Driver Under the Influence Hit and Killed My Dad

Summary

Podcast Title: We're All Insane
Episode: Driver Under the Influence Hit and Killed My Dad
Host: Devorah Roloff
Release Date: May 19, 2025

---

Introduction

In this deeply moving episode of We're All Insane, host Devorah Roloff, accompanied by her daughter Delaney, shares the harrowing experience of losing their father—Dan—due to a driver under the influence of drugs. The episode offers an unfiltered glimpse into their family's journey through trauma, grief, and healing, highlighting the profound impact of such a tragedy on personal and familial levels.

A Day Like Any Other

[00:26] Delaney sets the stage by recounting the mundane beginnings of January 24, 2024—a day that would forever alter their lives. The family, owners of a successful roofing company, went about their regular routines. Devorah took their younger daughter to a wrestling match, unaware that by the end of the day, their world would be shattered.

Danielle:
"It was started as a normal day. We went to work... I took her to the wrestling match. On my way home, my husband mentioned he was going for a run, training for a 50k Spartan race."
[00:51]

The Fateful Run

Dan, an avid fitness enthusiast, decided to run a 5K that day, planning to meet back home afterward. Devorah noticed something was off when Dan didn’t return at his usual time.

Danielle:
"I looked at the clock—6:17. That's weird. Dan should have been home a little before six. So I checked his location on 'Find My Friends,' and his blue dot wasn't moving."
[02:54]

Realization and Panic

Concerned, Devorah and her mother rushed to the accident scene on Route 13, only to be initially told by a police officer that Dan was not involved, identifying a construction worker instead. Suspicious, Devorah insisted on verifying the identity, leading to the devastating confirmation that Dan had been fatally struck.

Danielle:
"I know, I was freaked out because there's no ambulance. Did the person die? The cop confirmed it."
[07:04]

Navigating Grief and Arrangements

Returning home with her mother, Devorah faced the unimaginable task of informing their two youngest adopted children about Dan’s death. The episode delves into the complexities of grief, especially within a blended family structure.

Delaney:
"We pulled up to the house and didn’t know what they were doing. My mom told us, 'Your dad was running and was hit by a car.' I just fell to the ground... we all cried together."
[15:16]

Honoring Dan's Legacy

Dan was a pillar of the community and their family. The conversation highlights his dedication to his work, his passion for fitness, and the strong relationships he built over the years. His approach to business was deeply personal, creating a family-like atmosphere within their roofing company.

Delaney:
"Dan loved his work so much. He would run to the office in the morning, shower, and work until 8 PM. He built relationships with everyone he met."
[24:37]

Community Support and Funeral Arrangements

The episode underscores the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community following Dan’s passing. Planning the funeral brought forth both logistical challenges and heartfelt tributes, reflecting the significant impact Dan had on those around him.

Danielle:
"The community rallied around us with food and support for months. Our funeral drew over 1,200 people, far exceeding our expectations."
[57:04]

Healing and Moving Forward

Devorah and Delaney discuss their individual and collective healing processes. Therapy, faith, and the unwavering support of their mother and sister-in-law played crucial roles in navigating their grief. They emphasize the importance of leaning on each other and finding strength in their faith and community.

Danielle:
"I pressed into my faith more than ever when my husband passed away. I couldn’t lay in bed and cry my life away; my kids needed me to stay strong."
[70:38]

Delaney:
"We leaned on each other a lot. Sitting in silence together was our way of coping."
[98:15]

Legacy and Remembrance

The episode concludes with reflections on Dan’s lasting legacy. From charitable runs honoring his memory to the continuous support from their community, Devorah and Delaney illustrate how Dan’s spirit endures through their actions and the love they continue to share.

Danielle:
"We have a great support system with my mom and sister-in-law always there for us. Dan’s legacy lives on through everything we do."
[85:16]

Delaney:
"Seeing cardinals and turtles around feels like Dan is still with us, watching over our family."
[94:16]

Conclusion

Driver Under the Influence Hit and Killed My Dad is a poignant testament to resilience, love, and the human spirit's capacity to overcome unspeakable loss. Devorah Roloff and her daughter Delaney offer listeners a raw and honest portrayal of their journey, providing solace and encouragement to anyone navigating similar tragedies. Through their story, the episode reinforces the message that even in the darkest moments, the support of loved ones and faith can pave the way toward healing and moving forward.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Danielle [00:51]: "It was started as a normal day. We went to work..."
• Danielle [02:54]: "I looked at the clock—6:17. That's weird. Dan should have been home a little before six."
• Delaney [15:16]: "We pulled up to the house and didn’t know what they were doing... we all cried together."
• Delaney [24:37]: "Dan loved his work so much. He would run to the office in the morning..."
• Danielle [57:04]: "The community rallied around us with food and support for months."
• Danielle [70:38]: "I pressed into my faith more than ever when my husband passed away."
• Delaney [98:15]: "We leaned on each other a lot. Sitting in silence together was our way of coping."
• Delaney [94:16]: "Seeing cardinals and turtles around feels like Dan is still with us..."

---

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing listeners with an in-depth understanding of Devorah and Delaney's experience while preserving the emotional weight and critical moments of their story.

Transcript

[Danielle]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Delaney]

The new McCrispy strip is here. Dip approved by Ketchup, Tangy barbecue, Honey mustard, honey mustard, Sprite, McFlurry, Big Mac sauce, Double dipped in buffalo and ranch, More ranch and creamy chili. McCrispy strip dip now at McDonald's. I'm Delaney and this is my mom, Danielle. And my dad was hit and killed while running by a driver under the influence of drugs on January 24, 2024.

[Danielle]

It was started as a normal day. We went to work. We own a roofing company and I went to work. Dan went to work. We came home, he had a couple of appointments in the afternoon. So my younger daughter had asked if she could go to a wrestling match at school. I was like, sure, I'll take you to it. So I took her to the wrestling match. On my way home from the wrestling match, I talked to my husband. I was actually the last call that he had that day. And he was like, hey, I'm out for a run. He was training for a 50k Spartan race.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

He was huge, avid fitness. Like, he was really into fitness. And he had turned, when he turned 40, he was just like, I'm embracing this. I'm, you know, going to be the healthiest version of me. And he was like, I'm going to run. We ran a lot of races. Savage race, Spartan races, regular races. And so he was training for this 50k.

[Delaney]

So.

[Danielle]

So he was like, hey, I'm gonna. He had a 5K to do that day, just three miles. And he was like, I'm gonna go out, do this run and I'll meet you back at the house. And I was on my way home from the wrestling match and I was like, okay, I get to the house, everything's whatever, normal. Like, I'm getting my kids food. My mom's over. I have two younger. My two younger kids were home at the time. They're. They were 15 and 8. And I was like, oh, it's. It was 6:17. I remember looking at the clock and I was like, that's weird. Like, Dan should have been home a little before six. He's an overachiever. So I was like, he probably went a little longer, which is what. Why it didn't really alarm me. And so I looked on the find my friends thing, and his blue dot wasn't moving. And I looked at my mom, and I was like, that's weird. I'm just gonna run down there. Like, I didn't have no inkling. Like, I didn't think anything. Yeah. And it was literally right up the street from my house. I knew.

[Delaney]

I assumed it's like, two minutes away.

[Danielle]

Yeah. The place where he got hit. So I was like. As soon as I turned out of our neighborhood, I made a left on the highway, Route 13. And it was lit up like all these police, fire, blah, blah, blah. So I called my mom, and I was like, hey, why don't you? I had called him a few times, and he didn't answer. And our little thing was, if I called him more than twice, he knows he would answer me just to say I'm okay, and hang up. And he wasn't answering me. So I called my mom, and I was like, why don't you just come down here? I don't really know what I'm walking into. And now I'm getting a little bit nervous. She was like, okay. I said, but don't say nothing to the kids because I didn't want to alarm them. So my mom kind of slipped out. So I get down there. I. And I stop at the first. So there was an entrance to a neighborhood, and then the, Like, a tree line that was in front of this neighborhood. My husband got hit, like, down here on the tree line. But there was a cop changing his tire completely un. Yeah, he wasn't related to the scene, but I stopped at him because he was the first officer I seen. And there were two fire fighters there, too. So all the stuff was down here. But for whatever reason, my gut just. I pulled into the entrance to the neighborhood, and I was like, hi, my name is Danielle. You probably think I'm crazy. And I truly said this because I am a little bit crazy. I was like, But I keep calling my husband, and he's not answering. And, like, his blue dot. And I'm showing the cop. I'm like, his blue dot is down there. Like, can you just tell me, like, his name is Danny Rankin. Can you go down there and tell me if he's down there? And the cop was like, hold on a minute. He was like, ma' am, I can't tell you anything, but I'm sure it's not your husband. It was a construction Worker that got hit. And I was like, a construction worker? And he was like, yeah. And I said, well, why do you say he's a construction worker? Because my husband would run in a neon colored. He had, like, a mesh hoodie. It was. And it was neon yellow. And he was like, no, that man had on jeans. And I said, well, you don't know my husband. I wouldn't put it past him to run in jeans. If he was in a rush, he would have got out of the car and went in his work clues. And he was. I said, I need you to go down there. Like, he's very identifiable. He has tattoos. Like, I can tell you I know where his phone is. Like, he runs with it in his underwear pocket. And the cop was like, all right, hold on a minute. So he went down there, came back, and I. I started, like, at one point, it, like, clicked on me. And I was like, there's no ambulance or anything. Like, did the person die? And he was like, yes, the per. So he confirmed that the person was deceased, but again, still, like, you don't. You don't know, and you don't. It's like, a surreal moment. So the guy's like. I said, well, I'll go down there. Just let me go down there. I just need to know. I said, I. You know, and then I started freaking out a little bit, and I was like, I need to know. So he was like, well, calm down. And so I. Name dropped. My really good friend as a Delaware state trooper. And so I was like, do you know so. And so. And he was like, I. Do you know him? Get him on the phone right now. And I was like, all right. So I called him up. It's my good friend's husband. And I was like, hey, I'm sorry to, like, bother you, but, like, I'm a little bit freaking out. There's an accident on 13. Like, Dan's dot is there. His says his phone is there, his location, and they're not telling me anything. And he was like, put me on the phone with the officer. So the officer walked away, and my mom was here at this point, and I'm standing there with the firefighters, and he walks away, and he comes back, and I get on the phone with my friend, and he says, danielle, they want you to go to troop, too. And I said, get your ass down here. I'm not leaving. And at that point, I knew something was bad because they don't tell you to go to troop, too.

[Host]

Like, and what does that mean?

[Danielle]

It go to a Troop. Like, they wanted me to go to a police station.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And I guess that's where they would tell me what was going on. And I just knew. They don't tell you to go to the troop if something like the police station. If something like, they would tell me go to the hospital or they would tell me what happened.

[Delaney]

She's experiencing something. She's experienced something before where she was told, you need to go tell them to go to. Like, you cannot tell them that, you know, that they are dead.

[Danielle]

And I can get into that. We lost an employee at our company six months prior to my husband dying.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And that was a whole fiasco. We experienced a death. And, like, I kind of understood some things from that that I'm like, they don't tell you to go to the police station if they're gonna tell you something. Like, they there. They would send you to the hospital. So I. I kind of knew it was bad news. So my friend was like, I'll come down. And I knew they'd let him on scene. He knew this officer, whatever. So we're standing there waiting, and he went. He flew past us and went right to the scene. And then he came down and told me and my mom, like, he was able to. I. I don't think he, like, like, identified body. I think they probably pulled his ID out, whatever. And it was once, you know, that, like, you can't unknow it. And the whole time I'm going to rewind a little bit that I'm at this entrance to this neighborhood, Delaney was calling me, and I wasn't answering the phone because at that point, I didn't know anything and I didn't want to. I can't lie. I'm not. I don't lie. I just. I can't. So I wouldn't have been able to not tell her. And I also didn't want to worry her because I didn't know anything. So then she started calling my mom. And my mom was like, danielle, I have to answer her. So she answered her. And I think my mom's phone was cutting out and it kept hanging up. But you can jump in.

