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In between working and routine, sometimes Randy and I get to do fun things. This weekend was one of those fun times!

 Randy and I got to drive to Idaho to spend time with my family, and go fishing on the Teton river. I’ve floated the Teton every year since I can remember, and it’s always so much fun. We go with my Grandpa who is a master fisher and has fished the Teton since he was a little boy. He knows everything about that river (at least I think he does) and it’s so wonderful to get to hear his stories and spend time in a place he loves so much. I also love that I get to spend time with my family in a place that’s special to us. It’s just a really great time, and I’m so glad that Randy got to finally join in!

This trip was a little crazier than normal though. There was a dead weasel incident, a herd of cattle being moved that changed our plans, fish that didn’t want to bite in the morning, and a rain, hail, thunder and lightning storm in the afternoon. Luckily we had a blast, and caught lots of fish!

Guys. I didn’t take like ANY pictures over 4th of July! I’m crazy! I’m pretty sure this has happened the past few years – I just get too busy to remember to snap any pictures!

But our 4th was awesome, we spent time at home watching the parade, eating DELICIOUS salmon and turkey and salad, and flan, watched the Kaysville musical (it was rocking. go see it. and shout out to my friends who were in it and KILLED it.) hung out with Randy’s brothers, and hit up the hometown firework show. All in all it was a fantastic weekend and I’m so happy we got to spend the 4th with my family.

Also, a few days before the 4th, Randy and I went a little crazy and made CRAB LEGS for dinner. Ok. So easy. So good.

Just buy crab legs either frozen or fresh from your grocery store.
Fill a pot with water and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.
Bring to a boil – then throw in the legs!
Bring back to a boil and let them go for about 5-10 minutes, depending on if they were fresh or frozen. They’ll start to turn pretty red when they’re done.
Melt some butter in the microwave to go on the side.
Pull out the crab legs with some tongs and VOILA.
Just use a fork to crack those babies and pull the meat out!

On another note, I need to write about something that’s been bothering me for the past few days.

I was just scrolling through my Facebook feed, when I saw several people post about how the 4th of July is all about celebrating rich white people who were really awful people, how America isn’t the great country everyone wants to think it is because of this and that and the other.

Now, I understand people are entitled to their opinion.

I understand there are frustrations from many parties right now.

I understand there is confusion and a desire to be better.

I understand that some people in the past made mistakes.

Guess what.

We do too.

We don’t stop celebrating people, what they did, and how they got us here, because they weren’t perfect.

I am so thankful each and every day for the men and women who fought, struggled, and even died to make this country what it is today.

It’s not a perfect country.

But I happen to think it’s amazing. Incredible, And wonderful.

This country wasn’t built on the backs of perfect people.

And perfect people don’t live in it today.

But it’s a country full of people who are still struggling, fighting, dying, to make it even better.

Isn’t that the whole point?

So I’m thankful to the imperfect founding fathers for doing everything they knew how to do.

I’m thankful to each and every president for doing the best they could.

I’m thankful for each person who lived their lives, while trying to make our country better.

I’m thankful that those imperfect people decided to try.

Decided to work.

And I’m so thankful for people who are still out trying, and working today.

You don’t have to think this country or its founders were perfect to love it, to celebrate, and to be proud.

There are always things we can improve. But we don’t have to push anybody down in order to prove that there is room for improvement.

Be thankful for people who wanted to make a change – just like we want to today.

Don’t tell me what they didn’t isn’t worth celebrating.

Because if it wasn’t for them, there’s no chance we would even be here.

I guess I’m a little baffled at the lack of respect I see around me.

Whether or not you agree, there’s a level of civility and respect that should be shown by everyone, at every time. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland encouraged members of the LDS Church to “defend your beliefs with COURTESY and with COMPASSION, but DEFEND them.” You can say what you believe with courtesy and compassion while not backing down from what you think.

Be kind.

Be respectful.

To America.

To laws.

To religions.

To people who are thankful for new laws.

And those who are not.

And most of all, be respectful to every individual person you converse with. Whether on social media or in person.

Summer has been BUSY BUSY BUSY. Randy and I both work full time, I’m at Ken Garff and loving it, and Randy is at US Bank and loving it! It’s fun to both be downtown working, and Randy sometimes gets mornings off which means he can run errands which is SO helpful for me. He seriously has been so amazing, working and cleaning the house and running to the store and doing all the little things that I don’t have time for. He’s pretty amazing, and I feel super lucky!

We FINALLY got our couch and things are starting to fall together in our new home! We LOVE the pillows Randy’s Grandma made for us, she’s so crafty and cute and we love it!

More pictures of the house to come, promise!

 Ken Garff sent us to the Bee’s game – with fireworks! We had way too much fun and were so close to the field, it was a great summer night!

Just a quick update for ya, expect more regular blogging and a few more of those bigger posts ahead!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Like I said in earlier posts, coming up I’ll be posting all about our wedding day, but I want to do that with all the photos and everything. So. For now I’m going to post my pre-wedding feels and so is Randy. It’s going to be sappy and dumb, so if you’re not into that you can skip this! We just want to make sure we document everything. The day goes by so fast, and I know that we’re going to want to look back and remember it all.

