tips and tricks

5 Things I Hope My Children Know About The Temple

August 18, 2014 — 2 Comments

I haven’t gone through the temple yet, and I’m sure when I do my understanding of the temple will change. But there already a few things I know that I want to teach my children about the temple!

1. We are a temple attending people. I want to go to the temple as often as I can. That will change based on where my family is at; when I have young kids I may not get to go at often, if I live farther away from a temple I may not get to go often. The important thing will be that I go, and that when I do go, I don’t complain. I hope my kids see me smiling, happy to be getting out the door and heading to the temple!

2. Temple garments are important. I hope my children understand that temple garments are wonderful. I hope they know that Mom wears her garments whenever she can, and she doesn’t look for reasons to take them off. I grew up in a house where garments were very important, and that was obvious by the way my parents dressed and by the way they had us dress. In our house, we always wore clothes that could be worn with garments. This helped us learn that dressing modestly wasn’t about not tempting boys, but was about our own preparations for the temple. It helped us realize that modesty was for us, and for Heavenly Father.

3. Temple marriage is eternal. Divorce happens, unfortunately. I hope I never have to go through a divorce, but even if that happens, I want my children to understand that because of the temple, our family is forever. Temple marriage means that families are never-ending. I hope my temple marriage is a source of strength for my children. I hope my kids love this, and it helps them want to have their own temple marriage so their family can be together forever.

4. Covenants are kept. I hope my children see me keeping my covenants every day. Both baptisimal, and temple covenants. I hope they see me following Christ, keeping the commandments, and being the best person I can be. I want them to know that my promises to anyone, especially God, are important and need to be kept.

5. The temple is a House of God. I hope my children know that the temple is one of the most holy, special places in the world. I hope they always know the Spirit can be felt there, and that it is a sacred place. I hope they also know that our home is as sacred as the temple, if we let it be. I want them to see me setting the example of making our home a holy place.

Fishing and friending

July 21, 2014 — Leave a comment
Friends, family time rocks. This past weekend I was lucky enough to go to Idaho and float the Teton River with my cute fam bam. We’ve floated the Teton a bunch of times and every single time it’s still wonderful. We caught SO many fish and got to spend time hanging out, laughing, and getting just a bit sunburned. If you’ve never done something fun and out-doorsy like this, DO IT. I love fishing and it’s so fun to be with my grandpa who is a master at it. It’s also fun to get a little dirty, take fish of the hook, get bled on like crazy, and walk in cool river water. What a good time:)
My parents WERE there, they just aren’t pictured.

Also. This gem of a best friend of mine had her farewell on Sunday. This also shows our personalities quite well. Courtney gave a FANTASTIC talk and if you haven’t seen my instagram/facebook/twitter post about her….well go check it out. It explains exactly how wonderful this girl is. Kill it in Hungary Short! Miss you already. (Expect updates on this blog about how much I miss Courtney. Realization that she doesn’t live with me anymore number one? The plush, comfy rug is no longer in the bathroom. Also, the “Seriously let’s make out” pillow. Gone.)

This week is busy and full of fun folks! Look forward to more family time as we go see Wicked, celebrate the 24th of July, and experience what it’s like for Maddy to go to the dentist! Should be a good one;)

Happy Monday everyone:)

Treat

July 14, 2014 — Leave a comment

Randy has been officially gone for 18 months. Wow. He’ll be home before I know it!

Thanks to Treat by Shutterfly, I get to send him a little something so he remembers that I’m here, supporting him and caring about him.

Treat is an AMAZING new Shutterfly line JUST FOR CARDS. They seriously have every kind of card you could ever want, with the option to personalize it just for you. They have all kinds of amazingly cute templates, with great options of how to make it your own.

Not to mention, you get a good price. Each card is about $3.50. Such an inexpensive way to show people you care.

We don’t use real paper enough anymore. Everything is electronic. Let me just tell you, nothing in the world is as wonderful as getting a handwritten note/card in the mail. I love any reason to check the mail (since that’s my primary method of communication with Randy) and it’s like my birthday anytime I get a note or card (especially when it actually is my birthday. haha)

So this is the cute little card Elder Low will be getting here in a few weeks. Needless to say, I’ll be using Treat.com for all my greeting card needs. Just look how cute this card is!

This is us re-enacting American Gothic by Grant Wood. We are art history nerds.

Seriously cute right?? Visit Treat or the Thinking Of You section to make your card! 
Happy Monday everyone!

Why I won’t be serving a mission

June 18, 2014 — 6 Comments

*Disclaimer* This post is not meant to be rude, controversial, or judgmental. It’s just my thoughts that I’m hoping will help others.

