DanEcca's Blog

Wedding, Act I

2009-04-24T23:47:00.009-04:00

During the week of the wedding, we attempted to finalize all the last-minute details that could only be addressed in that last week. Both Dan and I had overflowing brains and short attention spans in light of all that needed to be done. There were seating charts to arrange, candy to purchase, suitcases to pack, programs to proofread, rings to secure, tuxes to fit, a card box to complete constructing, a wedding gown to pick up, hands to manicure, toes to pedicure, family/friends to hug/welcome, and a partridge to put in a pear tree. It was exhilarating and exhausting all at once.

I took time off of work starting on April 1, and Dan did what he could prior to that. As we made our way to Friday, April 3, we could feel the culmination of all of our efforts, and were eagerly anticipating that start of all the festivities.

Friday morning, while working on the computer, the strangest voice was heard coming from the kitchen talking about this wedding invitation she had. As I turned around, still trying to understand what was transpiring, I witnessed my cousin Donna from California, magically standing in my kitchen. This amazing gal made the long trip from the Bay Area to come to our wedding, and did it all as a surprise to Dan and I. We were so touched by her presence and representation of the Friedman clan:

Donna joined us at the Rehearsal and used her talents to make the rehearsal bouquet from my shower gift ribbons!

My Aunt Myrna & Uncle Tom from Maryland and cousin James from Boston also came into town and joined as at the rehearsal. My Aunt brought my 'something old' for the wedding, and gifted to me an antique birth charm that has been on my paternal side for many generations, as well as a beautiful lace handkerchief (I carried these items with me during the wedding). My cousin Charles and his wife Gwyneth were there in spirit.

Dan's Aunt Peg, cousins Chris & Sarah Davio and their kids Elizabeth, Linda & Paul arrived from Texas and Miami, respectively. We had the chance to visit with them briefly at the rehearsal.

We also had Dan's cousin Alan and kids/girlfriend from Long Island drive through the night on the 3rd to make it to Michigan in time, as did his Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul from New York. Dan's cousin Kristin flew in from California, my good friend Alexa flew in from Washington D.C., and my friend Sara made the trip from Chicago. People came from near and far to bear witness and share in our union to one another.

While everyones' efforts were equally cherished, we were particularly thrilled to reunite with our amazing friends, Mike and Kimberly, who live in Colorado. An integral part of the day as a part of our wedding party, we snuck some alone time to visit as our foursome, and got a long over-due shot of our 'family:'

We enjoyed an amazing rehearsal dinner prepared by Chef Dave and his helpful assistants -- braided salmon and sole, rice pilaf, asparagus, just to name a few items. Finally Dan and I said our goodbye's that night, knowing that we'd next see each other at the altar.

The gals headed off to the Radisson for the night, and the guys went over to Dave's.

Up next, Our Wedding Day!

Long Overdue Update

2009-04-24T23:44:00.003-04:00

It is true that DanEcca's blog was created to chronical the 'Oh so kooky' lives of Dan and Rebecca, especially the Main Event --> the wedding on April the 4th. Due to all the preparing and planning, we fell a little short on the Blogger front, but are happy to report that we are back with a vengence!

Prepare yourself trust blog followers -- we're going to try and bring you back up to speed before our memories fade even more than they already have!

I cannot explain this

2009-03-19T21:50:00.004-04:00

Dan's bachelor party was the weekend after mine. His posse went to a Red Wings game and hung out at the German Club. On Sunday morning, (the morning after), I stopped by the German Club, and was told to look inside the back of this van:

I'll admit, I was kind of nervous. Never in a million years, however, did I expect to see the following...

and YES -- IT WAS REAL -- 100% REAL -- moving and all:

They do say a picture's worth a thousand words. Indeed-a-rooney.

Ski-weekend

2009-03-19T21:38:00.003-04:00

I have some amazing girlfriends, and these gals took me to Crystal Mountain for a bachelorette-ski-weekend. We enjoyed the amazing slopes and picturesque resort, complete with a lovely rental home that had two Jacuzzis! What a great way to celebrate my final days of singledom!

The bachelorette, ready to hit the slopes:

Andrea, Heidi, and I:

Irene, Cheryl, Myself, and Andrea:

Crystal even came with strippers on skis!:

Huh?

2009-03-04T21:57:00.006-05:00

In late February we headed up to Kirk & Andrea's again for some more snowmobiling and witnessed (again) the most curious thing about K & A's children: Caden (3) and Logan (2) loooove to go "no-gome-beel-ing" and are excited to get all bundled up and into their helmets for their rides. Before we even arrived for the weekend, both boys had decided that Caden was riding with Uncle Dan, and Logan was riding with Mommy (Andrea). I was lucky enough to be riding with Kirk, but then got permission from the kiddies to just ride on my own sled and Daddy on his.

So, we take the near hour to get the kids into all their gear, and the following happened AGAIN (it happened last time we went, but we thought it was a fluke):

Hmmm....very interesting.

Curling, eh?

2009-03-04T21:36:00.004-05:00

To Roseland Curling Club we went a few weekends ago, to participate in the enthralling sport of CURLING! We threw stones, sprung from the hack, slid, swept, and slid some more -- all on a pebbly sheet of ice with a piece of tape affixed to one shoe and massive boulders sliding this way and that! Some skipped, others led, and the rest of us either left it or "got on it" (keep it clean, keep it clean).
Some of us were better than others, but we all enjoyed a good time in the foreign land to the east. Oh yes, and there was also POUTINE!

