Attending Bradley Joel's Adoption Hearing Was a Dream Come True for all of us.

Bradley Joel turned eight years old and became a member of our family this month. When his mother Martha asked him what was the  favorite present he received for his birthday he replied, "A family."  

Bradley Joel and the Magic Quilt


By Granny B

This story was written for my special grandson Bradley Joel on his eighth birthday

Once upon a time there was a boy who had a magic quilt. His name, Bradley Joel Baadsgaard, was embroidered on one corner of the blanket. When he turned eight years old his Grandma Baadsgaard gave him this quilt with a hug and a kiss.

“This quilt is magic,” Grandma Baadsgaard said.

“Magic?” Joel asked. “What do you mean Grandma?”

“Many years ago when your father Joseph was little boy, he liked to run and roll and climb and slide just like you. Every time I bought him a new pair of jeans they got a hole in the knee. Those holes appeared when Joseph was brave enough to try something new that scared him like running a race, or doing a flip on the monkey bars. Before I threw the pants away I cut the good part of the material into squares and saved them. It took many years but when I had enough blue squares I stitched them into this blanket just for you. So if you ever get too scared to try something new or hard just rub a square on your new blanket with your hand. Then courage will flow from the blanket into your body – from father to son. When you grow up you will give this blanket to your son and the chain will never be broken.”

Bradley Joel rubbed the blanket with his fingers.

“I think I can feel it Grandma,” Bradley said. “I feel braver already”

The next thing that makes this blanket magic is the thread that holds all the squares together,” his grandma said. “Each time I took a stitch I thought about you and how much I love you. You are like a new square being stitched into our family. We wouldn’t be a happy family without you any more because we love you so much. Each square represents someone in your new family. There’s one for Grandpa Baadsgaard, me, April, Dallan, Josh, Matty, Caleb, Mitchell, Aubrey, Kyle, Rylan, Jordan, Karen, Emily, Sandy, Libby, Andrew, Arianne, Jared, Sammy, Sophie, Logan, Liam, your father Joseph and your mother Martha, Jacob, Teresa, Emma, Kate, Amy, Aden, Ashley, Hyrum, John and Alisa, Elizabeth, Josie and April. You are part of our family forever now because you will be sealed to us in the temple. We will all love your forever and never stop loving you. So the second magic about this blanket is love. Love is the thread that holds our family together. If you ever feel sad or lonely, wrap this blanket around you and feel the love of all the members of your new family all around you.

Bradley Joel took the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“I feel it Grandma,” Bradley said. “I feel the love all around me forever.”

Aubrey is Speaking Today

My daughter, Dr. Aubrey Baadsgaard Poffenberger, is giving a lecture today at BYU about the research she did while she was earning her PhD in archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania.  She will be discussing the discoveries she made while studying artifacts from the royal tombs of Ur. 
Way to go Aubrey! 

Ashley's Getting Married

My daughter Ashley is engaged and getting married soon.  She is my eighth child to get married.  You'd think I would be an old pro at this wedding business but I'm not.  You'd think I would be used to seeing my children leave home but I'm not.  Though I have ten children each child is really an only child in my heart.

One thing I know for sure - choosing to love someone and create a new family together is what a meaningful life is all about.  I 've noticed that the quality of our life is about the same as the quality of our closest relationships. 

So I wish you well Ashley and Hyrum.  Your life will not be easy but you will face your challenges together.  Create a loving home - everything good follows.   

Happy Birthday Sophie!!!!

This is a special story written for my granddaughter Sophia on her fifth birthday.  Happy Birthday sweetheart. Grandma loves you very much.

Sophia’s Fairy Grandmother
by
Granny B


One day Sophia and her mother were reading Cinderella. Sophia knew how the story would end because she had heard it many times. Right when they got to the part in the story when Cinderella’s fairy Godmother arrives and saves the day, Sophia stopped her mother with a sad lament.

“I wish I had a fairy Godmother,” Sophia said. “I want a pumpkin coach and a sparkly dress and I want to go to the castle and dance with the prince and be a queen. But I’ve wished and wished and my fairy Godmother never comes.”

Sophia’s mother wrinkled her brows and thought for a long while.

“Your fairy Godmother doesn’t come because she is only pretend,” her mother said. “In real life, magic people don’t suddenly appear and whisk all your troubles away with a fancy wand. If you want your stepmother problems to go away you have to solve them yourself. If you want a carriage and a sparkly dress you have to get a job, go to work and earn them.”

