Clay wrote a book

So my husband, Clayton Phillipp, wrote a BOOK!

The story is pretty funny actually because it all started a little over a year ago when I was talking to Clay about how much I wanted to write a book, but I couldn't think of anything to write. I didn't have any good ideas. Like...plot? How in the world do you come up with that?!

We were tossing around ideas, and he came up with one that made me like...stop in my boots and say, "You need to write that!" so he started writing.

I read his first chapter and before I knew it I forgot I was reading something my husband wrote! I had to stop and be like, "Woah- you wrote this!" It was a crazy experience. From then on I told him he HAD to keep writing. He had a talent that neither of us were aware of!

He kept writing and eventually completed a book. It's called The Wild. I am so happy to report that it is such a good book! It's based in a post-apocalyptic world and the main theme is survival. The characters are great, the story is great, the writing is great, I'm so proud of him.

If you like books like Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, Uglies, etc, you will love this book. I highly recommend it!

We decided to self-publish on Amazon Kindle. So please, buy the book and read it and give it reviews on amazon! Tell your friends about it! Tell your sisters, brothers, parents, children!

We are so excited to finally share this with people! It's been quite the secret between us for quite some time :) This entire time Clay has been like...are you sure? It's really good? Are you sure? Because this is seriously nothing he ever imagined doing. It was just so random that he ever ended up doing it, because I was asking him about plot ideas! He was just as shocked as I was that he had it in him to write a book, and a good one at that.

If you don't have a kindle, you can download the app for free on any smart phone or tablet. It's so easy and so worth it. The book is only $2.99!

We would really appreciate your help on this to help spread the word, and of course we want you to read it and enjoy it! I know you will!

Thanks in advance for your support and I'm so excited to hear what you guys think! YAY!

Click HERE to buy the book!

PS- If you are really wanting to help spread the word but can't think of specific ways, here are some ideas: Facebook, Pintrest, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, Blog, and word of mouth!

Vegetable Garden experience

I decided to grow a garden this year! It's been so fun and I'm so glad I did it. Above is how it started, and below is today. 

As you can see, the cherry tomato plant kind of went crazy! I could've planned that one better. But here is a list of what I planted my first year:

Basil

Carrots

Onions

Zucchini

Cherri Tomatoes

Lettuce

Peppers

Cabbage

Flowers

Can you believe all of that is in there?!?! The only thing that wasn't successful was the onions. Who knows what happened there.

If you are wondering, I used two 4x4 boxes. One was 6" and one was 12". I used Mel's mix in both which is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost (which needs to be a blend of at least 5 different kinds). This is what I learned for gardening to be successful: water, and harvest. Tada! That's it! It's been super fun and I'm excited to try some different things next year. 

Some little bits

I stink at sneezing. No really. I grew up plugging my nose while sneezing, and then sniffing up the snot that found its way down and plugged. I got teased about this from my friends, and I always said, I just don't know any other way! I married Clayton and I don't even remember how or when or why but I believe he somehow taught me the method of sneezing without plugging your nose. That it is much easier and logical. I have since adopted this method, but I still often get little snots coming OUT of my nose...and sometimes at the most inopportune times! It's a lifelong learning process for me I suppose. Clay is currently trying to teach me the method of sneezing into your inner elbow (you know, the thing we teach toddlers) and somehow I keep forgetting about it. Too many rules with sneezing.

I have been making my own yogurt, and because I'm too lazy...I put a handful of raw oats in, and a sliced peach, and berries. It's so yummy and filling. And I also drink a juice with it (full of veggies). I don't know. I just feel so accomplished in my life when I have a good breakfast. I mean, really really accomplished.

The fruit flies are slowly slowly dying. Slower than I wish. I wish so badly that I could throw a grenade into my kitchen and have them just all explode. But you know...that wouldn't quite work.

I very much like the new ios7 on my iphone.

I am already making plans for new years resolutions. Isn't that just so much like me? I can't handle living in the present. I just always want what is next. I should work on that, and I actually have been. And I do believe I'm growing...but you know, it's just kinda hard to break habits of the mind.