Action Dan:

Nan & Dan focusing on the task at hand:

See ya later hosers!

Shower II

2009-03-02T20:12:00.003-05:00

My mom took all the pictures from the 2nd shower, and I'm waiting to get copies from her. So for now, you'll just have to settle for the following:

How fun!

The beautiful and yummy desserts:

A Little Miracle

2009-02-16T12:31:00.004-05:00

As people of deep faith, we know that God's timing is not always something we can understand or have great patience around. His timing, however, on Feburary the 6th, 8th and 10th are amazing displays of His loving embrace in all of our lives.

On February the 8th, Dan's beloved sister and brother-in-law received news that a beautiful little girl was born on Friday the 6th and was available for adoption. On February the 10th, Dar and Steve brought Natalie Marie into their hearts and home. Little Miss weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz and I believe was 19" long at birth.

We were able to meet this amazing little girl the day of her homecoming, and are already head over heels in love with our little niece.

Welcome to the family, little Lady!

Let's Go Red Wings!

2009-02-16T12:18:00.003-05:00

A couple of Wednesdays ago, Dan and I were invited by Kirk and Andrea to go to a Wings game. Phoenix was opposition and it was quite an exciting game. I got to try out my new point-and-shoot (gifted by Kirk and Andrea as a shower present), and was really impressed with the great shots.

I was also happy to see that my "arm-out-front" shots come off pretty good with the new little guy. We had some funny trial-run shots, but ended up with some keepers.

Oops!

Ta Da!

Air Odie?

2009-02-15T12:56:00.006-05:00

A few weekend ago we headed up to Lapeer Michigan to visit our friends Ricky & Paula's for a visit, and to do some much-needed work on Dan's truck.

We descended on our friends for the entire Saturday, and they were nice enough to let us bring Odie along.

When we got their Odie immediately migrated toward the numerous soccer balls lying here and there. Brendan tossed the ball to Odie, and the most amazing thing happened! Odie "headed" the ball. Brendan and Sydney were particularly taken with this feat, being familiar with a movie called Air Bud wherein the main character, a golden retriever, heads a ball. Sydney caught a fun shot:

Ricky & Paula have two dogs of their own. One is a Great Dane who weighs over 125 lbs. and the other nears 80 lbs. We were all chatting at the kitchen table when we heard a little "help!" from the living room. We were amused to see:

I guess this is pretty common, as the dogs are very attached and protective of Brendan, and happened to pick their snoozing spots on the floor right where Brenden was playing video games.

We ended the night with a few rounds on the Wii, playing Guitar Hero. Here's Dan and Brendan going head-to-head:

But Paula is the undisputed queen of Guitar Hero. Try as their might, the guys just couldn't beat her!

Shower I

2009-02-02T20:44:00.008-05:00

Thank you to Sarah & Andrea for throwing such a great shower. Nan's flowers and cookies were amazing, and my mom's support much appreciated. Thank you to our amazing friends and family for their generosity.

Friends:

Cake, yum!

Gifts -- thanks!

Just 2 more months!

The computer says:

2009-01-26T17:01:00.003-05:00

The future is a little unclear for the Dell, but she's in good hands with repairman Mark. The first shower was wonderful, and I hope to make an entry sooner than later.

TUT 2009

2009-01-18T21:49:00.008-05:00

This weekend we went up north with Kirk, Andrea, Caden, and Logan to Houghton Lake for Tip Up Town. This annual winter festival is held on Michigan's largest inland lake over two weekends in January. For those of you who do not know what a Tip Up is, it is an implement used when ice fishing. A tip up enables an ice angler to fish a hole unmanned. If a fish takes the bait suspended by the tip up, a flag gets tipped up into the air signaling FISH ON.

Nowadays, TUT boasts many festivities, including an ice fishing content (homage to its namesake), fairgrounds with a polar bear dip, carnival rides, junk food, beer tent, and ice slide. There is snowmobile racing/demos on the ice and even a parade on the streets!

This year we caught the parade for the first time. It was FRIGID outside, and we all had to bundle up to try and keep warm.

Andrea and Caden keeping warm:

Logan and I, all bundled up:

We happened to park right by the end of the parade route, which also doubled as the finish line for a Bed Race. I'd never seen one of these, so it was fun to catch the winning moment:

We also got to do some snowmobiling. Conditions could not have been nicer, and we got 3-4" of fresh power on Saturday.
Andrea riding ahead on the lake -- look at that snow!

Andrea and I on the trails:

Friend or Enemy?

2009-01-18T21:01:00.008-05:00

Odie and Tucker have a unique hot/cold relationship. Unlike the other cats who don't trust Odie for even a split second, Tucker seems to have more patience and will often wait and see what's going to happen when it comes to Odie being within 2 feet of a cat. Invariably the interchange ends in exactly the same fashion -- Odie trying to 'hunt' or stampede the kitty, but Tucker still keeps trying:

Even at a young puppy age, Tucker tried to hold his ground:

You'd think Tucker would run for it, but he's torn between his 'spot' and the annoying dog:

Odie sometimes tries to be coy by sneaking around objects.

But Tucker is on to him (look at Tucker's eyes!)

So you'll understand my surprise when I happened upon this scene this evening:

Wonders never cease!

