17 signs you're in montana

1) The moths are bigger than large hummingbirds.
2) In a matter of minutes the weather can turn from sunny and bright to clouds of death with hail the size of...really big hail.
3) The rodeo happens every night, despite the hail.
4) You find yourself chasing an escaped pony down the interstate. It's fine to stop traffic in both directions.
5) The term "Big Sky Country" suddenly becomes very real. And very addicting.
6) Hearing snuffles and movement in the bush at the side of the trail you are hiking on by yourself sends you into a flight or fight state because it's either a bear, a moose, or another really huge moth. you then proceed to debate whether you would run from the bear, lie down and pretend to be dead in front of the bear, or quickly snap some photos of the bear. honestly still trying to decide on that one.
7) You get sunburned. And peel. But don't have to wear makeup for days-which is awesome.
8) The congregation at church is upwards of 900 people. 877 of these are visitors. 150 of those are probably somehow related to you. #richardsandcoveysunite!
9) Game night is every night.
10) You have no phone coverage, which is frustrating but also liberating. But then you go steal internet from the church building because you just have to see if an email is there. and it is. which makes being rebuked by the relief society president totally worth it.
11) Wilcoxson's ice cream is a must.
12) So is the DQ.
13) Spirit and Brother Bear are the only soundtracks that seem to make sense, just...because. they're also the only ones you have in the family van. so all the grown siblings sit there singing along with Bryan Adams. it's cool.
14) It rains and everything smells glorious. So you go outside just to be outside. Maybe play a game of unsuccessful frisbee with your mom and sister. Maybe go on a dirt bike ride. Or a pony ride. Or a ride in your great-grandpa's 1963 Jeep that has three gears, no seat belts, no power steering or braking, is manual, and can literally go up the side of mountain like it ain't no thang.
15) You grip the tube so tight, in order to save yourself from certain death, that it chafes off all the skin on your knuckles. no it's not leprosy.
16) You see buffalo on your way to the beach. It's no biggy.
17) You never want to leave.

who needs fireworks?

#happyfourthyo

 treasure at the end of the rainbow.

awww..... {smiley emoticon with heart}

but really.

not our pony.

yes our pony

she's cool because she has seahorses on her shorts.

and because she's just cool.

peace and return trips

rrw

crush of the week

My crush of the week is this doughnut.

I mean...it's covered in caramel, chocolate, coconut and oreos. And accented with a goblet of the thickest, most delicious chocolate milk there is on the planet. How was I supposed to not fall in love? It probably helped that I told the people behind the table how to make it just the way I like. mail order bride move over. 

This doughnut and I met at the wedding reception of my friend from freshman year. Man, I can't believe how long ago that seems. And at the same time, like it was just yesterday. She was a beautiful bride and I got to be in charge of flowers so my car smelled like floral perfume all day. I tried to focus on that aspect of the car ride, rather than the heat that made my entire body cry in discomfort.

I was right in line for catching the bouquet but...didn't. It's whatever though. I'm going to Ukraine and got another doughnut instead so I'm fine. Not to mention the pieces of cake I sneakily ate while pretending to be a dainty girl who doesn't eat sweets. oh give me a break. there's cake? i'm gonna eat it.

It was a beautiful day full of beautiful people and beautiful views.

What? I love to see the temple. Always have. no, but really. i made my family sing that song every family home evening from the time i was 5 to the age of 9.

It was such a great day that I was so happy to be a part of. Tears were shed, hugs were given every few minutes, pictures were taken and taken and taken. Love was in the air.

And not just for the happy couple.

I miss my doughnut. 

peace and raspberry cheesecake cookies.

i mean, you have to move on eventually right?

rrw

4 Pics 1 Week: strangers, si, and snowcones

-After going to one of the best Mexican restaurants I can ever remember eating at thanks to a Tracie-friend who is too good to me, I got a call to go mini golfing. With a kid I had briefly met once before. And all of his friends. I was told to start heading to a certain destination point to be picked up. As I ran down the street a car full of men honked at me, pulled over and I heard, "Rachel?! Quick, get in the car!" I jumped in, introduced myself, and proceeded to have one of the funniest mini golfing experiences to date. But...maybe I should go back and learn more about stranger danger. Whatever. That kid and I are best friends now so it's all good. #blacklightsmakeeveryonecool

-My friend is getting married tomorrow. I'm a bridesmaid. We joke about how we met freshman year because I was for sure crazy that night and she was going on a date with an RM and that was the coolest thing 18 year old me had ever heard of. And then we were roommies and sang to Anastasia together. And now she's getting married. 

