Hiking Kings Peak



Climbing mountains is not easy - but the view from the top is worth the struggle get there.

Each of us has mountains to climb in life but the change in our heart and our perspective is worth the struggle.

My husband Ross and my son John climbed the highest peak in Utah this weekend.  This hike takes several days and requires some good legs and lungs.  The first day you have to pack camping gear and food on your back then set up a base camp.  The next day you finish climbing to the peak. 

John is rightfully proud of his accomplishment.  He might not fully understand, until he almost sixty like his father, but hiking Kings Peak is also quite a feat for the man at his side. 

Kings Peak has become a rite of passage for the young men in our family.  Because Ross didn't want to miss having this experience with his youngest son, he has been up every morning  at 5:30 speed walking for a hour and a half ever since John was born fourteen years ago.  And when I say every morning that is what I mean - rain or shine. . . blizzard or sub-freezing temperatures do not stop this man.  

I have often asked myself what motivates a man to leave a warm bed every morning and venture into the harsh weather conditions of Utah year-round.  Now I know.   

Ross is motivated by love - deep abiding love for his family.  He knows he needs a strong healthy body to be the kind of husband and father he wants to be.  Ross has heavy responsibilities at work and at church so he fits in his exercise time while the rest of us sleep.  

Congratulations Ross and John! 

     You are both my heroes!    

Don't Stop Having Children Too Soon

 Even though I'm fifty-seven, I have a daughter in sixth grade.  She starts her final year of elementary school on Monday.  Alisa is the last of my ten children.  Watching her grow up has touched my soul in a tender way  that only comes at the end of your children's childhood.  I'm savoring these sunset days with a singular awareness and gratitude.

Yes, my doctor told me I was too old. Yes, I'd read all the statistics about having children in your forties along with all the possible problems.  Yes, the pregnancy was difficult.  Yes, I was told my baby would have significant genetic problems.  The medical people were wrong.  My daughter was born perfectly healthy. 



Janene and Alisa

God had a gift for me and I chose to receive that gift with faith, trust and deep rejoicing.  So to all you women out there who feel too tired or too old to have more children I say, "Leave your options open.  You don't know how you will feel a few years down the road.  You don't know what message God will whisper in your ear.  You don't know what gift God is waiting to give you." 

Grandmas Rule With a Soft Fist

DOWN HOME with Granny B

Make a friend with a grandma today for they are not always the quiet soft-spoken fragile women you might suppose.

* Grandmas know how to be fiercely tough if someone they love is in trouble.

* Grandmas love their family members with a loyalty and intensity you do not see in other relationships.  (You better not mess with this grandma's children or grandchildren.) 

* Grandmas are always your biggest fan.

* Grandmas have lived long enough to know what to fight for and what hills to die on.  They choose their battles carefully.

* Grandmas might not see or hear well but they love more deeply than the ocean.

*  Grandma might have yellow teeth and whiskers on their chin but they understand that true beauty always lies within.

* Grandmas would face a racing train or a firing squad if they thought if would save their child or grandchild.

So the next time you see a little old lady, just remember there is a mighty strong loving grandma residing in that tiny frail body . . . imagine her in super hero tights and a cape.  Grandmas Rock.  

 

Baadsgaard Man Camp

Every August all the guys

 in our family plan what they call 

 "Man Camp".

They enjoy four-wheeling, fishing, camping, hiking

and camp fire stories.

Welcome home guys. 

Hope you had a great time.

Luau Fun

My son Joseph had a sudden appendix rupture a few weeks ago.  He was in serious condition and had to spend a long time in the hospital.  While his wife Martha and I stayed at his bedside, an army of loving people stepped in to bring meals, mow lawns and tend children.  As a thank you Joseph and Martha invited us all to a luau .  The dancers brought us all into the  fun.  Thanks Joseph and Martha for such a fun evening.

Cove Fort Days

My family spent some time at Cove Fort Days this weekend. 

We learned how the pioneers made soap, pottery, and cloth.  We watched children play on pioneer toys and watched a film about Joseph Smith.  We took a ride on a horse drawn wagon and toured the restored fort.  We visited tents with handcrafted goods, ate a free lunch and listened to muscial performers. 

Each time I attend I think about my ancestors who helped settle the American West with their own hands.  I love learning about how they raised animals, gardens and children. 

I have so much respect for their faith, resourcefulness and hard work. Cove Fort Days wouldn't happen without many willing volunteers.  A big thank you to everyone who makes this event possible for me and my family.     

The Ups and Downs of Life

My daughter Arianne is spending four months in Samoa - a place that by all accounts is a paradise.  She sends along such beautiful pictures for me to enjoy.  Yet her experience in Samoa - much like the journey each of us take through life -  is a mixture of both pleasure and pain.  This past week her whole family has been sick with a variety of ailments. 