I have started listening to the Les Mis soundtrack again while I get ready, while I cook, while I clean, while I juice. It's so marvelous! I mean I really get teary eyed and chills during different moments. It's just the most brilliant story ever told I think. It makes me want to give a go at reading it again...but it feels daunting. I dunno.

I mentioned I have been making my own yogurt. Well, I started making it with Reeds Dairy, which is a local dairy farm. Once a week I get non-homogenized whole milk. It comes in a glass milk jug which is kind of awesome because I am saving them for local raw honey that I get. After I have enough jugs for honey I will start sending them back to the dairy farm to recycle. Anyhow, this non-homogenized whole milk makes the creamiest yogurt! And I have been eating it every day and have not gotten heart burn from it (it started happening when I was eating other yogurt), so I'm pretty excited about that. And the milk gets delivered within 24 hours of milking it from the cow! Isn't that great? Now I just need to stop being lazy and make homemade granola so that Clay will eat the yogurt- that's his favorite.

Isn't my life exciting?

Front Garden experience

This year I put pots in my front garden beds! Clay and I have differing opinions on how long these flowers stayed alive. He thinks it wasn't more than a week...I know it was at least three months. But as soon as the weather got super hot like in the 90's, I don't think I watered them enough and they kind of died. There is one plant on the other side (not shown here) that is still just gorgeous and I think it's because it's right by the sprinkler head and got a ton of water. Well, I learned! 

I also learned that those three middle pots were not planted properly. Plants need room and if you don't give them enough room then they die. I planted too big of plants in too small of pots!
 

Oh well, this was my first year and I am happy to have learned all my lessons for next year. Also I enjoyed flowers for three months! (Contrary to what Clayton thinks) And I still have one pot that is thriving just beautifully.

Mindy Gledhill

 

A few years ago Rebecca was moving to California and I was helping her pack and she turned on this CD and said something like, "My friend told me about her, isn't she great! And it's so fitting!" Because multiple of Mindy's songs on her first album talk about California, and Rebecca was embarking on this grand adventure, moving to California to be close to her now husband. Anyhow, I fell inlove with her music that day. It's so cheerful and happy and romantic and so many other things. Her voice is so beautiful and I just LOVE her music. She has since come out with a great Christmas album, and a brand new album that she is promoting on tour right now. 

She came to BYU-Idaho and played at the Kirkham auditorium, and it brought back some great memories. Clay and I talked about all the shows we'd seen at BYU-I like extravadance! And some Jazz thing and a bunch of stuff. The school required you to go to a certain amount of performances to enhance your cultural knowledge or something.

Anyhow, we had great seats! We were in the third row to the right of the stage. 

Clay and I had SUCH a great time. Mindy sang just as well live as she does on her record. Her voice is so beautiful and there's something magical about it. A few of the songs that I heard before and didn't love as much as the others are some of my new favorites because seeing them live just gave a new perspective on them. Like this one.

It was just inspiring. I love lines, "I'm gonna go and take a chance, I'm gonna learn to ballet dance" and then "Maybe I'm just a little girl, A little girl with great big plans". Again, when she sang it live, it just was so much better than hearing it on the record. I just saw this woman who is singing for us, following her dreams and that it just seemed never too late to follow dreams or try new things and that its okay to want everything.

I just loved it! And I was happy cause Clay liked it a lot too! He said her music made him feel happy. Which is always a great thing to hear.

We had so much fun that now I just keep thinking and looking for other concerts we can go to! If you don't already know Mindy Gledhill, look her up- she has so many awesome songs. Here is a favorite.

Here's one of my fav's from her new one

And there's seriously tons more. Love her!

New Piano Decor

One of the 25 things I wanted to do in my 25th year is redecorate above my piano. I wasn't completely feelin it before, so I thought for a long time on it just gathering random stuff at the time.

Here it is!

I am so happy with it! I got the clock at ROSS for like 8 bucks, the Mirror at Downeast Home for $13, the Tile thing at a thrift shop in Oregon years ago, and the quote print I made myself. The books are Barnes and Noble leather-bound classics. 

