I'd like to say sorry for your loss as well Susan.
As to your lift question, if you go higher than 2.5 it starts to get expensive. You can get 2 inches of lift by either replacing your springs, or by putting plastic spacers on top of your factory springs - either one shouldn't run more than $250 worth of parts. If you go higher than 2 inches you'll need longer control arms, brake lines and more - $600+ would be a good guess at the price of these parts
As to tires, 33s are normally the limit for a stock drivetrain. If you go higher than 33s, you'll probably need to regear your axles (your jeep will lose power without regearing). You'll want to consider if your current rims will need to be replaced when you go to larger tires as well.
If you plan on offroading once or twice a year I'd go with some 32 or 33" tires and a 2.5 inch budget boost (a spacer lift). You may also throw a 1 inch body lift on there to help.
I'm in the market for some 33s myself, so let me know where you get yours from.