darling rehearsal dinner Mom & Dad McA orchestrated!

Weekend of June 4th...
After saying goodbye to our good friends in NC, we hit the road & headed south to Florida! My gracious folks helped us unpack a truck-load-o-stuff into our new home.

Weekend of June 11th...
We enjoyed a mini-weekend-getaway with my family in Orlando. We lounged by the pool, grilled out, made a pit-stop at Ikea to get some home essentials & enjoyed quality Florida fam time.

Weekend of June 18th...
We took a traveling-breather & worked on settling into our new place. We also managed to take a break from all of the unpacking to celebrate our 4th anniversary on June 23rd!

Weekend of June 25th...
Katie, Matt & Hannah came to visit us in Gainesville! Katie gave us a great tour of her alma-mater & we chased around our adorable niece all weekend.

Weekend of July 2nd...
We headed home to Vero & spent the Fourth of July weekend with Mom & Dad Lo, Katie, Matt, Hannah & Grandma. We hit the beach, enjoyed pool time, hung some crown molding (technically that wasn't a "we" activity...Matt helped the-other-Matt with that), rearranged my folk's furniture & set up their sound system (okay, the Matts did that, too), ate lots of hot dogs (I'll claim that), watched the fireworks, & enjoyed Matt's favorite holiday!

Visit Simply Suz in the upcoming weeks months (I'm just being honest here) to get more details on all of this fun stuff & a few additional adventures planned before Matt starts dental school in August! Please be patient, it may take me awhile, as we have no plans of slowing down anytime soon!

An Adventure & An Announcement

Let's start with the announcement because it's been a long time coming (3 years to be exact). Here's a clue:

That's right.....We are moving to Florida! Matt is going to be a Florida Gator & attend UF's Dental School in the fall!!!

We are so overwhelmed with excitement to move "back home" to the Sunshine State, anxiety for all of the logistics that come with a move, sadness to leave our wonderful community in North Carolina, but most of all gratefulness for the Lord leading us right back where we need to be. Home.

Phew, now that I've got that off my chest, the adventure. 

In the spirit of "enjoying right where we are" in 2011, we spent last Saturday skiing in the N.C. mountains with our great friends Lori & Dave.

You may remember this happy couple from our fall camping trip. Lori & Dave also happen to be Florida alums (Go Gators!) & they've been so helpful already as we start to figure out a transition plan. Despite our early morning wake-up call (5 a.m. on a Saturday), we had a great time skiing at Beech Mountain. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with great friends.

Because I wanted the day to be about skiing & not photography, I left our big-boy camera at home & took our old digital, which (naturally) we discovered had almost-dead batteries. We took 2 very quick photos & then hit the slopes.

The memories with 2 of our favorite NC friends trump any photos I could have taken. Sometimes it's freeing to leave the camera behind.

Lori & Dave, we are so thankful for your friendship & are already sad to say goodbye to y'all in a few months! We're expecting to see you guys as you pass through G-ville, okay?! Go Gators!

Happy Birthday, Matt S!

Brother-in-law Matt & his little lady (Labor Day)

My sister & I have similar taste:
We both like to cook & bake.
We share friends.
We're both runners.
We swap clothes.
We love sappy love stories & chick flicks. 
and we both married pretty amazing men.

Our hubbies also have a lot in common:
Both are named Matt.
(To distinguish, we specify "Susan's Matt or Katie's Matt")
Both hail from the Western 'burbs of Chicago.
Both are musical & athletic
(that deadly combo had us ladies swooning).
and both of them are pretty darn great.

My bro-in-law, Matt, turns 33 today!
Matt is a gem & we are so glad he's a part of our crazy family. He's a great husband, loving father, talented musician, respected teacher, wonderful coach (he was brother Mark's basketball coach), & a steal of a brother-in-law. Here's hoping you have a great birthday, Matt!

Love, the-other-Matt & Suz

Happy Birthday, Tara!

This is Tara. You might recognize her from this post. She is one of my best friends. She's also my longest friend. That's right, we've been best buds for 2 decades! What?! That makes us officially old. We met in the 1st grade, were in the same Brownies troop led by our moms, "starred" in a few school plays together (oh yeah, Little Red Riding Hood!), share middle school memories we'd like to forget, high school & college memories we'd like to relive, & a whole lot more in between & after. She's as close to family as you can get. Oh yeah, & it's her birthday. Happy 26th Birthday, Tara! Love you, chica!