New decoration makes me so happy! And it feels really...ME! Which is really important for me.

Bedroom

I was ready for a facelift for my bedroom for quite some time, and finally decided to just do it!

I started by painting the room benjamin moore, balboa mist (matched at Lowes). We had it painted orange, which I honestly enjoyed for quite some time...but it got old after a while. 




The next step was to redo the headboard. (I cut off about a foot from the top, and changed the fabric, and added more buttons)




The next step was my duvet cover. I was wanting something more beautiful and wonderful! I found a few tutorials online of how to do this mock anthro duvet cover. None of them were exactly how I wanted...but they were a great guide. 




This duvet took SO LONG! I spent so many hours on it at least 20+. I watched LOST while I was doing it. Which was fun.

Next was the curtains, which I just took the same fabric as the headboard and did a simple square with curtain rings with clips. 

Now I just need to change up the pillows eventually (I'm not in any rush) and get some art and pictures up on the wall! 

I am so happy and pleased! I go in and it still makes me so happy! 

Hate in my Heart

I'm not much of a hateful person. Really. I can generally see the good in most things. I would say I'm an optimist. However....there are three things that I am specifically HATING right now.

Fruit Flies. These little pests have decided to swarm my house. I'm guessing you haven't seen any at your house lately cause guess what? They have ALL decided to shack up at my house. ALL of them! No seriously, I haven't ever seen so many fruit flies. I'm pretty positive it's because I got a box full of peaches and they ripened faster than I anticipated and I still let them sit in the box and before you know it some on the bottom apparently were getting all soft and juicy and the fruit flies came. So of course I sorted all the peaches into piles of good ones that I can still eat, bad ones that need disposing of (thank goodness that was only a few) and ones that I need to cut up and juice because they are almost to the disposing of group. But of course these little buggers just live forever and find other things to feast on. It doesn't help that my kitchen is a mess. I am planning on fixing this problem tonight by thoroughly cleaning the kitchen and setting up little traps of apple cider vinegar and dawn (thanks pinterest!).

Allergies. I know...I KNOW! I talk about this every year. But if you had allergies like I do, I think you would too. I take allergy medicine, and it barely ever works. This year I tried a new one, Alovert or something like that- and it works WAY better than the others...but I'm still pretty itchy eyed and still sneeze quite a bit. And if I FORGET one day to take it, oh my gosh. The worst.

Making dinner. I envy all of you amazing humans out there that love to make dinner. I HATE IT. I can never think of anything to make, and when I do- I feel too lazy to do it. It always makes for dirty dishes which I also hate doing. Then there's the whole ordeal of not quite knowing if it's going to turn out. Or dealing with if it does turn out and I love it, but Clay hates it. I was thinking last night how I need to start a dinner group, but I just don't have time for it. When would I make my meals? I don't know. I'm still considering it. It really is such a trial in my life.

Anyway, I know as time moves on I will trap those retched fruit flies and the allergies will pass and maybe in the future I'll find a way to not hate making dinner. We can only hope.

Juicing

Well, we got a juicer last week.

Pretty exciting stuff!

Clay and I are both awful at eating vegetables. I am super good at eating fruit, but veggies, not so much. I go through phases where I'll do great....but I'm really not that great.

Enter...THE JUICER!

We got the Omega 8006, which is a bit more pricey than our last juicer we used for a week and then ignored. But...I can tell you, it's worth it.

The Omega is masticating, which kinda means it goes at a snails pace to juice your stuff, but also means its less oxidation and retaining more nutrients. Most juicers say to drink the juice right away...this one you can store your juice for up to 72 hours without losing its nutritional content.

Also, the Omega does a great job at NOT being foamy. We hate the foam business, so it's kinda great.

Also, the Omega's pulp is DRY. Meaning we are getting everything we can out of those suckers! (I am freezing the pulp to add to my smoothies...smart huh!)