Funny

2009-01-13T14:34:00.004-05:00

DanEcca im Lebkuchen

2009-01-07T21:58:00.004-05:00

We started a Christmas tradition this year of constructing a gingerbread house on Christmas morning. I purchased a German kit from a local store, and as we were putting it together we discovered that the constructed house was a near-perfect representation of us! Even Odie was there!

Later, after reading the box, I discovered that the house was intended to depict the story of Hansel and Gretel. We still think that fate handed us our very own prepackaged little cookie/candy DanEcca diorama.

Errr, wait . . . I suppose that would require a dirt bike, duck decoys, and Big Idea Book. Ah well, Hansel & Gretel it is!

Christmas Surprises

2008-12-30T19:51:00.003-05:00

Christmas Eve was a normal work day for me. Dan was on vacation and was able to meet me for lunch, and as we were finishing our meal, he suggested that I ditch work so that we could do something together. That, of course, wasn't possible, and so Dan resigned himself to head home and wait for me to finish my day.

Dan dropped me off at the office and my phone was ringing even as I was walking back to my desk. I took the call, which ended up being rather lengthy, and nearing its completion, I swivelled my chair to look out my ground-floor window that faces the building's parking lot, only to nearly jump out of my skin at the smiling face peering in at me:

While on the phone, someone special built me a snowman to keep me company. It was darned near the sweetest simple thing ever. Never mind that I nearly had a heart attack each time I turned around, having forgotten about my new friend.

With our warm spell, Mr. Snowman was all melted when I returned to work on Monday. It's funny though -- you can totally see the hair, arms, and eyes on the ground outside of the window!

Odie and the Snow

2008-12-07T21:31:00.006-05:00

I know, I know -- lots of new posts all at once. I've been a little neglectful with the blog, and am on a roll, plus there was a lot of picture-taking this weekend.

Odie loves the snow, today was a sunny day, and I wanted to use my newest lens some more. Add all of those together, plus loop Dan in to participating, and you end up with the below shots:

Found a stick; never mind the snow up the nose:

Series -- backing up (a command he's recently mastered) so that we can throw stuff to him, and the delicate nature of a snowball, as opposed to his tennis ball:

Can you see the snowball in the shot? It's at 11 o'clock

"HEY! Whuh happnd?" (Mighty Wind shout-out) Ah well, maybe next time.

Making Headway

2008-12-07T21:16:00.004-05:00

A lot of folks have been asking about our plans with housing after the wedding. Dan and I are each proud homeowners, yet our purchases were each starter houses that really wouldn't fit a family.

Dan has been working furiously on his house in the hopes that we can sell it in the near future and then only have one starter home to worry about. We were both quite amused by one of the messier tasks, which rather left Dan looking like Casper when he was through.

Shirt:

Right arm:

Left arm:

TA-DA!:

Thankfully drywall is almost through!

Noel Night Detroit 2008

2008-12-07T20:59:00.004-05:00

On Saturday my church's Bell Choir took part in the 36Th Annual Noel Night in Downtown Detroit's cultural center. This free December event hosted over 70 performance groups who dotted themselves in/around the cultural corridor of Detroit making music and entertaining the attendees, all in the spirit of the Season.

Despite the bitter cold and snow, the evening was a lot of fun and I think the crowd really enjoyed our Christmas themed pieces, including the famed (and frustrating-to- play) Carol of the Bells. I think my ringing of A-flat, A-natural, B-flat and B-natural was pretty darn good considering, and was really touched that my sister Deborah and my brother Joel were each able to stop by during one our three performances that evening.

We'll be performing again on the streets of downtown Royal Oak on Thursday 12/11 at 6pm, in case you want to try and catch a show this year, yourselves!

Finally 3!

2008-12-07T20:48:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday we were delighted to learn that Andrea & Kirk welcomed their third child into the world. No-so-little Mason Kent arrived on Thursday evening, weighing in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. and measuring an impressive 23.5" ! All of womankind's hat is off to you, Andrea for delivering this child naturally!

I couldn't wait to get to see this newest addition, and Dan and I were able to go down to the hospital on Saturday morning to congratulate Mom and Dad in person -- and to get to hold that adorable little baby.

Can't wait to teach this little guy how to say 'Aunt Becca,' too.

The Great Debate Continues

2008-10-30T21:24:00.015-04:00

Today Dan presented me with what he called a "surprise gift."

He went shopping today and encountered a seasonal blend that is now on sale at many local stores.

Part A of the gift was this:

And I immediately knew what part B of the gift was going to be, especially based on a the "AHA, I know I'm right" look all over Daniel's face.

So I encountered a bag full of these:

And more specifically one particular kind of 'nut' ---> which Dan declared to be AN ACORN purchased from Kroger and from their nut-medley barrel:

Ah, yes! The ever popular assortment of Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and ACORNS!

Upon closer inspection:

So we cracked it open and ate the contents, which Dan declared tasted acorn'y good and as acorns should.

I found this item to have the taste of Nutella or Frangelico -- BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY A HAZELNUT, FOLKS.
NOT AN ACORN!!

Dan continues to proclaim success in proving me wrong, and is satisfied with his previous assertion, made in Houghton Lake at the playscape.

I'm pretty confident as to who the crazy person is in this disagreement.

