Feature Family Archives - Postcard Jar Blog

Things to do in Door County, Wisconsin

Steve — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Our daughter, Meghan, and I first had the idea to take a father-daughter trip last spring. Because I came into Ann and Meghan’s lives when Meghan was in high school, she and I have never really had time to do something just the two of us. After all, Ann and I were married at the beginning of Meghan’s senior year of high school, and then she was off to college, then nursing school, and the workforce. Meghan loves travel as much as Ann and I. She even wrote a blog post about what she’s learned through travel with her mom. While we have been fortunate to have Meghan with us for a number of family vacations in the 11 years Ann and I have been married, it has never been just Meghan and me on a trip. So, we decided to do something about it, and asked our readers, for father-daughter trip ideas. A moment of authenticity: This blog post has fewer pictures than normal because Ann wasn’t there. I always forget to take pictures, especially in restaurants where I am quickly distracted by delicious-looking food. Please forgive me 🙂 The father-daughter trip idea we picked: Door County, Wis. One […]

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Prayers for healthcare workers, including our daughter, the nurse

Ann — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 16:38:23 +0000

Healthcare workers need our prayers. I woke up before my alarm at 5:20 a.m. this morning. Maybe it was a mother’s intuition. Maybe it was an anxious heart. Two states away in Oklahoma, our daughter Meghan should have been waking up in her one-bedroom apartment and getting ready. She won’t be setting up a home office today. She’s not going to binge watch Netflix in her pajamas. And she doesn’t have time to scavenge the grocery stores for sanitizer and toilet paper. You see, our daughter is a cardiac ICU nurse. She and thousands of other healthcare professionals are going to work today to care for the sick in the middle of a pandemic. They don’t know what cases will be waiting for them when they arrive. Their minds are filled with endless questions. Will there be enough beds? Enough ventilators? Enough protective equipment for the staff? Enough medicine? Enough time? Our hearts go out to her and her colleagues and I just want to be able to do something. But because of my own heart failure and suppressed immune system, I can’t be there. I can’t make her a home cooked meal or help her clean and organize […]

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Our daughter, Meghan, is done with nursing school and we’re celebrating!

Ann — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 20:13:35 +0000

It has been a big week for our family. Our only daughter, Meghan, finished a 14-month accelerated nursing program at The University of Oklahoma and is now a nurse. Meghan earned her bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language and Literature – Spanish at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Typically, a bachelor of science in nursing degree is a four year course of study for those without a bachelor’s degree and 24 months for those with one. This curriculum squeezes everything (including clinicals, a capstone project, and a preceptorship) into 14 months. Straight through – no real breaks, no social life, no sleep. In other words, it’s grueling. But she did it! Meghan completed her program a few days ago with a capstone research project presentation and then a pinning ceremony in Tulsa. Our parents and Meghan’s friends Amanda and Josiah were able to join us to celebrate this week. We are all so proud of Meghan for making it through. Next, Meghan will study to take the nursing boards (NCLEX) and good news — she already has job! She’ll be working as an RN in at St. Francis Heart Hospital in Tulsa and we couldn’t be more excited for this next step […]

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So much to celebrate including weddings, graduations, and Ann’s 50th birthday

Ann — Sat, 25 May 2019 17:19:55 +0000

Like many of you, I’m sure, we’ve spent much of this spring celebrating graduations, birthdays, grand openings, engagements, and weddings. Our schedules have been fast paced and we’ve felt so blessed to have so many things to celebrate with friends and family. Thought we’d share a few pictures to show you what we’ve been up to. Ann’s niece Jordyn got married Our wedding season actually began just before May when Ann’s niece, Jordyn, married the love of her life, Maury. The wedding and reception were at The Nebraska Club on the 20th floor of a building in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. I was honored when Jordyn asked me to pray with the wedding party just before the ceremony. In a celebration of bringing two families and cultures together, Steve translated my prayer to Spanish. It was a fabulous evening filled with love, dancing, and a little tequila. The Oilman’s Daughter opens in Pawhuska We were so happy to be in Pawhuska for the ribbon cutting and open house at The Oilman’s Daughter vacation home rental. We’ve been watching the renovation of this home for months and were so happy to celebrate with new friends, Suzanne and Cathy. The luxurious Oilman’s Daughter […]

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Remembering my dad

Ann — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:57:26 +0000

On a cold day in November of 2000, exactly five months to the day after he was diagnosed, my dad, Robert Forrest Shrewsbury, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51. While my dad had a fulfilling life, it makes me sad to think that he never got to see or do so many of the things we all cherish. He never experienced the satisfaction of retirement after working hard for so many years in the milling business. He never felt the pride of seeing his children own their first homes and he wasn’t here to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day or meet Steve. He didn’t have the honor of growing old with his wife, or the joy of seeing his grandchildren graduate high school and head off to college. I wish he could have lived longer and experienced those things, but I’m also very grateful for memories I do have with my dad. Memories of family road trips to the Black Hills or the Ozarks where we’d go boating on Table Rock Lake. We have fond memories of eating Fritos with bean dip while watching Husker football games and cheering on Kevin Johnson the Phoenix […]

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