Life definitely threw Julie and Josh a curveball as Josh shipped off to serve our country. Josh didn't think it was fair if he asked Julie to marry him before he left (which Julie completely disagreed with at the time!), but God had other plans! Josh left July 7th and Julie really had an upset stomach. She thought it was because she was upset that he was leaving, but soon realized that it wasn't going away. A week and a half after Josh's unit left for Texas, Julie realized she was pregnant! Since they wanted to get married in the future anyway, Josh and Julie decided to move it up and get married on a 3 day leave the unit had before they were leaving the country. On August 24th, 2017, the newly Mr and Mrs said their "I Do's" and celebrated with their immediate family. Knowing that they still wanted to validate their marriage in the church and celebrate with the rest of their family and friends, the newly married couple promised they'd have their wedding celebration once the unit came back from deployment. Mr & Mrs Croner now plan to validate their marriage in the eyes of God and have the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie wedding reception Julie's always wanted! And the icing on the gluten free, dairy free cake? Emme gets to be there for the celebration! (Don't worry, there will be a TON of delicious desserts for everyone at the reception.)

Back in her late 20's, Julie was on disability for several health reasons. One being avascular necrosis - meaning 2 parts of her left femur bone died. For 3.5 years, Julie lived in constant pain and wasn't able to walk unassisted. Doctor after doctor gave Julie no hope of resolving her issues. She lost count at 29 providers that she went to looking for answers. Thinking she'd never be able to walk unassisted again, Julie used to imagine having to crutch down the aisle when she did get married. Now, almost 3.5 years after her stem cell procedure, not only is Julie married to her best friend, but she will be able to walk unassisted down the aisle to meet him at the altar. This is something that she does NOT take for granted and will be top of mind on their wedding validation day. Julie credits her angel Pap Pap Kraemer for helping her find her stem cell procedure. Not only did he help her get back on her feet (literally), but she truly believes he's the one who brought her and Josh together as well. He may not be there in person on January 5th, but Julie honestly believes he was the driving force behind it all. He'll definitely have a front row seat for the service. It will be an extremely emotional day on all fronts - one that Julie is incredibly grateful for.