[Delaney]

So I woke up that day. I never. I never see my dad in the morning because he was insane and would go to work at 4am sometimes and be the first one at the office. So I don't ever see him in the morning. So I woke up, I went to class. I go to class like, 30 minutes away, and it's right near my boyfriend's house. So I went to class and afterwards we both finished at the same time. So I was like, oh, I'll just come to your house. I won't go home before and I'll just hang out at your house. So I hadn't seen my dad all day, but in between my two classes that I had that day, I did. He called me and it wasn't unusual for us to talk, but. And this was normal too. We had been. We had a trip coming up in like a week. Yeah, we were going on a trip in like a week. And I would occasionally just send my parents like a really nice text and just be like, I really appreciate like all the work you guys do and like everything you provide for us and like, you guys have given us like an amazing life. So I just sent him a sweet text like that. And my mom texted back like normal. But my dad didn't and he wanted to call me and just talk to me. And he was like, I'm like, so like, I love that you can see that we do that. And like we just had like a really nice like 20 minute phone call and we just talked. And he told me about his day and I told him about mine and he told me he. How much he appreciated my text and like all this stuff. So it's a really nice phone call. And then afterwards I went to my boyfriend's house and we were about to get in the car to just go get like ice cream or something. And my sister calls me and she was like, hey. She was like, do you know where dad is? I was like, no. Like I haven't talked to him since earlier in the day. And she was like, well, I think they like, don't know where he is. Like he went on a run. And mom said that she. I think she said, mom said like, she couldn't find him or like, like he was like stuck in like the location. And she was like, mom left. And then my mom got a phone call and hung up the phone, grabbed her stuff and left. And they didn't tell us anything. And I was like, oh, that's really weird. And she was like, yeah, so can you just like call them and like, let me know? And I was like, yeah. I was like, don't worry, like everything's probably fine. I honestly was like, I didn't think anything. I was like, he's probably fine. He probably is running longer than they thought. And he was answering the phone. That's like, literally what I thought. So I'm calling them and like she said, they're answering the phone. Or she's not answering the phone, but then they're answering, and I was getting nothing. Like, my mom was like, hey. And then it would, like, cut out. She couldn't hear me. I couldn't hear her. And it would hang up, which to me is like a blessing in disguise, because I don't think they. They had nothing to tell me. So would it have been an empty phone call? Anyway, so my boyfriend's like, do you want to go home? Like, I'll take you home. And I was like, I don't think so. Like, I think everything's fine. I'm just gonna keep trying to call them. I called my dad a couple times too, and obviously, like that. Nothing. No one answered. So then we're going. We're getting ice cream or whatever, and we're inside the store to get ice cream, and he gets a call from his mom, and he, like, steps away from me. So I couldn't hear her on the phone, but he just hangs up, and he goes, my mom was really frantic, and she said that your mom called her and it's an emergency and you need to go home right now. And I was like, okay. I was like, this is really weird, but okay. And I. Now I'm thinking, can they not find my dad? Like, that's what I thought. I was like, did, like, something happen on his running? Like, they can't find him. My sister called me again and was like, did you hear anything? And I was like, no. I was like, I'm sure everything's fine. Like, it's okay. So we get in the car, and all my stuff was at his house, my school stuff, my car, and I just left there, and we went home from there, and we were, like, 20 minutes away, and I was still calling them, still texting them. No one was telling me anything. And he was like, I'm sure everything's fine. And I was like, I don't know. Like, the. The closer we got, the more I was like, is he in the hospital? Like, did something happen? Like, I still only knew that he went on a run and they couldn't find him. And once we're, like, 15 minutes away from my house, I was like, my boyfriend's name is Jay. And I was like, jay, my brain is going to. That he is dead. And he was like, really? I was like, I don't know why. I had, like. Like this small little inkling. I was like, this is like. I was like, my mom would tell me something, and she's telling me nothing, and something's wrong.

[Danielle]

And when once Adam confirmed that it was Dan, I was like, all right. We had to go back to my house. And I actually, before we left, I called Enid, which is Jay's mom, and I said, enid, this is an emergency. I need you to get Delaney home. I didn't know where Delaney was, so I actually told her to drive her home. I didn't know that they were out at that time. And then I called my father in law, and I was like, hey, Dan's been in an accident. And I'm pretty sure I told him that he passed away, but it was like, also whatever. I was like, just get to my house.

[Host]

And they never let you down on this?

[Danielle]

No. I tried to go down there a couple times, and they were like, no, you're not going down there. And so this was all like. Literally the first time I looked at the clock was 6:17. I was walking out my door at 6:20. Like, I was down there, and I knew we weren't down there. But 15, 20 minutes, like, all of that, it. It seemed obviously forever when you're, like, standing there. But, like, it was quick. Like when I look back on it, and I'm like, it was really fast. So I go back home, me and my mom, and we left her car down there, and I was like, just handed it to the police. I said, please get my mom's car back to my house. Whatever. So my mom and I drove back to my house, and I had to break the news to my two youngest that were there, which was horrible. And I mean, my. That's like a whole nother thing. But my younger two are adopted. We fostered and adopted them, so we had only had them for six years. So it was just. All these things are going through my head. My. My daughter was 15 and like, we got her when she was 9. And it's just like, oh, my gosh, like, how. How can this happen? And then Delaney came in, and it was just chaotic at my house. It was just. I don't even. I don't remember a lot of things. My mom started making phone calls, and then my Delaney came in next.

[Delaney]

We pulled up to the house, and I didn't know, like, what they were doing. So I called my mom and I was like, we're here. And she was like, okay. And I get out of the car, and they open the front door. And it's like, my mom opened the door. My mom's standing there. I remember this clear. Say, my mom opened the door. My mom was staying there. And then my Two younger siblings are staying there and they're just bawling. And I was like, what happened? Like, I don't even make it in the house. And I was like, what happened? My mom was like, your dad was running and was hit by a car. I think that's what she said. And I like fell to the ground and I was like, what? And I sat up and I was like, wait, where is he? Like, I thought he was in a hospital. And my mom was like, he died, he's dead. And she like starts just breaking down. And I, I think I started crying, but I was like so confused. And like she said it was like all so fast. So I think I got in the house and then like my dad's. My dad's dad showed up. And so that was all so quick. But I remember I just like went in and I think I grabbed my younger brother and then like I grabbed my sister and we'd like sat on the couch in front of our house and literally sat there for like 15 minutes and we all just cried.

[Danielle]

Then it was more of like a. Oh, crap. We. I have a. So I have, we have four kids together. I have a 24 year old boy and then Delaney's 19 and when I have a 15 year old and then, well, she's 16 now and nine now. But so we are all over the spectrum with kids. My oldest is in the Navy in Japan. So when they start getting the phone tree going, I was like, hold on a minute. Like there was somebody at my house that was calling all these people and I was like, hold on a second because like my son doesn't know and he was in Japan, so it was opposite time frame. So it was evening for us and it was starting his day in Japan. So when he. And he worked on the naval ship, like he worked. His office was on the ship. So once he entered the ship, his phone didn't work. It was like he would go into a black hole. I didn't have his desk number, so I called. So I had to call the Red Cross because I needed my son to know and like the rumor mills going. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, I cannot have my son read this on social media. So the Red Cross probably got. And I told them, like I didn't want them to tell him what happened to his dad. I was like, I want to be the one to tell him. Just he needs to call his mom. That's all the message you need to get. He'll know by the Red Cross telling him Something. So we got the call at like midnight, 12:30 from my son. And then he was like, mom. And I'm all, are you. Who are you with? Like, I'm trying to make sure he's okay. And he was like, stop talking. I. I know something happened. And he said his gut feeling told him it was his dad or Delaney. Like he was like, that's what I immediately went to. And he was like, I know it's bad when the Red Cross comes. Like what happened? So I had to tell him that, you know, his dad was killed and it was just horrible, Just horrible. And he's in Japan. So my husband died on a Wednesday and they were able to fly him home on a straight through flight because I was like, try to get him a straight through flight. I don't want him having connecting flights like coming back here. He's already got a fly by himself. So they were able to get him a straight through flight to Newark, New Jersey. We know a couple people. So we got him a police escort from Newark, New Jersey to our house in Townsend. So he was home on Friday. And my sister in law, my husband has a sister and we obviously called her and she's in Oklahoma because she is retired military. And so she flew in the next day. And then it was just. Our house was filled, filled with. We knew a lot of people. Like I said, we own a. We owned a very successful roofing company in our area. And my husband was just very. He was just a well known, well liked man. Like he was just heath. Thrived off of relationships and.

[Host]

Community.

[Danielle]

Yeah, community. So then we went. It just. And it. With those days leading up like the next couple of days, it was like nobody could sleep, nobody could eat. And like we just had like, I mean an outpouring of food and people and food and people.

[Delaney]

Second fridge or freezer? A third. It was a third. We have two freezers in our basement and then a freezer upstairs connected to our fridge. And we got. Was it a freezer or a fridge?

[Danielle]

Fridge and freezer. It was a whole nother refrigerator in our garage. Yeah, it was, it was crazy. But I didn't want to make any arrangements until my son was right back. So once he got back on Friday, then we did everything the next day on Saturday. And it was just the whole like. I don't know, the whole experience is just like. It's very surreal. Like it's.

[Host]

Your entire world changes in the matter of like seconds.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And it was like you feel crazy. You're like, is this. Did this really happen. Am I just gonna wake up from a dream and then obviously, like, lack of sleep. You just. There's so many emotions. And like, I have four people looking at me like, you know, how are we gonna walk this road? And I, my husband was a hard ass and so I was like, I sat my kids down and I'm like, listen, this is, this, these are the cards that were dealt. Like, it's, it's so like, it just. There's so many things that. It's just like life is a gift and we're all promised death. Like, that is one promise you have in this world. And like, I just am like, we had like an amazing life. We like. He loved to travel, he loved fitness. Like, it was. He lived for me and the kids. And like, we started dating when I was 15 and he was 16 and like, so we were high school sweethearts. We had our oldest son when I was a junior in high school and he was a senior. He just was like a hard, hard worker from. I mean, he practically lived on his own from the time he was 15. His mom left the marriage when he was 13. His dad got into a new relationship and moved out of the house I think when he was like 15 or 16. So he basically lived there by himself. And he would get up every day, go to school, and I mean, he'd have friends. Literally, he would tell people this. My friends would be sleeping on my bedroom floor and I would step over them to go to school while they're, you know, hanging out, sleeping on the floor. He, you know, worked really hard. He. We went to a vocational high school and he did sprinkler pipe. And so he got a job doing that for like 10 years. But he always, like, he took all the on call stuff and he always did stuff on the side, like whatever he could do, build decks, finish basements, like, whatever. And then we, in 2011, we started the roofing company. And he chased the passion. Like, he just like, he loved helping people. And he would always say that, like, it's like a huge investment to put a roof on your house. And it started out as a construction company and then quickly honed into just roofing, like roofing siding, windows and doors. And it was his whole like that business was he had. So it brought him so much joy and he just like, we were like, the company was like its own family. So he, we grew the company. And I think in 2015 is when he quit his full time job and went full time with the business.

[Delaney]

And I have never known someone to love work the way he loved his work. Like even now, like as I'm in college and like I'm, I aspire to love my job as much as he loved his job. Like, he loved us so much. But don't think for a second that he wouldn't compromise days like Easter. He'd be like, okay, we're doing brunch at 12, at 1 o' clock, I'm leaving to go run appointments for the rest of the day. And it wasn't even about like, I want to sell this job to get some money. It was, I want to, I want to help this person. I want to make this person happy. Like he would come home and he wouldn't be like, guess how much I sold the roof for? He'd be like, I heard about this person's story today. Like, their kid is in the military, their kid is doing this. Like he knew their whole life story. He would sit there as long as it took just to build the relationship so they could trust him to put their roof on or do whatever. And he loved it. He would wake up in the morning and like she said, he loved fitness. Like he would incorporate that to work. He would run to the office in the morning. How far is the office?

[Danielle]

I think it was like 13 miles.

[Delaney]

He would run 17 miles. He would run over a bridge, bike over a bridge and get to work, shower at 4:00am and then work and wouldn't come home until 8:00 clock at night sometimes. Like, he loved his work.