From the archives: Tara comes to visit me in Champaign {2006}

Eleven for 2011

In celebration of the New Year, I'm joining the blog bandwagon & posting my New Year's resolutions. In all honesty, I'm usually not the resolution-type, but I figure it certainly wouldn't hurt to try to get a few of my goals down on paper the blog (for all of you to see!). Please don't judge me if I fail miserably. Let's get right to it with my Eleven for 2011!

1. Read regularly. Starting with the most important book, the b-i-b-l-e. I've read through The Bible in a Year  3 or 4 times, & I've found that it is the only way I can be faithful in taking time out to read the Word every day. Left to my own devices, I watch too much TV & read recipe books more than the big B. The CPA in me likes a plan that I can tick through day-by-day, so this is a great way for me to work in consistent quiet times back into my daily routine. 
2. Library. Stat. I know, I know, this is a continuation of #1. But I also want to read more for pleasure. When I had a train ride to & from work in Chicago, I read a ton. I was constantly checking books out of the Oak Park Public Library & I enjoyed that wind down time twice a day. I need to block out time to read at home. Make an appointment to go to the library more often (or work through the stacks of unread books I have at home) & plop down on the couch & read. Sounds easy & enjoyable enough, am I right?
3. Take "note" of Gram's good habits. My Grandma K. is amazing for a lot of reasons, but perhaps most notably to her out-of-town grandkids is her faithfulness in writing us letters! She is constantly sending us snail mail, which makes going to the mailbox that much more exciting (not just bills in there!) My goal for 2011 is to send one piece of snail mail a week. A birthday card, thank you note, postcard from our latest adventure, or maybe just an unexpected note to say "hi" to a friend. Hopefully, I'll make Gram proud.
4. Add a little variety. When we moved to NC, we decided against getting a gym membership. Unlike Illinois, we can work out outside almost every day all year. We invested in some free weights & P90x to keep up with our strength workouts, & we run or bike on our cardio days. Although we've saved a lot of moo-lah, it's getting kind of boring. When Matt starts school, he'll probably have access to the university's gym, & you better believe I'm buying a family membership. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss spin class.
5. Clean up. My friend Jen designates deep clean weeks throughout the year. This year, I'm scheduling several for us, as well. We're good at remembering to take care of weekly chores (bathrooms, laundry, vacuuming, dusting, etc...), but not so great at remembering to wash baseboards, scrub floors (I'm embarrassed about that one!), wash windows, clean cabinets, clean the fridge/freezer, etc. on a regular basis. These chores end up getting done, but usually we wait too long in between! Now they're going on the calendar! Thanks, Jen!
6. See the Southwest. Matt & I love to travel. Our budget limits us to camping trips, which happen to be right up our alley (we're outdoorsy-sleep under the stars-hike for fun-type people). This year, before Matt starts dental school, we want to squeeze in another fun, long-ish camping trip. We're thinking the Southwest, as we could hit a ton of National Parks in a couple of weeks time. Plus, neither of us have spent a significant amount of time in that part of the country, so it'd be a great adventure! 
7. Make it reflect the McAs. I've been itching to put our "mark" on our current home. Although our place reflects our style in some ways, many of the design choices reflect our land lady's taste. When we finally figure out where we'll be spending the next 4 years, I have a serious "to-do" list when it comes to the McA-ifying our home.
8. Just get rid of it! Like probably 99% of America, we've accumulated some "junk" over the past 3 & 1/2 year (let's be honest, the last 26 years). It's time to sift through all of our "stuff" & giveaway or sell the stuff we don't use. I'll sleep better at night when I can open our coat closet downstairs without worrying about junk falling out (in our defense, our coat closet is as close as we get to a garage!). Still, no excuse this year. If we haven't used it in at least a year & I haven't looked at it since I packed it up for our move, it's hitting the curb.
9. Watch her grow. One of the hardest parts of living in North Carolina is being so far away from our families, & especially our niece, Hannah. It seems like every time we see her, she's learned all new tricks, is increasingly chatty & mobile, & has just plain grown up! This year, I want to make sure to incorporate some impromptu trips in our schedule to see her sweet little self. Believe me, it's good for my health.
10. Kick it up a notch. By the end of 2011, I want to be able to shoot exclusively in Manual mode. While I'm at it, I also need to figure out & implement a better system to chronicle my photos. And accept that deleting fuzzy photos of Hannah is a-o-k; I have 500 more. My precious hard drive has filled up quickly since that little lady came arrived.
11. Blog when I feel like it. Shocker. I know. But this blog is a hobby. I happen to have a job that I like, a husband who I love, an exercise routine that I know I need to keep up, a faith that I need to grow, a house that needs cleaning (a la #5), a travel schedule that sometimes overwhelms me, family & friends who I like to keep up with, books I need to read & well, a life that isn't chronicled on the internet. So I'll pop in on Simply Suz occasionally, but probably not on any sort of regular schedule. The blog's been a fun diversion for me. It started when Matt was taking classes last spring & I had some time on my hands. When life picks up, I tend to take step back from the blog & I need to be okay with that (somehow I feel obligated to post & am apologetic when I don't...newsflash! this is not anywhere near my top priority!). So please bear with my random blogging!
12. BONUS: I know I said only 11, but if we're getting technical, #1 & #2 could certainly be combined. But seriously, my top priority for 2011 is enjoying 2011. The past 3 years, Matt & I have constantly been looking ahead to the future --- toward dental school, moving, starting a family, getting a puppy, moving again(?), buying a home --- the list goes on. With all of that anticipation & stress, we've found it difficult to enjoy our current circumstances. We're in our mid-twenties, have few obligations besides going to work &/or school, have a decent nest egg (due to our extreme frugality), have the flexibility & means to travel... even if it means on a limited budget, don't have a penny of debt (nor have we ever had debt), are in good health, serve a great God, & we have each other. In 2011, I want to give up the anxiety & stress & stop worrying so much about the future. God will take care of those next steps & it does me no good to worry. It's time to start living for right now. Amen?!

