no. No. NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I can't even begin to comment. Just look:


You've Been Left Behind

(via Jimmy)

Pain, Pain, Go Away

I am in excruciating pain. I have this "shoulder thing." I knew I would aggravate it during the moving process, but I didn't realize it would happen BEFORE the big moving day. Blech. It actually woke me up in the middle of the night. Right now, I can barely even sit up straight. Physical pain really affects me in bad ways. I get so mean (sorry, Dave), and I'm miserable.  I hate it.

Also, I may have overdosed on Ibuprofen and Aleve. 

Bye.

Dads Rock

So yesterday was really crazy. I was planning on meeting Kelly's dad at our new place to talk to him about tile on the kitchen back splash and how easy/difficult it would be. The next thing I know, he's showing us how to treat the walls, and cut off molding and caulking. I was having a mini panic attack as he was talking because I didn't know how I would do it all. I kept making terrified faces at Kelly every time he turned around to show me something else. I just kept thinking, "This is not my house. I do not need to increase their property value. This is temporary." He kept talking about how nice it would be to have it exactly how I want it, even if we're only there for a short time. He's right. I've never taken the time to customize the places I've rented, even though all of the landlords have been fine with it. Plus, it will be a good learning experience for our own house.

The really awesome part?

He's at our new place, as I type, doing everything he talked about.

Wow.

I mean, it is not often that you run across people like that in your life. I could see immediately that he is 100% servant. I was really apologetic and nervous at first, because I didn't want him to feel trapped into it. When I finally went home and thought about it, I was really humbled by his offer to take on the project.

He called me this morning to see if he could go over whenever he wanted, and I just started crying because, I don't know, I just see qualities in him that I know my dad has. I know that my dad likes to help me, and he's really skilled. He just doesn't have the mix of confidence and servant's heart that comes with knowing Jesus. I want my dad to know Jesus so bad it hurts sometimes. The funny thing is (if you know my dad), I honestly believe that he is the one in my family most open to Christianity.

I can easily get into a routine with my family where I'm not being intentional about loving them and being a good example. I need to be better about that. It's been a lonely journey.

I'm so thankful for Kelly's dad, not only for manual labor, but because he reminded me that I have a dad that needs Jesus.

Jamie and Bryan

wdPREcloth, originally uploaded by DanielleSuzanne.

I spent a good part of my day this past Saturday photographing a wedding while Dave taught Candace how to make PowerPoint presentations.

The wedding was actually at the exact same place Dave and I got married, which was an added bonus because I knew exactly where to take pics and what would look good. For the entire drive up, I was really nervous. My mind was going crazy, " fix your ISO, don't forget the hood, pre-set, you don't know what you're doing, go back home, hand-fastening, place cards, the cake is a big deal, vertical pics of J&B with everyone in the party, step dad, step mom, check out the tent, you don't know what you're doing, go home."

Once I got there and was in the groove, it was great. Their main requests were to take as many before hand as possible, and to move as quickly as possible between the ceremony and reception. Everyone was psyched at how quickly I worked. Honestly, though, they were REALLY easy. Everyone in the wedding party was basically a supermodel and posed really well.

I posted a sneak peek for them while they're honeymooning. They aren't totally finished up, but I wanted them to see a few that were in process. Click the pic above to see them, if you're interested.

I was shocked as I was driving home to find that my right cheek and arms hurt (from squinting the whole day and holding the camera steady).

I Want to GO TO THIS

Info here.

I Can Has Packers?

The number one thing I hate about moving is PACKING. I don't mind lifting furniture, driving trucks, cleaning, or even unpacking. The act of packing everything into boxes and bins drives me up a wall. I have some theories on why it vexes me so:

• I feel guilty about all the things I've collected/purchased/saved.
  
• I feel 100% overwhelmed from the time the first box is packed until the day we move.
  
• I cannot pack without organizing and purging. While this is a good exercise, it can cause tension. I'm not a "keeper," I'm a "tosser," and Dave is exactly the opposite. We need to find a middle ground.
  
