Most importantly...

It has been a uniquely crazy past couple of weeks for us-- but there is something that has weighed largest in the midst of everything else, and hopefully it will keep everything else in perspective as we journey forward in all of our duties, tasks, and adventures.

John's grandmother, known to us as Muncie, but known by many as Gloria, Magdalena, or Golda, passed away this past Tuesday.

She lived a long, full, and lively life, and was the matriarch of a truly incredible family that I have had the remarkable luck of being welcomed and folded into. She has left behind a bottomless trove of fond memories for all of us-- many of them oriented around her insatiable desire to feed us all : ) -- and it's safe to say that Florida will not be the same without her. I haven't really dealt with death in my adult years, and I'm finding that it is difficult to fully grasp the permanence of the thing. It seems to come in waves; when you realize you won't kiss their soft, papery cheek again; you won't hear their pop of laughter interjected into a conversation again; you won't dial their number again. There is a reality to that that settles in over days and weeks, which is where the real loss will reveal itself.

She was a fire cracker of a lady. With a terrific smile and a fabulous laugh. 

She will be greatly missed.