Alrighty folks. There you have it. Eleven (with a bonus 12th!) in 2011. If I'm still blogging on 1/1/2012, we'll have to revisit these to see how I've done! Are you making any resolutions this year? If so, share 'em in the comments! Cheers, friends!

A Chicago Christmas

We spent Christmas in the Windy City. Well, technically in the western burbs, but we did make a trip one evening down to the city. It was our fourth Christmas as a married couple & our first one spent in Chicago. Woops. Thankfully, my in-laws forgive me for schlepping Matt to Florida every Christmas prior. They're pretty great.

Not only was it our first Christmas together in Chicago, but it was also my first White Christmas! I actually may have enjoyed a snowy Christmas in the winter of 1984 while living in Champaign, but my memory doesn't extend back to those infant years. Nevertheless, it was beautiful & peaceful & wonderful to share such a special holiday with Mom, Dad & Tommy Mac (& Grandpa, Margot, aunts/uncles & cousins!)

We spent a lot of quality time with the McA family, enjoyed Momma Mac's yummy cooking, had lots of good conversation, celebrated Christmas with 3 different families (the "Butt sisters" - Heidi's high school friends, Grandpa & Margot, and the McAndrew uncles, aunts & cousins), & of course, exchanged presents. Somehow, even as adult "kids" we always are on the better end of that exchange! Someday when we're no longer poor young professionals/student, we'll return their generosity.

Despite our short trip (Thursday to Tuesday), we even squeezed in a day trip to Moline to visit my grandma & extended family and had some of our U of I friends over for breakfast one morning. We officially wore ourselves out. Truth be told, I was worn out before most of the festivities began, due to my unexpectedly busy December & was a tad bit under the weather Christmas Day, but bounced back in no time!

Without further adieu, here is our trip in photos (my favorite way to share our travels, if you haven't already noticed).

Family time. My favorite. Pictured: Mom, Dad, Tommy, Grandpa Bud, Margot, & us.

I am obsessed with Christmas bokeh. Blame it on my love for twinkle lights.

The McAs were all decked out for Christmas! Check out those beautiful snow-covered lights. Well done, Dad!

Almost midnight Christmas Eve at the church across the street from the McAs. We could hear the choir singing as I snapped away.

Front moving through en route to Moline. Snow covered plains. (All photos taken out of the window of a moving vehicle.)
Naturally, I forgot to take any photos of our time with our Moline family & with our college friends. Oh well.

Downtown Chicago all decked out for Christmas.

Heading back home from the train through downtown Glen Ellyn. A charming village.

Happy Birthday, Little Bro!

My favorite little brother, Mark, turns 23 today!!!!!

I find it hard to believe that our little Mark is all grown up. I've written before about how very proud I am of him; and even though he's probably technically a "man," he'll always be my loveable, annoying, handsome, talented, laid-back, little bro.

In honor of his big day, I figured I'd take you through a little trip down memory lane.... I'm not sure if Mark reads my blog, but after some of these photos, he may find a way to sabotage Simply Suz & take me off the web. Sorry, Bubs. Forgive me. I couldn't resist! Some of these are just too classic! (Plus, you & I know there's worse floating out there!)

