5/31/2012

We Remember you . . . Thoughts On Memorial Day





This was a tender Memorial Day for our family. We spent the morning hiking to the top of a mountain - which has become a holy journey for me. I feel closer to God when I am on top of a mountain . . . but I don't get there without effort and pain.

Hiking a mountain is not easy.

Life is not easy.

This was the first Memorial Day when someone in our family has left this life rather out of turn . . .  before his parents, before even his grandparents. Though it has been a few months, our hearts are still raw.

Our family traditions on Memorial Day give honor to those who have passed. After we hiked the mountain, we visited my parent's grave in Salem and went around the circle remembering and saying something we loved about my mother.

Then we visited the Pioneer Cemetery in Spanish Fork where we remembered our pioneer dead and especially a great-grandfather Nathanial Jordan who is buried there. I was happy to see a new story board there that had bronzed the words I gave at the re-dedication ceremony several years ago. Here are those words . . .

"So, to the dead who were laid to rest here we say . . . we remember you . . . we remember your name . . . we remember your bravery in the face of hardship. We remember the babies who died in your arms. We remember your pain and tears. We remember all you gave up for us. Yet we also remember your joy and your boldness to begin anew in spite of trials and hardship. Because of you we also desire to find new courage to move ahead with our own lives in spite of the challenges we face today. Because of you we remember spring follows the winter and a new dawn always follows even the darkest night."

Next we visited Ross's parent's graves and walked through the flags of all the fallen soldiers from Spanish Fork who died fighting in the wars for our freedom.

Finally we visited my grandson Caleb's grave. His parents are still in the process of picking out a granite marker for his grave but a sweet friend had given them a temporary marker. We really miss Caleb. Watching my daughter and her husband and children mourn has broken my heart. Yet I know that we will see sweet Caleb again.  I know that those we love who have passed will be with me again. Even then, that sure knowledge doesn't take away the longing to be with Caleb, to hold him, to feel the warmth of his skin next to mine.

Yet it is healing to remember, to celebrate those who have gone ahead without us. Honoring those we love who have died, also honors the precious life we have left to live. Pin It

Big Tree Family Hike

On Memorial Day we had a BBQ at the cabin and hiked to the big tree. The big tree is the biggest white pine this side of the Mississippi. One of our favorite things to do when we get there is to join hands and see how many of us it takes to circle the tree.
When families join hands good things happen.

photos by Arianne Cope
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5/29/2012

Happy Birthday Emily!


Emily’s Musical Braces

by

Grandma Baadsgaard



Happy Birthday Emily.
This is a story I wrote just for you.
Never forget to listen to the music inside you.
I love you so very much.



            When Emily woke up on the first day of summer break from school, she heard music playing in her head. It sounded just like a full orchestra between her ears.

             Emily hummed along with the music for a few minutes. Then she decided to think about something else. She thought about what she wanted for breakfast. But the music wouldn’t stop playing. Emily was slightly bewildered but this had happened before, especially after practicing the piano. Sometimes the rhythm in a song she was practicing was difficult and Emily had to practice that part over and over. Long after she was through practicing, that part of the song would play over and over in her head. She even found herself tapping the rhythm out with her fingers. But the piano practicing music in her head would eventually stop.

Not so on this morning. This full orchestra playing inside her wouldn’t stop. Emily shook her head but the notes wouldn’t fall out. She tried jumping up and down but the music inside her head just got faster.

Well this is strange, Emily thought. What am I going to do now?

Emily really didn’t want to tell anyone about her dilemma because they might think she was a bit odd; so she just got dressed and walked into the kitchen for breakfast. She could see her mother’s lips moving but the music in her head drowned out what she was saying. Emily just nodded politely and smiled hoping what her mother said was not too important. Emily was relieved that she didn’t have to go to school that day because she was pretty sure she would get in trouble if she couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying.

Emily did a lot of smiling and nodding that morning. No one seemed to notice that she couldn’t actually hear them. In fact her sister Sandy seemed to want to talk to her more than usual because Emily was such a smiling, nodding good listener. Emily could tell what her little brother Andrew wanted without words because he always used a lot of body language. Libby gave her lots of hugs.