So about a month before we got married, I was done waiting. I felt like I’d been doing nothing but waiting, waiting, waiting. I waited for us to graduate high school, then for his mission call, then for him to leave, then for him to come home, then to get engaged, to the worst stage of waiting, the waiting for it to be all official. I felt like so much of my life had been leading to this point.

Three weeks before we got married was when the crying started. I was crying at absolutely everything. Just ask Randy. We would be driving down the road and I would glance over at him, and seriously burst into tears. Not because I was sad to be marrying him (haha) but because I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe we had done it. We’d made it. And Randy is too good to me, and I don’t deserve him, and all those things made me cry. A lot.

The crying phase lasted for a while, I was just stressed and excited and antsy and done waiting and so, so happy. Being engaged is hard, but Randy and I also had a lot of fun being engaged. I still wear my Feyonce shirt constantly!

There’s not really a way to describe the last few days before we got married. I was at work trying to make sure everything was set, I was packing up my apartment like crazy and Randy was being SO wonderful and moving everything in to our new place. He built furniture like a madman while I worked my day away downtown. People would ask me how I felt, and honestly it was strange. I felt like I was in a dream, a daze. It didn’t seem possible that this could really be happening. I don’t think I ever felt unsure or nervous that I was making a wrong decision – I’d been praying about this decision for years. I was sure it was right. It just felt strange that all the years of waiting and hoping were paying off.

The day before we got married I went into work for a half day – just to finish up a few things. They threw me and another engaged co-worker a shower which is so beautiful and fun. It seemed like the day just drifted by, like a slow moving cloud. I wasn’t wishing it would go faster, just content. I’d been thinking a lot about how my whole life it seemed was leading up to that day. There’s life before you get married, and life after you get married. That day was the turning point. It was the thing I’d been thinking about and pretending since I was a little girl. I was more sad that the anticipation was going away, and that soon my one BIG day would be over, than anything else.

Randy and I popped over to our new place to unload the things I’d gotten at the shower – and to exchange wedding presents. Randy got me two beautiful church books about marriage and shining a light for others, and I got Randy a book to write down all our dating memories and a key chain/inside joke.

As Randy read the note I wrote to him, he started sobbing. And then I started sobbing. I asked him what was wrong, and he just shook his head. He grabbed me and we just hugged, and then he said “We did it Maddy. We did it. We did it.”

I can’t begin to explain that feeling. After waiting, hoping, praying, and fighting for each other for four years, we had done it. It was the best feeling in the whole world.

I went home and spent time with my family, and so did Randy. It was very relaxed, and I don’t remember being very nervous, just anxious for it to be night so I could go to bed. I wrote a big long note about how I was feeling before I went to sleep, and got a wonderful priesthood blessing from my dad. I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to sleep at all, but surprisingly I was so exhausted from the anticipation that I slept really well. And I was so glad I did!

It is difficult to describe how it feels to be engaged and waiting for your own wedding. I met Maddy a LONG time ago and I’ve always thought the best of her. She’s the most fantastic person I know. I really love her so much. 

Right before I asked her to marry me, I really considered the decision I was about to make. It was a really serious decision and I wanted to make the right choice. Every second that I thought about it made me more sure that there wasn’t anyone for me, but Maddy. I was almost nervous that It was such an easy choice. I didn’t want to rush into anything, but Maddy is perfect for me. She is my dream girl and more.

Being an engaged couple is one of the best things ever…..and it sucks. It’s hard to describe. It’s a ton of fun and I was so excited to marry her. However, waiting to get married feels like it takes forever! The thing that was probably the hardest for me was going back to my apartment every night and being alone. It was amazing to spend as much time as I did with her while we were engaged, but it never was enough. I always wanted to be with her longer. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to now that we are married.

Being engaged is also really dramatic. Maddy and I were always so emotional and it was a little bit intense. Sometimes we would just lose it for no reason and sometimes we got into weird fights. Emotions were just flying everywhere! I remember the time right before I left on my mission was very similar. We were always emotional. It was good though because we got to see all emotions pouring out of each other and if Maddy is ok with marrying me after she’s seen me as an emotional wreck, she’s perfect for me. I don’t know anyone else that would be able to handle me hahaha.

Once May came along, I was done waiting. I was just ready to be married. It was good timing for us to get married at the end of May. I spent most of May moving stuff from Maddy and I’s apartment to our new apartment. It was a really long and frustrating process, but now we live here and if feels like home. Maddy and I exchanged wedding gifts a couple days before our wedding. With her gift she gave me a really special note.

In the note, she wrote that she chose me. She also wrote a couple promises for me and as I read the note, I was overwhelmed thinking about all that we have done to get to this point. We went through high school together and all the teasing we got for dating. We spent two years apart while I was on my mission. I felt how much I wanted this girl with such intensity at that moment and I just lost it. I was so happy and I’m still so happy that I get to be with her forever. 

Everyone’s pre-wedding feels are different, I guess mostly I was just so relieved that it was actually happening. That this was real life.

