Meet Dani!

First, real name isn't Daniella, its plain ol'boring Dani.  Actually I like it, but my BFF prefers Daniella, well she really prefers Daniella Smella but for this blog I stuck with the first name.  Nicknames are her thing and it has finally grown on me.  I chose to go with her name for me because she is the reason I found my love for running.  Katie is the reason for a lot of things in my life, mostly all good ;)

Katie and I, October 2012, after our the Portland Marathon

I have twin daughters, Sarah and Katherine, who are 4 years old.  Yep, Katherine is named after Katie, told you she was responsible for a lot of good.  They are the love of my life and drive me crazy at the same time.  Yes twins were a surprise to Jess and I but we wouldn't have it any other way.  My family is the most important thing to me with running coming in as a close second.  

I consider myself fortunate because my family is extremely supportive of my running.  My little red head (Sarah) is always telling me how she wants to run with me and even asked for running shoes from Santa.  Seeing how my choices are influencing them is a major boost for me to keep it healthy and be a role model.  

Can't forget this girl, meet Lucy, the Pug, or as Jess has kindly referred to her, our white loaf of bread.  She's silly and fun and snores like a freight train.  She keeps things interesting around here!  

I am working my way into becoming a professional freelance writer and I love having a blog to keep my creative juices flowing.  You'll find a lot of running on the blog for sure but I have a ton of other hobbies that will find their way on here!  

I have a yearly album that I am always behind on but love called Project Life by Becky Higgins.  You can learn more about it here.  

  

For me keeping a record of our family's history is really important.  I want the girls to have something to look back on one day when I am not here to share everything with them and their children.  

I love to craft and find ways to decorate my house without killing our bank account.  I am always trying to find ways to simplify and enjoy the small things in life.  Running keeps me centered and helps me succeed with so many other aspects of my life.  If you are new to running or considering trying it out, please do!  Give it a shot, not just one run and it was hard so now I am quitting, I am talking about give it 6 months or more.  I can almost guarantee you will fall in love with running and it will change your life, like it changed mine.