bed, basketball, tea & rain

last night to briefly state: was a night from hell. i had a moment where i thought i actually might die of pain. i dont know what it was- but my stomach was dying. or something had died in it. it must have been the mexican food i had eaten for dinner (although we have eaten there many times and never such a thing has happened). anyway. i was up throughout the night and was in horrible pain.

so lets just say when i woke up today- i didn't really go anywhere. i just stayed in bed. all day. luckily for me its saturday during basketball season. now i LOVE basketball. LOVE it. unlike my dear friend julia who HATES it. i love watching it, so fun. so much action. i LOVE playing it also. anyway. today was college gameday- so i laid in bed and watched basketball.

ryan came over and joined me- but he read and studied for a midterm while i continued to watch basketball and played on facebook (among other things). duke came on and we watched and celebrated the victory- all the while in pjs and relaxing.

throughout this time- sweet ryan kept making me herbal tea (which is a clear liquid- something i am drinking) to help settle the tummy. i ate toast. and laid around.

all the while- it was raining. so peacefullly. and it continues to. just loud enough to be heard inside my room- just pitter pattering away. (ps this is suppose to turn into snow?! yikes)

so today. ive relaxed in bed (except going to have a delicious bowl of soup at panera bread), watched a lot of basketball, drank lots of delicious hot tea, and listened to the rain. its been lovely.

::ps this is a lovely cup of green tea in japan, not what i had today, but a good picture::

peace & love.

name game.

thanks blair for this killer idea. go here and you too can find this crazy info out...

i am the only dani mac in the united states. even crazier there are FEWER than 336 people in the US with my same last name!!

• There are 227,883 people in the U.S. with the first name Danielle.
• Statistically the 288th most popular first name.
• More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Danielle are female.

intersting isn't it! maybe not be true, but sounds likely!! :)
i am the only dani mac on facebook... so i mean thats basically the whole world right? crazy! oh wait. i just remember... im changing my name!!! so the one and only dani mac will soon be no more!! :( and dang. there are 30 people in the us with my new name. im flying solo no more. :(

sweden.

so i could never get google analytics to work. ughh. BUT i got stat counter to work and i lOVE it. its crazy! i did see i have 2 uk friends. (2 different parts of the uk) margaret i assume is one. and guess where else. SWEDEN. how crazy is that. plus tons of people from all different states have stumbled into my blog. so crazy, and quite scary!

craving.

a soda.
and its only day two.

isn't funny how when you are actually trying NOT to do something- its so darn easy to do it? such as the fact at work i am surronded by soda. its everywhere. and i can just have one if i want it. did i ever notice this before. no not really at all. not until now. AND here at work we have a killer coffee maker that makes flavored coffees. did i use it before now? no. well once. and now all i think about is how good one would be.

ummmm. hello. what in the world.

anyway. today is my last of six days on. i have worked 6 out of the last 8 days. TERRIBLE when its 12 1/2 hour shifts - that most have turned into 13 or 13.5 hours. hopefully tonight ill get out of here early. i hope. but 3 days off... and they will be glorious.

duke won bball last night. thank goodness. for many reasons but #1- ry is/will be in a great mood. :) plus we are watching lost tonight (since duke was on last night; thank goodness of DVR).

also. ry and i are looking at apts/townhomes here in the durham. dude. thats so darn exciting! ill be moving in JUNE! so if you are free ill give you lots of good food and fun if you help!! :) speaking of if you know of anyone who is renting a house/town house for cheap fill us in!! id MUCH rather rent a house- but hello. im not made of money! but durham-ites out there. keep your eyes open.

ok. enough blabbering for now.

peace and love.

lent

Lent: Prepare the Way from Living Water International on Vimeo.

forty days.

lent is one of my favorite times of year... but it was not always. not until college anyway. Ryan is definitely a spiritual leader to/for me. way back since the beginning. He has always challenged me and forced me to think about my beliefs and thoughts. Anyway, lent was never a big deal to me, until freshman year when ry talked to me about it, and explained the season of lent in a totally different way. since then i have taken a whole new approach to this time and season. my friend blair is a divinity student (at Vanderbilt though) she blogged about lent and i really enjoyed it. its much more eloquent than anything i could write. so enjoy.

"The holy season of Lent is before us. One of my favorite times of the year. There is a calmness that ensues. The air is filled with a renewed focus. Concentration. Stillness even.