[Danielle]

He quit his job in 2015. He was like, I'm quitting today. And I did hate, I was like always did hair at home. Like I had a salon in my basement and I also went to college and was an X ray tech for I think like five years. But I never did it full time. I always like took care of the house, took care of the kids and he worked full time. And I always did part time stuff and did hair at home around my kids schedule. But it was like, that's what we did. And I always ran all the back end stuff for the business. He like was front facing, running appointments, dealing with the customers. But I was like keeping the books, billing, all of that stuff. But I was like, oh my gosh, you quit your job. Like we're full time with this. And he's like, yeah, babe, you know we're going to ride the wave and if it crashes, we'll get jobs. So I was like, all right, okay. So it was like we, you know, took a leap of faith and the business Just when you chase the passion, the dollars come. Like I feel like. And that's what he did. We had a storm one year on Christmas day and somebody's roof like fell in and they called our emergency line and he called up a couple of the guys and he was like, all right, I'm gonna, you know, it was 12 o' clock, whatever. He was like, I'm gonna go help these people. Like they need us. Like they, we have to go help their, their roof fell in, it's Christmas. So those are the kind of things that he would do. And he just had so many relationships with people and that was like, I mean he would build, develop friendships from an appointment. Like we met our financial advisor, from him selling him a roof. Like it was, everything was like, I met this, I met this guy today. I met this guy. He just would come home with the craziest stories, ideas. Like he was always like, wanted to give us as much experiences in life too as like he, he could. And that's like what he, he lived for us. Like he would always say, if it weren't for you and the kids, like I wouldn't be doing all this running, all this, you know, craziness because it obviously comes with stressors too. Yeah, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this.

[Delaney]

But anyone can get the same Premium.

[Danielle]

Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have.

[Delaney]

One of your assistant's assistants switch you.

[Danielle]

To Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do.

[Delaney]

@Mintmobile.Com Switch upfront payment of $45 for.

[Danielle]

3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available.

[Delaney]

Taxes and fees extra.

[Danielle]

See full [e-mail] race the rudders. Race the sails. Race the sails.

[Delaney]

Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching.

[Danielle]

Over. Roger, wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution?

[Delaney]

Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors. With LinkedIn ads, you can target the.

[Danielle]

Right people by industry, job title and more.

[Delaney]

We'll even give you a $100 credit.

[Danielle]

On your next campaign.

[Delaney]

Get started today at LinkedIn.com results.

[Danielle]

Terms and conditions apply.

[Host]

You're busy non stop. Yes, but at the same time, it was his fulfillment.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I don't think he would ever. Your dad would have never stopped working.

[Delaney]

No. Like he, he would talk about retirement, but he, no, he would have did something.

[Danielle]

He, he definitely.

[Host]

Guys like that, they can't, I don't think they Know how to stop. They can't. Like, I think that's their. That's their drive.

[Delaney]

Yes.

[Host]

It's amazing.

[Delaney]

We would. We joke about this all the time. We like to go out, we like to have fun. We like to go on trips. But we also need our recharge time. My dad, once every two months would lay on the couch and take a nap. Like, he would be like, okay, I have our weekends planned out. We're gonna go to, like, it would be Monday, and he's like, Friday, we're gonna go to New York for the day. Like, you're not going to school. You're not going to school. We're going to New York for the day. We're gonna go to. We're gonna go hike some trail that I found online for six miles. He took my younger siblings one day on Thanksgiving to go run. Was it six, eight miles? Eight miles. My. How old was our day? Six? No, maybe he was like seven.

[Danielle]

He was eight because it was that November.

[Delaney]

Okay. So he was eight and my sister was 15. They all three wore weight vests. And they ran the morning of Thanksgiving.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Around eight, around a pond. And it was eight miles.

[Delaney]

Yeah. He was just. He never needed time to sit down. He would come home from a full day and be like, we're gonna go out to dinner with that kind of night.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And he was just always, like, positive and everything. Like, he had his crazy side too. I'm not. I'm not gonna. We. It wasn't perfect, but he was very much like, just always be better, do better. And he just instilled just that those qualities in our kids. And he was one of a kind. That is for sure one of a kind. And it's really. It's horrible what happened to us. But, like, I'm thankful for, like, you gotta be thankful, right? You got a cup half full. Because I'm like, when someone passes away, it's like, you are he. Like, you feel like you died too, but you're here, breathing, living still. And like, we deserve to, like, be happy, have joy, keep living. And I'm like, if one thing I know, like, he would not want us sitting around not living our life and continuing on and moving to the next chapter. Because he would say, like, you know, when people die, like, it is you. You gotta keep on going. It's not. You can't just roll over and die. And it's sad. And like, I will say, like, we lost an employee six months before Dan passed away, and he had worked for us for, I think around five years. And you know, we were like a family at the company and that. He was 39 years old, the guy, when he passed. And My husband was 40. And it was like, when he passed, Dan was like, oh my gosh. It really like, set a little bit into perspective for him. Like, wow, you can be here today, gone tomorrow. And you know, he had a wife and three kids. And it was just. I think it hit him so hard because they are our. They were our age, they had children. Like a lot of things just set him into, like, you know, live life to the fullest. Don't. You know what I mean? Don't have any hold backs because you. You don't know. Yeah, I think it just. For Dan, it just made him like. Because the company always came before everything. Us, our marriage, our kids, anything. The company came before it, which is why it probably was so successful. Is so successful. But once we lost our employee, it was kind of like he was. He didn't stop like having the business come before everything. But he did, like, I feel like it. It gave him a different outlook on life. Like, okay, my kid, like, he used to say, like, I don't ever want to die. And the kids be like, I worked all the time. Like, all my dad did was work, work, work, work, work, which he did. But he loved his kids. Well, and they all, I mean, they all say that now. Like, they. It's not.

[Host]

And I think too, there's a difference between working and being miserable and working and you know, coming, like you guys said, coming home and telling these stories and seeing how much he would connect with people because there's not enough people that genuinely want to connect with people. I feel like nowadays so many people and so many things are so transactional. Just like, get it done, do it, whatever. Like, I think it means a lot to people. I mean, that's how you maintain and create relationships. And that's how. I mean, that is why it was successful. People would probably. If. If anyone heard that they needed something, it's like, oh, that's who you call. You know, it's like. And that's why. That's the way it should be.

[Danielle]

Yeah, it was. That definitely was him.

[Delaney]

Yeah. And. And their. They've said this before. They're like, biggest. Their biggest lead was always word of mouth, referrals, neighbors telling neighbors about whoever came out to sell them the job and just how awesome they were and how nice they were. And you need to call this company. Like, it was always word of mouth.

[Danielle]

And he. It's like I feel like we. A lot of people can't work with their spouse. And we had a really good. It wasn't always like that. We, you know, we learned. But being together so young, I just feel like we kind of grew to be our own. And with the business, like, I mean, we work together and obviously live together, raised kids together, did life together. Try. Everything we did was together. I talked to that man all day long. We. We were friends. I mean, not a lot. I mean, that's important, but not a lot of people in relationships, we just had a connection on a level that I feel like isn't. I mean, we all know people, and not a lot of marriages. People do things separately. You know, they. Yeah. And I. I just, like, he truly was my best friend. He. You know, he was a great dad. He was a great husband. And even through, you know, nothing's perfect, through all the bad times like you, we just always came back to our foundation. We had, you know, two children young. I had my. We had our oldest son, little Danny, when I was 16, and then I had Delaney when I was just turned 21. And we did everything backwards. We had the kid, then bought the house, then got married. But we weathered the storm. Like, that's a lot to, like, be together so young. And you just go through so many changes in life from, you know, teenager to 25, you know, so, like, we were able to weather the storm, and we had some hiccups in the road. And then when my kids were, I guess, 12 and 16, I always wanted, like, a big family. And he was, like, fine with our. Our son. When we had our son, he was like, we don't ever have to have another kid. And I was like, yes, we do. We're having another one. And I was like, lord, give me a girl, because I know he will not have any more. So then when they were like, like I said 12 and 16, we were talking about it more. We. We had some people at our. At my church that had adopted. We knew, like, he was like. We talked about, like, we're in. We're young. We're in our 30s. And I was like, I'm not. I just didn't feel done. And he was like, well, we're not having a baby, but we can adopt. And I was like, oh, don't tell me twice. I signed us up right for the foster care classes. And, um, he was like, you know, and this is, like, kind of funny, but we're obviously white and in foster care, there's a lot of, like, black and White. Like, that is what the. Do I need to be politically correct?

[Host]

No.

[Danielle]

Okay. So when we went into this, we just felt like I did a lot of preying on this adoption thing, and I was. I don't know why I kept coming to Hispanic children and I kept saying, like, two. We're going to get a boy and a girl. And my husband was like, you are out of your mind. Mind. We're not. He was. He was fine. Like, he was. Same thing with the Hispanic. And he was like, I feel. He felt that too, but he wanted one boy. I was like, okay, whatever. So we tell the foster care police. We're like, this is what. And they're like, yeah, we don't really want to, like, take your money, but there's not a lot of Spanish in. And I was like, it's fine. Like, this is what we feel. If it doesn't work out, it's not your fault. We're like, we get it. So it's kind of weird how they do it, but they send you basically like a little profile on the child and. Or children. And it says a little like literally probably 10 sentences and a picture. And you. You can put in, like, all parameters, like if you want what type of abuse or what you can and can't handle disability wise. Like, there's a lot of things. So we got sent children. Whatever we were actually looking into. There were two boys from Ohio that we were. We had put in for whatever to foster them.

[Delaney]

And we were really close.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And it was like, a lot of people put in for these kids. And we made it to, like, the top three families. And we got sent our kids profile, the two that we ended up adopting. And I called my social worker and I was like, I want to say yes, but like, we're. We're all. We're almost to the top with these boys. And they were like, if you say yes to these two kids that you just got sent, it makes them go away. So. And we felt like, because we made it so far, because it was like a lot of. We have made it through, like three rounds of families. And this was in August of 2017. And so we said no to our now children and we never got those two boys. We didn't make it to the final round. Whatever. They picked another family. And I get it. Like, they have to. The goal is they want to make sure you're as much of a fit as the kids are for you as you are for the children. So I was like, crazy. Whatever. Then November of 2017, we got sent those kids again. And I called my husband and I was like, dan, I know you only wanted one boy, but those kids came back across like, this is totally. God. Like, these are our kids. And he was like, make the phone call. They're our kids. So in November, they had said to us, like, hey, you're probably not gonna get them until February of 2018, because however the stuff was working out, blah, blah, blah. Okay, no problem. Give us a little time to prepare. They. They would have. They like you to like, kind of meet the kids and then maybe have an overnight. They try to transition it in, you know, in like, the best way possible. Well, on December 11th of 2017, we got a phone call that the kids were being put out of their foster home. And we had a four hour notice. We were to come pick them up at this state building in Dover. And I was like, was that before.

[Host]

You even met them?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

We never met them. Nothing. Like, we didn't hear anything because we weren't supposed to get them till February, right? So the next month they call us and they're like, they're being put out of their foster home.

[Delaney]

A just turned 2 year old and.

[Danielle]

9 year old, and they both had lice. That's why they were getting put out of their foster home. I'm like, that is. Which was crazy to me because I'm like, it's lice. It's not. You treat it and move along, right? So whatever. So it was raining. I will never forget it. Because we were walking around Walmart and Dan's like, what? What? I'm like, we gotta get clothes. I don't. We don't have anything. So we get all this stuff and just totally, like, perspective. My car was in the shop. We had just had our kitchen gutted. Like, we had no kitchen. Everything was gutted because we were getting our kitchen redone. And I'm like, all right, all right. God, we're. We're locked in. We're doing it. So we drive down. It's pouring down rain. They're Spanish, by the way. I forgot to say that They're. They're both Mexican. And we get to the state building, we go in, and my son had a dirty diaper, so I had to change his diaper. And I had a meltdown while changing his diaper. I just started crying because it was like, reality hit me. Like, holy crap, we're taking these kids home. And I just start crying and. And Dan comes in and he's like, get it together. We're gonna be Fine. And I was like, all right, all right. So we get him all cleaned up, and we get in the car, and I'm like, oh, my gosh. So we get in the car, and my daughter's 9, and I'm like, honey, you know, you can call us whatever you want. Like, I'm sure you're probably scared, like. And it was just so. And she was. She never, like, cried because she's, like, a pretty tough kiddo. But she was, like, decided she wanted to call me Ms. Dee Dee. And my husband, Mr. D. So. Just so innocent. Sweet little. My.

[Host]

The.

[Danielle]

My son didn't really talk at the time. He had to get speech therapy, but he really didn't speak much at all. And. But my daughter. It was just so, like. I don't know. It was the coolest experience. Those kids changed our lives just as much as we change theirs. Like, they have brought, like, such a different perspective on life and our family. To my husband, like, my son. My youngest son was Dan's.

