Richie is home!

Today I've been able to talk to Richie! Not in depth, but for a bit. He's doing well. He's got a bit of a head cold, but he says he's fine. He is going to see a doctor as soon as he gets back. I'm so excited to see him tomorrow. I hope things aren't awkward or weird. Especially after not seeing him for a month and not talking to him for 2+ weeks. I know this time apart will help us in the long run and I'm so glad he will be driving home tomorrow. Not too much to report today. I finished my skirt today! I'll have to post photos tomorrow. My Nana would be proud of me for figuring it out. Tomorrow I'll try to post photos of Richie and I reuniting! I might only get to see him for an hour or so, so I took Monday off work so we could hang out and reconnect. Until tomorrow....

Houston, we've made contact!

I HEARD FROM RICHIE TODAY! It was less than 5 minutes, but every minute was so sweet! He is back in the country in Atlanta. He, the other leaders, and the kids are debriefing today. Then tomorrow the kids fly out and then the leaders debrief. So I expect the soonest I'll see Richie will be Monday. If he drives home Sunday I expect him to go home and sleep.

Today I got the well and pump finished! I'm so stoked to be getting sod put in. :) Here are some photos!

This is the bin my well pump is in. It's super nice!

The pump! Runs on 4 cents an hour of electricity! :)

The Dirty Dena Experience Recap

Finally a blog on The Dirty Dena Experience. Let's go back to the future where it all began....

Helene and John picked me up from the airport and we went to John's house and hung out with his mom for a while. Then we went to The Donut Shack. One of my favorite places in all of Severna Park. They have the BEST donuts, and they're open 24 hours! Then we went to Helene's and crashed. We got up the next day and Helene and I went to Giant to get food for the lunch party that day. Helene showed me how to cook fish and potatoes. It was so delicious. Amelia, John, Kelly and baby Milo came over. We had such fun catching up and Facebook stalking old friends and frienemys. Then that night Helene showed me how to cook crabs! They were so stinking delicious! We had such fun eating crabs and hanging out.

Then I went over to Jess and Shannon's house. Kerry was there and we had a sleepover. We ate pizza and watched a horror movie. It was HILARIOUS! From the moment I walked in it was non stop laughter! The next day we went to our old tree in the woods. This is the tree that we all carved our names into and have spent many hours talking and bonding. Then after Jess and Shannon's they took me to Kelly's to hang out with her and Milo. Kelly and I went to Subway and had lunch. We walked there which was an experience. Then Kelly and I hung out at the house. After that, we met up with Ms. Penny and Kelly's sister and kids. We went to Marley Station Mall and shopped around. Then we went to Ann's Dairy Queen. A quick word on Ann'. They have the BEST chili cheese hotdogs! I would kill for an Ann's in St. Augustine. Jess picked me up that night to go to the Earleigh Heights Firehouse Carnival. It was so expensive so we rode one ride and played carnival games. I won two goldfish. I named them Heavy D and JKwan. Jess then took me back to Kelly's and I crashed for the evening.

The next day Kelly, Ms. Penny, Milo and I got up early and started the 4 hour drive to Virginia Beach to see Kelly's new house. Kelly's house is lovely. It needs some work, but Kelly is so awesome, I know she is going to turn that place into the ultimate house to raise Milo in. We hung out by their pool and then went to this Mexican restaurant for dinner. We all split a delicious pomegranate margarita. The next day we got up and Kelly and I went swimming. I spent about 20 minutes jumping on her sweet trampoline! Then we all got in the car and headed back to The Dena. When we got back in town I went to Jess' and we went to see Horrible Bosses. It was a really good movie. Might want to buy it when it comes out. I know Richie would have liked it. The next day Kelly and I went to Ann's again. Hey, I gotta get it when I can. Then we went to the Annapolis Mall and hung out until my flight. It was such fun to hang out with my bestie. I miss her so much. The following photos are of Milo. I am such a proud godmommy. He is the most adorable baby ever. I cannot wait to spoil this kid and see him in less than 10 months at the wedding. I am so proud of my best friend. Her husband is in the Navy and she went through pregnancy and is raising Milo for the first 4 months of his life on her own. She is such a strong woman that would make any dad, mother, and husband proud.