:-)

2008-10-22T15:52:00.006-04:00

I have to pay tribute to likely the most distant viewers of this blog: HELLO TO AKIKO AND TETSU!! Akiko is a hometown friend whose family lived in the United States for a number of years after her father got transferred from their native Japan to Michigan. Akiko and I met nearly 15 years ago and formed a wonderful friendship that remains to this day. Communication is done intermittently over email due to Akiko's return to Japan after we graduated from high school, but we still manage to catch up on each other's lives despite the distance.

One of the coolest trips I've taken in my life was to Japan for Akiko's college graduation. Andrea and I made the trip together, and met Akiko's now husband Tetsu, who was kind enough to put us up in his apartment during our stay, and drive us all over Hiroshima and surrounding areas to show us Japan.

Akiko, Andrea, and myself in Japan in 2002:

Akiko and Tetsu are the proud parents of two beautiful little girls. Momoka is 4-years old and Yuna is 3-months. While we realize a trip to the States for our wedding is probably impossible, we do hope to someday reconnect either here or there!

Tetsu & Akiko at their wedding:

Tetsu, Yuna, and Momoka:

SAYONARA!

More Fall Fun

2008-10-19T19:04:00.005-04:00

This weekend we were invited to lovely Montrose, Michigan for pumpkin carving (sorry Jordans -- we cheated on you!), birthday celebration, and great company. Odie got to make the trip too, but alas Donnie the Chihuahua was not at all amused by his presence.

We headed to the local pumpkin patch where we each selected the perfect pumpkin (or pumpkins in some peoples' case), and then headed home to start the carving. Ciera had some fancy powered carving tools, and we all labored in the chilly fall air for quite some time. We waited for it to get dark before we had the official lighting/unveiling, and passed the time by eating a delicious dinner of lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and RING BOLOGNA plus a yummy chocolate-carmel-coolwhip-heath dessert creation.

Finally, when it was dark enough, we headed outside to view our art and were not disappointed:

Heidi's handiwork:

Dan's double-pumpkin -- witch & her cauldron viewed through a window with an owl/ frog:

My carving, also a double pumpkin -- the little guy is in jail!:

Sara's pumpkin -- she represented Switzerland well:

I owe a HUGE apology to Ciera, as all the pics of her princess pumpkin were blurry (I think my camera froze by then). So in its place, here's shout-out to the Renaissance Festival and Dan's favorite hand-held food of all time -- The Turkey Leg. Ciera showed she could hang by getting one with Dan, and she actually did a pretty good job of eating that thing. GO CIERA!:

Thank you friends!! It was a wonderful day!

Birthday!

2008-10-19T18:27:00.006-04:00

This past weekend we celebrated my 29th birthday. Many thanks to everyone for their calls and well wishes -- it was a wonderful day!

This year Dan did some planning and surprised me with 'hidden' messages on the bathroom mirrors. They only appeared after I took a shower and steamed up the bathroom (it was quite challenging getting the lens of the camera NOT to fog):

I got spoiled at work with gifts and lunch, plus a Dairy Queen cake (thank you Erin), and flowers from my mom:

When I arrived home Dan surprised me with some presents, and we then headed out to dinner at J. Alexanders and had arguably the best prime rib either one of us has ever eaten. When we got home, Dan locked me in the bathroom while he readied the final item, and then serenaded me with "Happy Birthday" and a Banana Cream Pie ice-cream cake -- YUM!!

Dan and I, ready to go out for dinner:

My surprise/glee after being let out of the bathroom & seeing the cake/hearing Dan's song:

YUM!

By far my favorite part of the evening is when Dan proclaimed: "This is the last birthday you're going to celebrate as Rebecca Moses!"

Indeed. And I cannot wait for next year when we celebrate as Mrs. Dan Geppert.

Houghton Lake

2008-10-14T17:33:00.014-04:00

This past weekend we went up to Houghton Lake with Kirk & Andrea and the boys. We haven't been up there since Memorial Day weekend, and were very much looking forward to the trip. It was a quiet and peaceful weekend with beautiful weather and gorgeous fall colors. The drive up was awful, and it made for a long Friday after a full day's work, but the good night's sleep that one can only experience up north, made it all worth it. We got to go swimming in the world's coldest pool and most lukewarm hot tub, and also perused all the new snowmobiles at Spicer's (Kirk could barely resist buying one). We ate ice cream and pizza and celebrated a birthday complete with candles, a song, and a Sanders Bumpy cake!

On Sunday morning we visited the community play scape (Dan immediately proclaimed that he was going to build a similar structure for his kids one day). I set about trying to capture some shots with the tricky telephoto lens Dan got me, and managed to get some pretty neat pictures.

Dan at the top of the play scape (I struggled with the shadows/sun light):

Caden and Logan on the tire swing -- and lovin' every minute of it:

My favorite picture of the day: Caden (it looks like it could be a print ad for Ralph Lauren or something):

Group shot -- it took forever because it's nearly impossible to do a timer-shot with a telephoto lens and NO tripod; a precarious balancing act!:

One curiosity of this play scape was all of the little resident chipmunks running around everywhere. They were surprisingly calm and even froze long enough to get some fun shots:

Another amusement at the play scape was when Dan declared that acorns were most certainly edible and delicious right off the tree, and that Andrea and I were crazy for insisting that they were NOT part of cocktail mixes or nut medleys sold in retail stores. Dan decided to prove us wrong by locating one, cracking it open and then eating it. He cannot say that we didn't warn him or try to stop him (plus my research has revealed that many varieties of raw acorns contain unhealthful amounts of tannin, which make them very bitter, and that one must actually take some steps to make them edible).