Happy Birthday! We love you!
Suz & Matt

(On the left: My all-time favorite photo with Mark. Lake Tahoe circa 2000. When he was still smaller than me. That didn't last much longer.)

What a cute & lucky little guy. 2 big sisters!

I think Mark's rethinking "lucky" & "big sisters" right here.

He was a cutie-pie. (Still is).

Somebody has their rally cap on! Go Cubs!

Best Halloween Costumes EVER.

One of many wonderful family vacay memories.

And just like that he was bigger than me!

Way bigger. (I never caught up)

The kid cleans up nice.

But he also knows how to have a good time!

Did I mention he's a baller?

He's also a really sweet Uncle.

Makes my heart melt.

Hannah loves her Uncle "Dude"

So glad we got to see you this month, Mark!

Wish we could be at home today celebrating with you! Hope you know how loved you are! Happy 23rd!

Happy Birthday, Liz!

Happy 26th Birthday to one of my favorite friends...LIZ!

The fab four: Tara, Suz, Lynds & Liz

Liz & I have been friends since middle school & she is truly one of

my favorite girls. She has a wonderful heart, incredible confidence,

amazing talent, & (as if that wasn't enough) she knows how to have

have fun, laugh & play! I can't wait to celebrate with her this spring

in person!  in COLORADO! YIPEE! (Can you tell I'm excited?!?)

 

Liz, I hope you feel both loved & celebrated today, friend!!!!

Come to me....

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." {Matthew 11:28-30}

Grandpa Kron's Military Burial

3 weeks ago today, my Grandpa suffered a stroke in the middle of the night. He was less than 2 weeks away from a surgery to remove his kidney, where cancer had spread. Over the next 2 weeks in the hospital, his prognosis fluctuated. He regained movement in his partially paralyzed left side, but never was able to swallow. While in the hospital he picked up several infections, including MRSA & pneumonia, which complicated his already delicate health. 

Gram & Gramps: holding hands after 63 years together.

2 Wednesdays ago, my mom flew up to Illinois be with him in Moline. She had planned to arrive after his scheduled surgery to help with the post-surgery rehab, but moved up her trip once the surgery was canceled & Gramps health continued to deteriorate. The next day, Thursday morning, she called me to let me know that Gramps was slipping away. I jumped on a flight to Moline & a few hours later I was in the hospital with my mom, Grandma, uncles, aunts, & cousins, reassuring Grandpa that God was with him, offering him eternal rest & respite from suffering. There were moments in the next 36 hours where we thought he may let go, but he stayed with us. So we held his hand, sang him his favorite hymns, read to him, prayed with him. We even slept at hospital & made friends with some of the kind staff.

Early morning at the hospital.

Last Saturday morning, my dad, sister, brother & niece arrived from Florida.  The last of Grandpa's family (with the exception of Matt & my brother-in-law Matt) had a chance to hold Grandpa's hand and tell him how much they loved him. Less than 5 minutes after my sister and brother stepped out of Grandpa's hospital room on Saturday morning, he decided to start letting go. He had held on to give his grandchildren a chance to say goodbye. All of grandpa's children (except my sweet Aunt Becky, who stayed behind at Grandma's to watch my niece, Hannah) and grandchildren were with him when he left us to be with the Lord.

Gram receives Grandpa's flag

Grandpa had a beautiful visitation on Tuesday, where probably 300+ people came to offer condolences to my Grandma, mom and uncles. On Wednesday, we celebrated his life at a truly special funeral, a snowy graveside military burial (complete with a 21 gun salute & taps), & a lovely luncheon at my Grandma's church. Matt along with my brother, cousin, dad and brother-in-law, honored Grandpa as pallbearers. I was fortunate enough to get to spend the rest of the week in Moline, helping wrap up some details for Grandma. It was a bittersweet week. It was a joy to gather as a family, something that we rarely have the opportunity to do, but difficult given the circumstances.

My sister and I gave a eulogy at Grandpa's service on Wednesday, which I decided to share here. I realize that this will make an already long post, even longer, but hopefully this will give you a glimpse of the kind of man our Gramps was and how loved & missed he'll be.

 .........

My favorite photo of Gramps. Taken on my wedding day.