And that, my friends, was The Dirty Experience!

Stepping Up: The Journey Begins

Another short blog today. I just got home from bible study. We're doing Stepping Up by Beth Moore. It's a study of The Psalms of Ascent. I'm super excited to start this journey with Allison and Catherine. I am hoping that through this study I can continue to work on replacing Rich as an idol and filling that hole with Christ. I'm hoping this study will show me how I can do that. I first did this study when I was a sophomore in college. So it will be interesting to see what my old answers were and how far I've come in my walk with Christ. You can be sure I will be blogging about my experience. I am now getting quotes on sod so hopefully I can get  a new yard! Richie would be so proud. Tomorrow the well guys are going to come and finish the pump. Super excited for these changes. Richie is flying home TOMORROW! Well, they're flying to Atlanta tomorrow at 10pm. Tomorrow is the first time I might actually hear Richie's voice after 3 weeks! Please be praying for their safety and timely travel. Also be praying that the kids and leaders merge back into society as smoothly as possible. Tomorrow I plan to do a long blog of the Maryland trip complete with photos. Things have just been a whirlwind since getting back. Until tomorrow.....

Well and Lawn

Today I got the well and pump installed! Whoot! Now looking at getting sod put in! My goal is to get it done before the engagement party. After work, I went over to Rich's to work on a surprise for him and made Joel dinner. I made talapia and old bay potatoes. It was good to hang out with him. Due to the lateness of this post I'm opting to keep it short. Another good thing about today I got a tervis tumbler with my name on it at work today! :) Check the photos below...

Yummy new well! :)

My new cup! So excited!

Mor-ons: The Dirty Dena Experience

The last video from The Dirty Dena. Coming at you from 30,000 feet in the air. A rant about airport people....Tomorrow will be a long recap of the week and amazingness. The biggest news today? I heard from Rich. Not just an email from the AIM workers, but a personal one from Richie. I loved it. It's too personal to share, just know that he is safe and growing exponentially in Christ.  Be praying for this last week in the Amazon that he and the leaders have health, safety and run this last segment harder than ever for Christ. Enjoy the video and let me know your thoughts! :)

Pop It Like Its Hot: The Dirty Dena Experience

So sorry for not posting yesterday. We did not have internet service in Virginia Beach. To recap yesterday, Kelly, Ms. Penny, Milo and I drove down to see Kelly's new home. It was so pretty. They have an awesome tiki bar with a pool. And lets not forget the trampoline. We drove down yesterday and just hung by the pool. We went to a cool mexican restaurant and split a margarita. This video was inspired by Kelly. She was in the car looking at the corn fields....there were too many to count. And she starts asking why homeless people don't steal corn at night because it's right there. So naturally we stole some corn.....enjoy :)

Into The Woods: The Dirty Dena Experience Continues

Last video of the night. As promised, the long awaited me on a carnival ride - filmed. This is the Round Up. I went to the carnival with Jess. Such fun. It was uber expensive though. 5 bucks for one ride. So we payed to win fish, and I won two! We put them in Jess' pond out back. We named them Heavy D and J-Kwan. Very appropriate. Enjoy.

Into The Woods: The Dirty Dena Experience Continues

So for dinner Kelly, Ms. Penny, Heather and the kids and I went to Ann's Dari Queen for double decker chili cheese dogs. And yes, they are amazing! But before that we went to Marley Station Mall. Marley Station was the main hang out on a Friday. There would always be these depressed teen angst kids we called Mall Rats. This video is me paying tribute to all those Mall Rats. I am now headed to the Earleigh Heights Fire House Carnival where I will take some more awesome videos. Enjoy.

