Mack's Inn Float & Playmill

One of my 25 in 25th year goals was to float Mack's in River. Well, I found out the proper name for this is "Big Springs". It's such a shallow float...which is the only way we could get Patty in the water! She is deathly afraid of water, not surprisingly since both her husband and son almost drowned in really traumatic experiences!

Anyhow, this float is just so beautiful. It's such a shame none of us brought a water camera...because we passed two moose, a bald eagle, and a blue herring. It was so exciting! But the float was very slow going and we had to row our way through it cause it was so shallow and calm!

We went with Patty, Paul, Makayla, and Allen (Makayla's boyfriend). It was a blast. The weather was great, but the water was SO SO COLD! AHHHH! SO COLD! Needless to say there was lots of sneak splashing going on :)


After the float we ate a little picnic by the IMAX theater in the small amount of shade we could find! Harmoni met up with us for the picnic and then we headed to the Playmill Theater to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! Oh my gosh! I love that musical so much!

The Playmill actors are a bunch of locals and college kids. They started out with some jokes and little songs and stuff while everyone was trickling in, then they all sang "Home" by Phillip Phillips and it was SO GREAT! I just loved it. They also sang God Bless America (tear jerker) and did a wierd blue light dance, and then the play started! It was so cute and I loved it. I told Clay, "We need to come here once a year". He just rolled his eyes, but he liked it a lot too!

After the play we walked around West Yellowstone for a while and got some candy (made me miss home) and looked at a tourist shop or two. It was nice.

Then the drive home! It was so beautiful and such a nice sunset.

 This is me and Makayla trying to figure out how to get everyone in the car in the photo. Guess what? Everyone technically is! There's Me, Makayla, and Patty, in the obvious spots. The left back is a slice of Allen's face. To the right of Patty's arm and the left of Makayla's head is a grey shoulder- that is Paul's shoulder. To the right of Makayla is Clay's green shoulder. I call that a success!

Rock Climbing

One of my 25 things I wanted to do in my 25th year of life was Rock Climbing! We did this in June I just haven't gotten around to sharing it.

I wanted to go rock climbing for a few different reasons. One, to conquer a fear...I am quite scared of heights! And there is something about conquering fears that makes me feel like I'm growing...so there's that. Then I also thought this would be a good way to be in nature and enjoy the earth without much of a risk of ticks. I do admit though, the small "hike" to the wall (5 minutes or so) had me feeling anxiety as my ankles were brushing up against bushes! Eck! Will I ever not get worried? I don't think so. Just stepping in taller grass makes me nervous.

Anyway, our friend Lyon loves to rock climb and has been wanting us to go for years, so this was perfect! He offered to take us (he has all the equipment and such) and so we finally took him up on it!

It was so great because he gave us good tips and was there cheering us on throughout.

I didn't make it to the top, but I made it REALLY far and I was so proud of myself! It was actually really fun! I looked down only a couple times and it was pretty nerve wracking! But it is comforting to know that you have someone holding the rope at the bottom if you fall (I did fall at the very beginning...which I'm actually glad happened cause it made me realize how stable I really was in my harness thingy).

Clay made it to the very top! My battery died by the time he got there though :(

It was SO fun and I really want to go again! I need to get Clay to agree before the good weather ends.

(This is Lyon for those who are wondering-he was actually one of Clay's groomsmen for our wedding)

Mesa Falls

One of the things on my 25 things to do in my 25th year is go to Mesa Falls with Clay. On the list I said to ride the motorcycle...but turns out Clay says that isn't the PRETTIEST of rides (mostly highway) so he'd rather take me to Heise and get square ice cream cones, cuase it's a really pretty ride...I'm sure I'll be blogging that here in a few weeks.

So anyhow, we took Dante with us, which was fun...but I kinda regret. It was SO HOT that day, and poor doggies get overheated really easily (they can't sweat) and so he was just dying five minutes out of the car. It made for a bit of a rushed trip, but it was still SO BEAUTIUFL! Oh my gosh, the scenery around the falls was gorgeous, and the falls themsevles were just awesome. I love waterfalls! And this was a great trip because it was all paved/decked and I didn't brush up against bushes at all! (no ticks for me). It was really great. God's earth truly is beautiful.

A SHOCKING revelation about Full House

Okay...can I PLEASE get some feedback on this one?

One day I said something like, "Cut it out!" or "How Rude!" or "Have Mercy!" or you know...SOMEthing that is super duper FULL HOUSE. Clay gave me a funny look and soon after I made a realization...after seven years of marriage...that Clayton Paul Phillipp has not seen an episode of Full House.

Say WHAT?!

Yeah, I was shocked too. It gets better.

I've been giving him a bad time about it since and he will say things like, "I just played outside a lot, I didn't watch tv" or "You just grew up with a bunch of girls" but like...seriously this is a world wide famous show right?!