In recent months, I’ve heard lots of talk about LDS girls and missions. I’m sure you all have too.

For those of you who don’t know, I’ll break it down for you!
In my Church, we have the opportunity to go on missions. This allows us to go to a different state or country and teach other people about our religion, give service, and grow as an individual. They go by Sister and Elder, serve for 18 months or 2 years, talk to their families only weekly through letters and emails, and devote all their time to God. For boys, this mission service is a requirement. For girls, it’s an option. In October 2012, a major announcement came out about the age at which men and women could serve these missions. Boys can go at age 18 or after high school, and girls can go at age 19. 
This obviously lead to a huge surge of people wanting to go on mission, including me. I thought serving a mission would be wonderful, a great opportunity for me to learn and grow, and especially serve Heavenly Father and others. I decided to make it a matter of prayer and study.
I was shocked with the prompting I felt after praying.
The answer was no.
I kept thinking, praying, waiting, studying, hoping, and the answer was still no. I decided to stop asking and live my life, telling myself maybe the timing was off or I needed to learn patience.
Right before I came back to school this year, I was very confused, wanting to ask again if I should go on a mission, wondering if going back to school was the right move.
I won’t share the experience, but I’ll tell you I am certain that the answer was still no. I was supposed to stay here in Provo, Utah, go to school, and stay on the path I was on. 
I’m not supposed to serve a mission. I’m quite sure I will be more blessed for being obedient, than I would be for leaving when I’m not supposed to.
I’ve heard things from boys saying they won’t marry a girl who hasn’t served a mission, I’ve heard people say “A mission is for everyone, you should go!” and “You’ll be so blessed for going on a mission. You’ll never have another chance to be that close to the spirit.” I’ve heard people speculate about why certain girls weren’t going, they didn’t love the gospel enough or wanted to get married, I’ve heard people say that God will never tell you not to do a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy so many girls are going. I love that people are hearing the gospel because of missionaries. Some people may say I hate missionaries, and that’s not true. I hate the pressure that is being placed on every, single person to serve a mission. I am all for boys serving missions if they are worthy and healthy. I am all for girls serving missions if they feel they are supposed to. I am all for leaders and teachers helping people make the decisions, and learning how to share the gospel regardless of if they serve a mission or no. And classifying it as that. 
But I will not be going.
And let me just clear up why I won’t be serving a mission.
Because I asked, and the answer was no. And that’s good enough for me.

This doesn’t mean I don’t have a testimony of my church, this doesn’t mean I don’t love God. In fact, it means I love him enough to obey him, even when I don’t understand. It doesn’t mean I’m not good enough to serve a mission, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be good at sharing the gospel, and it doesn’t even mean that I don’t want to go. I do want to. But I’m not.

I know I am supposed to be doing good things here. I know I am supposed to be learning things here. I know Heavenly Father will give me the trials, blessings, experiences, people to help, things to learn, knowledge, spiritual strengthening, and anything else I could get on a mission, right here. 

And that’s good enough for me. 
*If you have questions about my religion, comments about your thoughts on LDS missions, or any thoughts at all, comment below or email me at mrose.richards@gmail.com*


What I wish I could tell me 15 year old self

May 23, 2014 — 2 Comments

I recently did a segment on The Matt Townsend Show about helping teenagers. My specific section was about what I wish I had known when I was 15.

People told me this….my parents, friends, family members, and other people I looked up to. I didn’t really listen like most teenagers. But these are the things I wish I had listened to and acted on when I was 15.
–Laugh more. The crazy things that are happening to you right now will be the best stories. Stop taking yourself so seriously.

–Don’t try to be perfect. You won’t get there. So be the best you in the world, and that’s perfect enough.

–Be nice to everyone. It will come back to haunt you when you were rude to the quiet girl or the odd guy. Just be nice to everyone you meet.
–Don’t gossip. When you gossip with your friends, they gossip about you. Just don’t be that girl. Be known as the girl who never has a rude thing to say about other people.
–Get a short memory. It doesn’t matter what happened last week, what matters is today! Do your best today!

–Be nicer to your mom. Your mom has been through this, and she wants to help you from making the same mistakes. Sure, you won’t agree on everything, and that’s ok. But remember, she’s getting older too. She hasn’t gone through this specific point in her life yet either. Both of you are in new territory and it’s hard…don’t make it harder on her.
–The boys aren’t always worth it. Girls will go crazy trying to be something they think the boys want. Just be yourself and forget about them! Seriously. They’re fun to have as friends, but only when you can be yourself around them.
–Being smart isn’t stupid. In fact, being smart is the very best thing you can be. Don’t be ashamed of your intelligence!
–Eat FOOD. Food is wonderful. I’m all for being healthy, but for heaven’s sake EAT a little! Be active and maybe don’t eat out for every meal or eat 3 bowls of ice cream a day, but we are way too obsessed with how we look. Be happy instead of trying to be hot.