Into The Woods: The Dirty Dena Experience

So today I'm with Jess, Shannon and Kerry. Last night we had a good old fashioned sleep over complete with pizza and harror movies. (We pronounce it harror, hence the spelling). We watched Insidious, which was pretty good. Kinda funny. From the moment I started hanging with these girls I could not stop laughing. This morning we got up and went to our old tree. It's this tree that over hangs on the water and we all have carved our names into this tree. We have spent many hours just sitting and hanging here. This time the woods were a little over grown, but we were able to make it. Right now I'm with Kelly and Milo we walked to Subway and are now back at the house just hanging. Tonight I'm going to the Earliegh Heights Fire Station Carnival with Jess and Shannon. I'm super excited and will be videoing our experiences on several rides. I'll have to post in the morning cause we'll be there till 11ish.  Enjoy the video.  :)

I Got Crabs: The Dirty Dena Experience Continued

Final video from last night too late to post again. Enjoy and more videos to come today! The plan is to go visit the old tree where Jess, Shannon, Kerry and I carved our names. We also might hit up my old house. Fun fun! Stay tuned.

I Got Crabs: The Dirty Dena Experience

So I'm fairly certain that I'm going to do video blogs for the trip and I really like Heavy D aka The Dilemma. So I hope you all enjoy the videos because I'm really enjoying making them.

Today Helene and I went to Giant and got stuff to make for lunch. I got a bunch of Old Bay chips and got my parents some Old Bay Cocktail Sauce to mail to them. John, Amelia, Kelly and Milo came over for lunch. We ended up Facebook stalking old high school friends which was a riot. Stay tuned for more updates! Don't forget to leave some love! Enjoy! More videos to come! :)

VIDEO ONE

VIDEO TWO

VIDEO THREE

VIDEO FOUR

Suh-kurity: The Dirty Dena Experience Continues!

More blogs from last night. Got in too late to post them. Enjoy!

The first time I loose it in this video, the guy in front of me turns around and gives me crazy eye after I say, "I'm gonna bust a cap." It was too funny.

This video was taken at the Donut Shack. My favorite place in all of MD to get a donut. MMMMmmmm.....

Suh-kurity: The Dirty Dena Experience Begins

Today's blog is going to be a video blog. I am documenting my experience flying. Keep checking the blog today because new videos will be popping up all over the place. 

VIDEO ONE

VIDEO TWO

Going to Maryland

Short blog today....Getting up and going to work tomorrow, then leaving early to catch my plane to Maryland!! WHOOT! Today I stitched Mrs. Brooks into my chuck taylors! Ill have to post a photo of them tomorrow. I'm also almost done with the engagement party invites so those will be going out soon. Sorry for the short post. Late night, early morning. Will post in the airport. It will be interesting especially after all the TSA hoopla....

Monday, Monday

Today was a slow day at work. My morning started off busy. I had to edit a bunch of photos for the map we're trying to get up and running. Not to much to blog about. Although I did get awesome candy bags for the candy bar for the wedding! I'm so excited about them! I'll have to post a photo tomorrow because I left the camera at work. No new news from Richie. Even after my big break through with God yesterday, I still really miss him. Especially today. I found out my grandmother is being put in a home for Alzheimer's. It's gotten too advanced for her to live with my grandfather. Even though I was never close with Norma, I missed being able to call Rich and talk about it. I hope he's having a great time down in the Amazon. This week they're going to be doing a VBS for the locals. So be praying all goes well with that. Tomorrow I'm having a guy come over to the house to give me a quote on a well and pump for the yard. My goal is to have that up and running and the yard cleared before Rich gets home. After the yard is done, that will be the last major project for the house....hopefully. Tomorrow might be another craft night. It was such a huge hit two weeks ago that we were asked to host again. I'll probably finish the pinwheels I've been working on.

My roommate has just informed me that I've become an internet sensation. Maybe I'll post a video in the near future. Expect it to smack you in the face with its awesomeness.

Got Idols?

So I'm on fire right now. This morning at church was awesome! Buckle your seat belts because todays blog is worth the thrill. At Coquina we're going through Acts. Today we were in Acts 14. To recap: Paul and Barnabas are in Iconium visiting with people spreading the good news when the people start mistaking them for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. Just incase you didn't know, Iconium is some where in modern day Turkey. The legend in Iconium in that day was that Zeus and Hermes were performing miracles and because the people of Iconium didn't worship them, they burned the city down. So of course when Paul and Barnabas are there spreading the Gospel and performing miracles (see verse 9) the people mistook them for the Greek gods. So the people started bringing sacrifices to them. Hey, they didn't want their town to be burned down again! And Paul and Barnabas are all "Hey, don't worship us, we will fail you. We aren't gods." And of course the Jewish leaders of the day had to have their say, so they started saying, "That's right, they will fail you! You should sacrifice them to the idols." So the people take them out and stone them. Of course in typical Paul fashion, he just gets right back up and walks back into the city and continues to preach the Gospel.