[Delaney]

The light of his life.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Like. Like, he lived for that boy. And it's crazy because my kids were 12 and 16, so they remember how their dad was when they were little or whatever. And, you know, when you have a kid at. He was 16 and 22 versus mid-30s, like, you're just at a different. You're. You just are different. So he was just more patient, calm, and he just lived for that baby.

[Delaney]

Took him everywhere. He did everything with him. Like, that was his little sidekick all the time.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Host]

And I think it's really cool and amazing, too, that you and your husband were able to go through such different life experiences together. But not many people can do that and grow together, you know?

[Danielle]

Yes.

[Host]

With all those years, which I think is so.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Host]

So cool because you get to see different sides of each other.

[Danielle]

It definitely. And those kids were. It was hard at first. Obviously, my. My son was fine. Like, yeah.

[Host]

I was gonna say, how long did it take for them to really warm up?

[Danielle]

Would you say my son was kind of like, I don't. If you. Because we kind of beat our kids to death with it. Like, we're like, for, like, a year, we were like, all right, we think we're gonna adopt. We think we're gonna adopt.

[Delaney]

And it was so talked about. They have to come and, like, interview each person of the family. So, like, a woman came in, and we're, like, sitting there, and she's like, so, like, what do you guys think? And we were so used to it. We're like, yeah, like, like, we're ready for this. Like, yeah, we didn't think it was anything crazy. We're like, we've been talking about this for a year. Like, we know what we're getting ourselves.

[Danielle]

I just wanted them to be prepared because she. She went from being the baby to basically the middle child for two years. And then my son joined the military, so then she went to be the oldest. So it was a lot of, you know, my son is just. His personality is just a little bit different. He was fine. Like, he kind of looked at it as. It's taken the looks off of me. I'm 16. You can look at this baby now like, you're. You know what I mean? You're off my back. Where Delaney was kind of like, she was the baby, you know what I mean? And now there is a baby. So it was harder on her. She, like, you know, had some moments of, like, she was sad and. But she would look at me and be like, I don't want to send them back, but I just. I want my mom back, you know.

[Delaney]

So I remember this because we had the two year old and the nine year old due to, like, her background, she lived with her mom till she was 7 and then was in foster care for two years. So due to all that, I think her coming into our home and like, my mom constantly told them, she was like, I plan for you guys to be here forever. Like, we want to adopt you. And in the early days, I think she really clung to that. So, like, my mom carried her around on her hip. Like, she was also like a baby in that way. Like, she needed to be, like, really cared for. So. So I remember when that was happening, I was like, whoa, what is going on?

[Host]

What am I, chopped liver? Yeah, and you were still young too, you know, so it's like, even though I think you can be super prepared for something mentally, but then until you're in it, you don't really know. But I'm sure it was so helpful for, you know, those kids as well to have you and to have that dynamic as well.

[Delaney]

Yeah, definitely.

[Host]

To have that sibling, you know, just kind of built in, in a way.

[Delaney]

And it was really before. Before we adopted them. I mean, we both had, like, I had. I always had really good relationship with my mom and my dad both, but my brother did wrestling and I did competitive cheer for a long time. And so it was a lot of, like, my mom would take. My mom would take me away on my competitions and my dad would go to wrestling and they would like, tag Team. So I was, like, really tight with my mom. I was always with her. Like, she has been, always will be, is my best friend. Like, she was with me all the time. So that was hard, too, transitioning to that. And, like, we ended up just always taking my little brother with me. And my sister went with my dad. Like, it was just, like, it changed. And it was a little hard in the first couple months, but I. Like, she said I never wanted to, like, send them back. And it's funny, hindsight is 20 20, but they have just always felt like, normal. It never was weird. Like, it was never, like. Like, this is abnormal. It has, from my memory, always felt like, these are my siblings.

[Danielle]

Like, and you can't imagine life without them.

[Host]

Like, that's amazing.

[Danielle]

And they obviously look different than us, you know, and my daughter, my little guy, he doesn't know any different. He knows he's adopted, but he doesn't know, like, any different. And my daughter would be like, people are looking at us. And I'm like, so what do you care? Like, that we look.

[Host]

That's their problem.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And she's like, no. And I'm like, then who cares? Smile at them and keep it pushing. And now it's funny because I'm Italian and my daughter's Mexican, but some people will tell her she looks just like me, and she laughs.

[Host]

I was sitting here and I was gonna say, like, because I feel like I.

[Delaney]

You could. You look like.

[Host]

You could be, like, maybe Hispanic.

[Danielle]

Yes. And I've gotten that.

[Host]

Yeah. So it's like, it wouldn't be so.

[Danielle]

Far off that idea. And so we just. I mean, we, you know, we chalk it up and laugh. But one funny story I was at. So I always did cheer my husband. He thought cheer was not a sport, and so I would always go to cheer. And when we. We talked before we got the kids, and I was like, you know, if this is her, Delaney and my thing doing the cheer competitions, I don't want to invade that when we get the kids. Like, we had discussed this. My mom was supposed to supportive, so if Delaney was cool with it, we'd bring the kids. But sometimes we wouldn't. So we left them with my husband one weekend.

[Delaney]

Oh, this is, like, very new, too. Yeah, this is really early.

[Danielle]

This was like, probably we had him, I don't know, a month, maybe two months. And my husband was a typical man. Like, he just. The details weren't important to him. So we go on this cheer competition. We're in Rhode island, and my husband calls me and he's like, danielle, RJ is my little guy's name. He fell and busted his head open. And I'm like, what? And he's like, I, I'm going to the ER and he's sending us pictures. There's blood everywhere. He split his eyebrow open quite a few. Yeah, yeah. It was probably an inch and a half long gash in his head. He had, I don't know, 10 stitches or something. And he's like, I'm at AI Hospital and I'm in there like looking at Maribel, my nine year old, what's his birthday? I. He said, these people probably think, but you know, it was like brand new. And he's like, oh my gosh. He didn't have no medical card, nothing. And I just am like, oh my gosh, leave it to you. He's like, these people probably think we're crazy. But it was just funny and humbling experience for him. But like he had to deal with all that. And it's just, I'm just like, you, you were made for this. Go. Just. These people probably think you're nuts.

[Delaney]

That is so funny.

[Danielle]

But really he just was, he was an amazing person. And I would say like, you know, it was a year in January and we went through so many. Like, I can see why they say don't make any big decisions the first year because I, no exaggeration, probably from January to September, I felt like I was living in a fog. Like I didn't. There were a lot of days, like I was like, am I, am I crazy? Like, what's happening? You know? We all definitely went back to the new reality kind of quickly. My kids wanted, my younger two wanted to go back to school. So they probably went back to school a week later. Which I was like, whatever you guys want to do is fine. I went back to work probably five days later. But again, I had a job and people don't care when. I mean, unfortunately, the world keeps turning. The turnaround time is quick.

[Host]

It's like when you hear about something, it's like for other people, I feel like it's very in the moment shock. But then everybody's living their own life. It does keep going.

[Danielle]

Exactly. My mom lived with us for three months. My sister in law came to town on a one way ticket and she's like my godsend. She's like the fun aunt, she's the cool aunt, she breaks my rules. Like my kids think that she's like, I mean she's truly a gift to us and she's Just hilarious and funny. And she works from home, so she was able to just get a one way ticket.

[Delaney]

And she, she really like in the early days, we were told the next day, I think our pastor and his wife came to our house and they told her, they said, people are going to say dumb things to you. Like we, you should know that. And boy did they. People said some stupid things that were almost like insults about my dad to my mom. And it's early days. Like you have no energy to like pause a scene and be like, why would you say that? So we just kept it pushing. But people said dumb things. And a lot of the times, like especially like planning the funeral during the funeral, like during the days of people being in our house, if we needed something, my aunt was right there ready to tell whoever to leave, to not come back to. Don't speak. Yeah, don't say anything. During the funeral. She was like, you need to move, you need to move. You need to go here. You need to go here.

[Danielle]

Like, she was, she definitely. Yeah, she helped a lot. And it was especially like through the funeral. Like, I don't know if this is morbid or whatever, but we planned like as best we could for something like this to happen. And we talked about death. I mean he, my kids knew my husband's wishes and you know, his. He would. Because he talked about it. Like we didn't obviously expect this to happen, but like we talk. He would say, you know, if I die first, I want to be cremated and I want you to put me in little bags and you better continue to travel and sprinkle me around the world. And we would go to funerals and he would always say, like, don't. I don't like that on display stuff. Like he was like, if you need to view me, he was like, you and whoever you think can view my body, but I don't want to be on display for everyone to look at me. And he's like, if, if I didn't have relationships with people when I was alive, no, I don't want them coming to view me when I'm dead. Like, so my sister in law knew all that. I have two adult children. So like. And my mom was a big, huge help, like with it all. And I mean it was, you know, he was like a child to my mom. You know, we were together for so long and he was a kid when she met him. Yeah, so we had some hiccups.

[Delaney]

And his mom was estranged.

[Danielle]

Yeah, his mom was. I mean she was at the funeral because I'm not rude like that. But he didn't speak to his mom, but he just. It's crazy to see like what he came, you know, like what you can make of a life. You know what I mean? And we fulfilled his wishes. I mean, we went to the funeral home and I said I was referred to this funeral home, which I would recommend to anyone in our area.

[Delaney]

It was like, it's funny because it's like, who wants to rave about a funeral home? But the man that we had to help plan this funeral was amazing. Like, yeah, he. They had each other's numbers and he would text her like every day. Like he was just. He was.

[Danielle]

And he wanted it to be perfect. You know what I mean? And like, so. And obviously I've never planned a funeral before, so I knew like, certain things. Like I, you know, I went in there and I was like, so this is the, you know. And he was like, okay, you got it. You know, kind of. I'm a type A personality though. I'm a planner. I'm like, I don't. No mess. Like, let's just get it done. Like, I understand this is sad, but I don't need to be here all day at this table planning this funeral. Like, here's what we want. Here's my kids. My father in law was there, my sister in law, my mom. And I was like, this is what we want. Whatever. So. And it was. He did a wonderful job. He did. They don't really put stuff in the paper these days. They put it online. And he did call us at one point and he was like, Danielle. And I was like, yeah. And he was like, my funeral home only holds. I think it was a max, 300 people. And I was like, funny. Okay. And he was like, so it's only been up for an hour. The obituary online, and it's had like a thousand shares. Yeah.

[Delaney]

In an hour.

[Danielle]

And he was like, I don't think you realize, like, that's. That's a lot. And obviously he's the. He owns the funeral home. He knows. And he was like, so we might want to consider having it somewhere else. And I was like, okay, this is way too much for me to handle. Right? This is too complicated. I'm like, we already put it out. Like, we have to. It was fine. We didn't change it. I put that. I passed that buck to my sister in law. And I was like, here, if you can figure this out, otherwise, leave it. But it ended up. You can talk about that once.

[Delaney]

We. Once he told us that it's actually really funny because we would wake up every day and we would stalk the obituary and we would see how many.

[Danielle]

I think it was 14,000.

[Delaney]

Yeah. It got up to 14,000 shares. Yes.

[Danielle]

Make your next move with American Express business Platinum. Earn 5 times Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com and with a welcome offer of 150,000 points. After you spend $20,000 on purchases on the card within your first three months of membership, your business can source to new heights. Terms apply. Learn [e-mail] Business Platinum AmEx Business Platinum Built for business by American Express Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz and Allbirds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into Sign up for your $1 per month [e-mail] specialoffer that's crazy. Which is weird. We ended up having it, what is it called when you like a live feed. We ended up doing that because the funeral home could only hold 300. So we opened up a firehouse where we were having the luncheon for people to go there and it was live streamed and then people could watch it at home. But.

[Delaney]

And the. So the funeral home it was at was like right next to other buildings. So there's like a parking lot and then it goes out to like a road and then there's a huge church over here. How many people showed up?

[Danielle]

We had over 1200. I think it was like 600 at the line.

[Delaney]

I was gonna say the line started like we had the viewing for our small, intimate, like 15, 20 people group before. So the doors were closed. The line started before the doors opened. The line wrapped around the building, through that road and into the parking lot of the church. And people sat there and waited to come and see.