We feel really lucky, and so so happy that we get to be together. I don’t think either of us would want it any other way.

Happy Monday everyone!

I still have so much to catch up on! So now I”m going to throw a bunch of photos up here with a little explanation and hopefully you just love them!

The Low family threw us an amazing shower right before we got married! Randy’s grandma and aunts are so crafty and adorable, and it was fun to meet all of the extended family! I sure do love them!

It was so nice to have Maddy at my grandparent’s house. We had a really awesome time. My family really loves Maddy and she fits in really well.

For this cutie’s birthday right before the wedding, we all took off to Thanksgiving Pointe to play. It’s one of my family’s favorite spots, and we figured how else should we ring in Liv’s adulthood than by running around like kids!

Thanksgiving Pointe is apparently a really big deal for the Richards family. So, for Liv’s birthday, we all went to Thanksgiving Pointe and played tag through mazes and played all the kids games. I think I was having too much fun. I was actually embarrassed that I was having so much fun. Maddy’s family really saw me turn into a four year old. It was a blast! 

Also we had a freak hail storm while we were there. It was insane. Hail as big as pennies and they HURT. Such a fun family memory!

Then wedding stuff – pictures and posts to come

The night of our wedding, Maddy and I stayed in the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The Hotel was perfect! 

This is Randy getting our sparkling cider and chocolate covered strawberries. Such an awesome hotel!

Don’t mind me, I’m just going to be posting hundreds of pictures here. I am absolutely obsessed with every single picture our photographer took. Eisha Braithwaite ladies and gentlemen. She’s an absolute gem and I would 100% recommend her for your wedding. All of my bridesmaids and all the groomsmen and family members commented to me about how delightful she was. So easy to work with, and the photos speak for themselves. Her pictures are easily worth a million words. She’s just a pure delight and you should book her NOW!

Now, without further ado….

I went through the temple about two weeks ago to receive my own endowments. I went with my parents and grandparents, and the love of my life who I was going to be sealed to 10 days later. It was an incredible and wonderful experience.

However, I don’t think my experience would have been as wonderful if I hadn’t been prepared.

I talked to lots of people about what to expect, and the answers I got varied. Some people told me it was amazing and wonderful and I would love it, others told me it was weird, would freak me out, and I wouldn’t get things right.
I was very nervous going to the temple. But the moment I walked in, I felt at peace. I was in the right place, it’s the Lord’s house. You have no reason to be nervous.

My goal with this post is to explain the best I can, how I prepared, and how I would recommend others prepare.

My second goal is to put your mind at ease if you haven’t yet been through the temple. It’s wonderful. It’s not what you expect, but it’s wonderful and you have nothing to worry about.

1. Go through temple prep. While this doesn’t necessarily tell you any big secret or let you know what’s coming, it will help put your mind at ease.

2. Read scriptures. There are a few sections of scripture in Moses and Genesis that have to do with the temple, but honestly they didn’t really make sense until after I went through. I’m saying, study the scriptures regularly so you’ll be close to the Spirit when you go through.

3. Go with an open heart and mind. If you’re in the mindset that this is weird, awkward, uncomfortable, etc. then that very well may be the experience you have. If you go thinking you’re going to learn and be close to Heavenly Father, that’s the experience you’ll have.

4. Dress modestly. This one is so, so, so huge. Ever since I was a little girl, my mom had us dress modestly, to the point where everything we bought was judged by whether we could wear garments with it, even though we were years away from the temple. I’m so, so thankful for this. I will tell you right now, that dressing modestly before you go through the temple will help you appreciate the temple. I did not want to be one of those people who find garments restrictive, or annoying. Too often I hear people complain about having to wear garments, or saying they’re waiting to go through the temple so they can wear their short shorts for a little longer. This makes me so incredibly sad. Garments are one of Heavenly Father’s greatest gifts to us. Just start dressing modestly now so you can appreciate it. Seriously, I can promise it will make your temple experience better.

5. Understand the covenants you are making are very important. I will never forget reading a blog where the woman talked about her temple covenants, and said she didn’t believe they were covenants she made with God. Understand that these are saving ordinances, and the promises you make there can impact you forever.

I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it was to be in the temple with the love of my life, promising forever. Lots of people will say that I’m naive, sappy, in the “honeymoon phase,” but there are some things that were very clear to me in the House of God. That His church is true, that my family will be together forever because of the choices that Randy and I made, and that even though life isn’t perfect, God has a plan for us.

If you’re still nervous, here are a few of the sites I went to and found some answers, and comfort! Don’t just search “what happens in an LDS temple,” you’ll find things that people are just posting, basically explaining very sacred parts of the temple that shouldn’t be shared. You don’t want to read about them in that angry, hateful context.

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/
http://www.mormon.org/faq/use-of-temples
http://alfoxshead.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-mormon-temples-and-what.html
http://www.mormonmonastery.org/what-to-expect-at-the-temple/ (This guy uses lots of quotes from general authorities and prophets – I loved it!)

Get to the temple. Make it your everything.