-It's blasted hot everywhere. So I met up with some old friends and we decided to get snow cones. The things were huge. Ah, summer. I'd love you so much more if you didn't melt my skin on the way home from work. But, I guess that's what the pool is for, no?

-Duck Dynasty. Uncle Si. Go google this youtube video and laugh. I think Caroline and I have found our new favorite person and tv show i'm sorry say yes to the dress! i'll always love you. but you don't have an uncle si. I have a new goal in life: become a redneck.

peace and chicken-go-wraps

rrw

excessive never looked so good

You know what I haven't posted about in awhile?

Glacier. And it's about time I do. Because I still have about 300 photos from that trip. Plus I still have Colorado pictures. Man...am I little excessive? My family would answer "Yes." I would answer "Stop talking and say cheese. Right now. The lighting is perfect." except for i don't really say that nonsense about lighting because i'm not official enough to.

Anyway, take a look at Two Medicine area. Because, like, dang. The lighting was perfect there. jklolhags

Aster Falls 

2.8 miles roundtrip

-bunny sightings a likely occurrence

-attempting to catch said bunny will result in only good things and won't be humiliating at all. give it a shot.

what's up Captain Kirk?

looking a little angelic.

#appropriate

#beibershortsforever

#andohwowrememberwhenihadbangs?

i spy with my little eye....Caroline.

yeah. couldn't think of something clever to put there. 

any suggestions?

coolest cairn i've ever seen.

and i've seen my fair share of cairns.

nbd.

Running Eagle Falls

wheelchair accessible.

which i think is about the coolest thing. because even though people might not be able to hike all over montana, they can still see such pretty things!

yeah! life's cool!

While I won't be in this ^^^ part of Montana next week, I'm still really looking forward to being in Big Sky Country. I mean...LOOK.

ok ok. i show this one all the time. but it's probably my favorite picture i've ever taken.

peace and german chocolate

shootdang i forgot how good that stuff is

rrw

oh hey tuesday

There's a lot I could potentially complain about today, and to be honest my fingers and brain are itching to just unload. But, from experience, I know that that really only creates more problems and makes me feel even worse. My attitude about it today is that you solve the problems that you can and then when it all becomes like a Sudoku puzzle (which I'm not very good at) you set it all down and think, "Hey, at least I'm not stuck in a cage of lions with raw Zebra meat strapped to my body, while having to do Sudoku."

I mean, that would just be really bad.

So today I'll give you a song that I'm kind of liking recently, an old picture of me being Taylor Swift and singing about my sadness and age 20 points if that made any sense to you, and call it quits. I was going to do this whole list of good things about today but that just seems like overkill right now.

 

Oh Tuesdays, why can't we just get along already? At least there's music.

peace and watermelon

ohmygosh that's some good fruit

rrw

4 Pics 1 Week: summa summa summa

-So...maybe the feather thing came and went like, 2 years ago. But who cares if the fad has faded? Imma gonna wear this feather every summer until I'm 86 and have no more hair to put it in. H8ers can h8. i'm into using the super slick MSN messenger lingo lately. I guess I can't let go of the golden years.

-If you can't read the words in that second picture I don't blame you. It says "horcruxes got soul." I saw this on the back of a PT Cruiser and immediately whipped my phone out, pulled up as close as I possible could to the vehicle, and took this photo because it made me laugh right in the middle of traffic and construction on University. Well done bumper sticker. Well done.

-Even with so many of my friends coming home from 2 year adventures, there are still a few around the globe. And I love hearing from them. A lot. now dont' you all start sending me too much fan mail now that you know my address. but i mean, if you must.

