These are some facts: I have been taken to the hospital via ambulance two times in the past 6 months and for the same reason: excruciating, black-out inducing abdominal pain related to my period. After several ultrasounds and other doctor appointments, the conclusion was that I was just having bad cramps. I know what bad cramps are. I have them every month. What I experienced was definitely not bad cramps. So right now, I don't have any answers as to what happened and why it has happened twice.

These are some more facts: Both episodes started at home with my parents there. It could have happened while nannying, working at school or driving. But it didn't. I don't have cancer or any other serious condition requiring immediate action.

So while I search for some kind of reasonable diagnosis, I am thanking God for his amazing protection.

brain-washing and beyonce

Had a dream last night that I stumbled into a house full of people I knew who were brain washed by the house owner. She tried to brain wash me too but I didn't fall for it.

Also, this is great:

magic

Snippet of a conversation from nannying today:

Josh: "Do you like unicorns, Danielle?"
Me: "Yep."
Josh (smiling): "Me too."

Jessica loves Julie Andrews, as do I, which kind of bonds us in a way. She often asks me if I'm Mary Poppins, to which I always reply with a resounding, "YES!" But then she says, "Why aren't you wearing a dress then? Mary Poppins always wears a dress."

Mary Poppins is pure magic. And I'm enchanted by it. This is magic too:

a little bit lost

Every so often in my rigorous grad-school program, I get a chance to breath. Like right now. I have a minute to get my head above water and take a deep breath before being plunged back into the depths. And these moments of recovery are becoming rarer and rarer. Sometimes I wish I'd never enrolled in this program. And sometimes I feel like I'm losing myself just a little bit. I don't feel quite the same...I think what I'm feeling is what they call "jaded." And I miss my friends. I hate that I don't get to see them very much.

I sound like such a whiney-pants. But this is what blogs are for, right?


Alas, the end is near. Not as near as I would like it to be, but near it is indeed. I just pray that the Lord keeps me together. I know he will. He always does.

you are my sunshine

(just a few more edits from luke and sarah's engagement shoot)

Do you ever start having a nightmare and then jerk yourself into consciousness? But you're not fully awake and you're afraid to fall back into sleep because you're afraid you'll just fall right back into the nightmare? Well one of those scenarios happened to me last night.

I have a semi-reoccurring nightmare that men have broken into my house and their mission is to kill me with their karate. And basically I get my butt kicked. It sounds so lame when I type it out, but it is downright terrifying when I'm in the middle of it.

I'm incredibly exhausted and I don't have the motivation or energy to work on my homework. My eyes sting and I'm still not over this cold and I just want to burrow into my bed and not come out until springtime.

just a few things...

Wow. This waldorf salad looks delish. I will make and devour it as soon as possible.

Also, I would like to sing the praises of this white noise generator. Lately, Sammy has been waking me up around 4am every morning with his crazed bouts of barking because he gets freaked out in his cage. I was beginning to lose my mind from losing sleep. I sleep with a fan on for the white-noise effect, but it couldn't block out the dog. Then I received a blessed noise machine and it works like a DREAM. Yes, a dream. It has saved my sleeping life.

Miriam, if you read this, I LOVE YOU. Well I love you whether you read this or not, but you know what I mean. Miriam is a dear friend of mine and she is in AFRICA. I hope she posts on her blog so I can know what's happening. :) I miss her like cray-zee!

Oh one last thing: I am going to get my hair cut. I am thinking about getting bangs. Like these ladies:





bangs? yay? nay?