Hi there!

I don't really have a reason for writing, other than it's been ages since I've popped in and said hello :)

It's officially been two years and 113 days since I had double jaw surgery. THAT. IS. CRAZY.

Sometimes it feels like it was a lifetime ago, and other times I cannot believe I am making my way to the three year post-op mark.

Since I last wrote I...

turned 23 (and will be turning 24 next week!)

left the marketing company and started working in technology

was accepted to graduate school (I start in January!)

have traveled to Minnesota. North Dakota. New York City. South Carolina. Boston. Texas. Colorado.

have a new baby niece (who is nearly a year old now)

An update in pictures...

(I apologize in advance for the weird formatting)

I've posted this one before.... this sweet girl got married a few months ago.
This is us at her Dad's wedding in December 2010

and here we are in June at her wedding :)

_________________________________________________________

My little monkey when he was ~6 months old - pre jaw surgery

Now :) How perfect is he?

_________________________________________________________

Still BFFS with this guy.

Now :)

_________________________________________________________

These two girls still own my heart. We've been best friends for EVER. 

HS and Freshman Year of College

Now :)

_________________________________________________________

Big Seester

I think this is from October 2010.

She was married 3 months after I had surgery, so I was still in braces and had a wonky smile :)

Now :)

_________________________________________________________

That's all I have for you :) 

I am always willing to answer any questions via email so please feel free to reach out!

da.anderson9@gmail.com

xx

Dani

OH MY GOSH. I cannot believe it has already been a year since jaw surgery! It is absolutely insane how time flies, and how much has changed since this date last year.

'BEFORE' PICS

i...

was in my sister's wedding

turned 22

got my braces off

graduated from college

moved out of my sorority house after 2 years

vacationed in New York City and Washington D.C.

went to a wedding in Texas

packed up my life

and moved to California

got a job in marketing (what?)

moved into a townhouse in LA with my cousin

found out I was going to be an auntie again!

so many things are different, and I am so happy with where my life is at right now.

i have been so blessed!
thank you, to each and every one of you, for following me on my journey and offering words of encouragement when things were tough.
for everyone who is pre-surgery, i know the one year post-op may seem lightyears away, but soon enough you'll be standing right where i am today
happier. healthier. and with a much better smile :)

i used to always take pictures front on. if my face was turned a little bit, it was always a picture i hated.
now i don't mind.
(i will post more before/after pictures tomorrow. my computer is failing me right now)

'AFTER' PICS:

things have definitely changed :)

xoxo
dani

Before

After

HI EVERYONE

I've changed my new blog url to thewayiliveblog.blogspot.com

It's much more about my life, what I am up to, and how things are progressing in California :)

I'd love to keep in touch, so if you're interested, please follow!

Look who it is :)

AMANDA! from Braceface: The Sequel

Amanda is a fellow surgery blogger who I've been in contact with through most of my journey. She reached out to me upon hearing that I was moving to LA, and even tried to help me with finding a job :) We only live a few miles from one another, so we decided to meet up for lunch in Santa Monica a couple weeks ago.

It was SO much fun to meet her and catch up on each other's journeys. Amanda hasn't had surgery yet, so I was able to tell her a bit more about surgery day and the recovery that she will be facing.

It really is amazing how much the blogger community has improved my life. I had so many supporters through my surgery, and now I am lucky to have Amanda as a friend outside of blogging.

I don't know how I failed to keep all of you posted but...

I AM MOVING TO CALIFORNIA TOMORROW.

I have decided to keep a blog throughout my journey and would love to have some of my jaw surgery blogger friends follow me.

The layout is horrendous. I just threw a template up there and won't have much time to make it look pretty until I am settled, but follow now and I promise it will look nicer soon :)

My new blog is called

Life's a Dance

http://lifesadance-blog.blogspot.com/

I will continue posting on here about any jaw related things, will continue checking my comments and following all of you on your journeys, but now that I am at the next stage of my life, it's time for me to move on a bit and start something new!

xx

I had a whole post planned, filled with pictures from a trip to NYC and Washington D.C., followed by another trip to Texas for a wedding last weekend.

I left my camera at the reception hall. I am blaming the open bar, but I know I was just being careless. No one has reported finding a camera, and I am absolutely heartbroken. I could care less about the camera, but that memory card had SO many pictures on it that I hadn't put on my camera yet.

My trip to NYC was to visit two of my close friends from Australia. They traveled here for a 6 week U.S. trip and I was able to spend 9 days with them. I saw my best friend from college in D.C. and two of my study abroad friends from Texas were married last weekend. Three others in my study abroad group made the trip down for the wedding. I took as many pictures as I could, trying to savor the time I was able to spend with all of them.

All of my pictures are gone and every time I think about it, my stomach hurts and I just want to cry.