I'm so sorry Danielle! Losing your mom is one of the hardest things you will do in life. She had it rough the last few years, the Whipple procedure is not a pleasant one, and a year in the hospital. Ouch. She sounds like such a wonderful woman, and it's a shame that she's gone. But it's so nice that she left you all goodbyes to be opened after she was gone. Even in death she is thinking about you all.
I hope you're OK, if I can help in any way let me know. I lost my mom ten years ago and I still haven't fully recovered.