Since I wrote last, I got engaged to my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years! I also finished my first semester of nursing school :). I've had the entire summer off from school, so I have been trying to get a lot of the wedding planning done now - because I know I won't have much time for it once school starts back again in a week. I have gotten a lot done, but am a bit stressed about all that is still not done. One thing that has really smacked me in the face during this whole process is a deep sadness that mom is not here to plan the wedding with me, to get excited with me, to go dress shopping with me, be there to bounce ideas off of, etc. etc. That she never met him, or vice versa. I knew this would happen. but I didn't realize just how much it would hurt, I guess. I miss her dearly. I have such wonderful caring friends, family, new family-to-be, and fiance, and this does not take away from how much they mean to me in the slightest. One of those friends is Allie, who also lost her mother to brain cancer, and she wrote a beautiful blog post for me that articulates it all very well. it means the world to me. You can read it here. It's things like this that bring me back to the present, and make me realize how lucky I am. Thank you!