So what does this have to do with idols and Danielle? Well in starting a blog I want to be real with you, my readers. That way you can see the struggles I have and how God is growing me. Rich has been gone for 2 full weeks now. This past Thursday I watched a really sad movie (bad choice on my side, but I didn't know it was going to be sad when I started). So the crying started and I got all upset about Nana's death and then it went into Richie being gone and how lonely I was. I got the image of a kid crying after the parent takes a toy away. I was that child crying for my toy (Richie) back. And I felt like God was really speaking to me saying, "Rich is gone, he's not coming back for 2 more weeks and there's nothing you can do about it. So what is your next move? Are you going to sit here crying or are you going to get up and walk with me?" So I got up.

I didn't know what this was going to lead to. How does this look? How am I going to answer this question, of what's next? The first thing you need to know about idols is that they aren't about worshipping the object, they are ME centered. And in this case, I had been looking to Rich for my acceptance, fulfillment, and redemption. That's a lot to put on a person. And Rich was not created to provide that for me. I have been setting Rich up for failure because I am expecting the impossible from him. Continuing in Gardner's awesome sermon, he said that when our idols don't deliver what we want from them we destroy them. The perfect example of this is Jesus. He comes in on Palm Sunday and everyone is all "Praise Jesus!" They idolized him in their hearts to be their physical savior. They wanted him to over throw the Romans, and when that didn't happen, they crucified Him. Gardner said we need to have a 9:11 of the heart. We need to bring down our idols. He pulled an awesome verse from Ecclesiastes 9:11, "I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all."

Eventually all our idols will fail us. They were created to do that. God created all things to fail so that there would only be one thing that would remain - Jesus. Christ never fails. He always delivers! So all that being said....I am now in the process with replacing Rich with Christ. We can't just remove our idols and keep walking. We need to replace them with something else or they, like weeds, will continue to grow back. As Tim Keller says, "If you uproot the idol and fail to 'plant' the love of Christ in its place, the idol will grow back." So that's where I am. Praying that God will teach me how to 'plant' His love in my heart. I'm praying that God becomes the desire of my heart. That I don't put Rich in a place God is suppose to reside. 


The best way to show others their idols is to show them yours. Matthew and Luke write about a guy going to his brother and trying to pull the speck out of his eye when he had a huge plank in his own eye. I'm writing this in hopes that you, my readers will see my plank and analyze your heart. Are you looking to something to give you only what God can give you? What is your speck? Please be praying for me as I work to replace my plank with a vision for Christ and his kingdom. 

On a much lighter note: here is the after picture of my paver wall I was telling you about yesterday. I think it looks pretty good for a first attempt.

Yard Work

Today I woke up early and went to Home Depot to get some pavers for the garden area out in the front of the house. It took me 2.5 hours to clear out all the weeds and to put down half the pavers. I was going strong and then I got stung by a hornet. It hurt like nothing I've experienced before. I'm surprised I didn't get stung a lot sooner. I was in and out of the bushes pulling weeds and it wasn't until I started pruning them that I got stung. Upon closer inspection there is a nest in that bush. So for the rest of the day I was apprehensive of anything flying. I hope Richie likes the pavers. It was his idea to do something like that and today I just really wanted to do something in the yard. I only have to pave about 5 more feet. I'll post the after photos tomorrow when I'm done.

I did get to hear from Richie today! Well, not hear hear. It was via his team blog that his co-leader wrote. She wrote a blurb from each of the team members and this was his...