Our Grandpa, affectionately “Gramps,” brought a lot of joy, laughter & love to our lives. Over the past few days, our family has shared many stories about the life of Gramps, including his more endearing (& sometimes amusing) characteristics. As Katie & I thought about how we could honor him today, we reflected on the lessons we learned from the almost 29 years he’s been a part of our lives. So here they are, “Life Lessons Learned from Grandpa Kron….”

Number One: Always be on time

Grandpa was a man of routine.  Whether it was his breakfast schedule, dinner menu, faithfulness in heading down to the mall for a walk or out to a Moline ball game, or his appointments to watch the grass grow in the front drive, he was nothing short of predictable. Probably his most predictable trait, however, was that he was never ever ever late.

In all of his years at John Deere, Grandpa was never late for work. He was the first one ready to go to our ball games, & the first guest at our weddings. He was early to all of his appointments and wholeheartedly considered it rude to keep people waiting. Some of us are still learning the art of punctuality and I’m sure we’ll never live up to Gramps’ standard, but we appreciated this characteristic. He respected people’s time & knew the importance of showing up when you’re expected.

There is only one occasion that we could recall where Grandpa was ever late. This past Friday, Grandpa was ready to head up to his eternal home, but he waited one extra day so that two of his grandchildren could say goodbye. What a fitting and kind way to end his life -- waiting for us.

Number Two: Be passionate

Grandpa was very passionate and loyal about the things he loved in his live, including his family, friends, sports, his hometown, Moline, the Gaithers and John Deere. He was an avid sportsfan, it didn’t matter if his team was on a winning or losing streak, he faithfully tuned in or hopped on a bus to cheer them on. The Cubs, Bears, Maroons and Hawkeyes all held a special place in his heart.

Grandpa was also very passionate about his garden.  Every summer he grew his vegetables and generously shared them with his family and neighbors.  He didn’t give up even when the animals got through the fence, instead he just moved his garden into the grill. (Sidenote for blog readers: Grandpa grew tomatoes in his Weber grill. He figured the animals would have a difficult time getting up to the grill & the kettle was a perfect pot.)

Each one of his kids and grandkids have found similar passion for different things in our lives. Although our passions may not have always aligned with Grandpa’s, he supported us just the same.

Number Three: Make friends wherever you are

It was such a joy to meet many of Grandpa’s friends yesterday afternoon. We were amazed by the number of people who had been befriended by Gramps over the years.

He had friends everywhere he went. He couldn’t help it. Grandpa was a friendly & outgoing guy. He made buddies at the mall, with waitresses at restaurants, at Hafners, Moline games, and especially in the neighborhood. He had a team full of friends – nurses & doctors – caring for him at the hospital these last two weeks.

If you had any doubt about his ability to make friends, you could have just observed him at our weddings. By the end of the weekend, all of the bridesmaids knew Gramps and probably his life & health history. I remember watching him say goodbye to one of my best girlfriends at my wedding by planting a big, juicy, Grandpa Kron kiss right on her lips.

Despite his many quirks, Grandpa was a loveable man. In fact, I’m sure he’s already set up his lawn chair in heaven, waved “hi” to the neighbors & made several new friends in his new home.

Number Four: Treasure your family

One of the most important things to Grandpa was his family; he loved spending time with each one of us.  It didn’t matter where we were, he was always proud to introduce us to his friends, at the mall, the basketball game, the waitress at the restaurant.  Some of our favorite times were sitting together visiting in Grandma and Grandpa’s living room; we’d all pile in, some of us on the floor, and just sit and talk.

Every year, Grandma and Grandpa spent time with their family in Moline, but they also made sure to come down to visit their family in Florida. When it got too difficult for Grandpa to make the long drive to Florida, and before Grandma was ready to get on an airplane, Grandpa agreed to take the Grey Hound.  He and Grandma made the long 24 hour trip to Florida on the bus that year to visit us.

He was so proud of his grandkids.  Throughout the years, both he and Grandma came to our school events, Grandparent’s Days, high school graduations, and confirmations. It made him especially proud to cheer us on at our sporting events, because perhaps it reminded him of his glory days playing basketball, baseball and golf.

This past year, it was his dream, and a goal that he achieved, to come to Florida to watch Mark during his final year of college basketball and to meet Hannah, his great-grandchild.  He loved holding Hannah and enjoyed talking to her and playing with her.

Grandpa’s love for his family is something we will always treasure.

Number Five: Keep an open heart

The most important lesson we could take from Grandpa’s life is the importance of keeping your heart open to the spirit of the Lord. Many faithful believers - most notably Grandma - prayed that Grandpa would come to know the Lord even late in life, & I can say wholeheartedly that the peace of God was so present in his last few days. God was with Grandpa, & I believe that Grandpa’s heart was softened to the Lord & that he welcomed the presence of Jesus in his life. 