Maybe it is because people give up drinking coffee (or sweet tea) and eating chocolate.

Maybe it is because there is lots required of the faithful, of disciples during these forty days.

Prayer. Repentance. Forgiveness.

Remembering.

Going without.

Coming into peace.

Living a gospel of hope, even though you know what happens at the end of the story. The really sad events of death. Death of destructive habits. Death of grudges. Death of the one who loved neighbors, strangers, and enemies.

Living a gospel of joy, even though you know what happens at the end of the story. This is a different type of anticipation. This anticipation faces death, first. Yet, there is joy in that morning sunrise. There is a new creation.

A calmness. In the midst of preparation. Anticipation. A waiting that requires strength, will power and...hope. A longing for the moment of restoration. Forty days. Forty days to forgive.

Ash Wednesday is upon us, friends. A new calm. A time to remember. Going without. Yet coming into a...new...peace. "

Ash wednesday is tomorrow. due to work i will be unable to attend any service- i am highly disappointed, but perhaps i will have my own service tomorrow night. tomorrow begins a journey forty days long that will encompass many things, including a trip to Guatemala. I am going to take people water- so my focus of this lent is water. its going to be a journey for sure that will take me to another country, but its going to be a season of growth and for that i am excited.

enjoy your next 40 days.
learn. grown. be challenged. go outside the box.

love and peace.
d

ps. need an idea. here you go. join me in this journey...


Don't fast. from Living Water International on Vimeo.

1 reason i should DEF marry ryan.

he cooks for me the days i work. i mean that alone is a reason to marry him.... but there are 100s of reasons. :) but back to cooking. today he was at the bball game so he could not make me dinner. so what did i have you ask? cereal and bacon. delicious. yeahhhh. like i said. its a good thing i am marrying him and a good thing he cooks for me.

onto another note. today was a long and hard day at work. but there was a bright side. i had a hispanic patient. he only spoke spanish. he and his family are from Chile. He was awesome though. I had an AMAZING time talking with him and teaching him all I could about what was going on. Dont get me wrong- my spanish is weak- but compared to my coworkers I am top notch. haha. but not really. but being with those patients and attempting spanish is my absolute favorite thing to do. i leave the room feeling like i actually have done something. I can't describe it. I just feel alive when I am takling to them and teaching them and trying to help them understand their condition.

so. today i began searching spanish classes. im going to work on getting into some medical spanish classes at a tech school here... and see where that gets me. i think it will be awesome. who knows. i can't start classes until after aug (#1 im getting married. #2 after august ill be considered a NC resident! AH!!) anyway. who knows. but i mean i love spanish. i love hispanics. i should do something about this.

well off to watch some duke bball and get in bed. i work yet again tomorrow. lovely.

peace and love.

saturday.

plan for my saturday.

- clean up the room
- take the little sister (YES I FINALLY HAVE A LIL IN BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS!! today is our first adventure) ...we are going to lunch and a movie. not the best thing to start up convo- BUT i got to just break the ice and do things... dont you worry. im going to teach this girl to craft. she just doesn't know it yet. haha... but she is 14. so we will be able to do lots.
- go to grocery and take back a redbox... ive had it for a while. like 4 days.
- cook ryan dinner
- read while he does hw tonight
- maybe finish robin hood (we started it last night. like the classic disney cartoon. SO GOOD!! and funnny!)

ok. i guess thats good enough.
guess i should get going. :)

google analytics

i have signed up for google analytics.
i have that set up... but
how in the world/ where in the world do i get that on HERE! i want to see where folks are! and how many there are! help!

someone out there must understand what im saying! i just dont get it!!

ties

ive always toyed with the idea to make my groomsman's ties. i think it would be neat.
today. i made my first tie.
i figured i have six months... if i want to do it i better start practicing now.
so this is my first tie.
most def not the best thing ive ever seen, BUT i did go quite quickly, used crappy scissors, never once ironed a crease and i handstitched it instead of using a sewing machine. im thinking this is def a possibility and def will work out. after i practice and make a few more. a whole lot more. but really using a sewing machine and iron will make a world of a difference.

so here goes. here is my first tie. dont judge. remember. its my first one.