So...the first night we did a juice that lasted two meals for each of us and we each drank 1 large beet, 3 stalks of celery, 1 apple, 2 long carrots, a lemon, and an inch of fresh ginger. Can you believe that! That's a lot of veggies for us!!! We are pretty pumped (I am at least).


Beety beety beety. 

The goal here is to get Clay's immune system up and running again, and to give him more energy. He's been pretty pooped lately. Anyone have any great combos? Most people tell me that they kind of just throw things in now after they've been juicing for a while. Well...fine. But if you have any good ones, share :) Here are some more combos we've tried.

Cucumber, kale, apple, peach, lemon, ginger

Carrot, grapefruit, ginger, peach

Cucumber, kale, spinach, apple, pear

The Bible is wierd

I'm sorry, it just is.

I already struggled with the whole Rachel scenario with babies and just some odd stuff...

But now I'm in Exodus and all these laws are being given. I know these laws all changed once Christ came, but let me give you a run down.

It goes on and on about if a man kills a man, then he must die. If a man does something else to a man, he dies. All about doing things to MEN. They DIE. Then it starts talking about a woman. If you kill a woman, you will be punished. If you hurt her and cause her to have a miscarriage, you get punished. And then all the servants, it says you will be punished but there is a caveat, saying- well...it is their money (servants aren't really counted as PEOPLE- they are considered money...eck!).

And then there is all this talk about giving your daughter for wife and the whole thing is just awful to think about. I feel so awful for these women that lived back then that were just placed in some man's arms as their wife.

I struggle with this. It's one of those things I suppose I need to ask Heavenly Father about when I die and pass on to the other side cause I just don't get it. I believe in the Bible, and I follow it...but some of those early years of the earth are sure mind boggling. Were the brains not fully developed back then? Had evolution not fully taken its course on human's brains and caused them to not be able to function in decent manners? Is this why God made these laws? I truly wonder.

Oh well. I suppose I just need to move on from it. It's so funny because I was just reading a talk from last General Conference and it was about marriage, and it specifically says that respect is essential to happiness in marriage. It says this, "Practices from any place or any time in which husbands have dominated wives or treated them in any way as second-class partners in marriage are not in keeping with divine law and should be replaced by correct principles and patterns of behavior." The talk clearly states that all decisions are made together, we are equals, all the things that feel right you know? So...clearly these bible times were not in line with divine law, which makes me wonder how those laws came to place? Again with the evolution of man....I think I'm convinced that humans just didn't have the capacity that we obviously eventually had? Who knows.

Clearly, I was born in the right time.

I got married when I was 18, so what? {Part 4}

I remember Clay and I having a conversation one day, a "Define the relationship" if you will. I said something like, "I don't want to be too serious, I just want to have fun. I'm not ready to get married or anything." and Clay of course said, "Yeah me too" (though he tells me later he didn't really agree with my whole have fun concept, he was already serious).



 My ward had a "Tacky Formal" that we went to. 

However...I fell hard and fast. By the end of the month I was falling inlove. Clay came with me and my sister to a cabin for conference weekend and I just knew- I LOVED THIS MAN! We cuddled on the couch late into the night and talked about life and enjoyed the comfiness of the cabin in the woods. I rushed to his room in the morning to wake him so I could kiss him and start the day together again. 

At the cabin.

The day after we got back Clay was helping me bring groceries into the house and I was fresh on my high of love and he turned to me and said, "I like you so much" and I was devastated. I don't think I even responded. I may have said, "Thanks". I was thinking- don't LIKE me you idiot! LOVE me! 

Not 24 hours later he was the grumpiest fool in school. He was so upset and nothing was right and he said he needed to talk to me. We went to his apartment's "clubhouse" common area so we could be away from his roommates and he clumsily and painfully got it out of him that yes, he loved me. After I told him I loved him too, boy he was turned around! Happiest boy in town! We both were. 

Within a few weeks we were talking marriage, and praying and receiving answers and by the end of the month we were engaged. 

 On our way to Oregon to meet my family.


At Hendrick's park with my sisters.

The engagement lasted only 6 weeks and we were married! 