"Shout out to Danielle-I miss you and hope you are awesome. Love to you and the family. -Rich"

The rest of the message said that they were doing street evangelism, teaching English, and using their musical talents. Most of the students love their leaders which speaks to Rich's natural ability to connect with people. Next week they will be doing Vacation Bible School. They did ask for prayer for the leaders. They were in need of a little TLC via prayer....I don't know what that means, but it's what the blog asked. So please join me in praying for Rich and his co-leaders Alana, and Glenalynn. Be praying for their health, safety, and spiritual growth. More info tomorrow!

New Outfit and Necklace

So today I went shopping and bought a super cute outfit from Forever21 for Richie and mines engagement photos. I also scored a $3 I love Los Angeles necklace. (Pictured below). I also finished the invitations for the engagement party. Their super cute. They look like tents from the circus. Totally go with the theme of the wedding. Today was a slow Friday. Super rainy. I'm kind of depressed. I haven't heard a peep from Richie since Sunday. I know its a crazy thought but each day that passes the further away from Richie I feel. He's off experiencing new things with people I've never met, and I'm at home by myself on a Friday night. Please be praying that I don't give into the negative thoughts.

Just Another Manic Thursday!

Still no call or email from Richie. I really miss him. I told him before he left that I wouldn't be left behind next time! I'm just home hanging out on a Thursday night. Not too much to report. I worked some more on those pinwheels. I also finished the Stones family photos! No sneak peeks though. If you want to see them, you need to check my Facebook tomorrow. I also got invitations for Richie and mines engagement party! They're SO cute! I cannot wait to show you all tomorrow!

On a side note I'm super excited about the new Winnie the Pooh movie! Cannot wait for Richie to come home so we can watch it together. Sorry about the lame post. Not too much to report other than going to work, finishing the Stones photos and painting my nails...I just hung around the house. Till tomorrow... :)

A hello from China!

My dear friend Laurie was able to send an email from China today! They have been gone for about 2 weeks. She and her husband Adam are staying with a host family. They are the 2 in the center. They go to school for a good amount of the day and have daily exercises interacting with the locals. It was so good to hear from her today!

Not too much to report. I worked some more on pinwheels. I also went to the Verizon store because my phone randomly keeps shutting off. So this could be problematic with Richie out of the country. I don't want to miss his call, if he can call. Today is the 2nd day with no communication (Monday I had a post on Facebook letting me know he arrived safely in Peru). It's weird not being able to talk to him. It kind of feels like we broke up. No communication and I'm still doing my daily routine. I cant wait for him to get back!

I also went to Target and bought picture frames and ledges for them to sit on in the bathroom. I hope Richie likes them when he gets back. I also got some quotes on well pumps today....getting a move on getting one installed. Most likely going to nail one down tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well.

Stone's Family Photos

Today was a good day. Woke up. Got a wall post from Richie letting me know he was in Peru safely. So now we are in the days of no communication. I know he will call or write or text if he can. I miss him a little less today. I think its because I was at work all day and other than coming home for dinner with out him, my day went the same it would as if he were home. After work I went to the gym and then had Catherine over for dinner! It was such fun to catch up with her. She helped me pick out some outfits for our engagement shoot. Which, by the way is going to be on July 29th! Whoot! So excited! I know our photos are going to be awesome. I love our photographers so much! Their work is always awesome. I'm hoping that because Richie and I won't have seen each other for a month our love will be seen so much more. I was able to edit some photos of the Stones from the shoot on Friday. Hope you enjoy the sneak peek!

One of my faves

Kept it just because it was hilarious!

This might be my favorite.

Hiccups

I have a mad case of the hiccups. No lie. They are awful! Nothing much to report today. I woke up and had an awesome breakfast at the house with Jess. Then I went to the pool with Jess, Alison, Nena, Melissa and Meg! The rest of the day was spent vegging.... Nothing much to report. Other than my self propel on my lawn mower stopped working....That's the worse! I'm SO sick of these weeds it's not even funny. SO ready to nuke them.

Rich left for the Amazon this afternoon. He called before he left. I already miss him terribly. This officially marks the day where I dont know when I'll hear from him again. It's scary to think the next time I'll talk to him will be 3 weeks from now. But I can't allow myself to think of that. Tomorrow I have Alison, Whitney, Carrie and Catherine coming over for craft night/ Gilmore Girls night. SO excited! Here are some photos from today.