“What!” Sophia answered. “Fairy Godmothers aren’t real? But I want a fairy Godmother or my wishes will never come true.”

“Wishes come true when you work very hard every day and you don’t give up,” her mother said.

“Did you have wishes when you were a little girl?” Sophia asked.

“Yes. I wished that I could marry my prince and I did. That’s your daddy.”

“Daddy is a prince?” Sophia said with a wrinkled nose.

“Yes,” her mother answered. “And I wished that I could be a mommy and now I am with you and your brothers.”

“But what about your pumpkin coach and sparkly dress?” Sophia asked.

“I wore a sparkly dress on the day we were married in the temple and your Dad’s old green Subaru got us to our own private castle just fine.”

“You lived in a castle?”

“If there is love between a husband and a wife, even the smallest, oldest apartment seems like a castle,” her mother answered.

Sophia lowered her eyebrows and thought for a very long time. Then she ran to the dress-up box and grabbed her wand and wishing ring.

“I have a wish,” Sophia said with a great big smile as she placed the ring on her finger and waved the wand into the air. “I’m going to be a fairy Godmother and make my wishes come true.”

“You’ve got it,” her mother answered. “That is where real magic begins.”

I'm a New Grandma Today!

I went to court in Orem today and watched the proceedings as my newest grandson Bradley Joel was formally adopted by my son Joseph and his wife Martha.  Case workers, court appointed advocates, lawyers and a judge were there along with a whole court room full of family and friends to witness and celebrate. The judge had each person stand and state their name and their relationship to Bradley Joel. The judge said this young man certainly has an army of family and friends to love and support him. She had Joseph and Martha each tell the court how they felt about Joel. As they spoke, the tears began to flow as they expressed their love. Martha said she felt like she'd won the lottery. The judge then spoke directly to Joel and asked him if he understood what was happening and if he gave his consent. Bradley Joel said yes with a huge smile.  The judge even gave him a big teddy bear, candy bar and a hug.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  When the judge signed the legal documents and said it was done we all cheered and clapped.  I am so blessed to have Bradley Joel for my newest grandson.  I love you Joel with all my heart.

Liam's Blessing Day

I spent a wonderful day in Cedar City today      while my beautiful grandson Liam was blessed -                                                                        tiny babies dressed in white-angels from a place of light . . .

In My Own Backyard

I used to ache for travel, the chance to see far off places.                                            Now I ache to see the beauty within - right here in my own heart - right here in my own back yard.                 

Almost Heaven

Our new cabin.

We call it "Almost Heaven"

Autumn Days

I love warm fall days.  Spent the day picking apples, harvesting pumpkins and baking whole wheat bread.  Life just doesn't get any better than this.

I'm a New Grandma! Yes . . . Again!

Aubrey and Kyle had a beautiful baby boy named Rylan Kyle on October 15, 2010. 
Congratulations!
Baby is 20 inches long and 9 lb. 5 oz.
I think I'm the happiest woman alive!
We feel so blessed to welcome another brand new person into our family.
Welcome to the world Rylan.  Grandma Baadsgaard loves you very much and I'll be flying to CA to see you as soon as I can.

Fall Break Adventures

We went to Lehman Caves for Fall Break this year.  It was well worth a three hour drive through the deseret to get here.

I'm a New Grandma!

My brand new grandson Liam James Cope was born on September 21 2010.  Congratulations Arianne and Jared!  Liam is a beautiful newborn with lots of dark brown hair like his mother and me.  He is the fourth child of a fourth child or a fourth child.  Pretty special. 

Spending time at my daughter's home was a piece of heaven for me.  Playing tag in the front yard, going for walks around the block and rocking the newest member of the family in the same rocking chair where I rocked his mother filled me with joy. 

I have the greatest respect and love for women who have the faith and courage to bring children into the world.  Everything that matters begins and ends with family.

I love you Jared, Arianne, Sammy, Sophie, Logan and Liam.  Thank you for letting me stay at your house and soak in the wonder of your beautiful family.
Granny B.

Becoming More Childlike

One day my little girl had just finished her bath. I turned my head just in time to see her leaping gracefully down the hall in sheer ecstasy - buck naked.

“Oh, Momma! I feel just like one of those wild horses,” she said, smiling.

I stopped and wondered - when was the last time I leaped down the hall buck naked and felt like one of those wild horses? When was the last time I looked in the mirror and even smiled? When Christ told us we needed to become as a child to enter the kingdom of heaven, He was teaching us what qualities of character are important. Children have a fresh perspective that always delights.