[Danielle]

People waited for like two hours to come in. It was, and it's crazy because my husband would say this too. He was such a. I'm like, we, I like, I tease and say he was like big headed. But he would say like, man, if I died, I wonder who would come to my funeral. And he had said that to my mom. And my mom was like, well, you would be super pumped about your funeral. Look at all these people, right? Like it was. And it's funny because people said we had all the boards, you know, and pictures, and I. I could go on for hours and hours and hours of just all the experiences we had. And people actually said this to me. They were like, man, you got a lot of pictures here, like, of you and him and you, you know, him and the kids. Da, da, da. And there people were like, we need to start taking pictures. Because I don't think I'd have this many pictures to put up at a funeral or whatever. And. And it just. I'm a picture taker of all things, so partially, like, that's, you know, I credit myself to that. But it is. He lived. And I say, like, that is our blessing from God, is he lived a full life in his short time. But it was so full because it was so short. And I think, like, we had our. You know, we had a lot. I mean, we. I didn't realize how many people that we knew until, you know what I mean, something like this happened or how many lives that we've touched. Because, I mean, people usually, you know, just put it a little in perspective. What do people get food for a week or two? I mean, we were getting food three, four, five months later, I was still getting food brought to my house. We had people checking in on us, people stopping by. Like, it was still, to this day.

[Delaney]

I have people that I don't really talk to text me and ask me how I'm doing.

[Danielle]

The support, just. And I mean, people came to the funeral. And my, like, as I'm on this podcast talking about my life, were pretty private people. My husband was the same way. And like, we had a little meeting. My kids, I was like, were not. Like, we're not crying at the funeral. Like, I, you know, I'm like, Because my two adult kids, they spoke at the funeral. And I was like, yeah, she.

[Delaney]

I wanted to say this. When we were planning it, the guy helping us, he was like, so, like, we'll do speeches here if anyone wants to speak. And I remember, like, me and my brother were, like, spent to my mom. We were like, yeah, we want to speak. And she was like, are you serious? She was like, I don't want to speak. And I was like, yeah, no, like, we want to speak. And she'll joke and she feel like you are your father's children in that way. Like, she was. But she's again, type A. She was like, you need to type up your speech. You need to print it out, a piece of paper, and you're going to stand in Front of the living room. And you're going to practice in front of all of us.

[Danielle]

Yeah, we did. And that's what we did. Because I was like, well, that. And people want to hear what you have to say. Like, I wrote his eulogy and actually the Delaware state trooper that I said was on scene with me, he read it at the funeral. But my kids. I was like, people want to hear what you have to say. So we're not going to be up there crying, like, so read it, read it, read it. And they did. And. And it is like, it's just who we are. Right? Like, we're not. I'm like, get it together.

[Delaney]

Say it with confidence. Yes. Yeah. They're so tough. We talk about this too. My dad was a straight up man in this way. Probably saw him cry twice in his whole life. Like they were. She never would let me see her cry.

[Danielle]

And not. It's not that we don't show emotion, it's just a. Because I don't want to sit here and act like people can't cry because I've. We've all shed way more tears in this year than I probably have my whole life. But it's just how we. You know what I mean? And I.

[Delaney]

Very mentally tough.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Delaney]

Like.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And I had that in.

[Host]

And I think that's really good to have, you know, like, to be able to stand there and reflect on moments like that. I think it shows a different type of strength, you know, and everybody grieves and heals differently. Some people can't help it. They just cry, you know, they can't. And that's fine too. But I do think that it shows, like I said, a different type of strength. And it's. People envy that. And that's incredible to be able to have that and to be able to reflect on, you know, the amazing times and base. I look at it as holding it together for everybody else around you, which is. That's okay too.

[Danielle]

And it's funny because I. I feel like I get my strength from. I pressed into my faith more than ever when my husband passed away, because how people do it without God, I don't know. But I had four people looking at me on how we're going to navigate this road. And for me, I was like, no, I cannot lay in that bed and cry my life away because my four kids are going to do that. Like, they're going to act by my actions. So for me, I felt like I had to. You gotta. You have to keep going. And I just. My husband Would have been the same way had the roles been reversed. Like, it probably would have been even extra tough. Like, my kids know, like, we all communicate. Like, they are very. My kids know, like, you talk about your feelings and, you know, it's okay to cry. We're always going to miss him. He's never going to go away in our lives, you know, in our hearts. And. But we're. We are going to be strong, too. And so at the funeral, that's where it started. Like, they knew. Like, I was like, we, you know, we're not going to. And I wanted people to hear what they had to say about their dad. Like, he was an amazing man. And I'm like, people want to hear that. So we're not. We can't, you know, boo hoo. And. And we, you know, had our times at the house and that's okay, but so I just am like, I think everything. He would have been, like, very, you know, proud of the funeral. And it was, you know, we had our intimate little bit of time. It got a little. People started showing up early. They had to have bodyguards at the door where the casket was. And I was like, all right, we got to shut this down now because this is getting too many people in here. And. But it was.

[Delaney]

I want to touch on something.

[Danielle]

Go ahead.

[Delaney]

For the. For the viewing. I just think this is a cool touch he had. The guy was like, so he has abrasions on his hands and they're noticeable. He had tattooed hands. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but I think it. I don't know. He had abrasions on his hands, and he was like, he has to wear a hat too, because they did autopsy. And I think his hands should be covered for you guys. He was like, I don't know if he has, like, a favorite blanket or what. So my dad's in a suit. He would hate this. My dad's in a suit, which he loved. He loved his suit.

[Host]

Did you guys see his body?

[Danielle]

Yeah, we viewed him.

[Delaney]

Okay, so. Well, I didn't. I.

[Danielle]

So she didn't.

[Delaney]

So they had it open. We all went in first, and then any of the friends that were there went in. But I. She went in with my brother and I was supposed to go with them. And I opened the door and I turned back around and I was like, I don't. I don't even like funerals. Like, even when we go to other people's funerals, I skip the line. I don't like a dead body. It grosses me out. Like, I don't get it. I'm. I'll pay my respects from back here. I went in the back of the funeral, and I saw the tip of his nose, and it was gray. And I sat down, and I was like, that was enough for me. So everyone else saw him, but I didn't. But I do like this touch. So his hands had abrasions on him, and his head needed to be covered. So they put him in his suit. He looked, I'm assuming, great because he loved a suit. But he had a hat that was his favorite hat. But he was, like. Didn't wear, like, fedoras or anything. So the hat was a Phillies hat.

[Danielle]

With, like, baseball cap.

[Delaney]

Yeah. With, like, New York City buildings on it.

[Danielle]

And he.

[Delaney]

That was his favorite hat. And a Philadelphia. Okay, Philadelphia. Sorry. Gosh. And my mom was like, I don't think he would want a blanket on his hands. So we're spending, like, almost a day trying to figure out what we're gonna put on his hands to cover them. Because we were like, he doesn't have a favorite blanket. Like, he slept with a sheet. And we're going through boxes in the basement to go through albums, and somebody finds this. This American flag, like, folded up. And I was like, what is this? And my dad's sister and her husband are both in the military, in the Air Force, and they flew a flag over.

[Danielle]

They had it flown over somewhere, and they, like, give them away in honor of whatever. So he had given us this flag years ago.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And we had it in the box still and in the whatever in with the photo album.

[Delaney]

So if we use that to tuck his hands into. Just because he had so much respect for military, for police, for, like, all of it. Like, he would. He would tell me if he ever saw him out. Like, he would buy their food. He would do whatever. Like, he just had so much respect. When they were younger, he tried to join. He wanted to join any. He wanted to go in the army, but his sister said, don't. Don't do that, because your front lines. He tried all the other branches, and they turned him away for his tattoos. He wanted. Like, he thought it was amazing that my brother joined. Like, he just had so, so much respect for, like, America and, like, all of it.

[Danielle]

So he would have loved that.

[Host]

Right?

[Danielle]

Because when we were talking about what. What to put him in. So he was hit. He was running on Route 13, and the speed limit on that road is 55 miles an hour. But we're pretty sure the guy was speeding and he was drunk. He was on a slew of drugs.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And he. He hit him from behind. And so I don't have all the details because the guy was arrested and then he ended up getting out. Whatever. Because apparently you don't go to jail for something like this right away. So.

[Host]

Yeah, I was gonna ask you, like, did he get in trouble for it?

[Danielle]

So he.

[Delaney]

We're still dealing with.

[Danielle]

So he was killed in January. He. The. The man didn't get arrested until August, so he is currently in prison and he has a high cash bail, so he shouldn't be able to get out. Trial is set to start in July of this year. He will get offered a plea. So it's. We'll have to see how that goes. But he. We're assuming he probably landed maybe face down. I don't really know that's what we're assuming, but. So he had, like, a little scratch on his nose and on his hands. But I guess they. Autopsy is an automatic thing that they do. So it was like, we joked about that a lot because I was like, he. And he had, like, a buzz haircut. Like, it was pretty short, and he.

[Delaney]

Had, like, light, dirty blonde hair.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So they didn't. And I had made it very clear, like, if there's anything I don't like, I am. This is going to be enough to view the body. Like, we didn't want to view any. So that's why he was like. Like, with his tattoos on his hands. He was like, you were gonna cover the hands. But he would have. We do joke about that with the hat. I'm like, oh, gosh. He would be like, what in the hell are you putting me in? A hat and a suit? But he loved when he would. Could wear a suit. Like, he didn't. He didn't wear a suit for his job, but he would, like, think that, like, he would be like, I feel like a million bucks. Like, he loved to wear it. So I was like, all right, he's definitely going in the suit. And then we picked his favorite Phillies hat. And the. The American flag was definitely a nice. A really nice touch for. For it.

[Host]

How was it for you viewing his body?

[Danielle]

I thought at the time I needed to. For closure, like, to. Just because I didn't get to see his body that night. But once I seen it, I did not. I instantly was like, I didn't. I didn't need it. Yeah, Foreclosure. But I'm glad. Like, it was kind of like we all had our own. Like, I went in with my oldest and my sister in law and Delaney didn't. She ended up staying in the back of the room. And then like, I had what, three of his really good friends and their spouses and then like your cousin? My cousin and her husband and my mom and his dad and his stepmom. And so after I went in, I just let people have their own. Like, I went out because I'm not. I'm like, I was checking boxes. I was like, we just have to get through this. Like, I think there's a reason why you do all this so fast because you're in like a numb state and, you know, you go through so many, like, emotions. I went through periods of time where I feel like my mood was just sad for days and days and days. And I was like, oh my gosh, I cannot shake this. And I know, like, we instantly. I put everybody in therapy except my oldest. He went once and he was like, this isn't for me.

[Delaney]

And so he was only home for like three weeks.

[Danielle]

Six weeks.

[Delaney]

Six weeks. When he came home, the Red Cross was like, you're gonna be home for two weeks. And my mom was like, that is not enough. And she called anybody she had to. And she was like, you need to extend this. He. We. No, she was like, I haven't even started planning the funeral. He can't be home for two weeks. So they did extend it to sexy. So it was nice.

[Danielle]

But yeah, and we're just a tight knit family. Like, we, we are very close. Like, and even with my, my son, you know, being in Japan, like, he. Funny to go back to what you said. You had that really nice conversation with your dad that day. Like, my son also did weird. I don't. You know, it's just like God's timing, I guess. But he also had a really nice conversation with his dad. And for whatever reason, my daughter Maribel was also home that day. She. She must have not had school. And she also had a really nice conversation with her dad. So, like, that isn't normal because she would normally be in school. So, like, it was just. I was glad for my kids. My youngest was in school, so he. And he doesn't really understand that kind of stuff. So it was fine. But it was just cool to like, we all. And then to know, like, I was his last call. And I mean, it was quick and crazy because my kids were like screaming in the background. But yeah, but it was. Yeah, it was like, all right, I love you and I'll see you after this run. But it's just. And I'll never know why. Like, we ran on that road a million times. And the Sunday before he died, we went out on a run together and he went ahead of me because he had to do more miles. And then I was going to meet up with him and he ran on that road and actually called me and was like, Ruth, 13 is so dangerous. I don't want you running out here.

[Delaney]

So then he had me drive and meet her, meet him somewhere else to drop her off.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So I couldn't run on that road. So then the day that he was killed, he was on that road and I was like, why in the heck did he.

[Delaney]

And he even said on the phone call with her, he was running and he was like, I don't know why I went this way. She was like, I don't remember. She was like, there was so much craziness. Like we didn't even get into a conversation. But he said he was like, I don't know why I went this way. Why did I go this way?