Perhaps that is the purpose of our existence - the majesty, mystery and paradox. 

We can't have mortal life without the possibility of death.

We can't have health without sickness. 

We can't have joy without pain. 

What Do I Do With My Ten-Year-Old Son?



DOWN HOME with Granny B

Dear Granny B:

I need some insight into the heart and mind of the 10 year old boy. Certainly they are not all the same, but in general.... what do I need to know? I feel like my sweet and happy child is growing up, and sometimes he sounds more snarky and unhappy than I can stand. He is a good boy, and I love him so much- but I am so frustrated because I feel like his 6 and 8 year old siblings are more content, competent and capable than he is- but he has certainly been the recipient of as much time, love and training. We have made a special effort to do things as parents just with him, but it seems like the more we do just with him the more unkind and impatient he is with his siblings. We have loved him and helped him in every way we know how. We have sent countless prayers to heaven for him. Please help me understand him better.

A Concerned mother

Dear Concerned mother,

It is obvious that you are a dedicated and loving mother - thus your concern.

My first piece of advice is this . . . no one really has the whole answer for you - yep that means even me.

Even though you don't realize it, you have more insight into your son than you know because you love him. 

The truth is: the only real expert is God so keep consulting that source. 

Another great resource is other mothers  . . . especially those with  large families.  Pick their brains for ideas and even more importantly for perspective.  For example:  they might tell you that their obnoxious, snarky, unhappy ten-year-old son grew up to be a competent and happy adult.  They might tell you that all children go through times when they are more than difficult to live with and this is just the beginning of the roller-coaster ride that is coming. So hold on tight and don't base your self-worth on your child's decisions.  The only person you can control is . . . you.  You only control how YOU turn out.    

If this is new behavior for your son, you might want to analyze how much he has on his plate.  Is he stressed out or bored because he has too much to do or not enough? Young boys have so much energy.  They need to work off some of that energy through chores, yard work, sports or family promoted exercise programs.  But also make sure he is not over-scheduled.  Most boys love the out-doors.  Make it a family priority to get out into nature as much as possible. 

Also . . . most likely, hormones are starting.

So hang in there.  You're doing better than you think you are and so is your son. 

love,

Granny B     

Backyard Photos by my son John

The beauty of summer right in my own back yard.

Grandmahood is a hoot

Grandma hood is a hoot.  I love making home-made whole wheat bread and raspberry jam from my own raspberry patch.  I enjoy making quilts and booties for my grandchildren.  But the greatest joy is babies everywhere to hug and hold and love! (and I don't even have to be pregnant for nine months to get one..) 

My Home in the Rocky Mountains

I love my home

nestled in a quiet valley

at the base of the Rocky Mountains. 

Always my grand snow- capped guardians

are there -

towering above me - 

offering me a sense of wonder and protection. 

My family spends most of our free time exploring 

the mountains near our home.  

This weekend we hiked on Loafer Mountain

then took our four-wheelers to the top of Tower Mountain.         

Hiking in the Rocky Mountains near my home in Utah.





When I see blue sky I know the summit is near.



I'm always tempted to stop before I reach the top - yet always rewarded when I don't give up until I reach the summit. 



There is majestic beauty in the grand panoramic view at the summit - and in a simple leaf on stone.

While four-wheeling on Tower Mountain I met a bear.  Good thing he seemed as scared of me as I was of him.

More Photos of Samoa

I love sharing these beautiful images captured by my daughter Annie.

My daughter Arianne and her husband Jared and four children are spending several months in Samoa. Because Arianne's father spent two years in Samoa as a Mormon missionary these pictures are an extra delight for us. . .

Sammy discovering the island treasures

The beautiful island of American Samoa.

Arianne with baby Liam, daughter Sophia and sons Sammy and Logan

Life is a Circle

There is no green like the green on a tropical island.

Arianne's view from her hotel window

The port in American Samoa is brimming with ships.

Arianne's first sunrise in Samoa.

One of the interesting things about life is that if you live long enough everything seems to come full circle . . . all the seemingly random things that happen to us seem to foreshadow events in the future that we can not yet see or imagine.  But I have lived long enough to know that nothing happens outside God's grand design. 

As a college student I felt drawn to the Middle East and spent all my savings to go on a archaeological dig in Beersheba in the Negev Desert in Israel.  Years later my daughter Aubrey would become an archaeologist and work in the Middle East. 

When he was nineteen years old my husband Ross spent two years in Samoa as a Mormon missionary.  Just this week my daughter Arianne arrived in Samoa with her husband and four young children.  They will be there for four months while her husband is the engineer on a massive land slide rebuilding operation.

If there are no random events, if even one sparrow's fall does not escape God's notice - perhaps we might learn to see all the events in our lives as generous gifts from a loving Father in Heaven who knows best how to tutor and love us.