My beautiful roommate and I

Alison and I

Melissa, myself and NenaBean! :) 

Today I got to skype with  Richie! It was a short chat, but nonetheless, it was so good to see his face. He is doing well at the camp with the kids. They were packing up to leave for Peru tomorrow. They have to get up at 3am to head to the airport. He didn't have too much to report. I really miss him. I'm doing a good job of keeping busy, and I'm so blessed to be hanging out with Alison more. But there are always those thoughts in the back of my head, of what is he doing now? Is he having fun? Is he missing me too? Long distance is hard. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'll get to talk to Rich one more time tomorrow before he's gone. Into the Amazon. Sometimes I get jealous that he gets to go and I have to stay. Why didn't God call me? Why cant I go? Am I not fit to be an ambassador of Christ? But I know these are lies. I'm struggling with insecurity. It's not easy to let your fiance go into the Amazon with 2 female co-leaders. Don't get me wrong. I fully trust Rich. It's just that this is a trip of a lifetime. One that will change him forever. And I'm not there. He gets to grow in Christ and these 2 women, who I've never met, get to experience it with him. I guess this is where Satan begins to feed me lies. Lies that our relationship will be different when he gets back. Lies that we wont connect in the same way. Lies that he will connect with these women in ways he wont be able to with me. But the joke is on him. I hope Rich does come back different. I hope he comes back with a greater passion to follow Christ. I hope our relationship is different when he comes back. I hope he comes back a warrior who is ready to lead our new family. God has us right where he wants us. Even though it is hard to be apart, I know it wont be in vain. We will both come out of this changed for His glory. We were brought together to bring more glory to God. And I know that this time will be so worth it. 

"For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold."- 2 Corinthians 3:10-12

Bold is the word I got for Rich before he left. I am constantly praying for Rich to grow in his boldness for Christ. 

On to much lighter business....The photo on the left is from dinner. Alison and I ate a frozen pizza I bought, but I guess I didn't get it in the freezer in time because when we pulled it out all of the toppings were on one side. So we had to heat it up and try to make it more even. It actually turned out pretty well. AND it came with Toll House cookies! Alison and I also went to a co-workers engagement party. It was a lot of fun and I was so glad to have that fellowship. Also, before we went to the party, we stopped by Marsh Creek to drop off the deposit! Whoot! And I am so blessed that Norm Sapp was willing to sign our contract with us. If a member signs with you the club house fee is waived for the wedding! It was such a blessing that he was willing to do that for Richie and I. God is bringing this wedding together so flawlessly. I am so blessed.

Fun in the sun, flea market and friends, oh-my!

So today I woke up and went to the pool with Alison and Melissa. After that, I repotted the herbs in Rich and mines Topsy Turvy. Then Alison came over and we went to the flea market. I was going there with the intentions of looking for mis matched vases and jars and such for the candy bar for the wedding. And I hit the JACKPOT! Look what Alison and I found! Vintage candy dispensers! I got 2 of them along with a couple of jars for candy. Im SO excited that this is all coming together so well. I know God is orchestrating everything because I couldn't have done it any better. This evening I made the rest of the boutonnieres for the guys and head pieces for the girls. Now I just need to finish those pinwheels and the invites for the engagement party. And....drum roll please!!! We have a location for the wedding and reception! AND we have our photographers! I'm so stinkin' excited! Our photographers are The Long Farewell. Check out their website! They did the photos for our good friends Genesis and Catherine. Ever since I saw their pictures, I knew they were who I wanted to photograph my wedding.

In other news, I'm officially ready for Rich to come home. I know this time will fly by fast, but I'm really starting to miss him. The calls are getting shorter and less frequent. I know he is where he's supposed to be. But I cant help but want to be there with him. God is certainly working in my life, and I cannot wait to see how He is working in Richie's life. I guess until he comes home, I just have to pray that he's having a great time and that God keeps him safe.

Wedding Plans and Photographs!

