doesn't seem possible that it's a year already

If you were still here I think you would be proud of our girls.  They have survived the past year with grace, tears, laughter and growth.  So many changes...so many adjustments.

They survived all the 'firsts'.  I know they didn't think that they would.  I know Bailey thought that she would break into a million pieces on so many different occasions, but she 'sucked it up buttercup' and got thru them (Lexapro is a life saver, literally thought Lainey might strangle her once or twice). Lainey chose a slightly different approach of pretending to bury her head in her pillow and riding things out with a bottle of wine (or 10 - much to Bailey's disapproval).  Those two, I swear, have the most fun trying to control the other one - but neither one of them are having it.

Bailey went thru a pretty tough time getting over the broken engagement - she still struggles with it at times.  But in her heart of hearts she knows that everything works out the way it is supposed to and that in the long run, she will be much happier.  I feel bad because she thinks that we all never liked B., but that isn't true at all.  We all could just see from the outside looking in and couldn't see how it was ever gonna work.  She is adjusting to life back in Pennsylvania just fine, at least until the cold weather comes in and she remembers why she liked living in the south so much. Day by day, she is moving forward and her happily ever after will find her when the time is right.  She's living near State College now and I know you would have been giving her the lay of the land if you were still here.

Lainey is over the moon these days, as I am sure you have witnessed.  All of her dreams are coming true and she is walking on air towards HER happily ever after.  She's having a blast planning the wedding and may have found her secret calling...too bad she couldn't make a living at it.  I'm sure there will be a million times that she would have sought your advice - I'll try to fill that void as much as possible, but I really feel like you would have been better at it if you were still here

I see Barry from time to time.  He struggles with his loss, puts on a good front most of the time, but would still like to wallow if left to his own devices for too long a time.  I occasionally see Kimmie and the rest of the family, also...More often in pictures than in person, but I think they all are getting to the place where they smile at your memories rather than feel sad.

I feel like you and I would have been closer friends with all the changes the girls are going thru if you were still here.  But you now have a front row seat for all the shenanigans - I'm sure you and Sandra Jane are up there pulling strings and conducting the orchestra of life and having a grand old time...but I wish you both were still here.