Hi Jeanne, I just read your post about your dreams and asking if that is normal.  I think it is.  It happens to me, and I feel the same way, happy, not wanting to wake from it, and then a little (or a lot, sometimes, depending on how intense and realistic the dream is) reality confusion and have to reorient myself. 

I read a book called Grief Dreams that you might be interested in checking out.  It talks about the various purposes that these dreams seem to accomplish.  For me, two of the reasons seemed to fit.  One was to connect with my son again and for him to be able to communicate something to me, and the other was to help me process some difficult grief issues that I was stuck in.  It was a fascinating book to read.  Gentle hugs.