Beginning a New Chapter

Ron is retiring 
and yesterday was his last day at the office!  

In my last post, I shared some pictures that were taken at a family gathering and I promised to come back and tell you more about that gathering. 

It was a retirement celebration for Ron! 

Even though it was a few weeks before his official retirement, we decided to celebrate when all of the children and grandchildren would be here. Kati and family arrived on Thursday, Ryan and family arrived on Friday, and on Saturday, August 9th, we all gathered (children and grandchildren, Ron's siblings and spouses, and my mom and sister) to celebrate. 

(Some photos by me, some by my sister-in-law Pat, and some by Bekah's friend Julie who we hired to do the family photos.)

Ron told stories about his work life, sharing how God has directed his path through the years. (Proverbs 3:4, 5) 

Bekah led us in a game of "Name That Tune," using many of the songs on Ron's Spotify playlist. 🎶

Ryan, Nora, and Eve entertained us! 

We even had a chance to sing along! Click ~ here ~ if you want to sing along with us! 

Side story about the cake: 
Ron picked it up for me on the morning of the party. When he brought it home, I opened the box to take a peek and  << oh no >> the cake said "Happy Retirement R-O-N-N-Y." Oh my goodness. 

Sarah said, "I think we can fix this." So Sarah guided and Bekah did the hands-on part and some watched and gave moral support. . . and they created an "I-E" out of that "Y" and you'd never know that a mistake had been made! Great job, girls! 

Whew! 

Now, back to the party. Cake is served!

You might see a few blue smiles here! (Oops . . . before the photographer arrived to do the family photos! Teeth had to be re-brushed and a few garments had to be spot-cleaned.) 

Little girls comparing their June bugs. 🪲😊

So much cuteness! 

Earlier this week, Ron's company honored him with a lovely luncheon, gifts, funny stories, and words of appreciation. They invited local family, as well as co-workers from the present and the past. It was heart-warming!

So now Ron is retired and we begin a new chapter of life. It seemed to get here faster than either of us anticipated, but we look forward to what is ahead. 

Thank you, Ron, for being a faithful provider for our family for all of these years! God has been good to us and has always met our needs!