[Danielle]

And it was just, I don't know, crazy.

[Host]

I always think about that too when I see, you know, like when I'm on any type of. I mean, whether it's a neighborhood or back roads. I mean, because even with neighborhoods where the speed limit is only 30, I mean, it could be somebody distracted by their phone or distracted by anything. But when I see people running and it's not like a sidewalk or if I see people on their bikes and you know, when people have to pass, I always think in my head like how scary it is because it. You're so close. Even when you do go around people. I get so nervous. I'm like, it could take. I mean, they could do it every day. And it takes one for gu.

[Danielle]

Well, and he had like, he ran with one Bluetooth because he would always be like, you need to hear out your other ear. You know? And so I'm haunted by like, did he hear? Like, did you feel. Did you hear? I don't know, cuz I'm not. Because the, like the guy hasn't been convicted yet. Like there's witnesses because I'm. I haven't been able to talk to anyone. Like, I don't know any details. Yeah, there were, I think three.

[Delaney]

Three witnesses or someone. He drove like for a while before he ended up hitting my dad.

[Danielle]

And like 30 minutes.

[Delaney]

Yeah, one woman actually followed him because it was erratic and she was concerned. There was a few 911 calls, but they've told us it's hard to get a call at point A and he's already at point B and like trying to get a cop to meet where.

[Danielle]

He'S at because you don't know where they're going.

[Host]

Yeah, right.

[Danielle]

So, because I was like, why didn't somebody react? Whatever. But you know, they say it's hard to get a, like a speeding car, you don't know where they're going. So at the end of the day, like, there's never going to be justice. He was to me, I say, only charged with manslaughter.

[Host]

And even that chart, it won't bring him back.

[Danielle]

You know that's what I'm saying. Like what, what is justice?

[Host]

Right.

[Danielle]

You know what I mean? Like, this man is going to go to jail for a couple years probably and get out and still be able to live with his family. And now he has to carry that around, obviously. But it just, I don't know, I, I was, I had a lot of anger in the beginning and I had to let it go because it was like eating me up. And I was just like, this is crazy. Like I'm not in control of this.

[Host]

It doesn't help you heal at all.

[Danielle]

No, and it doesn't. So I just, I had to let that go. And it's been, you know, good. And now I'm just to a point where like, it's sad, don't get me wrong, but I'm not in control of what justice is in our justice system. Like, I'm not in control of that. So I have to let it be what it's going to be. And we're going to be there every step of the way. Like we're going to be able to, you know, be at all of the. And it's just our personalities. She's a lot like me. And so all the court hearings will be there. They haven't, there haven't been. There was one other one, like an arraignment and I went to it and my sister in law went too and he didn't show up. And I think it was a blessing because I'm telling you, my stomach was all in knots and I was like, we need to hold it together. Like, we cannot act like fools here. And so it was a blessing that he didn't come. But it's, we're, we'll be prepared. I think, you know, I'm kind of glad that it's a year out, like because you just go, you go through so much and I don't think I really had, I didn't really Start feeling clear minded. Until probably September of last year. Like it was just a long and like the holidays were hard. Like when he was killed. My house was still decorated for Christmas because we had a later holiday party that we hosted at our house. And so it just is, I don't know, it's just, it's crazy how much your body goes through. I mean in the beginning we couldn't eat. It was, you know, our stomachs were upset, we couldn't sleep, we, you know, kept going to church and we just pressed in on our faith. And I, I will say that is why I am where I am today is God and my four kids. Because I can't, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be where I am without, without that. And I. We have a, a great support system. And I'm thankful for my mom because she lives here. My sister in law would be here, whatever, at the drop of a hat. She comes in very often. But my mom lives five minutes down the road so she's constant, you know, help with our kids. And it's been the hardest year, I would say, but we have, there is joy amongst the sorrow. Like for sure it's, we still have all this stuff around the house because I'm not ready to.

[Host]

Right.

[Danielle]

Get rid of all of that yet. But slowly, like, not that I'm gonna get rid of it, but I mean like it's out like he's coming back or something. And it's. So we slowly like put things away when in our own time, but.

[Host]

And it's still very fresh.

[Delaney]

And it's funny because like she said, grief is so. I think it's unique to every person but something that like you don't know about unless it happens to you. In the following months after, like she said, we all got into therapy. And it's funny because her and my dad were going to therapy prior. They were seeing the same woman, but separately. And my dad was so busy, he would just talk to her on the phone. So she would go in and he would always talk to her on the phone. And I remember when she was like, I think we ought to do therapy. I was like, I think that's the woman I want to see. Just because it was like they saw her. And I was like, I don't even know her and I would feel comfortable talking to her.

[Host]

I was gonna say it gives you that sense of connection because she knew him.

[Delaney]

Yes, yes. And so I think I went for six months, which I feel like to some people might sound like it's not Enough. But six months, it was like everything was getting back to normal and I was feeling okay. I also had like, we all went through the different stages and the first three months were like crazy. People were there, we were getting food. Like, it was a lot. And I think I like, subconsciously, like, held myself together without even knowing it. And at that three month mark, I remember I would come home like a couple days a week and I would be like, crying is like, I do it in the car. Like, that is like where I'll cry. And I would come home and I'm like, I don't know what's wrong with me. Like, it's three months out and like, you guys are getting better and I'm like crying more. And I, like, talked to her and the therapist I was seeing and I was, she was like, you did that subconsciously, like you held yourself together to be for them and now everyone's okay and now you're not okay. So it's, it's not. It's unique and it's. To me, it's just really interesting to see that because I think I do like, follow suit a lot of, like my family and my parents. And that was like, I couldn't, I couldn't follow suit because I was delayed, I think a little bit in my grief because of it. But I think I. I got through that. I did six months and my therapist was great. But once those, like, it was like six months out, I was like, okay. Like, the world is still moving. Everyone else is moving on. Which I knew was to happen. Like, that was even in my speech at my dad's funeral. I was like, everyone else's life is gonna go back to normal, but, like, ours is not. Like, it's never going to be back to normal. I think it's just. It's. Life keeps going. And I think you carry grief with you your whole life. You just learn to live with it.

[Host]

And I think too, whenever you feel like, if there was ever a point, you know, whether it's in another six months or a year or longer than that, that you felt like, okay, like, I feel like it would be beneficial for me to talk to someone again and you pick it back up. That's the beauty of it, is that it's always there if you need it.

[Delaney]

Yeah.

[Host]

You know, and I, I was telling my friend this the other week. Like, if you don't feel like you need something every week or every month.

[Delaney]

Then don't do it.

[Host]

It's kind of like really trusting and listening to yourself and where you are and what you feel like you need. Because I think sometimes if we force ourselves to do what seems right back, too, can be overwhelming and feel forced. And you want to always do things on your own time and terms and what feels best for you.

[Danielle]

We. When he got hit, I got all of his things back. Like, his clothes he was wearing and stuff like that. And he was missing a shoe, so.

[Host]

Was he in jeans?

[Danielle]

No.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

The cop was. I don't know. The cop was wrong. He was in sweatpants sneakers.

[Host]

The fact that you said that he would run in jeans is what's wild. He's in a rush, all right? He's just gonna do his eight miles in his jeans.

[Danielle]

And one of his sneakers were missing ironically. So we would tease and say he was our Cinderella. Like, missing his shoe. But we ended up doing a. He was big into. We did a lot of things, but he, like, he loved to, you know, shoot guns, ride four wheelers and hike and run and, like, travel during COVID.

[Delaney]

We had just moved into our house now, and we were locked in the house. And, like, she said, like, he was a. He was approaching 40, and I think he was, like, embracing it. And he just went ham on his hobbies and, like, his workout hobby. He just. Some people, like, slowly go into it. No. He turned a part of my house into a gym. He was doing, like, the most craziest things you could ever think of. He was finding the craziest races. He was like, I'm gonna do this one day. Like, he was meal prepping. Like, he just. Just. He was all or nothing. Yeah, exactly. Like, that is. That was him to attain.

[Danielle]

And he sat on a board for high school wrestling in Delaware. And so I was like, he would. He was running three miles, so I was like, we're gonna do a 5k to raise money, and we'll just give it to high school wrestling. So we put that on November of last year, and we had to come up with a logo, and he. So we did. I was like, all right. When I was designing it, I was like, all right. I just want it to be the one sneaker. Because he. We only had the one sneaker, and we put wings on it, and then we hid, like, a. A turtle in it because he. He had, like, a love for turtles. And I. It was, like, undercover. Nobody really knew about it, and just random. Random. But we put it.

[Delaney]

Random little fact. But it was like. It was like a little thing in our family that was, like. It was big in our family.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Delaney]

Like, we would go On. We go on vacation roughly, like once a year to, like, Mexico. And he would do the most random things. He would get to talking to the most random people. And he. One night we went out with this guy from, like, that worked there, and he took us to see sea turtles give birth. And we caught the eggs out of their things and we caught them in our hands and it was like. And every time we would go around the same year that he would go out on the beach at two o' clock in the morning to see these turtles come up, when we would be.

[Danielle]

There in, like, August, because that's when they. They lay their eggs. It was. Yeah. We would go to different preservatories or whatever where they would have the turtles wherever we went.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Delaney]

If there was ever, he would always look at turtle on the side of the road. He would send a picture in a family group chat. He would pull over, like, stop traffic, pick the turtle up, put it in the back of his truck. He would move it. He came home one day with three baby turtles. And we had them for months, for a long time.

[Danielle]

And people took that and, like, went a little crazy with the turtle thing. And so we got so many turtle things. We got turtle this, turtle that. I was like, we're good with the turtles, but that's the new decoration turtle theme. But we stuck a little turtle on the shoe and we hosted the run and. And we raised over $30,000.

[Host]

Amazing.

[Danielle]

And it was crazy because then the. The board called me and they were like, hey, Like, I guess. I don't know, I guess it was just overwhelming for them. So they wanted to also give back. So they ended up calling the foster care agency that we went through and they gave money to them at the holidays. So it's just. It's cool to watch everything, like, full circle. Yes.

[Delaney]

And that. That wrestling alliance board that he was on, like, he. He loved that they even opened a scholarship in his name to give out to a.

[Danielle]

It's not like, for vocational, like a vocational. Which was kind of cool too, because we went to vocational high school. So, like, they give out to a high school wrestler and, like, they just have to work in their field and they get this scholarship over four years, whatever. But yeah, there was like a plaque and it had his name on it. And it just, just. It was cool that we went to their. Their awards banquet after Dan passed away and we got to give out the award, the. The scholarship out. It's just been one heck of a year.

[Delaney]

This episode is brought to you by Chevy Silverado when it's time for you to ditch the blacktop and head off road, do it in a truck that says no to nothing. The Chevy Silverado Trail Boss. Get the rugged capabilities of its Z71 suspension and 2 inch factory lift, plus impressive torque and towing capacity thanks to an available Duramax 3 liter turbo diesel engine. Where other trucks call it quits, you'll just be getting started. Visit chevy.com to learn more.

[Danielle]

Summer's here and Nordstrom has everything you need for your best dress season ever. From beach days and weddings to weekend getaways in your everyday wardrobe. Discover stylish options under $100 from tons of your favorite brands like Mango Skims, Princess Polly and madewell. It's easy too, with free shipping and.

[Delaney]

Free returns in store. Order pickup and more.

[Danielle]

Shop today in stores [e-mail] or download the Nordstrom app.

[Host]

And I think it turns something really sad. Like little things like that can make something sad into something positive. You know, it like, it kind of shows how it's almost like he's still giving back and doing the things, even though physically he's no longer here, but he really is still here. And it's like all those things cuz not, not everybody would be able to, you know, have that much of a community and support come. And that's incredible.

[Danielle]

Yeah, it was.

[Host]

It shows the impact that he had and still has even after the fact.

[Danielle]

You know, Definitely it was. And I think like healing wise I was last year I would tell the kids, like in 2025, that's our year. Like we're stepping in, you know, we're stepping in our year because we didn't like travel a lot last year and we just, again, you just go. We were growing through what we were going through, you know, and it's. And now I think we're in a really good place. We like. Well, for me, like, I was 39 when I lost my husband. That's young. I was like, oh gosh. Like, you know, at first you go through like, I'm never dating again. Like, yeah, this is how, you know, how could I ever date again? And we joke and like, we're like, my husband would have been dating in a second.