So today I had the privilege of photographing the dear Stone family. We went to The Mission so I could photograph them as a family. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Taking photos of a baby is difficult. They dont look the right way and trying to capture their emotion is kinda hard. But as for babies, this one was the best. In the photos I did get, I think they look pretty awesome. It always helps when your models are good looking. :) This photo was one of my faves! I still have to edit all the photos, but I'm so blessed that this family let an amateur photographer capture their family time.

After photos, I came home and took an nap. Which was awesome. Then Jess and I went to Yamatos for sushi, and now I have delicious leftovers! Then we went to see Larry Crowne, which was pretty cute. It wasn't a chick flick for all you males out there. When we got home, I got to crafting, which is what I spend most of my down time doing. I've learned the key to a DIY Wedding is TIME! If I didn't have a year to plan and do stuff, I wouldn't have all the small touches I want. My current projects center around pinwheels. I'm making pinwheels out of felt for the groomsmen's boutonnieres and for my bridesmaids hair pieces. What do you think? I think they look pretty good for DIY. Thoughts?

DUCKS!

So this blog post is about my baby ducks. Let's give some background. Richie can validate my story. There was this mamma duck and she had 8 babies. I would bring food to them. I would have to throw it to them because they wouldn't come close enough. As time went on I started to look forward to their arrival. There are different ponds in Heritage Park and they frequent all of them. But nonetheless, I stated to look forward to seeing them on a regular basis. I loved watching them grow and develop personalities. Yes, ducks do have personalities. Eventually, one of them was brave enough to eat out of my hand. From then on, all the ducks started to do it.

Unfortunately, my kitty Lexi passed away. This is a video of her playing fetch. Yes, I had a cat who played fetch. She was a character to say the least. She was diagnosed with a tumor on her thyroid and she wouldn't eat. Mom had to put her down, but I know it was the right decision. I know it was a rough decision, but now Lex doesn't have to suffer.

All this being said, I firmly believe that God gave me theses ducks as therapy. I was able to watch them grow and develop. They come and go, and I have no obligation to them, but still, they have my heart. Rich has promised that we will get a puppy when we get married (he's allergic to cats). I'm so excited to get a dog. I know they are a lot of responsibility, but I miss the companionship and dependability a  pet offered. Until then, I'll take my ducks and thank God for my blessing. :) Enjoy the photos!

Isn't he cute!?

This is the Momma duck. She always keeps watch.

Pink Eye

Not too much to report today. I think I might have pink eye. My eye started acting up at work. I started to get this filmy stuff on my eye...kinda like when you get up in the morning and rub your eyes. Yea, that's what I had all day. I came home and took off my contacts. But to no avail. My eye got worse as the evening went on. So hopefully things will get better in the morning.

As time passes, the more I miss Rich. Luckily I've been blessed with an amazing roommate and some awesome friends. I'm trying to keep myself busy with hanging out with people and trying to not focus on his absence. Ironic that I get an eye with blurry vision the day I really start to miss Rich. My goal is to say focused on Christ instead of my circumstances. One plus of the day is that I heard from Marsh Creek! It's official. Rich and I will be husband and wife, May 26, 2012. Less than a year and I will be Mrs. Richard Lee Brooks II, or Danielle Elise Brooks.

I can't wait. :)

Craft Night

So today Jess and I had some girls over for a craft night! We all brought those projects we've been working on or have wanted to finish. It was such a good night of fellowship and bonding. I was able to work on pinwheels for the wedding. I'm pretty excited about them and think that it will add such an element of whimsy to the ceremony. Below are some photos of the evening. I did hear from Richie today, which was awesome. I love that I can still talk to him even if he isn't here. It's a good way to transition into no communication. Although the 4th will be when he and the team fly into the jungle and we wont have any communication. Continue keeping them in your prayers as the students arrive Thursday.

Today was a good day. I got an encouraging note, which was so unexpected. I'm so excited about what God is going to do this month. I was in 1 Peter 3 today. And one verse gave me some trouble...its the last half of verse 7. "...so that nothing will hinder your prayers." Peter is addressing husbands and wives and charging them with respecting one another. But I wanted to know why someone's prayers would be hindered. So I did some research and found some good stuff. Peter is not only addressing the prayers of both the husband and wife, but the prayers they engage in together. He is saying when a relationship is broken between two people, it hinders their interaction with Christ. Our strained relationship should be reconciled before we worship. Drawing a parallel, when a husband/wife relationship is strained it hinders our communion with God. When there is conflict between believers, it is often due to their pursuit of self-interest rather than a mutual submission to each other. Thus resulting in misdirected prayers.