::fabric::

:: pattern::

the end result

yeah... the pointy part isn't really pointy. its because my stitch isn't a perfect line. once again. a sewing machine will solve that prob.

hahaha...

thanks lee for this HAlarious video. if you have facebook... and you get on it at least twice a day... you will understand. and laugh. hard. at least i did.






ps. about #25. i feel the pain. its like since me and ryan aren't "engaged" on facebook... its like we really aren't in real life. people. come on. we are engaged. :)

six months.

ill be mrs snider. ...WHAT!?!??!!!

ummm. crazy.
how darn exciting.

:) its been a fun day consisting of duke chapel church, bk lunch, and a trip to a delicious coffee shop where ryan studied and i read real simple weddings. best book/magazine ever. this evening i began making a massive guest list. figured it will take a lil time to make it. decide. (only 150 can fit in the chapel!) and then get all of these addresses. looovveely.

anyway. im enjoying a lovely night with ryan. my future hubby. :)

yay!
love and peace. d

vday.

today marks the two week mark of our engagement.
haha. im lame.
BUT its also my turn for a saturday surprise and just so happens to be my year to do valentines day.

we have a nice lil every other saturday thing going AND iy works out nicely to alternate vdays... just the planning part. anyway.

i have to work- which puts a large kink in the day.
but i did come up with a stellar plan for tonight... but then ryan guessed it.
so im back to square one. and i have like 8 hours to figure something out.
because i want it to be a surprise.
im just not good at keeping them surprises.

anyway. hopefully a killer plan will come to me.

ill keep you posted.

:) D

sleepy.

but why?
i have not even been awake 12 hours! reallly!
i work longer than i have been awake, yet im sleepy!
today was quite a lazy day, but after a sleep lacking weekend topped with a 7 hour drive then a 12 1/2 hour work day... i need to be a bum.

it was nice actually quite WONDERFUL to sleep in, go to the grocery, sit in starbucks with rhino, then play around at his house, make a delicious dinner (homemade meat loaf) and then relax even more.

now im in bed, about to go to sleep so i can work tomorrow.

love and peace.
d

cloud 9.

wherever that is. ...thats where i am.

just had a fantastic weekend.
got TONS done. had a blast with my bff. and the parentals. saw lots of wonderful people. had lunch with 2 of my favorite people from the college (the deans- as in slay and b). played with 2 of the most awesome kids ever (and got to chat with their fantastic parents- one who just happens to be my wedding photographer! :) ) ate lots of realllly good food. and um did i mention i was with my bff for like 4 days straight?!?! yeahhhhh.

so. let me take a moment and praise JESUS! i took my car to get an oil change. good old crocket brothers not only did that but realized the bearings in my tire were alll messed up/broken/missing... not exactly sure. but all i know is i saw my tire wiggling and dangling and i saw the other tires not moving. it was a terrifing sight... to know i was driving around with that broken thing! thank goodness they had it completly fixed within 3hours... and i was on the road by noon. holy cow. what a HUGE blessing. thank goodness mom INSISTED i get the oil change!! no really.

the 7 hour drive back to durham was oh so fun. let me tell you. but i did think about the wedding basically the whole time- which made it fun.

umm. duke vs unc tomorrow night. EXCITING!! ry will be there. ...starting at 5:30 AM!! he will be waiting all day to get a good seat. ill be working all day then going over to a friends to enjoy the game in the comfort of his home. yes his. its ryan's student mentor's house. one of my favorite people in durham. haha... shoudl be sooo fun.

anyway. i have to work tomorrow. booo.
but hopefully it will be great. and if i ever get down ill just remember...

1. Jesus loves me.
2. IM GETTING MARRIED.
3. im off the next day.
4. IM GETTING MARRIED IN 6 MONTHS!
5. i will day dream about how fun the weekend was.

ok the end.

love and peace.
d

we have a date!

and a chapel!
and a DRESS!
and a (possible/ not definite) reception!
and a (possible/ not definite) rehersal dinner spot!
and a florist!
and a cake!
and a photographer!
and a preacher!

good grief. ry and i could get married tomorrow!!

:) lets just say it was a highly successful day! and- well- weekend!!

tomorrow is the journey northward up 85 to good old durham. back to the hunny. future/soon to be hubby! yayyy!!!

i will say i was not expecting to get so much accomplished- i just wanted a date. the chapel. get some ideas for what i like in a wedding dress. and figure out rehersal dinner and reception possibles... this was way better than i expected.

i never thought id get the SECOND dress i ever tried on- OR A dress from LAGRANGE!- but its PERFECT. one day you will see. in 6 months actually!