[Host]

I think it's hard too when you have someone like him who it just seems like was everything and more. And then also on top of your grief, you're like, who the hell is going to compare to that? You know, because.

[Delaney]

And that's ex. She would say that.

[Host]

Right?

[Delaney]

And it's funny because we've talked about this. I was always the one to be like, no. Like, you can't be sad and alone. I was. I would tell her, I'm like, you're gonna find somebody.

[Host]

You have to have that mind.

[Delaney]

Yeah, you really. And. And we would talk about it, and she'd be like. But I. Like, I don't know. Like, how do you even date at 40? Like, I have no idea. And I would. I told her one time, I was like, you don't know what God's doing. Like, God could literally be preparing somebody and they could be completely changing their life to be ready to meet you. Like, you don't know what he's doing.

[Host]

And the thing is, too, the interesting and beautiful thing about life is different people are placed in our life for different reasons, you know, and it's like the. I think the best way to look at something like that, like a dating aspect of it eventually would be like, you had all those amazing and beautiful years with your husband, that you were able to grow, and you had all these different experiences, and it taught you loads of stuff in that way. And then if one day you do open yourself up to, you know, dating someone or you meet somebody, that's totally okay, too. And that could be a whole different type of, you know, experience and love, because that's the only type of love you know. You know, and that's great, and that's okay. And you. That might change. Meeting someone else and having them show you and teach you different things and learning a different type of personality could teach you things. It could teach them things. And I think that it 100% would take the right type of person not only to understand what you've been through, but your family and everything else. And they need to. And this goes for anybody, like, never, ever settle, you know, and never feel like you. The thing is, too, is I think that we go through phases sometimes of forcing ourselves to do it too soon, but then also holding off too long and being closed off. And it's just like, like you said, you just kind of gotta let it happen in the time that it's supposed to. But as crappy and annoying as it is, because I think as humans, we want to compare. And we want to be like, oh, nobody compare can compare. And, you know, does it feel wrong? Does it feel right? You don't know. But I think you just have to always be positive and just kind of be open to whatever is meant for you and whatever that may be.

[Danielle]

And that's. That is where I think I've been. Like, I'M like, no one will ever be Dan. He was one of a kind. You, you don't compare because it's like that was a, you know, almost like a, you know, a chapter of my life. And I'm thankful and like, my kids are so supportive. I am dating someone and it is like he's brought a lot of healing to my household. And like my kids, we, we sat and had conversations and I'm like, nobody's ever going to replace your dad. Like, we're not trying to replace your dad. But like, I do believe that it's biblical. We are meant to be in relationship. And so I think it's, we're happy. I'm happy. He's brought joy and healing to my life. So, like, people have opinions and I'm just like you. Just at the end of the day.

[Host]

Here'S what it is to be happy.

[Danielle]

There is no book, right, Comes with something like this. And I didn't pick this for myself. So I hope that, like, I say this, I've said this to people, like, I hope you never have to walk in the shoes that I'm walking in because people do try to put stipulations on, yeah, this and this. And there's no right or wrong time.

[Host]

Frame for anything or anyone.

[Danielle]

So I, I do. Like, we are, we are going to be okay. Like, and like, I think we've, you know, we'll never forget him and he's. We will. I mean, we talk about him all, every day, all the time. And it's like for each of my kids, it's just, it's. I don't know, I feel like we're, we're being blessed also on the other side of what we've been through.

[Delaney]

I completely agree. And I think too, throughout this whole thing, like she said, like, we've, I think we've all really pressed into our faith, but God has really shown himself in this for us. Like, little thing. But she would always talk about, she, like, as she got older, she loved birds. She thought birds are beautiful. Like, she put bird feeders out front of her house for birds to come. They never came. We would try different foods that we would move it. They never came. My dad died and we would see cardinals all the time. We got a puppy a few months after, which is the lab that we were talking about. And we would have to wake up in the middle of the night to go let her out at like 2 o' clock in the morning. Me and her would both go let her out because we were scared to Go in the backyard. But our yard is pretty big. It would be filled with bunnies. Just like never before has that ever happened. And it's filled with bunnies. And it's just crazy. Now every day that we like have a bad day, we tell each other everything. We'll tell each other about it and we'll be like, we're driving home and it's this one spot in our neighborhood that we go through all the time. A carnival will come by. Or like I saw five the other day. Like never before have I seen. And they're pretty, they're prominent. They're really red birds. And they'll just fly out right in front of the car. Like in your face.

[Danielle]

That you have to see it, right?

[Host]

Yeah, there's no missing it.

[Danielle]

And random. Like we call them godwinks, but. Or like I've done a lot of firsts without my husband. And we will see different things. Like some. A lot of times it's cardinals, but also turtles. Like we took a big four wheeling trip that we had planned prior to my husband's passing and we still went on the trip. And there were probably, I don't know, 15 of us that went. And my son never got to go on these trips with us because he was in Japan, but he got to go on this one and he was in the front of the pack and a turtle crossed like never.

[Delaney]

But we've gone on this trip so many times. Yeah, never before. We're in a mountain. You're on the side of a mountain.

[Host]

Crazy.

[Danielle]

And it was our first ride without him. And my, like the turtle came out. It's just crazy. Like I had to. We have real estate and I had to refinance a property and I had to do it by myself. And we sat down and the mortgage guy had a turtle on his phone case. So it's just like those little things that.

[Host]

Yeah, just. I think. And that's the small little beauty in everything is if you can't recognize those things and be aware of them, it's kind of like what's the point? You know, I think if they're. It's those little movements that can just make you pause and smile and kind of just feel okay. I think it's that reminder of like. Like, yes, it's okay.

[Delaney]

You know, and it's. Yeah.

[Danielle]

And it's comforting.

[Delaney]

Yeah, it is very, very comforting. And it's. It's always in the moments when it's hard. We did a concealed to carry class and talk about the bathroom thing.

[Danielle]

We went and My husband had his concealed to carry, and he always carried a gun. And we. So we went and took it and I had to use the bathroom and I had to go in the. Like, it was in a pole barn on.

[Delaney]

We were so nervous. We would never shoot without my dad. Like, they make. It makes us nervous, but we want to be comfortable with them.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So I went into the bathroom and there was a turtle on the shower curtain. Like, just ironic. And I was like, all right, thank you, Lord. Like, it's just like, okay, you got this. I'm here with you. And it's like.

[Host]

And also, I think it shows you, like, all right. Like, this is the right thing.

[Danielle]

Like, I'm doing my thing. Yes. Yeah. And it's so. It's been. It's been really cool. I keep notes in my phone and, like, we'll scroll through and look at all the different, you know, God winks that we've had throughout this year. And it's just. It's been. It's been a journey and it's been just very. And it's a. It's a humbling experience, too. Like, if death doesn't put things into perspective for you, I don't know what does. Like, I'm just like, we. It's just taught me to be in the moment.

[Host]

Yeah. Very present.

[Danielle]

Even though I'm not going to act. Like that's not still a struggle, but. Oh, it's hard. You know what I mean? It definitely.

[Host]

Mind is always all over the place.

[Danielle]

Yes. And this thing here is like the cell phone is. I actually just took like a social media fast. I didn't get on it for 28 days. And I talked all about it, but it's. It's so. It was very. I just kept feeling like the Lord was telling me I need to take a break from it. And it was fine, but it was. Because you can just get into that scroll. Scroll. Yes. And I'm just like, oh, my gosh. So it's really just. There's other things that you should fill your brain with. It's just really brought me to a place of, like, how precious life is, like, period. That's. There's no other way to put it. It's. Life is a gift and we just need to be. I don't know. I'm just like, cup half full. And we say this to each other because we all still have bad days and bad moods. And again, we'll say to each other, but you have your legs, don't you? Did you walk down those steps like, be thankful.

[Host]

Exactly. Everything. Yeah.

[Danielle]

So it's. We set each other, you know, we'll check each other, have the gratitude for.

[Host]

The important things that you have.

[Danielle]

But I'm. I'm proud. Proud of like, where we are and my kids and I think we've, we've leaned on each other and.

[Delaney]

Yeah, a lot. Like, yeah, we talked about this the other day. We're so intertwined. Like in the, in the early days, like, you didn't want to be alone, but the house was full and sometimes you felt like you needed to be alone. We would sit in her room and just sit there in silence and be alone together. Like, you have to. You have to. Like you. You just have to.

[Host]

And that's important. You know, I think there can be people in situations where. Because once again, everybody. Nobody really knows how to handle it until they're in it. And grief and loss can cause a lot of, you know, hectic and chaos and can pull people apart. But I think that if it can bring you even closer and teach you that life is so precious and short and you have to be grateful for the little things. That's beautiful and amazing. And I think your guys's story for so many different reasons, it does, it does so many different things. But I think that, like, for me, just sitting here and listening, I think it's so sweet and amazing to see your guys's relationship and just to hear the different perspectives and then just to see how close you guys are and that even after something happening so recent end up being so fresh, that. And that you guys are private people. But you guys had this calling, I guess, to come and talk about your experience and in your journey, because there's always someone that needs to hear it. There's always somebody that is either maybe your age or around your age or around your age. And they're just. They're lost, they're stuck, they're confused, they don't know what to do. So it's those moments when you just have that encouragement to hear that, okay, they got through it. I felt that way too. I can probably do it too, you know, because of course you're gonna have days where you're feeling crazy or lost or like, I don't wanna do this, I can't do this. But it really, really helps when you hear somebody else that has experienced something very similar, if not the same exact thing and how they dealt with it or how they got through it or how they just kept pushing and hanging on because there is so much beauty to life, you know, And I think that death is scary and it's sad, and it's really hard to wrap our minds around. I think that we could drive ourselves crazy wondering and questioning and trying to understand. I don't think anybody really understands why some things happen, but if we're able to, like I said before, take something so tragic and turn it into something so beautiful. And, I mean, even just to hear the characteristics that you have from your dad and obviously that you picked up from that, being your. Your soulmate, you know, it's. It's amazing, it's beautiful and. And it's something that should never be forgotten, you know, and it's. It's sad, but it. It's life, unfortunately, and it is short.

[Danielle]

You are 100, right? And you don't know. Like, sure, we've all lost people, but, like, this is just like. And Delaney would say this. At first she was like, man, I feel like we were, like, perfect. And like, God took the. Like, how could he just rock our whole world like that? And I don't know. I have no idea.

[Host]

I don't think we ever know the answer to.

[Danielle]

Yeah, and you don't. Like, I say to my kids all the time, like, I'm like, I don't know how you feel. I didn't lose my dad, like, and they didn't lose their spouse, you know, but, like, obviously it's a huge loss and a great grief, and we understand that, you know? And, like, people have said to me, like, I can't imagine. And you can imagine. You can't imagine. And I'm like, you're 100% right now that I'm on this side of that ticket. Like, you cannot imagine. And it's, like, crazy how the world keeps spinning and your life is for ever changed, and you just have to learn how to live with it. Yeah.

[Delaney]

I have a little side note, but it's a touch on that the way, like, your life has changed forever and everyone keeps going. I think about when we went to go shopping for our funeral outfits because I didn't have anything black. Like, I've been to funerals, but I wear jeans. And she was like, we can't wear jeans. We need to get something different. Well, we go into Macy's and we grab, like, a whole bunch of black dresses, and it's filled. Like, I don't. I think it was like, I don't know, but it's filled. There's a whole bunch of people in there. There's all these people in the dressing room, and we go in the dressing room. And she just stops me and she's like, nobody knows. Like, we are funeral shopping for your dad. And like, my husband, she was like, not a single person knows. Like, it just. It puts into perspective how much. Like, you walk by somebody on the street, you have no idea. You don't know. I think about to the. Where the accident happened is right past our house. I pass it. It's on the way to our church. And I also work at our church, so I pass it every time I go to work. Like, my. My brother goes to aftercare there. His school's that way.

[Danielle]

Like, we pass it several times a day.

[Delaney]

Yes, often. And to me, I. I don't. Like, I feel like some people might dread that. I don't necessarily dread it. I. But we. It is like we look out the window. We look at it. Like, sometimes she'll say things like, we put a cross there. There's like a white cross there. It's just. I think it. We think about them daily anyway, but it's like a reminder. And I think about people past that daily. That's a busy. It's a highway. It's busy. People don't know. Like, I think a lot of people know what happened, but strangers drive past that. They have no idea. And now every time I pass across, I think about that too. I'm like, I have no. Like, you have no idea that someone's kid, someone's spouse, someone's parent. Like, you have no idea what people are going through.