Dan cracking open an acorn with his bashing stick:

Voila -- ACORN!

After a hearty chomp into the meat of the acorn, Dan immediately made an acrid face and then spit the contents out onto the ground as quickly as he could. His face remained much like this for the duration:

Afterwards, Dan insisted that the acorns had to be roasted. We questioned that perhaps he was thinking about chestnuts, but he claimed not -- acorns are edible if you just roast them.

I then turned around to see Logan 'gathering.' His pockets were FULL of acorns, but he knew that human don't eat them, despite Dan's assertions!

Goodbye Houghton Lake -- see you for Tip Up Town!

Fall Festivities

2008-10-06T14:21:00.012-04:00

This past weekend, while Dan was up north with the dirt bike/riding club, I was invited to go the Erie Orchard for pumpkins, cider, and donuts. Kirk and Andrea took their two & 3/4 kids (the 3/4's child is due early December), and we met up with Rhea & Rob and their 1 and 1/2 kids (she's due in January), and James & Danielle and their two boys.

We could not have asked for better weather, which was a nice change from last year's sweltering heat.

The kids really enjoyed picking pumpkins and petting/riding the farm animals, and we all enjoyed the fresh cider and donuts and our walk to nowhere in the middle of all the apple trees.

Logan, Caden, and Sara & their pumpkins:

Rhea and I (she's older than me!):

Rhea, Andrea, and I:

It's hard to believe that the year is coming to a close and that the holidays are nearly upon us! On a related note (and a fantastic segue), as we were walking through the orchard, Rhea's daughter Sara yells out: "SANTA!" We were like, "Where?," and then saw the kettle corn guy working at his stand, and understood instantly. Sure enough -- HE REALLY LOOKED LIKE SANTA! This guy knew that his look resembled Old St. Nick, and probably wore red on purpose! As we got closer Sara was cracking all of us up, because you could tell she just didn't know what to do with herself, seeing Santa and all at the apple orchard. She finally warmed up and we got some really cute shots.

Family ROCKS!

2008-09-30T18:17:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago we got quite a surprise when we learned that my cousin Dawna was in the Detroit area on a 'business' trip. The eldest daughter of my mom's brother travelled from the San Francisco Bay area to Michigan for the Detroit Grand Prix.

Dawna, the coolest person EVER, works as a team member for team Lux Performance Group . She's been involved in the racing world for over 10 years and has the most fascinating stories. I'll admit that the racing scene is new to me, but I certainly recognize the biggies in the racing world:
Daytona in 2003:

Though her schedule was tight, we were all able to get together for a last-minute dinner, and enjoyed reminiscing as family and learning about the interesting world of race car driving. Dan tried to scam some Grand Prix ticket, but instead had to settle for some Team Lux Prix paraphernalia (he wasn't disappointed). We were even able to snap a parking lot picture taken with a cell phone's camera, and while it's not intelligible to most, this unexpected family portrait is a cherished one:

P.s.: While corresponding over email & getting all these great pictures to put on the blog, my cous' just happened to meet Sammy Hagar, who came into her business to buy a car that day!

A Huntin' We Will Go

2008-09-01T17:32:00.009-04:00

Today, September 1st, was opening day of the fall 2008 goose season. Dan has waited for this day with eager anticipation, and was up at 4:30am to get out on the lake and get all set up. I am not that early of a riser, and ended up getting up at 6:00am. When I got back to the lake, I was amazed at how beautiful and quiet it was, with the mist lifting off of the lake and sun just starting to wake up for the day:

I was totally tricked by the decoys, too. Dan did a pretty convincing job of setting them out:

This being my first time goose hunting, I was pretty surprised by the mass amount of waiting that one has to do. Dan explained that the waiting is very much part of the process, and that I should focus on nature and take it all in. Since I was sitting in a large bush and could not see a darn thing, this suggestion fell on deaf ears. I did start playing around with the camera, and realized that I was able to catch some pretty cool shots of all three of us, but in a less traditional way! Check out the series for yourself! You have to look really carefully, but you should be able to see all the participants:

By 11:00am, I fizzled out, but dedicated Dan remains at his post, even as I type this. His plan is to be there until dusk. Keep your fingers crossed that he gets something. During my 4-hour stint, we saw only 2. . .!!

The hunters:

CSI: Henrydale

2008-08-26T21:43:00.010-04:00

For those of you with pets or small children, you'll fully understand the concept of "discovered surprises." Having three cats and one dog, I've come home to my fair share of 'presents.' That woolly caterpillar on the floor is not inching its way along toward metamorphosis -- it's a nasty hairball coughed up by my Persian cat. The bits of white confetti all over the living room floor are not the aftermath of a celebration -- it's the remnants of the bathroom garbage contents, shredded by Odie and strewn all about the house. The powder coating all over the kitchen floor is not the result of a furious french-toast baking contest -- it's bits of drywall, chewed off of the main load-bearing wall in the house.

I must say, I open the back door each day at 5:15pm with baited breath, wondering what I'm going to discover next. Usually I can tell from inside the laundry room, and before I have even opened the kitchen door, what the true origins of the treasures are, however today took the cake.

I opened the back door and saw "it" immediately. I instantly thought to myself --"Well, that's an odd color! I've never seen bright blue before!:"

I thought to myself -- the one on the left looks like a moon rock, or what I'd imagine a moon rock would look like. The one on the right looked a bit cotton-candy-like.