Looking back, we both feel like we barely knew each other. And it's true. We were so clueless as to who each of us were. But that's kind of a cool thing about our relationship. We have both grown up...together. We have both learned so much...together. And 7 years later, we are still together even after we know each other :) 

We have been through so much together. So many ups and downs and so many struggles. But we always stick together and always fight through it and come out on top. 

When I got engaged, lots of people in my high school (cause you know, my class hadn't even graduated yet when I got married), thought I was insane. And rightly so! I look at teens who get married today and think they are insane. They seem like babies! So I don't blame anyone for thinking I was crazy. But the thing that makes me happy is that a lot of people didn't want me to get married because they thought my life would be over. I wouldn't get to experience life. 

Well, yeah...I may have missed some partying, some heartbreaks, and I may have missed wasting time and money. But I have graduated college, become a CPA, bought a house, and gone on lots of adventures and had tons of incredible experiences, all with my husband by my side supporting me. So...I'd say I showed them :)

That's the end of our beginning. Probably more than you ever bargained for. But I wanted to get it written down. And that's it!

I got married when I was 18, so what? {Part 3}

Clay came to study for the test and it was clear I was way more prepared than him. I didn't care, I've always been an intense student. I remember we were sitting on the couch and he kept nudging my knee with his. I loved it. We talked about music, I told him I played guitar, he said he did too, we finished and that was that.

A few days later my car decided to stop working. Well, not really stop working, but the ignition wouldn't turn. I got a ride home but my car was stuck in the wells fargo parking lot! I remember calling my dad, not knowing what to do, and my roommates kept saying, "Call Clay! Call Clay!". I told them no, I'd only hung out with him a couple times. But they just loved him. I don't know if they'd even met him yet, but they loved him nonetheless.

I finally called Clay told him the situation. He immediately said, "I'll be there in five minutes" and he came and picked me up to go look at it. He couldn't do anything about it, but said since he did this favor for me, I had to play the guitar for him. I was super nervous but said, okay.

I played some good ol weezer of course, my go to songs. And he played me a song he wrote (HA! So funny cause he's never played it since and never written anything since...interesting).

I remember each time I saw him after that, he got cuter and cuter. I started noticing how stylish and handsome he was.

Nothing really happened after that until February 14, Valentines Day.

In case you're wondering, this picture is of me wiping the bottom of the tray off on the rug...because in order to harden the chocolate on the strawberries, we just put the tray in the snow :)

I remember being bummed cause I didn't have any plans and my roommates were kinda silly and never wanted to go out! We decided to watch Gilmore Girls and make chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels, pretty exciting stuff. So when the knock on the door came and three stranger girls were there, I was pretty shocked. They said, "Hey, are you Danielle? Clayton wanted us to bring this to you." Side story- this was Jill and her roommates, Clay grew up with Jill and she has since become a great friend- love her. 

It was a pizza box. I was puzzled and then even more puzzled when I opened it. I was looking at the most hideous pizza I'd ever seen. It was all misshapen and odd looking. I was confused. There was a note on the inside that said, "Happy Valentines Day, From Clayton". That was nice, but what's with the weird pizza?

I showed my roommates and they were like- "Oh! It's a heart!" the slices had shifted on the way over I guess and once you put it together, IT WAS A HEART SHAPED PIZZA! I was immediately giddy!

 

I texted Clay and was like, "Thanks for the pizza!" He said, "Well I am working but I knew I had to do something"

I remember distinctly my roommates saying, "He did NOT have to do something- he likes you!!!"

The pizza was delicious by the way. Craigos, for you locals out there.

I think it was then that I realized I was really starting to like this guy. I mean, he gave me a heart shaped pizza! The next day in class I saw him and went up to him and gave him a hug, and said thank you again. After that we started hugging after each class.

