On a Serious Note...

First off, a HUGE thanks for everyone's well wishes, AC and I are so very thankful for our friends and family and we can't wait to celebrate with all of you on the big day. We've started the planning process and are close to nailing down a date. We've got a planning notebook started, $40 in bridal magazines, a church, and a budget. We still have a lot of work to do, but I am taking the CHB exam on April 7th and need to spend all of my free time with Title 19 of the Federal Code of Regulations so that I can get my broker's license. Needless to say come April 8th, no matter how I feel the test went, I will be able to fully focus on planning our wedding.

Back on Track:
The reason why I wanted to write an entry tonight really has nothing to do with weddings. The week following our engagement was filled by a few life altering events that took place in the lives of some people very close to AC and I. I don't feel right about babbling about my life without noting some things going on in the lives of some of my favorite people around me. (I also don't want to trivialize their situations, which created quite a bit of hesitancy in deciding whether or not I should actually write this post.)

February 22, the father of my friend Elisabeth, passed away. I have debated
'blogging' about this due to its obvious sensitive nature, please bear with me and I will try my best to keep it short and sweet. I have known Liz since I was in the 9th grade and I will always remember her dad, Chuck, with a smile on his face. My favorite memory of Chuck was at Ed and Elisabeth's wedding. As the bridesmaids and groomsmen were beginning the procession down the aisle, Elisabeth and her dad both looked at me with tears in their eyes (of joy of course) and Liz said something like, "Mary, as the maid of honor, you need to lighten the moment a bit, tell us a joke." Of course I reply with, "So, this bear walks into a bar...." (if you haven't heard the joke you'll have to ask me in person and I cannot guarantee that you will laugh at the joke but there is a 98% chance that you will laugh at how lame the joke is.) I was so relieved when Chuck laughed, because when I got to the second line of the joke I realized that most people don't find it as funny as I do, and this was the moment before he was going to walk down the aisle with his daughter. That was the type of man Chuck was, warm hearted with a smile on his face. I will miss him.

February 25th, close friends of ours received an addition to their family in the name of Emmett. We've only been able to visit the little man once due to Alex and I passing our nasty cold back and forth (its been a month and Alex is sniffling like a .... I can't think of an end to that simile, but you get the idea.) Anyhoo, we are very excited for our friends and have dibs on Emmett on charades night.

February 25th, comrade Jeremy finishes his final dose of chemotherapy. Throughout his 9 weeks of treatment I have been in awe of his attitude - way to go JT - I can't wait to buy you a pint in celebration.

I am having a hard time putting into words the emotions that I have as I am watching my friends go through these moments - moments that will forever alter the way that they live their life. All I know is that I am one lucky gal, to have such an amazing group of people around me, their strength and optimism exemplify what wonderful people they truly are.