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Danielle's Diary
Apr 2, 2026
My Kind of Easter
I always know when Easter’s coming. The air gets warmer, I get to go outside more, and people just seem happier. That’s how it starts. When I was younger, it was the decorations that gave it away. Little bunnies, colorful baskets, and my favorite—the ceramic eggs Mom made herself—would pop up all over the house. She’d put them in all the usual places, and I’d go around checking every one, just soaking it all in. But the biggest clue of all was the plastic tablecloth. Once that crinkly thing...
Feb 12, 2026
Dentist Day
The lights just turned on in my bedroom, it's 8am. Hmmm….I normally sleep until I wake up. Something suspicious is going on. What could it be? Do I have a visitor? Maybe it’s Mom and Dad? Maybe we have a new staff member who doesn’t know how this normally works? Nope, it’s Lovia speaking to me in her unusually happy singing voice. Oh no, something very bad must be happening today. What could it be? Is it the Doctor or Dentist or another scary building with strangers?! In my mind, the...
Jan 10, 2026
A Day With Braylee
Whew — what a day! I woke up thinking it was just a regular morning, but then I heard footsteps and voices, and I knew something was up. And sure enough, there she was... Braylee, one of my favorite nieces! She’s always been the little one. The littlest niece. Smaller than me, even. But now somehow she’s like two feet taller than me?? When did that happen?? Ugh. Unbelievable. But she still has the same excited energy I remember, and of course, I gave her a big “Danielle” hug right away. Mom...
Nov 12, 2025
Wagon Rides!
It’s getting colder. That means I get to wear my puffy pink jacket (my favorite one) and my boots! (I wear those all the time anyway though) Sometimes there’s even a big leaf pile waiting for me at Mom and Dads too, and I go right in! But my favorite part about this time of year is the wagon rides. When we go up to the cabin, Mom and Dad bundle me in blankets and pull me along the dirt road. Sometimes the nieces and my brother or sister are there too. Everyone walks together, and I get to be...
Oct 30, 2025
Halloween Pumpkins
When I was little, my parents made every holiday special and Halloween was one of my favorites. In our house, most things we did as a family were centered around the kitchen table. We would eat, color, wrap gifts, celebrate birthdays, change diapers, pay bills, and even use it as a fort and hide under it. On Halloween, Mom would lay old newspapers out on it and Dad would bring home the biggest pumpkin I had ever seen. When it was time to carve, we would make it a big family event. My dad...
Sep 5, 2025
Swinging Queen
I’m a lot stronger than I look. I know I may not look athletic from the outside, but don’t be fooled. I hear it all the time from my family: I’m the strongest one. Honestly, they're not wrong. I am surprisingly strong. I lift things for Mom at the house all the time, cases of soda, or milk, or water. One of the reasons I’m so strong is because I love to swing. I can spend hours outside on my swing and the higher the better! Doesn’t matter where I am, the park, the cabin, the group home...
Aug 30, 2025
Out With the Old, In With the New
So apparently, I ruined the old dresser. Their words, not mine. Personally, I thought it was fine—a little lived in, sure. The drawers were crooked and kind of falling out, but it had character. That dresser had been through two group homes with me. I had an emotional attachment to it. It still worked great for socks, underwear, pajamas, everything I needed! But apparently, one too many drawer slams, and one too many “Danielle, put your clothes away and shut your drawers like you know how,”...
Jul 24, 2025
Summer Drives to the Lake
My favorite days are when mom and dad come to pick me up and I get to go home with them and even better when we go to the lake. I know the way to the lake and as we get closer, I can barely contain my excitement! I like to sit behind my dad and look out the window and sing songs on the long drive. My dad has the best singing voice, and he knows all the words to our favorite songs. Mom usually turns the music down but sometimes she likes to sing along too. We even stop at the DQ on the way or...