One night my roommates and I devised this whole plan to get one of them involved with one of our FHE brothers. We invited all the right ratios of boys/girls for a game night. Clay came, and while we were playing cards, he so nonchalantly put his hand on my leg. It gave me tingles! It wasn't in some creepy grippy way, it was just kind of a placed fist, half opened half closed on my knee. All my roommates noticed and gave me little knowing smiles throughout the night :)

We held hands that night while watching a movie, and then we held hands more after we exited class each day. We held hands on our first real date, and then pretty soon Clay decided to take me and my roommates to Los Albertos to get Horchadas. They are some mexican drink that he loves. While we were there...an AWFUL thing happened.

Lets do a little background. One night after our first date, we were talking in his car and I said, "So how old are you?" and I remember specifically asking him so I could lead in to the whole "Well...I'm technically only 17 cause I graduated high school earlier". I figured I'd ask him, he'd say 21 and he'd ask me, and I'd tell him. But when I asked him he said, "....well....that's kind of a long story. I'm 20." Incase you don't know, guys who are 20 who are mormon usually have one of three stories. 1. Didn't go on a mission, 2. Came home early because of worthiness issuse, or 3. Came home early because of health issues. Of course no one wants some assumption to happen so he told me the long story about how he was sick with some mystery illness and it caused him to come home early from his mission. Needless to say, that story took some time and I completely forgot about telling him my age, and he didn't even ask. Which is why it never came up until...

My roommates and I were teasing each other about something and one of them says, "Well Danielle should technically still be in young womens!" and my stomach dropped. All of a sudden I remember that Clay doesn't know, I'm 17. He turns and says, "...what?" With an awkward smile. I say, "Yeah...I'm 17."

This is another one of those stories where Clay and I don't completely agree, but here's the difference. I know for a FACT- he said the words I'm about to tell you he said. If asked about this memory, he smiles uncomfortably and says, "I don't think I said that..." so I'll let you be the judge of who has the clearer memory on this.

We drove home and Clay and I awkwardly stayed in the car. I don't remember everything that followed but I know the words came out of his mouth "Well it's fun to be a kid every now and then" in the most condescending voice ever. It was clear he wasn't excited about my age and was pretty done.

I stormed into the apartment TICKED. I thought, "He is upset about MY age?! He didn't think I was too immature before? There are plenty of guys who want me! And they even know my age!" ha ha, of course I was totally offended.

Clay didn't call or hug or hold hands after that for a few days. On Saturday he called (apparently after stressing to his friends and them knocking some sense into him. Again- thanks Jill!)  and was all friendly and asked what I was doing. I told him I was studying, too busy to hang out. I was abrupt and short toned. He told me to call him when I finished studying, I told him I'd probably be studying all day.

Later that evening I was SO BORED and my dang roommates AGAIN didn't want to do anything. They kept saying, "Just call Clay", and I just didn't want to! No no no! My pride! How could I betray it! But I gave in and called him and he invited me and my roommates to do night games in a cabin in Ashton.

Of course, he was so smooth and wearing a shirt that made him so so cute (he was wearing blue, I remember, which is my favorite color on him) so I quickly forgot all his offenses. We held hands and cuddled in a dark cabin where we were playing night games, hiding BY OURSELVES and I started thinking...when the heck is this guy going to kiss me? He had been holding my hand and hugging me and taking me out, and I seriously couldn't think of a better situation. And yet, no luck.

Days passed and we kept holding hands and hugging and pretty soon I found that Clay was using every excuse in the book to see me every. single. day. One reason was he had to do a survey for a class and needed my roommates and my opinions (couldn't do it over the phone, had to be in person...right), another was to teach him how to copy and paste (his mouse wasn't working and he supposedly hadn't heard of the whole ctrl C thing...right...he still claims today that he really didn't know), and then we'd start going to Tuesday devotionals together...

Finally one night, March 5 (I don't even remember the date of our proposal, but I remember the day of our first kiss) he kissed me (very quickly) outside of my dorm gate. I smiled and skipped/ran back to my dorm.

From then on the kisses didn't stop.

