Welcoming Spring . . . in my own backyard

Alisa in Chamber Orchestra at Spring Concert

Alisa's Spring Concert was beautiful.

Birthday Poem For a Three-Year-Old

Gideon the Great

By Grandma Baadsgaard

Happy 3^rd birthday to a wonderful little boy who gives me great joy.

When you’re three

You can see

What others might ignore

Because you see

What you please

All a delight in store

You like to laugh

As you take a bath

When Mom says stop,

Up you pop.

Splash water on the floor

Then you do it some more.

Three is for playing

And three is for saying

Exactly what’s on your mind

Even if it includes your behind

Parents blush

Tell you to hush

But hushing is not for you

Unless you have the flu

Which means you’re rather sick

But you know just the trick

For jumping out of bed

And landing on your head

And dashing through the house

Never a quiet as a mouse

You’d rather be up there

Climb that mountain if you dare

There is no stopping you

If there is something you want to do

So hold on tight mom and dad

There’s no need to be sad

Messes and magic galore

For the three-year-old you adore

Logan is Baptized

My beautiful grandson Logan was baptized today. He looked like an angel.

Logan with his Baadsgaard and Cope grandparents.

All the awesome people who came to support Logan.

This is Logan with his mother and father and all his brothers and sister.

My yard is exploding with lilacs

My whole yard is exploding with lilacs!
If you want some -
I'd love to share!

Samuel and Sophia star in a community play

My grandchildren Samuel and Sophia Cope starred in a play today.
Sam was Aladdin and Sophia was the Genie.
Wow - they were awesome.
It was pure joy to watch them perform.

Alisa is named STUDENT OF THE MONTH for MMHS

My daughter Alisa was named STUDENT OF THE MONTH for Maple Mountain High School.
Way to go Alisa!

One girl and one boy is selected from each grade for this award.

BYU Women's Conference 2016

Enjoyed BYU Women's Conference with my daughter April today!

Happy Birthday Logan

Dear Logan,

I’m so excited that you are turning eight years old because that means that you are old enough to choose to be baptized. I’m so happy you have made that choice.

I remember when I was baptized. I was baptized on my eight-year-old birthday on a Saturday night in a little white church across the street from my house in Union, Utah. My congregation had all the children being baptized sit on small wooden chairs and talked to us for a while. I don’t remember what they said, but I do remember what I felt.

I felt excited and a little scared before I was baptized. When I was baptized, the water was warm and I felt clean. After I was baptized and put my dry clothes back on, I walked out of the church into the cold January winter air. I remember looking up and seeing lacy white flakes of snow falling all around me.

Even though it was cold outside, I felt warm inside. I knew God loved me and was pleased I wanted to come home to heaven someday. I also knew that Jesus was my best friend and that if I tried to live like Him that I would be happy.

When I was your age, they waited until Sunday to confirm me at church and give me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I felt protected when the men with the priesthood made a circle around me and put their hands on my head as my father confirmed me.

What I didn't know was that the man I was going to marry someday was being baptized on the very same day, January 6^th (my birthday) in a little town called Spanish Fork, Utah. He was a little scared and excited too. Because we both wanted to be like Jesus, we found each other many years later. We recognized that we had the same dreams and plans for life.

           When he returned from him mission to Samoa, we were married in the SLC temple. We made special promises to God. We were sealed for eternity. Pretty soon your mother was born. Then she grew up and married your daddy in the temple and then pretty soon, you were born.

Being baptized was the beginning of everything wonderful in my life. Being baptized is such a tender and beautiful time because we are able to participate in our first saving ordinance and make our Heavenly Father our first official promise. You are a son of God, Logan, and your Heavenly parents love you very much. They want you to be happy so they have made a plan of happiness for you to follow so you can return to them someday. 

Up until now, you have been a child who is learning, growing and maturing. You have made some mistakes; everybody makes mistakes. That is how we learn and grow. Now that you are eight, God thinks you are wise enough to know the difference between right and wrong choices. Heavenly Father knows that some of the choices we make will not be wise. Because He loves us, He wants us to know how to change so we will not be trapped by our mistakes and bad choices. So He invites us to make a promise to Him and then He makes a promise right back to us. When we make a special promise to God and He makes one right back to us, it is called a covenant. Heavenly Father never breaks a promise.

The promise you make to God is that you will remember Jesus, follow Him and keep His commandments. Heavenly Father promises you that He will forgive you if you make a mistake or do something that you know is wrong if you feel sorry and repent. He also promises you eternal life. He also gives you the gift of the Holy Ghost to help, guide, protect, warn and comfort you.

