Hi folks, Long time no hear eh? This is Jake by the way... Even longer since you've heard from me I know. I wanted to jump out here to thank all of those who kept Mercedes and I in your prayers during the one year anniversary of the collapse. It really has been a difficult time actually. Mercedes and I did attend the payer service at the Basilica which was beautiful by the way. It was there that we both got caught up in the moment of what was going on. We both broke down realizing what we had just gone through this past year. Of course the cameras were there to catch that moment and many of you woke up to see our faces on your daily newspaper and Mercedes on the home page of CNN.com. Mercedes has more or less wanted to take what's been going on at her own pace and declined too many interviews to count. We had a very special party the evening of August 1st at our home where we were surrounded by close friends and family...we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. As I mentioned though, this has been a trying time for the two of us and for the first time, it started to show in our relationship. Never could you imagine that you would ever be in a place that we and the other victims of this tragedy have been in. It's going to take time to heal organically, and Mercedes and I remind ourselves that we're here for one another constantly. It's really hard to believe that a year has gone by since that day. It's certainly frozen in both of our minds...and probably always will be. Thank you again for not giving up on us despite not seeing a journal entry for awhile. Things just needed to be kept private and dealt with in our own way. We're both back...feeling much stronger and looking forward to continued wedding plans. A quick update on Mercedes...she's been hitting physical therapy sessions strong now for the past few months...sometimes up to four times a week. There's no doubt that it's helping tremendously, but the pain, stiffness and limping is definitely still present. She will be starting back at work here within the next week, and I can only imagine that having a routine and structure will also help the cause. Mercedes has a girlfriend over tonight and I hear laughter...which is always a great thing. It has been through the constant support of friends, family and flat-out strangers that has made things just a bit more bearable. That's it for now...until next time. Jake
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