One day my young son left for school wearing bright, rainbow-colored moon boots that were in style roughly two decades earlier - hand-me-downs from older siblings. When he got home he told me the boys at school had called him “stupid boots.”

“I’m sorry you had a bad day,” I answered.

“Oh, I didn’t have a bad day,” he said. “Just a bad ten seconds. The rest of the day was pretty great. I don’t care what those guys say. These boots are awesome.”

Children are naturally resilient and can be such great role models. Once while I knelt with my three-year-old as she said her prayers, she suddenly and without my prompting told her Heavenly Father a knock-knock joke. After her amen, I must have look a little stunned because she tried to reassure me.

"Don’t worry Mom. Heavenly Father likes to laugh sometimes, you know.”

Research shows adults laugh only a few times a day. Children laugh hundreds of times a day! When you look at that statistic it makes adulthood seem repressed and inhibited. Let’s appreciate children as the magnificent teachers they really are.

One of my children used to pray every day at the dinner table, “Dear Heavenly Father, please help us all be more huggable today.”

You know, I really tried to be more huggable after I said amen to her prayers. Children offer their affection without scrutiny. They live in the present and are curious, observant and look freshly at common things.

Children are our greatest teachers of love. My children have taught me the simple essence of a meaningful life.

Life Often Requires Us To Face What We Fear Most

There are many life experiences we’re absolutely sure we can’t face, such as the death of a love one, chronic illness, financial failure, spouse betrayal or wayward children. Yet life often requires us to face what we fear most. When we live through the very trial we hoped to avoid, we have the opportunity to learn, grow and receive God’s infinite love for us. When we feel the love of God, there is nothing left to fear.

Sometimes when we are faced with difficult times, we just need extra gripping power. Tiny green plums in my back yard taught me this lesson. One spring, I was experiencing a difficult time emotionally and physically after the death of a loved one. One morning I walked out into our back yard and noticed hundreds of miniature green plums just beginning to form on our fruit tree. That tiny, undeveloped fruit represented the harvest we hoped to reap later in the summer. My mouth watered just thinking about their tart and sweet taste.

That night there was a huge storm. I heard the wind howling, twisting and wailing all night long while I lay in bed unable to sleep. The next day when I walked outside, I noticed piles of green plums blown from the tree in the storm disappearing into the grass. They let go. I looked closely to see what remained. There were still a few tiny plums clinging tightly to the tree branches. All that spring I watched and waited. Those few tiny plums grew and ripened. The fruit that survived and drew strength from the tree throughout the growing season had one important quality - they hung on. That ability alone made the difference. Now when I’m experiencing an unexpected loss, I always pray for strength to hold on. I draw on strength beyond myself and beyond this world. I know in time my harvest will come.

When we don't give up and live through the very heartache we hoped to avoid, we discover that with time and divine help - all circumstances will work toward our good. When we are faced with loss, the ability to hang on will see us through. We can bear much more than we suppose. We never have to give up hope. Everything that happens to us deepens our understanding and enlarges the capacity of our heart.

Doing Things You Think You Can't Do

Responding positively to invitations to serve others always leads to personal growth. For example, when I was a teenager, I was often asked to play the piano at church. I desperately needed time to practice before I could play any piece well. Most of the choristers gave me the music ahead of time. One chorister never did. Needless to say, I was stressed out because I didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of my peers. One day I was asked to play a hymn roughly six seconds before crunch time. I turned to the hymn and discovered it had four sharps. I immediately panicked and quickly prayed, “Heavenly Father, help! I can’t do four sharps!”


What followed was the quickest personal revelation I’ve ever received. “Just pretend it’s in three flats and I’ll help you.” Naïve and desperate I followed that impression without question. I played the hymn written in four sharps in three flats and it sounded all right! Well, that was sufficient proof of another Red Sea parting for me. It wasn’t until 35 years later that someone told me you can change the flats into sharps and the sharps into flats as long as they add up to seven.

Actually, I failed to appreciate the real miracle - God knew me. God knew me well enough to know I thought I could play that song in three flats. I was given a way to think about my challenge in a way I could survive it. The Creator of this universe who has to keep the cosmos going knows all of us that intimately. How much good could we do with our lives if we accept invitations to serve others, then let go of our fears and depend on God for our strength? God will give us a way to think about our challenges in a way that we can handle it – if we ask.