• I don't know HOW to pack WELL. I try to fit things in boxes like a puzzle and pack things that go together, but it's never good enough in my opinion.
• I don't like asking for help. I absolutely hate sending the "will you please help us email." I don't ever want people to feel obliged, but I also want to have a fun day with my friends.
  

Halp.

Flickr Quiz

Rach did this yesterday, so, obviously, here is mine:



1. Danielle-Paco, 2. ~~ Lasagna mountains ~~, 3. Filming Location: A Clockwork Orange: Wandsworth, London, 4. wham:a different corner, 5. Luke Wilson with Challenger , 6. Untitled, 7. Floating in paradise, 8. very easy trifle, 9. {over it}, 10. 133: SOTTS will make you jump!, 11. Yearning for Spring, 12. The Devon Coast (2)

The Questions
1. What is your first name? Danielle
2. What is your favorite food? Lasagna
3. What high school did you go to? McDowell
4. What is your favorite color? Blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Luke Wilson
6. Favorite drink? Sangria
7. Dream vacation? Bora Bora
8. Favorite dessert? Trifle
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Pregnant
10. What do you love most in life? Dave
11. One word to describe you. Introspective
12. Your flickr name. Hartlands

The Concept
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

And in related news: seriously, flickr, SERIOUSLY?

Hair: The Bane of My Existence

My sister is a great stylist, so of course, I have the worst hair EVER. I can get cuts whenever I want and try whatever I want, but I hate it. It never looks good. Well, whatever...new summer 'do, here I come.

If you would like to vote on a style (or combination of styles), please leave a comment. It will really help me out. I am also open to additional suggestions. The contenders (with qualifying notes):

1. This style, but more length. Probably covering neck:

2. This with a bit more length:

3. This, again, with a bit more length:

4. Her hair looks thin, like mine, so I picked it...but shorter...just past shoulders:

5. This is probably my favorite cut. I'm just really scared to go that short. Would it work longer?

Help.

A BIG Change

For those of you new to the saga, my youngest sister is currently incapable of making decisions that benefit her daughter, Candace. We have done a lot of research into our options including meetings with a lawyer and counsel from a worker at the Office of Children and Youth. The one sentence that impacted me the most during the whole process was, "Get her out of the environment." I stopped thinking about "process" and just took action. It really wasn't that complicated once I started truly focusing on Candace.

I'm semi-confident that this was a good move because it forced my sister into action. She is currently in counseling and going through the intake process with a wonderful organization here in Erie. If it all works out, it will benefit them both greatly. We'll see what happens, but I'm hopeful.

Dave and I have had Candace since 5/23 (we've had her almost every weekend since mid-February) and My mom has been watching her while we are working. We've decided to do this because we wanted to get her out of the questionable environment while Brandi is working with Erie DAWN. Once Brandi is confirmed for housing, Candace will go back with her full-time. In the meantime, we do our best to set up phone calls and visits between the two of them.

Obviously, this whole experience has changed our life (even in the short amount of time we've been doing it). It's a good change. I like having another person to focus on. It really puts things into perspective. She is still in complete need of us. I mean, sure, she can feed herself and climb stairs, but she definitely needs us. It's a great feeling to have maternal instincts kick into full gear. This time has confirmed (for me, at least) that my main job in life needs to be being a mom. It doesn't have to be today, but...it definitely has to be.

OK, so all of that to say:

I am pretty sure I have the best husband in the world.

It hasn't all been easy, and Dave has been a champ. It took us a long time to make this decision, but once we did it, he's been all in. I think he and Candace have really started to love each other. They do things that I don't get, like trying to join their fingers, E.T. style. And, for some reason, she insists on wiggling her butt and waving her hands behind him when he leaves the room. I don't get it, but I love it. Candace will probably never have a real father-figure, but for this time, she's building a foundation with Uncle Day. I think her relationship with him is going to be one of the most important as she grows up. He will most likely be the closest thing she ever has to a dad.

Thank you, Jesa, for Uncle Day.

Thank you, Jesus, for my wonderful husband.