–The media is mostly wrong. That’s not real life. Look for real people to look up to…it’ll make you happier in the long run.

–Spend more time with your family. I’m all about being social and hanging out with friends, but I love the times I spent with my family laughing and playing crazy games, and just talking.
–Put down your phone sometimes. Now I didn’t have a cell phone with texting when I was a teenager, but I did rush to Facebook and instant messaging every chance I could. Those friends will probably not be a part of your life in a few months. The best ones will stick around, but they’re not the ones you talk to 24/7.

–It’s about quality, not quantity when it comes to friends. You don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of. I’m still figuring this one out.

–To go with the previous one…be a good friends. Listen to others, try and help them, be there for them. You have no idea when they might need you the most.

–Be happy. People aren’t going to always like you. In fact, you could be perfect and people won’t like you. So stop trying to be someone else. Just be YOU and be happy with YOU.

If you are a teenager or you know one…share this info. She probably won’t listen…but there’s a chance she might. And that’s worth it.

Also, happy Friday everyone! My Memorial Day weekend has officially begun!!!

Mama’s Day

May 15, 2014 — Leave a comment

WHOA I have been MIA lately. I’m sorry dearest friends. Give me about a month and I’ll be a lot less busy.

So Mother’s Day happened while I was so distant and bad at blogging.

It was great:)

My angel mom is the best person that I know and I feel very lucky to be her daughter.

In Church on Sunday we talked about a concept I want to share with you.

Our teacher shared a story about a woman who felt guilty for not making heart cookies on Valentine’s Day and not hand crafting all the kids Valentines, for not throwing a party and having a pink and red dinner. Later that night, she and her kids had a dance party. It was then she realized that she wasn’t crafty mom or chef mom…she was crazy dance party mom. And that was what her kids needed.

This idea struck me. Your kids need YOU as their mom. They don’t need anybody else or the things that anybody else does. They need your best effort and that is IT.

Kids want their moms to be happy. We appreciate your sacrifices more than we can possibly explain, but we also want you to have fun sometimes. We want to help you put yourself first sometimes. So let us, and help us know what you need from us. We hate feeling like a burden on you…we hate thinking that you can’t do or be something because you have to be our mom. Live your life and let us be a part of it. Let us help you just like you’ve helped us for our whole lives.

I love you mom! I’m the luckiest daughter alive because I got intelligent-funny-beautiful-creative-witty-sarcastic-selfless-tender-spiritual-andamillionotherthings mom.

Lastly…a small rant from me. All around me I see people who are pretending. Pretending to be something they aren’t. The best decision I ever made was to stop caring what other people think. To love being alone with myself…and to let more of my real self show. To be authentic. To go with my first instinct. To be Maddy…no apologies, no shame, no regret. I make mistakes, it’s true. And some people still don’t like me. But I am so happy that I like myself. People aren’t always going to like you…no matter what you act like or who you try to be. So why not be yourself, and like that person?

Basically what I’m trying to say, is that it’s easy to be self-absorbed…to only care about ourselves and the image we give off. I’m trying to be less selfish…and being myself has helped me do that. I don’t have to worry about acting like this or that…I am just me. And that gives me a lot of time  to focus on other people. It might be worth trying for you too.

Because this was an extra long wordy and ranting post…I’d like to give you all a little treat to end it:)

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/BfIehCrO4Zs&source=uds

Mother’s Day and Cosmo

May 9, 2014 — Leave a comment

Dear friends:

I feel like I gripe about how busy I am all the time…but I am BUSY! Life is great though:)

I’m a bit jealous of all my friends around the world on their study abroads and such, but I’m having a blast reporting for 11 News and working for BYU Radio. It’s fun to meet all kinds of people and learn new things every single day!

I also enjoy baseball games with Cosmo and my friends.

My cute Matt Townsend team with our fairy rings. Matt is lame as you can see, and Jess is leaving me alone with the boys:( Miss you Jess!

Cosmo sweeps me off my feet sometimes.
Mother’s Day is coming up my dear friends! So here are my recommendations on what you should do for your sweet amazing, angel mother:
Put your phone away. Spend the day with your mom free from distractions. Sure, she’ll love the flowers and the poem or the necklace, but she’ll love even more that you set down the phone to talk with her, to be a part of the family. That’s the greatest gift you can give her this year.
Happy Friday everyone!

Goodbye Junior

April 23, 2014 — 1 Comment

Well dear friends, my junior year of college is officially done!