So the other day we are at some friends house and I can't remember how it came up...but I was like, "Oh well Clay has never even seen an episode of full house!" expecting them to be like, WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?! But no, instead they BOTH- two separate people- BOTH said to me, "What's full house?" as in...THEY'D NEVER HEARD OF IT!

What the?

I was SHOCKED. Is this an Idaho thing? Did they not air Full House in the nineties in Idaho? Cause they air it currently. I mean...seriously, who is with me? Isn't Full House like a really famous show that everyone has seen?

I still can't believe it.

Zimmerman & my patriotism

Well, I have decided that I used to give my true thoughts on life here on the ol bloggy, and I haven't been lately (I haven't even been blogging at all lately!) and the truth is, I want my kids to know how I felt about current events and things and so I'm going to just start giving my opinions. Take em or leave em!

The Zimmerman trial has been quite the trial for ME. Oh deary me. It has tried my faith in America. All along I thought it was sad that a kid got shot and died and that someone had to deal with the grief that undoubtedly comes from killing a person. It's all sad. I wish it never happened! However, I hate that Zimmerman was made out to be a racist, and a murderer. He was a defender, which every human soul should have the right to be. The fact is, our country believes in being innocent until proven guilty, and it has been a pretty good process for us. I believe in that justice system, and I don't believe the justice system failed at all.

I really didn't have too hard a time ignoring most of this trial until the President decided to jump in and make comments about how it could have been his son, or it could have been him. He gave a huge speech about how sorry we should feel for black men because they are still discriminated against so much. I have to admit something to you. The first 5 minutes after I read about his speech I thought, well good for him. He actually gave a not so crappy speech. And I thought, you know what, he is right...I do lock the doors often when a black teenage boy crosses the street. But then all of a sudden it clicked with me. Wait a sec Danielle, you lock the doors when basically ANY person- man, woman, even dogs- walk by my car. It can be a white man in a suit and I get a little nervous. We live in a crazy world and I am a cautious person! I realized...wait a sec, it has nothing to do with race when I do that...

Then I got to thinking, WAIT A SEC! Is the world not seeing this ginormous irony that I am now seeing? WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Who is talking about how hard it is to be a black man because they don't get the same opportunities as white men. Is it not obvious that the man speaking these words is in arguably the most powerful position in the world? And he's black?

These poor, poor, black men.

I admit that YES. Racism still exists. BUT- it is the exception. The fact that a black man sits in the oval office proves that the majority of Americans are NOT racist. Complaining about the rights and discrimination because of the color of your skin is basically like me complaining about being a woman. Yep, I have definitely been treated differently because I'm a woman, CLEAR AS DAY. But it is the exception. NOT the rule. But do I go waving my flag and marching on roads (violently!) because I have been treated less than fair in my life? NO. Life is what we make it, and I am afraid that many Americans are looking to snatch up any excuse they can to explain why their life isn't what they want it to be.

Racism exists. Sexism exists. Everything bad in the world that we can imagine in our brains, surely does exist. But that doesn't mean that is our life. It's not the reality of our current world (in America at least). It's dusts of the past holding on for dear life.

It all just baffles me and angers me a bit. I started losing faith in the American people. But then the other night we went to the Playmill theater in West Yellowstone (I will post more on that later), and in one of their beginning acts, they sang God Bless America, and had the crowd join in the last chorus and oh my word! My patriotism seeped back into my heart and there were tears in my eyes. It was so spiritual and wonderful and I realized, you know what? There are still true patriots in this world and instead of getting angry about the people going backwards in life, I am going to stand strong in the faith of my fathers. Be the best American and human being that I can, and stand up for truth.

So, that is what I learned this week.

4th of July Chaos

Oh boy. This one was a doozie!

So I begged, BEGGED with puppy eyes for Clay to take me as close as he was willing to the fireworks show. He decided we could take the motorcycle and walk to the bridge by the falls. This is close, but still a bit of a distance, but I was satisfied. We went about 9:30ish since the fireworks show was supposed to start at 10. We got a great spot that was perfectly infront of the lit temple, and the fireworks should've set off a bit to the left of the temple.

Well, 10:00 came and went, so did 10:30, so did 11:00....and let me tell you the fantastic entertainment we had during that hour and a half.

Let's set the scene.

Clay and I leaning against the bridge, staring at the river and the temple with the falls right by us, a beautiful beautiful scene. Enter 6-8 teenage HELLIONS. Now, I can literally say hellions- do you know why? There was one young man who decided to talk about his religious views, which is this: SATAN. I'm not summarizing here. He literally said the words, "Satan is a religion". And can I just say that I CURSE THE MIND I HAD TO LEAVE MY PHONE AT HOME THAT NIGHT! I wish so badly I could've snapped a picture of this guy! Picture a painted white and black face, which sure isn't that bad. But then...