This is good stuff to know as I prepare for marriage. But as for now I can apply this to my relationship with Christ. My relationship with Him needs to not be strained. I'm praying for God to point out the areas where I'm straining our relationship. Where I can be working to create a better bond between myself and God.

Big stuff. And Richie has only been gone for 24 hours. So excited to see what else God has in store for me. Enjoy the photos! :)

Nena and Melissa. Melissa was knitting a banana for Aubrey.

Megaroni was making garland for Aubrey's 1st birthday party!

JamieLee was making quilt squares for her little boy.

Jess was making a yarn wreath that is turning out to be awesome

Jillian was painting mason jars that she can put tea lights in for her new apartment.

The View From Here

Forgot to post this when it happened. But one day I decided to make chicken n’ dumplings…Nana style! My grandmother used to make chicken n’ dumplings all the time for me growing up. When she got cancer and lost her eyesight, she couldn’t make things like she used to. I realized that we didn’t even have some of her recipes written down. She just made them from memory and whenever she would pass away, so would her recipes.  So one weekend I had her sit in the kitchen with me so she could tell me how to make chicken n’ dumplings. God was gracious enough to allow her to remember how to make them with out actually making them. I had such a blast just cooking in my kitchen. I love that I have an island to roll out the dumplings on. I was able to drink out of her old mason jars. Everyone always raved about her chicken n' dumplings. I hope one day someone might rave about my chicken n' dumplings.

 The more time that passes after Nana’s death, the more I wish she were around. There have been several occasions where I wish I could call her up and tell her about my life. Leaving Channel 4 for Flagler. Buying a house. Sewing my first skirt. Getting engaged. And now making chicken n’ dumplings. I didn’t realize that this is what loss is. Never being able to call her, never being able to hear her voice or get one of her letters in the mail. All I’m left with are memories. But praise be to God who paid my debt so I could see her again. My family doesn’t really know where we came from. Seriously. We’ve researched it and all we have is Georgia. No lie. We’ve gone back at least 10 generations and all roads lead to Georgia. But even though my physical heritage is clouded, my spiritual heritage is well documented. Nana was the first person in our family tree to become a Christian. She gave her life to Christ when she was married to Papa, and through her example she was able to lead him to Christ when my mom was born. As they raised my mom and Uncle Robert they were able to share the Gospel with them. Then, when I was born, they were faithful to pass that on to me, and Rich and I will insure our children know about the saving grace of Christ. As 1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." Even though recipes like chicken n’ dumplings will fade away, I’m comforted by the fact that I serve a God who doesn’t change and will never fade away. 

Bon Voyage

Didn’t get a chance to blog about this when it happened so I’m doing it now. This past month Richie and I had to say good-bye to two of our closest friends, Laurie and Adam. Please keep them in your prayers as they are in the Peace Corps! They are headed out to Chengdu, China for orientation and then they will get their specific location for the next 2 years! Be praying that they have peace as they leave their home and families, that they plug into a great Christian community, and that their transition goes as smoothly as possible.

Just a little background Laurie and I met our first day in college. She lived in the dorm across the hall from mine and we were instant best friends. Ironically, thanks to my awkward introduction, she and Adam met on the bus on the way back from our freshman trip to Disney World. Even though Richie and I didn’t know each other at the time, him and Adam were roomies. 

Richie and I were both in their wedding and we have asked them to be in ours. So as you can tell, we are a very close group of friends. I’m so blessed to have them in my life. We have been through ups and downs and have supported each other along the way. It has been such fun to run this segment of life with them. I know that despite the distance we will remain close. Richie and I hope to offer support in anyway we can and will be praying for their safe return. Here are some photos from over the years, enjoy!

MOH and the Bride!

Us celebrating our engagement!

Laurie's famous Yodel dress. My fave.

Us being silly :)

Richie and Adam enjoying the fire.