Upon closer inspection:

I was soon joined by Detective Sammy Cindy-Crawford McWheezer, but she could make neither nose nor tails of the evidence. She did catch a whiff of something fragrant:

Upon closer inspection --> is it foaming??

My detective and I located the main suspect, but he wasn't talking:

So, esteemed blog readers, I open the floor to your detective skills! Any guesses as to what this mystery gift actually was? The winner will get something special, plus plentiful calls from myself and my detective for assistance with future investigations!

ROVFD

2008-08-17T21:48:00.013-04:00

This past weekend, Dan and I went up north to the Royal Oak Volunteer Fire Department's cottage near Long Lake, MI. This was our second trip up this summer; our last being in July when Dan's cousins from Florida, Aunt from Texas, and other local cousins, siblings, and parents all went up. Dan's maternal grandfather Norman Mason was a volunteer firefighter for the city of Royal Oak. At some point in the past, the firefighters bought property on North Dease Lake, and built a cottage. Today, anyone with lineage to those firefighters are able to use the cottage. We feel very lucky to have such a neat place to visit, where memories are etched in every square inch.

One of the requirements in visiting the cottage is that you must sign The Book, which is a living diary of the families' experiences each time they visit. Dan and I read entries in the book made by his Grandfather in the 1970's, and marvelled at all of the amazing collections of tales found within the pages. Dan reminisced after reading about trips logged by his mom, grandfather, aunt, uncle, and cousins, and I got some neat insight into what it must have been like 'back in the day.'

For the most part, this trip's purpose was heavy on the R & R -- and rest and relax WE DID. We went fishing as much as we could, ate out at local restaurants, swam in the lake with Odie, and went into town for ice cream. We also played several board games including Connect Four, Uno, Battleship, Monopoly, and a strange game Dan invented called "Let's See How Close We Can Get Without Touching."

I have to say, the final game threw me for a loop, and the start buzzer went off in Dan's head before I could really process the game's concept. There was Dan, out of his chair and on his feet, hovering over me with his face practically right up against my face, breathing on me as I realized that a.) he was entirely serious about playing this game because when I looked in his eyes I saw intense concentration not 'to touch' me, and b.) he intended to win. Well, I burst out laughing, which pitched my head toward Dan, resulting in contact -- to which Dan announced in a calm voice all while breathing on me 'You touched me.' My laughing fit continued, and a kept grazing Dan's nose, cheek, chin, etc., all while trying to lean away from him because I could tell he was keeping some kind of score in his head (You see, I beat him at Connect Four, Uno, and Battleship). I think it occurred to Dan just then, how RIDICULOUS this game was, because he then started laughing, but also commented that I touched him more than he touched me.

Again, I DON'T make this stuff up, folks! This newly invented game will have to be an entry in the Big Idea Book! I will say that it was very very funny -- I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Traffic on the drive home was HORRIBLE -- the 2.5 hour trip took nearly twice that due to I-75 being closed southbound over the Zilwaukee. Nevertheless, we had a fantastic time!

Friday Night's sunset -- simply amazing, and instant relaxation:

The curious beaver who circled our boat Saturday morning and drove Odie crazy!

My first fish! A 16" bass:

Dan, Odie, and I on the pontoon:

A loon and its young. If you've ever heard the loon's unique call, you'd probably agree that it's the most Up-North-sounding sound!

Dan's monster bass -- over 17":

Family portrait! :-)

Table-top Cookin'

2008-08-12T15:16:00.005-04:00

For Dan's birthday, our friends Heidi and Ciera took us to dinner at Miyako, a Japanese steakhouse where they cook right at your table (much like Benihana). Our chef was pretty talented -- flipping eggs into his pocket and hat, bouncing raw egg yolks on his spatula, and making the famed 'steaming volcano,' which he transformed into a locomotive, complete with repeated "choooo chooo's." After dinner, and some ice cream trickery on the part of Ciera, Dan declared that she was just like me, a comment we both took as a significant compliment. Our evening rounded out with a trip to Bass Pro, where Dan lead the three gals all over tarnation, and somehow looped Ciera into making him a lanyard. Talk about trickery!!

DBWE 2008

2008-08-10T22:46:00.013-04:00

This past weekend we headed out to gorgeous Holland, Michigan for Dan's Birthday Weekend Extravaganza. This is the yearly birthday celebration held in Dan's honor, and it was a year ago at DBWE that we got engaged! The normal group enjoyed Dennis' hospitality and each others' company, all in the gorgeous sand and sun of western Michigan.

We headed out Friday 08/08/08 and enjoyed the evening at the Dark Room Bar. This establishment boasts some pretty funny props, and we got a lot of laughs at ourselves and each other in the process.

Saturday we headed to the beach, where we welcomed the blue skies, warm sand, and FREEZING cold Lake Michigan Water. After a day in the sun, we headed over to Jon's house for a BBQ, and then rounded out the evening back at the Dark Room.

Normally this isn't a weekend that we capture in pictures, but there were way too many photo ops to pass up!

'Til next year, Holland and DBWE 2009!!!!

Our host, The Dennis:

I can totally pull this look off!

Dan and I chill-axin' in the Dark Room:

The sibs -- Dan, Dave, Darlene, & Dennis:

Beach Day!

Dan's "cake:"

Happy 31st Birthday, Dan!

Row, row, row your CANOE!