After breakfast Emily opened the back door and walked down the steps into her back yard. Their house was at the end of the street and was surrounded with wide open fields. Emily sat in the swing and listened to the music inside her head while she watched the birds fly over-head. She listened to the music inside her head as she watched the sun rising over the eastern horizon. Emily felt like she was a movie star in a movie about her own life. Then she closed her eyes and just listened. The music swelled and then grew quiet. She leaned her head back while holding fast to the swing and felt the wind wash over her while the slow peaceful part of the song played.

When she opened her eyes she saw her daddy standing in front of her with his arms outstretched for a hug. Emily jumped from the swing and hugged her dad.

She knew her dad was good at fixing things so she yelled, “Daddy I can’t hear anybody talking to me because there is music inside my head that just keeps playing.”

“You’re probably picking up radio signals because of your braces,” her daddy yelled back. “Try sticking out your tongue and putting your finger in your right ear.”

Emily did just what her father said. Sure enough the music stopped and they didn’t have to yell at each other anymore.

“Thanks daddy,” Emily said.

Later that day, Emily was drawing at the kitchen table and she started to miss the music she heard all morning. Her daddy wouldn’t be home for hours to fix this problem so she tried to think of what to do. She tried waving her arms and smiling real big so her braces could catch the signals. But nothing worked. She walked out the back door and sat down on the steps. She looked up at the sky and watched a bird fly by. She felt the wind on her face. She noticed the sun sinking into the west. Then she placed her right hand over her heart and stroked her fingers in three soft circles.

The music began to play. Only this time Emily could control the sound, volume and tempo of the music inside her. Her heart created music to fit what she was feeling. Emily created loud, lively music when she felt like dancing. She created sad music when she felt like crying. Emily created soft soothing string orchestra music when she wanted to fall sleep at night.

Emily never lost her gift of music. She never felt alone again. Whenever she needed silence, she stuck out her tongue and put her finger in her right ear. Whenever she wanted full orchestral accompaniment to her scary, happy, gloomy, or remarkable day, she rubbed her heart three times.

Then her music began.     
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5/21/2012

The Eclipse in Southern Utah

                                                                                                Photos by Arianne Cope


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5/17/2012

Happy Birthday Libby


Dear Libby, here is a story I wrote just for you on your birthday.
Never forget how much your Grandma loves you and what a treasure you are.
Libby - Ray of Sunshine

by

Grandma Baadsgaard



          When Libby woke up in the morning, her room was dark.
“I know just what to do,” Libby said pulling back the curtain covering her window.

          Sunshine streamed in through the east window and flooded her room with light.
            Libby rubbed her eyes and walked into the kitchen. She found her dad eating his cornflakes looking rather glum.

          “I know just what to do,” Libby said. “Close your eyes Daddy.”

Libby walked over to her dad, climbed into his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a great big kiss. He smiled and hugged her back.

          “How is my Libsers?” her dad asked. “You’re my ray of sunshine.”

          Just then Libby saw her mother flipping pancakes next to the stove.

          “Hey mom,” Libby asked, “what is a witch’s stand?”

          “What do you mean?” her mother answered.

          “Whenever we say the Pledge of Allegiance at school, they always say, ‘we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for witch’s stand.’”

          Libby’s mother laughed out loud and hugged Libby.

“Oh, Libby, you always make me smile,” her mother said. “You’re a ray of sunshine.  It really says, and to the republic for which it stands.”

          Libby shook her head as her mother gave her two pancakes.

Then Libby’s sister Sandy walked into the kitchen and Libby’s mother gave her three pancakes.

          “I know just what to do,” Libby said. “Hey Mommy, you gave her lotsters than me.”

          Sandy smiled and giggled.

          “I love the way you make up your own words,” Sandy said. “That is lots more not lotsters than me. Libby, you give me sunshine in my tummy.”

          After breakfast Mommy dropped Emily and Sandy off to school and took Andrew and Libby to the grocery store.