Even though it’s only my second year of college, I came in with some credits, and that plus some crazy schedules have led me to the end of my junior year! It’s crazy to think I only have one year left of college. This year has been a crazy one and it flew by! Here are some of the things I’ve learned this year:

1. Things don’t usually go the way you think they will, and that’s ok.
2. Working hard is worth it in the end.
3. Doing what you love will make you so much happier, no matter what the pay is!
4. Finding the right best friends takes time, but is so important.
5. Budgeting is crucial.
6. Alone time can be the best part of your day.
7. Reading is always a good idea.
8. Talking about your issues is a lot easier than not saying anything and being angry.
9. Sometimes people won’t understand what you’re doing, that doesn’t make it wrong.
10. People lash out when they don’t understand, don’t let them get the better of you.
11. Be nice to everyone, you never know when you’re going to run into them and need a favor.
12. Don’t be the messy roommate.
13. Disneyland is always a good idea.
14. Put others first, but take time for you too.
15. Be aware, watch the news.
16. Go to class and do your homework, and your life will be easier.
17. Working hard gets your promotions.
18. Pray, pray, pray, pray, and then pray some more.
19. You need to do what’s best for you, regardless of what anyone may say.
20. Have fun, you’re only a junior in college once!

I am so blessed to be a BYU Cougar, and I wouldn’t trade the past two years of my life for anything. Being here at BYU has been the biggest blessing, and has helped me become the person I am. I’m so grateful for the people that I’ve met here, the friends that I’ve made, and the person they’ve helped me become. Yes, this is a little sappy, but it’s hard to close a chapter of your life book. It’s ok, because I’m so ready for the next one!
Happy Wednesday everyone, happy last day of finals for all you Cougars, and happy new chapter to me.

Happy Easter!

April 21, 2014 — Leave a comment

Friends. Easter is beautiful. It’s an amazing time of the year when I get to refocus on the Savior and reevaluate where I am, and where I’m heading in my life.

Be prepared for a little bit of spirituality to come up real quick…

I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love it more than anything. It’s the only reason that I am who I am.

And there’s only one thing that I’m sure of. One thing that I know for sure. It’s that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. If you don’t believe it, talk to me. Look into it. Read the Book of Mormon. It’s 100% true. I wouldn’t live the lifestyle I do if it wasn’t. I wouldn’t go to Church for 3 hours on Sunday and devote hours each week if it wasn’t. I wouldn’t have been ok with my best friend leaving my side to teach it to others if it wasn’t. I wouldn’t be able to wake up everyday and live in this messed up world if I didn’t know there was something better.

The church Easter movie this year is called Because of Him. I’m sure you’ve heard about it or seen it, but if not go check it out!

But here’s my #BecauseofHim

Because of Him, I can be with my family forever.
Because of Him, I can fix the mistakes I make.
Because of Him, I have unlimited potential.
Because of Him, I have someone who really and truly understands me.
Because of Him, I am never alone.
Because of Him, death is not the end.
Because of Him, my joy is full.

Happy Easter everyone:)

 Also, Heidi and Liv and Sarah are all moving out this week (or in Heidi’s case, she’s already moved out). I’m really sad to be losing three of my best friends for the summer, but I am SO stoked for Fall and getting to live with Rach and Heidi and Liv again! AND I’m stoked for Courtney to move in with Rach and I for Spring/Summer! Miss you Belle, and Liv and Sar I’m going to miss you both!

I bleed blue

April 15, 2014 — Leave a comment

Sometimes people may look at me and think I’m a nostalgic, passionate, emotional mess. And mostly they’d be right. 

So prepare yourself for a little passionate, emotional nostalgia.
Today I went to the Unforum, or the last BYU Devotional, of the school year. Yes I’ll be here in the spring and in the fall, but this was the last one for this full school year. And it was the last one with President and Sister Samuelson. Let me tell you folks, if you don’t know who those fine people are you are missing out. President Samuelson is such an amazing man, who cares about BYU so much. He and his wife made such an effort to be with the students, to integrate themselves into their lives, and to let them know how much they matter. I feel very lucky that I got to be here for a few years while he was the President of BYU.
Also, some real talk. I love BYU more than just about anything. It’s honestly been the best experience in the world for me. BYU is the perfect fit for me, and I’m so happy I have another year here to learn and grow. Yes, I am getting a little weepy thinking this next year is my last at BYU. I made a BYU Bucket List, plotted out all the ways that I could stay a little longer, and came to the conclusion that I’ll be outta here by April 2015, or August 2015 at the very, very latest. So hurrah for Finals Week coming up, hurrah for Junior Year, and hurrah for BYU!
Happy Tuesday everyone!