Half way through the nights we saw his boots. Oh it was too much. Just the cherry on top! I said to Clay, "Hon...look at him" and he said, "I already did", and I said, "No- the boots, did you see the boots?!" I had one of those humor excited eyes raised expressions. He looked, raised his eyebrows, smiled, and said, "That's just the perfect cherry on top" or something like that. Oh man. We found him really entertaining.

But he was nothing compared to his normal looking friend who said the words, "I can do everything" about 5 times in the hour and half we were there. He was referring to his vocal skills. Which, looking at those boots, I bet you can imagine the music I'm talking about. It's the screamo music that literally sounds like you've been possessed by the devil. And you guys, he even learned it NATURALLY by ear. Which he was bragging about to the girls.

Now that we are to the girls. Lets talk about them! They, along with the guys, were swearin like sailors! F bomb every other word, and yes, threatening to kick other girls behinds if they didn't stop looking at them that way from across the street! I can't make these things up.

Clay and I thought about saying something to them, cause they literally were cussing more than I even remember people from my high school cussing (which is a lot)...but there were a lot of them and we thought they may have been under the influence of SOMEthing...and didn't want to cause trouble.

After learning that someone was missing IN THE RIVER and that was why the fireworks display was delayed, we started walking away and asked a police officer if they knew what was going on and the show was supposed to start any minute. So we went back and stayed and then the fireworks show looked like it was in a different spot, still a good view, but just further than I thought...we couldn't hear the music (the show is always coordinated to patriotic songs- its so cool), and all the kids next to us decided to light up cigarettes, and it just wasn't the scene I was wanting. We decided to leave, after all that waiting and suffering! Before the finale even. It just wasn't patriotic feeling and I was feeling a bit sickened at these poor poor teenagers who will grow up to vote and have children of their own. I just hope and pray they see some sort of light down the road to kick them out of this terrifying rut they are in!

Even with all the craziness that happened and dissappointing fireworks show....Clay and I still had fun! We really did get quite a kick out of these teenagers and the things they'd say. Some of it was FOUL and I hated it and almost left, but some of it was just plain funny. And Clay and I spent time together and so that was fun. Looking back, I think we should've left a lot earlier because I really doubt the Holy Ghost was able to stay with us in that situation. And there really was quite a bit of foul stuff that I wish my lady ears wouldn't have heard. Oh well, live and learn! I told Clay next time I want to be right under the fireworks right by the music. We did that my first year and it was amazing.

We found out this morning that they found the missing person and he had drowned. So sad. I feel so sad for his family. 20 year old boy.

Well, I just made cinnamon rolls and am planning and scarfing some! And relaxing! Have a happy weekend!

Christmas in July

Right now I'm listening to Christmas music.

It happens pretty much every year...July hits and I get a sort of homesick feeling for Christmas. Christmas is far and away the best time of year. And the music is fantastic. So...I usually listen to a few tunes to satisfy me. I'm listening to Mindy Gledhill's Christmas album...and I have realized that I just love her. I feel like the best way to describe her voice is to liken it to butter. Her voice is butter. And I love butter.

In other news...I told you how I painted the cabinets in our bathroom and hall white. SO pleased with the results. HOWEVER- I made the HORRIFIC mistake of thinking I should paint them ontop of my plastic covered kitchen chairs. I figured the paint would just peel right off! NO NO NO- THIS IS NOT TRUE. DO NOT DO THIS. I have scrubbed scraped and let me tell you, it is hard work. For every hour I put into it I maybe get an inch of paint off! I'm at a loss of what to do. I've used bleach, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, and good old fashioned water. I've used my spatula, pie crust turner (don't know the technical term for it, but that's what I use it for), razor blade, edge of my dish scrubber thingy...nothing is really working that great. So, that is the stress of my life right now. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

It's hot. And I LOVE it!

My garden is doing great.

We went to Mesa Falls and it was great. And beautiful. But poor Dante went with us and just got so overheated that we couldn't stay that long. He was definitely the star of the show though. We got stopped so many times cause people just love him. It's always like that! He really truly is the cutest dog in the whole wide world. And the sweetest. And hammiest. And sneakiest! I love him.

We tried to do this three day smoothie cleanse and guess what? We gave up by 5 o clock on the first day :) I had the worst stomach ache after drinking kale, celery, and cucumbers. And I decided that it just wasn't right. So Clay and I made some rules and commitments to each other. We will continue to have a healthy smoothie each morning (not ONLY vegetable healthy. Like berries, kale/spinach, flax, bananna) and eat out less and only eat treats on the weekends. And as far as that last rule goes, we can only buy or make ONE treat for ourselves on the weekend, but we may enjoy treats at Clay's parents house on Sundays. This probably is just what normal people do...but this is a HUGE change for us right now. I am hopeful and glad we are doing this.

Alright, that is all for now! Enjoy the heat! I know I am :)