To be continued

I got married when I was 18, so what? {Part 2}

I remember the first time I noticed Clay like it was yesterday. We both had Humanities 101 and Book of Mormon together and about a month after I'd been there we had some group thing in Humanities. We were supposed to gather around the people around you and present some thing...I can't even remember. I think it was about some art piece having to do with a urinal. Anyway, our group was gathered and everyone was talking and I wasn't paying too close attention (cause I didn't get the urinal piece at ALL) and then someone volunteers Clay for speaking on behalf of our group. I don't remember much of any of this...but what I remember clear as day, is the moment he stood up to give the presentation of our group.

He happened to sit right behind my desk, so it's funny I never noticed him before. But he stood up and started speaking and he had this manly, CONFIDENT voice. I mean seriously, his voice was just great. I was highly impressed because it was one of those rushed things that we barely put together (in five minutes in the classroom) and he sounded like he had prepared so much. This is so typical Clay though, knowing him now. He can really make himself sound good when he wants to. 

That was the first thing I noticed about Clay. His voice and confidence.

The next day I had Book of Mormon and this part is fuzzy. Clayton claims that it was while we were waiting for this class that the next scene happens. I swear it was the other. But who knows. I'm going to just decide to go with Clayton's version cause I suppose I'm not 100% positive, which he claims he is. We saw each other waiting for the class in the hall and I said, "Hey aren't you in Humanities with me?" and he says, "Yeah...I think so" (please note- he did in fact know. he has since informed me he noticed me quite earlier...) "Do you have a partner for that project yet?" I say, (Please make another note- I made the first move)

A bunch of small talk later, we have a time and place to meet later in the day to start on the project. I'm pretty positive we met at the Spori building.

The project was a pretty great first date if you think about it. You were supposed to walk around campus and write down different art you see and the artist and what you think of it. The professor actually said before the project that he had partners of that project end up married. We told him at the end of the semester he could add us to the list!

We walked around and I remember that he smelt good and he would flirt with me and tease me. He'd do little things like elbow me lightly, or nudge my knee with his. At the end of the project he asked if I wanted to study for the test coming up and asked for my number.

Nervous, but excited...I gave it to him.

To be continued...

I got married when I was 18, so what? {Part 1}

So many people, even here in Idaho (where it's common), tease me about getting married when I was 16.

The truth is, I got married when I was 18.

I realized I've never written our story before. I really want to. Cause I don't even think I wrote it in my journal at the time! (Shame on you, young Danielle- I will forgive you if you teach your kids to always write in their journal, even though your mom taught you the same thing and you obviously didn't follow it). The truth is- I faithfully wrote in my journal everyday of my first semester in college, and then BAM- I met Clay and suddenly didn't have time for it? There was a huge break in journal entries and then all of a sudden there's this entry like, "I'm getting married to an amazing man named Clay and I love him so much!" with a dried flower from the proposal night.

So...here is the beginning of our story.

When I graduated high school, I was 17 years old. I graduated in December, because I was so over high school. I was over high school when I was 16, so that is when the planning started for me to graduate early. My mom always claimed I was an old soul, and I think that has rung true many times in my life. This was one of them. High school was totally fine for me...I wasn't bullied (much), I didn't care (much) what people thought of me, but besides all that I just didn't get my peers much. I had a few close friends who I LOVED. But besides that...I was bored and sick of it. On to college! Move on with your life! My brain told me. So I did.

I had a boyfriend at the time, Johnny, who I seriously thought I was going to marry. He was the first mormon I'd ever dated and so naturally, I thought- perfection! We will marry! But time has a way of changing things and here's what happened.

I kid you not- I think I was the most spiritual I've ever been in my life that first semester of college. I was reading my scriptures, writing in my journal, participating in hundreds of prayers a week (since I was at BYU-Idaho) and lets face it, I had the spirit of Ricks in me! (Just FYI- this is a big thing at BYU-I...the "Spirit of Ricks"...we take great pride in the special spiritual energy on campus).

I talked to Johnny all the time and one day for whatever reason, I just didn't like it. Hmmm...I don't like this, I need to break up with him. My brain told me. My heart wasn't so sure, but then the spirit chimed in and said, This is right Danielle, DO IT. So I did. I remember the conversation so clearly because Johnny said, "You're going to get married. I just know it." Of course I scoffed and laughed! Cause did I forget this part? Oh yes. Backtrack...