          “I know just what to do,” Libby said as she raced to find the shopping cart with a car and steering wheel.

          When Libby’s mommy put Andrew into the car, he smiled so big.

          “You know just what to do to make Andrew happy,” Libby’s mommy said.

          When they got home from the grocery store Libby’s mother said, “Libby you can choose to clean your room or play with Andrew while I make lunch.”

Libby shook her head.

“I know just what to do,” Libby said. “Mommy you can choose to let me watch my Barbie movie or you can let me play with Megan.”

Libby’s mommy laughed. Libby shook her head.

“Mommy, you can choose to let me ride my bike or let me eat candy.”

Libby’s mommy wrapped her arms around Libby and gave her a big hug.

“Libby you can be my sunshine,” her mommy said, “or you can be my sunshine.”

“I know just what to do,” Libby said. “Sunshine. I’ll be your sunshine.”

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The Miracle of Spring in My Own Back Yard



If spring came but once in a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Snowballs of blossoms.
Purple violet iris stand like queenly guards over my garden.
Green pea vines.
Aging pines burst with tender new branches.
New raspberries welcome honey bees.
Fall's harvest of grapes begins in embryo.
After the apple blossoms fall, apples begin.
Hollyhocks next to the fence.
 

5/14/2012

Happy Mother's Day

DOWN HOME with Granny B
Happy Mother's Day
A wise man who understood the marvelous miracle of children and the mothers who love them once wrote:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
for they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit,not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
for life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and he bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Lat your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
(Kahlil Gibran)

Sometimes with all the bending, we mothers fear we'll break. But when we hang in there a little longer, we find more bend inside than we knew we possessed.

Being a mother is a tremendous responsibility and an unequaled joy - a lifelong, exhilarating/exhausting, exuberant/exasperating task.

I'd rather make a home than a fortune. I'd rather bow for the tender kisses of my children and grandchildren than before millions of fans.

I believe a loving home is the greatest gift one person can give another.

Being a good old average mom is truly one of the few irreplaceable jobs in the world. Whatever else I do with my life, someone else can do it, even if I become President of the United States. But I'm the only person who can by my children's mother.

Years ago my fourteen-month-old daughter Amy struggled for oxygen in the hospital pediatric ward. Amy was terrified and screamed when the nurse tried to place her in a croup tent. But when I slipped off my shoes, lifted my body up onto the hospital bed, maneuvered myself into the croup tent, and reached out for her, Amy quickly crawled into the ominous hissing enclosure and into my waiting arms. Her small shaking body lovingly molded to mine as she gently laid her tiny head on my shoulder. You see, Amy knew that if her mother was there, no matter how frighteng it it appeared, she would be home and safe in my arms.

Through all the carrying, delivering, holding, feeding, changing worrying, comforting, cleaning, encouraging, and working - the burdens of motherhood sometimes grow heavy. Yet because of that weight, we discover a stronger person inside.

Through loving our children, we are born again. 
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5/12/2012

What Thinks Christ of Me?

"I testify that as you love Him, trust Him, believe Him, and follow Him, you will feel His love and approval. As you ask, 'What thinks Christ of me?' you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself."

Elder Neil L. Andersen General Conference, Apr. 2012
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5/11/2012

Book Review of "For Every Mother"