-Went to the rodeo with this cute girl and other fun people. She looks great in a child's size cowboy hat, no? It was freezing, which was probably spring saying one last goodbye. Well, we heard ya springy spring. See you in a year.

peace and SUMMER

rrw



This is another linkup with The Crowley Party. I figured I've already been doing this awhile, might as well be apart of a group. You know, strength in numbers and all that jazz. like when all the girls leave to go to the bathroom together. ummmm. ok.

throwback: elementary love version

Let me start this love saga off with the announcement that I was, in fact, the second most popular girl in elementary school. This status was legitimate because I didn't come up with it by myself. (even though it's totally something elementary-school-me would say about herself. i was a very pompous little girl. but now i'm super humble so it's not a problem) One of my friends told me that she had calculated it out and while Paige was the most popular (agreed. she was also my best friend, for what it's worth), I was the close second. I don't think I've ever been that close to the top of the social food chain since, so I bring it up whenever possible. Like...right now. Cool.

Being such a popular girl, boy drama was inevitable. With my crimped hair, huge bangs, buckteeth, and beanpole legs (which made me taller than all the boys) I was a catch. But this throwback isn't about how all the boys liked me because I was the SECOND MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL (ok. i'll stop with that. especially since, as i think about it, it's not really something to brag about anyway. #sheesh). This is about the boys that I liked. So let's begin.

His name was Anders. We were in the same first grade class and would play "superbabies" at recess. All the boys would tuck their knees up into their shirts and hop around me, the superbaby mom. The boys would swarm, yelling "mommy! mommy!" while I pretended to be annoyed and not completely giddy at all the attention I was getting from all the coolest boys in first grade. But I really only had eyes for one. Anders.

All the girls did. From first grade to fifth grade, which was when he moved away, he was the boy all the girls wanted to dance with at the Valentine's Day dance, the one everyone wanted to sit next to at lunch, and play soccer with at recess. Your life ended if you weren't on the same Capture the Flag team as Anders during night games.

He was everything my elementary heart was looking for. Smart, athletic, neighborhood boy, pooka shell wearer, and had perfectly gelled hair that all the other boys tried to imitate. I was in love.

Nothing ever came of this love, however. My popularity must have intimidated him because he always chose to "date" the other girls. Whatever man. Your loss. i swear i'm not still bitter about this. maybe.

Then everything changed when Dylan came into the picture. We were in the same fourth/fifth split. I was a fifth, he was a fourth. (i'm telling you, i go for the younger guys). He was beautiful. We played soccer together. And walked home from school together. And would glance at each other and then quickly look away. It was the things songs are made of.

The fourth/fifth split went on a field trip that year to Classic Skating. I don't know what the educational value of this field trip was, but I am certainly glad it happened. The used skates, confetti pattern carpet, Avril Lavigne music, and disco lights and lasers were the perfect setting for the next (and final) step of Dylan and mine's relationship.

I had my favorite jean overalls on over my favorite pink plaid shirt. My bangs looked not so poofy and my braces matched my outfit. I was a bombshell. I remember standing with my friends in a crowd as the DJ announced that the "snowball" skate was about to happen (i still don't understand that name). This snowball dance was boys choice and I knew who I wanted to ask me to skate. I could see him standing over with his friends, could see him looking over at me, watched as his friends pushed him out of the circle, laughing. I stared as he came across the floor to our group. Everyone froze as he asked me to snowball skate with him (no eye contact was made during the making of this snowball couple). I agreed, took his hand, and spent the next 3 minutes of my life skating in circles without speaking a word. The song ended, we dropped each other's hand, actually looked at each other for the first time, said "see ya" and then skated away as fast as we could.

And that was the end.


I wish I could say that my strategy with boys has changed since then, but it really hasn't. The whole "no eye contact, no speaking, and running away" thing continues to reel them in. I can't help it.


peace and snowball skating

rrw

ps. this post is inspired by the linkup with The Life of Bon at www.thelifeofbon.com. Go look her up. She's hilarious. I just can't get the button thing to work for me, which, you know, is typical.