2008-08-03T22:12:00.013-04:00

This past weekend we travelled to Sterling, MI and went camping and canoeing with our friends Ricky and Paula and their three kids. I was thrilled to pieces to get to stay in their new camper, and their generosity and kindness made for a very enjoyable and memorable weekend. Along with camping, we also took at four hour trip down the Rifle river in a set of canoes, which were bungeed together most of the time. This was a first canoeing for me, and I must say my nerves about tipping were a little hard to overcome, but we did have a great time and weather couldn't have been nicer. Many thanks guys -- we cannot wait until our next adventure!

The glorious Rifle River, as viewed from our launching point:

The whole gang, afloat on the river -- Haley, Brenden, Sydney, Myself, Ricky, Paula and Dan:

Dan and I on the river -- do I look a little nervous?

Sydney, our photographer, and her 'self-portrait:'

Dan having fun with a water cannon (a GREAT shot captured by Sydney)!

Dan and Brenden, oaring the canoe (Sydney shot):

Haley and the pretty flowers she picked (and she almost got eaten by a frog in the process!)

Dan with his long-time friends, Ricky & Paula (and Brenden down in the corner):

Memorial Day

2008-08-03T21:34:00.007-04:00

For Memorial Day, we were lucky enough go to the Eshelman's beautiful home in Houghton Lake, MI. The long weekend was filled with local entertainment including a craft fair, Cindy Lou's Zoo, and gelato on the Ranger and Dan and Kirk were able to go for a ride on their dirt bikes. Another great weekend at "OUR" cottage!

The cottage:

Andrea, Caden, and me by the lake:

Dan, myself, and his other 'baby:'

Beautiful Houghton Lake sunset:

Logan enjoying the bonfire:

"Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce you to. . ."

2008-07-03T13:27:00.059-04:00

So, we've been over the engagement, dropped in a blurb about our dog (no, he's not in the wedding), and now I guess we should get down to some details about the wedding. This post is dedicated to our wedding party.

We feel truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives; both family and friends. In an effort to keep the wedding party a little on the smaller side (nearly impossible), we decided on the following: one sibling each, one childhood/personal friend each, and one friend each who has known us since we've known each other.

So, here they are:

My maid of honor is my younger sister Sarah. We've been like peas and carrots since we were very small, and while we may have a difference of opinions at times, she is truly one of my very best friends.

My childhood /personal friend is Andrea. We've known each other since before kindergarten, having grown up in this same subdivision. Though we're not related by blood, I still consider her to be my third sister.

Finally, to round out the bride's side is our friend Kimberly. I have known her for almost as long as I've know Dan. While we don't go back nearly as far as other friends, it feels like we've known each other our entire lives.

Dan's best man is his younger brother Dennis. Dan's contribution/comment: (after I read him the comments about my girls) "We're like peanut butter and jelly. He's like poop and I'm like a fly," (I don't make this up people!!). In any event, we love Dennis, poop or not.

Dan's childhood/personal friend is Ken. Dan and Kenny have known each other since kindergarten as well, entered the electrical trade together, and work side by side to this very day.

Last but not least is Mr. Mikey Mike. Mike and Dan have been friends since middle school and we have shared many a great memory with him and his girlfriend Kimberly. Even though Mike and Kim moved to Colorado last summer, our foursome is still a force to be reckoned with. We were truly honored when despite the distance, they agreed to be in our wedding.

Our wedding party will also consist of two ushers and two hostesses. Dan's brother Dave and my brother Joel are our ushers.

Dan's sister Darlene and my sister Deborah are our hostesses.

We also have two other little people in our wedding. One is our ring bearer: my Godson, Logan. He is the second child of Andrea and her husband Kirk and he will be 2 at the end of this month.

Our flower girl is Dan's second cousin, Miss Emily. She is the daughter of Dan's cousin Irene and her husband Matt. Emily just turned three.

Odie Po-Po, the First

2008-04-20T17:07:00.013-04:00

Since DanEcca's blog is technically about all things Dan and Rebecca, it's really only fitting for us to include an entry about Odie, our gigantic Golden Retriever.

Odie will be 3 next month. We had no idea that he'd end up tipping the scales at 100 lbs. -- afterall, he was only 8 pounds when we got him. He's got his fair share of quirks: he may believe that he's a cat, he's terrified of garbage bags (thanks to Dan and his attempt to turn him into SuperMan), he adores balloons,

He's obsessed with ensuring something is in his mouth in order to do just about anything (especially to greet guests), he loves to "go on a walk" but hates to actually walk anywhere,

He's afraid of rumble strips and this enables him to squeeze his very large body onto the floor of the front of Dan's truck, as this is where he feels "safe" (and my feet have to go up on the door-trim & dash)

He is able to peel bananas!!!!!!! ---->

Quirks aside, we could not have asked for better companion!

The Engagement

2008-04-10T14:12:00.018-04:00

Most of you know the engagement story, however as a recap, and to thwart the affects of early senility, let's memorialize the event on the blog!!!

Dan was a Man with a Plan in the eight months that led up to our actual engagement. Some time in late 2006, Dan decided that he wanted to propose. Knowing Dan as you all do, 'simple' just isn't in his vocabulary. Sure, he could have gone to a myriad of jewelry stores and found a suitable engagement ring, but that would have just been too simple. Nope, Dan decided to design his own engagement ring. Amidst all of the BIG IDEAS floating around in that man's head, he was able to pluck out of the abyss the most amazing idea/design for a ring. He did have help from Johnny, the talented jeweler, but for the most part, what's on my finger is truly a "Geppert Original." Perfection takes time -- 8 months to be exact!