     A while back I re-connected with an old friend I knew in high school. Estella lives in California now and even though it's been forty years since we were in high school together, it feels so comfortable to have her back in my life after all these years.  
     We have been e-mailing back and forth for a while. She told me she was a member of a book club that wanted to read, "For Every Mother" and asked if I'd be willing to answer a few questions that club members would submit. Then they would use those answers in their book club discussion. It has been so fun for me to connect with this wonderful group of women who love reading as much as I do. 
     You know writing is such a solitary work. Being able to connect with my readers is what keeps me writing. Thank you Garden Book Club for reading my book. Thank you Estella for taking the time to tell me their reactions.
Here is Estella's letter to me explaining how their evening went after reading "For Every Mother".
Hi Janene,
I wanted to follow up with you to let you know that our book club discussion of "For Every Mother" went SO well! Every single one of my Book Garden friends who read the book LOVED it, and those who hadn't had a chance to read it were totally inspired to do so after hearing our discussion. I might add that it is *extremely* rare for there to be a unanimous positive reaction to a monthly book club selection. There are usually opinions all over the place from "I didn't like it at all", to "It was okay", to "I liked it", "I loved it" (you get the picture). EVERYONE loved this one, and our discussion was one of the best we have ever had because, of course, we had your beautiful answers to our interview questions. Many hearts were touched and some tears were shed as we listened to the tender and encouraging thoughts you shared with us. There are a few in our group who can especially relate to what you said about abuse, and we are all looking forward to reading your book on this subject when it comes out in June. Thank you for never giving up on getting it published!
I learned during the book discussion that one of our Book Garden members who is a Relief Society president in our stake has been using quotes and stories from "For Every Mother" to encourage and uplift sisters in her ward who are facing some tough challenges right now. She searched for some copies of it to give as gifts to these sisters, which led to her discovery of "15 Secrets to a Happy Home". She loved it, too (of course), and now the rest of the group wants to read it! We are having trouble finding copies of it. Karen found a couple of used ones online, but we are wishing that we could purchase some new ones somewhere. If you know of somewhere they can be found, let me know so that I can pass the information along. We have been snapping up copies of "For Every Mother" as they become available in the online Seagull Bookstore, as many of us want to get copies to give our mothers, sisters, children and friends, but those keep getting sold out! We will, however, persevere!
Thank you again, so much, for your participation in our book club discussion. It was one of the best we have ever had, and we have been reading and discussing books for many years now. . . Some of our members are young moms with kids who can't make the meetings but who read the book selections and get the notes from our discussions by email, and we have some members who have moved to other states but who also read our books selections "from afar"!  Here is a photo taken at one of our Christmas functions. Thank you again, dear friend, for being a part of our book club in May, and for continuing to uplift and inspire women throughout the world with your wonderful books.
Love,
Estella
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5/09/2012

Uplift Utah Families Conference

I had a wonderful opportunity to speak at the first Uplift Utah Families Conference in SLC at the Salt Palace this last weekend. I especially enjoyed meeting several of those in the audience after the talk. But my favorite part was being with my fabulous daughters April and Arianne. My daughter Arianne took these pictures and blogged about her experience here.
I've spent all of my adult life writing newspaper columns, magazine articles and books that I hope will uplift mothers and fathers in the most important thing they will ever do - raise a family. Yet, what I've wanted more than anything is to become a loving and joyful person, wife, mother and grandmother. My family is everything to me.  
I've never sought out speaking opportunities. They have just come to me. Though I've never been comfortable being in the spotlight, I find myself looking into the beautiful faces and the tender hearts of those I speak to. I see unique and priceless souls that I long to know, encourage and love. Pin It

5/03/2012

Don't You Give Up

Don't you give up. At the very moment when you think all is lost and there is no hope . . . you became a butterfly. Never, ever forget that the dawn is coming even after the darkest night.
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5/01/2012

Say "I love you," with a WINK

My daughter April has started a new tradition in her family. She calls it their "wink" day. She was looking for a way to honor her son Caleb's life. Caleb is her seven-year-old son who recently passed away. April and her family go to Caleb's grave site once a month with their journal in hand. Then they write down a way they can love someone. Caleb brought so much love into their family that she wants to keep it going.

In case you didn't know, Caleb was born without one of his eyes. He had one eyelid permanently closed with cute little eye-lashes. So he was always "winking" at us. This meant a lot to us because in our family winking was our secret code for saying "I love you," when we were out in public.

Caleb was also born without a brain so he was never able to say, "I love you with words." But he knew our secret code - so he was always saying, "I love you."

Now whenever the Moody family goes on a trip, they take large cards with the letters W I N K so they can always take their brother and his message alone with them. Caleb's nurse even brought along the WINK letters on her recent cruise.

So if you're lonely of sad, create your own WINK day. Remember Caleb - then find someone who needs your love.
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