As Katie & I talked about what was the most important thing any of us could learn in our lifetimes, it is the simple truth that God loves us, created us as his children, died for our sins on the cross, conquered death in the resurrection & wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us. As Grandpa suffered those last 2 weeks, we believe that the Lord spoke softly to him, offering him eternal respite from his suffering & that Grandpa accepted the wonderful, free gift that God offers to all of us on the cross.

Jesus promises us this rest in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

As we reflect on his life today, Gramps is with the Lord today, resting in the knowledge that he is a child of God and will live eternally with his heavenly father. What a life lesson to celebrate.

oh so proud.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my hubby.

His sweet niece is giving her Uncle Matt (who she affectionally calls "du" for "dude") some lovin'. I think that Hannah would give "du" a big hug & kiss today if she was close by to congratulate him on being accepted to dental school (well, let's get technical...schools!).

Of the 8 schools Matt interviewed at, he's been accepted at 5, waitlisted at 2, & is waiting to hear from one last school (Hint: It's the one that's located in the town we live in. They're a little behind on the admissions process & haven't contacted any interviewees yet.) Hurry up & wait....

Matt's a humble man. Doesn't like to boast, so I'm doing it for him tonight. I am so proud of him. This has a been long process & he has stayed the course, patiently waiting. We still have 4+ years ahead of us, but I am so glad that the admissions committees saw in him what everyone else who meets him knows to be true. He is a good man, a hard worker, & a genuine caretaker who will be an excellent dentist. Matt told me last week that his goal at work that day was to make a crabby patient smile. And he did it. That's the kind of man he is.

Once we get the final word from the last school, we're going to have to sit down, have a heart to heart & figure out where oh where we want to spend the next four years. One this is for sure. My husband is going to be a dentist. Yahooooooo!

P.S. I'll keep you posted on where he ends up going when we figure it all out. For now we're anxiously patiently waiting!

Happy Birthday, Lyndsey!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, dear friend, Lyndsey!!!!!!!!

She has a heart of gold & I am so thankful for her friendship.

Lynds, I hope that your 26th birthday is full of love & laughter!

(Taking it back... May 2007!)

Tis the season!

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, I suppose it's time for me to put away my pumpkins, pilgrims & gourds & pull out my Christmas decorations! Tis the season for twinkle lights, Advent calendars, Christmas cookies, ornaments & Christmas cards!

I love receiving Christmas cards in the mail from friends & family, & by mid-fall, I've usually picked out our Christmas card/photo (we're using this one)! All over the blogosphere, I've been reading about Shutterfly's blogger holiday card giveaway. Blog about Shutterfly (what's not to love about their amazing Christmas card designs?!) & get 50 free cards! What a deal! We've used Shutterfly in the past for our Christmas cards & have always loved the finished product!

I'd already ordered my photos when I read about this awesome promotion, so I said "shucks!" & vowed to pay attention next year. Until... I thought about my big sister. I'd already offered to take their family Christmas card photo while we were home for Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd see if she'd like to take advantage of the 50 free cards. I'm all about sharing the love. Katie was in, so all we needed to do was to capture some sweet photos of their fam (no small feat with a 14 month old) & pick out a Shutterfly design. Here are the finalists...

Option #1
This was my absolute favorite photo of the entire shoot. Hannah just started walking on her own while we were home (I think she was waiting for Aunt Suz & Uncle Matt to arrive to make her big move!). She went from taking a few steps to completely tottling around independently & she was oh-so-proud of herself.

With her sweet & a little bit naughty expression, I think this Shutterfly design would be perfect!

Option #2
I absolutely melt when I see Hannah's sweet smile in this photo. She is so loved.

I think that this photo would look great with this simple Shutterfly design.

Option #3
This is the best family photo (at least of everyone's faces) that we captured. It's tough getting a 14 month old to smile & look at the camera at the same time. Uncle Matt & the abundance of Florida oranges (true to form for our family, Hannah loves a ball & the oranges in the backyard passed muster as balls) helped capture Hannah's attention!

For this photo, I love this Shutterfly design. It's so important to remember the real reason for the season & I love when a Christmas card reflects that.

I'll leave the ultimate choice up to Katie since these are her cards! I'll also share some more cute photos from our little shoot & week in Florida later on the blog.

Psst... Have your own blog? Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Learn more here!

Thanks, Shutterfly!