[Danielle]

And it does for me. Like, I think about when people are rude or whatever. Like, if you're in the line of this or that, I now have just a different perspective, and I'm just like, let me just kill you with kindness. Because I don't know your story. I don't know why you're mad. Like, having a bad day, people could bury their spouse and have to go back to work the next day. Like, you have. You just. It does. It sets a little perspective on life, too. Like, you have no idea what people go through. You just don't. And it's. The world would be a better place if we were just a little more kind. You know what I mean?

[Host]

Like, people. It takes more energy to be frustrated and angry and have all the negative emotions. But I do agree. I mean, people say it all the time. Like, while you're out, if you just said, hey, how are you? Like, it could change someone's day. You really don't know. And I think so many people are used to the world just go like going in circles and not stopping, that if someone just acknowledges them, it could make them feel so much better. And, you know, I agree with you. If more people were just. Even if they really weren't in a good mood, but they had the mindset of, like, just kill them with kindness. Be nice all the time. Like, it. It really does make everything just a little bit sweeter and kinder because everybody, no matter, even if it isn't something super tragic, if somebody's just having a bad day, the last thing you want is to deal with somebody that's rude. So this is a message for everybody, you know, like, just think about that. Because I don't. I definitely agree. You know, like you were saying, no one thinks it's going to be you until it happens to you.

[Danielle]

Well, I know my husband did not think he was supposed to take my daughter to that wrestling match that day.

[Delaney]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And his last minute, his appointments got done early and he was like, I'm going to instead run. You go take her to the wrestling match and I'll catch you back at the house. Like that little. I mean, you just. You have no. You have no idea what. You just don't know. You never know. So you just have to.

[Host]

And that even goes for. I always think about that too, with, you know, if. If things come up and you end up being late to something or if just a. But you feel like everything's going wrong and it's holding you back. Like, you don't know if things are shifting because something bad could have happened. You just don't know. That's why it's kind of like you should just always take that breath and just let things happen. Like, don't get frustrated. Once again, nothing's stopping around you. Everything's going to be fine. It's going to keep going. So just really always to be present. And it's crazy, though, because when you do think of things like that, it's like, of course, naturally we think, well, what if this, what if that? But we just. We can't even live that.

[Danielle]

Yeah, we can't. I don't definitely don't do the what ifs, but it's just. I'm just saying, like, I don't.

[Host]

It's crazy to think about, you know, just how.

[Danielle]

How things happen and things have to be so aligned so perfectly for. It's just. It's beyond the capacity of the mind to understand, I think.

[Host]

And I think, too, you know, death is never, ever something that you wish on anyone or that you would want to happen. Or experience. But on the flip side of things, I think it does create a different level of understanding and strength that everyone should have in them. I think that while, yes, you guys lived this perfect life before and by all means, everybody, like, you guys wish he was still here. Absolutely. And he should be, you know, but it almost is like, now you guys are in this different chapter that is teaching you things you might have never known, you know, about yourself and about life and about other people. And it's just. I think the whole once again, that full circle moment, it's just. It's incredible what, like, we don't even understand what life has in store for us, you know? And it's just. It's a whole different life that you guys didn't expect to have to live, but you're in it. So it's like, all right, we got to make the best of it.

[Danielle]

And that's. That's what you're. You hit the nail on the head there. You have to make the best of your situation because there's always someone who has it worse. And, like, I'm grateful that we planned as best we could. Like, there's a lot of people that can't afford to bury their person. They can't. You know what I mean? Like, it shifts so many things that I'm. Like, we have a roof over our head. Like, we're. I'm grateful to be alive, like, to be here with my kids. Like, I just. I gotta be in what is. What is here and what is now, because death is final. And it took me a long time to be able to say that, but it's a. It's. That's it.

[Host]

You with him again.

[Danielle]

And, like. But, like, you don't come back from that. You know what I mean? And so I'm just. It's taken me a long time to be able to, like, I get it. Like, it's. You know what I mean? And it's. It's just. You have to. You have to step forward and just one day at a time. That's all we're here to do. But it's. It's not for me. It's not an option to cry the rest of my life away. Like. And I. For one second, I know that he would not want that for me. He would want me to. And I think I put this in his eulog. He would be telling me, you're built for this day. Like, get up and keep going. Because he wouldn't want. I know he would want me to be happy. Like, it's you can't pull people from heaven. You can't do that. So I just. I'm just trying to, you know, be the best mom I can be for my kids and enjoy the rest of the time I have here.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And I can't make everybody else happy. Like, I got to live my life for me and my kids. So people might disagree.

[Host]

Whatever that looks like, whatever that matters.

[Danielle]

I can't.

[Host]

I'm just saying, too. I always say this. Anybody that has an opinion on how somebody else is doing things, that's their problem. That has nothing to do with you. And that goes for literally anything and anyone. That's never made sense to me, you know, so who cares what people say in any way? And honestly, I just want to say, too, like, I think it's amazing that you are dating and that you found somebody, because that's not easy either. And I'm so happy for you that you found somebody, you know, that can bring that little bit of happiness. Because that's also, I think, something that people don't realize, like, having. Because, like, you mentioned something good. It's like they lost their dad, but you lost your person. And it's like, that's something that, like, love is such a beautiful thing. And it's so. That's not a feeling you can just get. You know, it's like, it has to take the right person and the right time. So the fact that you're able to find that again, that's amazing. It really is. And it's like, it's something that's not. It's not easy to find. And for somebody to understand those things so that never. I don't know your situation, but never, ever let somebody make you feel wrong for that or like it was too soon or anything, like, that's amazing. Really.

[Danielle]

That's hard.

[Host]

And to open yourself up like that again after being with one person for so long, I mean, come on, you know, people should be proud of you. Like, you go, girl. You know, you do what you have to do.

[Delaney]

And that's what I've told her about this whole thing, because I feel like all of us, we don't really, like, focus on other people's opinions, but this is something that, like, it feels like all eyes are on you during this. And the, like, the whole time, all we've said is, you know, a lot of decisions are hers to make. And I'm like, as long as we agree with you, like, we will back you up until the end of time. Like, you. We just have to do what we think is best. And people are gonna say something about everything you do.

[Host]

You could be doing everything that people want you to do, and they still find something, always.

[Danielle]

And at first I did, like, it was weird and whatever, but I quickly was like, this is my life. Like, my life, not your life. Not. So you are right. Like, you can't. I'm like, yeah, I deserve to be happy and it doesn't. I will never forget Dan. Like, we. Like I said, we. He's always involved in my house and there's no. So it's just a different part of my life, like, and it must go on.

[Host]

Absolutely.

[Danielle]

So, no, it's. It's been. It's been a journey for sure. But.

[Host]

And look at you guys now on a podcast, talking about.

[Danielle]

Who would have thought?

[Host]

Isn't it crazy? It's like I, you know, so many of the guests that come on, they're like, I never thought I'd be doing something like this. And I was like, it's crazy, you know, if somebody would tell you at a time that you didn't expect it or think it, that you would be sharing your story and your emotions. I mean, it. It is so vulnerable. It's such a vulnerable experience to do and to have and.

[Delaney]

But it.

[Host]

It is life changing. It does so much for other people. And like I said, I can't express that enough. I feel like I do say it every episode on camera, off camera. I'm like, it just people sharing their stories. Even if it just affects one person, it's this ripple effect. It makes it. I mean, you got like, you were watching and you're like, we should do it. So it's like, it really does make an impact and it's. It's incredible. And I think if you're open and willing to share your story and your experience and the goods and the bads of it, I mean, that. What else can you do that's amazing on its own?

[Danielle]

Well, and it's comforting, I think, to know that you're not crazy. Yeah. And other people resonate with what. Yeah. And there's. Yeah, it's been.

[Host]

I mean, even like what I was like, you know, like I said when I lost my dad, I was 12. But I look, I look back at it and I mean, think. I don't even know where. Social media is so different now than it was. But I always say this too. I mean, imagine if, when things like, I look back, if, when something like that happened, like, if I could just type in on YouTube, you know, a girl around My age that lost her dad. It's like, I'm sure in a lot of ways, that would have been. My healing and understanding would have been so different, because I don't even think I processed it for a long time, because when you're that age, what do you really know? And it's just so different.

[Danielle]

Well, it's hard to wrap your brain around it.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

At 39.

[Host]

Right. And that's the beauty, because social media, I'm so. And with the phones, I'm very split on, like, it's great and it's terrible, but in a moment like that, I think if somebody can just type in what they're going through, and I always say that's kind of the point of the show, to just be able to type it in and hear somebody's raw experience just straight through, you know, beginning to end, basically. It does give you a different type of comfort, which is amazing, you know, that we do have the access to that at our fingertips now, because we didn't really have that before. It's like. I mean. And that's if somebody wants to talk about it. So the fact that people are so willing and able to come and share their story in this way helps so many different people. And for you guys, it's like two completely different perspectives, which I said, why this is so cool, because there's not oftentimes that two people want to come on here and talk. So I'm. I'm so grateful, really, that both of you were willing to come and share your perspectives on this. And it's not easy, but you guys did amazing.

[Danielle]

Thank you. I think it is, like, it's cool to say, like, we both graduated high school. We had, you know, teen pregnancy. We got married, we bought a house. Like, we made it. You know what I mean?

[Delaney]

Yeah.

[Host]

It's amazing.

[Danielle]

Grew a business, and it's working together without killing each other. That's a whole lot. That's more than a whole life on itself. Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

I mean. I mean, we did it from 2011 until 2024. Like, it's, you know, raising kids. It's just. I know, like, people do all of that, but, like, we actually liked each other. At the end of the day, that's true.

[Delaney]

To, like, beat you down, like, the people you guys grew up around. And, like. Yeah, it was a lot.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Delaney]

To keep going into, like, just to have each other to motivate.

[Danielle]

And we both grew up in broken homes, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I'm just saying, like, we kept our Family together. And it's. Yeah. And we did. Like, we had our first year of marriage, we separated for six months, and then we. We got back together, and it just. Yeah. We worked hard to get where we were, and it was important to equally, you know, I mean, both of us, like, we. And he was very like. And I say, like, he died without a regret. Like, he had everything he wanted, and he was very much a go big or go home. Like, if we wanted to do this, we were doing this.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't. He.

[Delaney]

He died. No, he. Like, if there was ever a problem with somebody, he resolved it. He made sure. Like, everybody knew. Like, I hold no hate in my heart to you. Like, that's. I'm carrying that. It has nothing to do with you. Like, I need to do this for me. I need you to know that, like, he. Everything he didn't.

[Danielle]

He wasn't about, like, any. Like, he didn't do drama. And he was very much like, let's solve the problem. Sometimes I wouldn't even know about the problem until it was over because he didn't want to talk about it until it was, you know, resolved or whatever. But it was just. Excuse me. He was a good. A good person and cool story. And we, you know, we had celebrated 20 years of marriage in 2023. We did a big trip because we were celebrating 20 years of marriage. He turned 40, and she turned 18, and my other daughter turned 16. So we did, like, a big trip to Mexico with that. We went to Japan earlier in 2023 to go visit my son, where he was stationed. It just. And I'm, like, thankful for all of that. Like, we upgraded our tickets to first class. That was like a whole. She went with us to Japan and on the way there, and that was.

[Delaney]

Totally, like, if it wasn't perfect, like she said, if the stars weren't aligned, like, that was not gonna happen because the.

[Danielle]

We jumped in on the first class, like, on the way to the airport. Like, it was tickets, I guess that didn't sell.

[Host]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And that was a whole experience. Flying first class 14 hours to Japan was like. I mean, she was 8, 18, 17 years old. Like, I was like, girl, you are lucky, but just so cool.

[Host]

And to have those memories. And I think it is so good that you guys have that closeness and, you know, that you had such recent trips to that were just like, out.

[Delaney]

Of this world stuff.

[Host]

Like, that's awesome. That's really, really cool. And it's amazing to look back on.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And it's. Yeah. I'm grateful for. For the memories. I'm glad that our brains can remember.

[Host]

Yeah. You know, and then you're a picture taken.

[Danielle]

So we had. Yeah, I think it was all. All really cool.

[Host]

That's amazing.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Host]

Well, thank you, guys.

[Danielle]

Thank you.