When I told my teachers I was graduating early, about two thought it was a good idea. The rest were worried for me. One of my fav's who thought it'd be great made me promise I wasn't going to get an M-R-S degree. She spelled it out and everything and I didn't understand. Then she wrote it on the board and I was like "OH! No...no no no no. I do NOT want to get married. Not for a long time. Don't you worry!" and in my head I was thinking- who is she kidding? I am going to have the time of my life, become a journalist, write a weekly column, and the earliest I'll marry is when I'm 20- I mean EARLIEST, and I wont have kids for at least two years after that!

I had a plan. I always have a plan. Seriously- ask anyone. My sights are always on the future. And that was my future! No doubt about it.

So when I told my reason of it just feels right  for breaking up, Johnny said, "You're going to get married. I just know it." And I scoffed and said, you're crazy.

The very next day, a boy who had a really nice speaking voice asked for my number...his name was Clay.

To be continued...

Welcome!

I've decided to start a new blog today. I'm not exactly positive why I have felt this great need to start a new blog...but I really think it all comes back to...looking at my old blog and feeling bleh. It is so full of horrible memories (good ones too, yeah) but I look at my blog and feel so serious and lymie. Does that make sense at all? 

Well, if it doesn't, I don't really care! I'm trying this new thing in my life where I really don't give a care in the world to what people think! So far, so good. It is a real struggle, that's for sure. 

Here's the thing...I do love to write. I have loved writing on my blog over the years! But with instagram roaring it's head into the world I have found myself NOT posting or writing and just using instagram. I think most people do that. And that's just fine. But I was thinking- no! Wait a second! I want to write still! But then everytime I went to write I felt like I needed to write great or awesome or something. And I also felt like I needed to talk about whatever. 

Well, with the new "I don't care!" attitude I'm trying- I've decided...who cares? I'm just going to start a new blog! I'm just going to write what I want! I'm going to ramble and try and bring myself to center and do it all on this little blog of MINE! 

That's one reason I named it this. I love my husband dearly, yes indeed! Especially lately, it's just true. But I decided I need a me space. And incase you are wondering, my momma always refers to me like this, "Well miss danyelli! What have you been up to today?" that kind of thing. I just love it. Amy calls me Danyelli often, and out of all the nicknames of my past, danyelli is quite nice. I like it. So that's what I named this blog, cause it stems to my roots. 

I know it's silly...but again, I just don't care. New blog, fresh start :) Here's to hoping I blog more. Ta ta!

Goals by Numbers

For my 2013 resolutions, I decided to do a "Goals by Numbers" thing where I have goals to complete a certain amount of things by 2014. Here is the list with the running total (updated at the end of each month).

Play 1000 songs on the piano- 316 played
Read 12 new books- 4 read
Make 52 new recipes- 30 made
Have 12 memorable dates with Clay- 7 dates
Read Genesis through 2 Kings of the Old testament- Genesis read

25 in 25

On my birthday when I turned 25 I made a list of 25 things I wanted to do in my 25th year. Here is a current list with the things crossed off that I've completed! I will continue updating this as I complete each one. 

1. Ride my bike around the river
2. Do yoga everyday for a month
3. Go on a zipline
4. Float Mack's inn river
5. Go with Clay on the motorcycle to Mesa Falls
6. Grow a garden
7. Read a Jane Austen book
8. Make a blog book for each year that I've been blogging
9. Travel somewhere I've never been before
10. Have a friend over for brunch on one of my days off
11. Go to temple once a week for a month
12. Reupholster another chair
13. Paint another painting
14. Make a new quilt
15. Have a get together for Halloween time
16. Have a get together for Christmas time
17. Write a song
18. Have no sugar/treats from my birthday to Clay's
19. Plant flowers in our front yard and keep them alive
20. Go for a walk everyday for a month
21. Go rock climbing
22. Redecorate above the piano
23. Redecorate hallway
24. Give my neighbors and friends a Christmas gift
25. Write a book about my Lyme experience