:) so peace and love from an excited bride!

goodness.

today was just that.

not so much for the bride's dress... but for the mystery girls' dresses and my mom's hunt for a dress it was perfect.

i have had so much fun with mom, my god mom, and sara. its been a blast!

tomorrow will be meetings with people about receptions and caterers and photographers?!? (i am hoping for the last one!!) anyway. trying to get lots done while i am here and i can.

anyway. im exhauuustteedddd.
off to bed. night.

let the hunt begin.

i am at home.
having a BALL.
since i am getting married in 6 months.
and it takes about 3 months for a wedding dress to come in.
and then it must be altered.
i am on the hunt for a killer stunning dress.
today the hunt began.
it was a BLASSTTTTT.
of course i dont have pictures to post-
except for these two.
taken by my lovely sara.
she has a few more pics on her blog.

dont worry. this is not going to turn into a wedding blog. but it just so happens that today i did wedding stuff. haha... :)

anyway. also went to a lagrange college alumni council meeting. so great. makes me love my alma mater so much.

anyway. off to bed. im exhauuusted.
peace and love.

georgia on my mind...

it has been one CRAZY WEEK!

let me tell you why.

1. i got engaged. HOLY COW.
2. ryan was supposed to have surgery. (he broke his hand)
3. i was going to come home today, but because of the surgery i postponed the trip.
4. surgery was canceled. (after an MRI it was determined the break was not so bad! GREAT NEWS)
5. so. IM GOING HOME TO GA TOMORROW!!! yayyy!!

home to lagrange and columbus friday- tuesday. i so wish ryan could come with... but since he is in school- thats does not really work out. :( so... ill be coming to lagrange to do some celebrating! shopping! planning! and scheduling!

now im not getting to crazy with the planning... im going to enjoy this sweet time! but i do want to get some places reserved... bc HELLO. im getting MARRIED in SIX months!!

anyway. im so excited to be at home. see the family. see my friends. its going to be wonderful. reallly. wonderful.

and by monday we will have a date!

THE story.... of my life.

im quite the happy girl.

as in the best story. not a long autobiography of my whole life.

the best story from the best day eevvverrr. ever. EVER.

the story of the engagement.

::first i apologize its taken so long. ive worked the last THREE days. yeah. 3 12's. ah!::

ok. here it is. enjoy.

How it ::the proposal:: happened:

Ryan planned a Saturday surprise trip for me. When I got to his house he told me go ahead and get in the car- we need to get on the road. So I did- and we got on the road. About a mile down the road Ryan told me he forgot the directions. He told me to look around the car so I did- and we pulled over to continue to the search. No luck. There were no directions anywhere. At this point I was a little flustered because I knew if we had to turn around I would not get Hardee’s breakfast. Ryan says- Gosh. we have to turn around and go back. So we did.

Once we got back to the house Ryan gave me his ipod and told me to try and get it to work while he ran inside. He returned a few minutes later stating he had no luck. I told him I’d go in and look with him. Upon entering his room I stood in shock. He had lit candles all over the room and made a collage of pictures of our four years together. I was so caught up in everything I looked down and HOLY COW. There was Ryan on his knee with the ring.

At this point I was doing a lot of laughing and crying. the laughter was simply because he fooled me. He got me SO good. I was SHOCKED and I couldn’t believe it was happening. After a moment of bliss- Ryan told me he made me breakfast (sausage balls- my fav) and that we were going to the mountains for a day of hiking and fun.

Boy it was- we went to hanging rock state park here in North Carolina and spent the day enjoying our time together. We hiked, had a picnic, took TONS of pictures, and saw some amazing waterfalls. The night was topped off with an amazing dinner one of the best restaurants we have ever been to. we enjoyed lamb, beef something on top of mashed potatoes, some wonderful wine, and a delicious dessert before the drive home.

the day was simply PERFECT.

ps here is the ring.
i LOOOVEEE it. so perfect and SO TOTALLY ME!

check out more goodies about me and rhino's big day here: http://ryananddanielle.wordpress.com/
*its will be updated as we make plans.... just so ya know. :)

one picture says it all...

ill be posting more details soon...
but yes blogging world.
we are indeed engaged.