(Background)

Each year for Dan's birthday, a whole group of us travels to Holland, MI to Dennis' for "Dan's Birthday Weekend Extravaganza." We spend time on the beach and around a bonfire, eating like kings and queens and enjoying the highlight of our summer. In July of 2007, our plans were no different from the summers before, and off we headed to Holland to celebrate Dan's birthday. Little did I know what was actually brewing.

We arrived in Holland later than expected. This was due to horrible traffic and my slow-poke driving. Our plan was to get out on the water in time to see the sunset from boater's beach. Dennis called earlier in the week to say that he wanted to make the most of Friday evening, (usually spent at his house), and get out on the boat.

In the end, we got to Holland about 45 minutes later than we were supposed to. We met up with the boat, already in the water, and headed out of the bay and into Lake Michigan. Three things became apparent: one, it was cold that evening; two, the sunset was already in progress; and three, the water was quite rough! Carrie and I hunkered down in a seat together as we braved the choppy waters, in an effort to keep each other warm. As we approached the mouth of the bay into the lake, the waves were making navigation rather challenging, and Captain Dave decided it was too much and began to turn the boat around and back into the bay. I was thinking 'phew,' on account of being cold and slightly sea-sick already (don't like the choppy water thanks to Montauk deep sea fishing nightmare), Dan was thinking 'phew' because the sun had started setting and there wasn't enough time to execute on his "plan." Dennis was thinking 'heck no!' Dennis' somehow became Mr. Secret Keeper amongst several friends/family members, and just couldn't handle all of the secrets he was trying to keep track of. He wanted Dan's secret out in the open as soon as possible, and cajoled Dave by asking him if he needed his little brother to take the wheel and drive. It worked, and Dave turned the boat back toward Lake Michigan, toward the choppy, cold waters.

I must admit my stomach sank a bit because I really just wanted to go back to the safety and stability of land. Once we got out of the mouth of the bay and onto Lake Michigan, the water wasn't so bad. We threw away the idea of going to shore (Boater's Beach) for a bonfire, and decided instead to enjoy what remained of the sunset from right there on the boat. Darlene began opening yummy appetizers and a few bottles of wine. Being a bit nauseated and still cold, I passed on the eats from the inside of the seat I was sharing with Carrie.

Dennis and Dan began talking in secret, with Dan telling Dennis that he just wanted to wait for the next day due to missing the sunset. Dennis was having none of it, and shot this picture of Dan to show him exactly how the lighting would look in pictures. Dan took one look and agreed that now was the time. The only problem? I was on the inside of a chair I was sharing with Carrie. Not the most romantic way of proposing: "Excuse me Carrie, can you move over a sec?" Dennis to the rescue again, with a sudden "Everyone to the front of the boat for a picture."

Dennis being a photographer and all, this made sense. As all 8 of us made our way to the front of the boat, I noticed that the bow was sinking way too low in the water for comfort. I lingered back waiting to take my usual spot in front (I'm a shorty), but also thought this was a bad idea because of how much the boat was tipping.

As I was standing there facing the sinking bow, Dan yelled from behind me, "Hey Dennis, why don't we do the picture at the back of the boat so it doesn't sink?" Dennis agreed and announced "Everyone to the back of the boat," and again I lingered, waiting for the 7 others to file to the back so I could crouch down in front.

Suddenly Dennis came up to me and pointedly poked me in my chest, saying between his teeth: "Get to the back of the boat, BECCA!" I was thinking, okay, okay, GEEZ, and as I turned around, lo! what did I behold?????!!!!!

Dan, on bended knee, with the most amazing smile on his face, and the most amazing words on his lips: "...Rebecca, will you marry me?"

After what I realized was the worlds longest pause (I was desperately trying to figure out a: is this real, b: how did he plan all of this?, c: am I dreaming), I quickly and with a definitive gesture of my arms, answered "OF COURSE!!!"

And then we sailed off into the sunset . . . literally.

THE END.

The Origins of DanEcca

2008-03-29T16:45:00.002-04:00

I was trying to come up with a funny/witty name for our Blog, and wanted to do something that was a combination of the two of us. Dan-and-Rebecca was already taken, Dan-and-Rebecca-Geppert was just too premature, and anything more made my head spin.

BUT THEN I remembered a nick-name bestowed on our collective selves by Dan's favorite younger brother. His witty way of combining our two names, also just happened to be reminiscent of a hot female race-car driving.

Alas, DanEcca was born.
Thanks Dennis.

We're Officially On-line!!!

2008-03-29T16:38:00.001-04:00

Between all the preparing and planning lately, I learned about posting a personal website that could be used by friends & family to catch up on our lives.

Seeing as we're in the midst of nuptial stuff, I first visited theknot.com to look into posting our site there. It's free, however the site is so bare-bones, you are limited as to what you can post, and they don't even accept pictures unless you are willing to pay for the service.

I was introduced to MySpace a few years back, but my reason for even being on there got a little lost in all the advertisements and social networking.

Good friends (Mark and Tamara Johnson shout-out) have a wonderful family blog that really serves its purpose, and we decided to go this route. Besides wedding planning, we can also use this forum to chronicle different goings-on in our lives!