When you choose to be baptized you tell Heavenly Father that:

*You want to be a follower of Jesus Christ

*You will serve your fellowmen

*You will stand as a witness of God all the time

*You will obey the commandments of God

 God promises you that:

  *You are accepted as a member of Christ’s church

   *You can be forgiven of your sin if you repent

   *You can have the gift of the Holy Ghost

   *You can live in the kingdom of God

          Everybody makes mistakes after they are baptized so Heavenly Father gave us the sacrament every week on Sunday. That is when we remember the covenant we made when we were baptized. We think about our week and decide how to be better during the coming week. We think about our Savior Jesus Christ and how He atoned for all our sins, pains, disappointment and grief. We also think about Christ’s resurrection and that we can be resurrected too someday.

I hope you will write about how you feel in your journal when you are baptized. Never forget that you are a child of God and that you can inherit the eternal life God has planned for you. And never forget that your grandma loves you with all her heart.

Love,  Grandma Baadsgaard.   

Introducing Alice Scarlett - my newest granddaughter

My daughter Aubrey with her new daughter Alice Scarlett.

Beautiful baby girl.

Alice being weighed and measured.

Alice and her father Kyle.


This is what my daughter Aubrey said about her newest arrival:

"A beautiful weekend welcoming our daughter Alice Scarlett into the world. I always knew I would have a little girl because I have felt her with me during difficult and lonely times in my life. Now I feel like I am holding my guardian angel in my arms. It's my turn to watch over you little one. I promise to do the best I can. "

Orchestra Concert

My orchestra will be presenting a concert 

on Thursday April 14 at 7:00

in Orem at 550 East 800 North in Orem.

Everyone is invited. Casual dress. 

General Women's Broadcast With My Daughters 2016

I loved attending The Women's Broadcast with my wonderful daughters and granddaughters.

Birthday Story for a Six-Year-Old

ANDREW AND HIS DINOSAUR

by

Grandma Baadsgaard

Happy birthday Andrew. I love you so.

Andrew had a plastic dinosaur named Spike. He liked to play with Spike when he took his bath each night.

            One day while he was splashing in the tub his mother said, “If you leave your dinosaur in the bathwater, you never know what will happen.”

            Andrew looked at the small plastic dinosaur in his hand. He was curious. He crawled out the bathtub and threw his dinosaur back in the water. When he woke up the next day and went into the bathroom, he saw that his small plastic dinosaur was now big enough to fill the bathtub.

            “Now where are we going to put that?” his mother said when he looked into the bathroom.

            “I wanted to see what would happen,” Andrew answered.

            That day at school, Andrew told his friend Kyle about the giant dinosaur in his bathtub.

            “Hey, does that mean you don’t have to take a bath anymore?” his friend asked.

            “I hope so,” Andrew said.

            “Hey I have a swimming pool at my house. Why don’t we put your dinosaur in there and see what happens,” Andrew’s friend said.

            That evening Andrew, his mother, father and all his sisters hoisted the plastic dinosaur from the bathtub and walked it over to Kyle’s house.

            They gave a big heave-ho and threw in in the pool. Ker plunk.

            “I’ll come back after school and see what happens,” Andrew said to his friend.

            When Andrew went to Kyle’s house after school, the back yard had become a jungle filled with prehistoric animals. His dinosaur had grown too big for the swimming pool and was walking around in the jungle looking for Andrew.

            “I’m right here,” Andrew said walking toward Spike. “I like you better alive.”

            Spike roared but Andrew wasn’t scared because he knew they were friends. He walked right up to Spike and patted him on the nose.

            “I always knew you were such an awesome creature,” Andrew said. “Now you can walk and eat and roar and everything. Just remember not to eat people. They don’t like that.”

            Spike nodded and nuzzled his head next to Andrew.

            Pretty soon everyone knew about Andrew and his dinosaur Spike. The T.V. people came to the jungle and interviewed Andrew.

            “We hear you are the only one in the whole world who can tame dinosaurs,” the reporter said. “How do you do that young man?”

            “He’s my friend,” Andrew said. “Friends never hurt each other.

            Every day after school, Andrew went to Kyle’s house and played with Spike. Soon the whole world knew about the amazing boy Andrew and his best friend Spike.

            One day when Andrew went to Kyle’s house to play with Spike, the jungle had disappeared and Spike had shrunk back down to a small plastic dinosaur that could fit in the palm of his hand. Andrew was sad . . . but he had an idea. He walked home and placed Spike on top of his chest of drawers. He has always wanted to travel to the moon. He glanced around his room and spied a space station he built from inter-connecting plastic building blocks. Now Andrew knew what he wanted to play with in the bathtub that night.

            “Don’t forget to take your space station out of the tub when you’re done,” his father said while Andrew was taking a bath. “You never know what might happen.”

            Andrew smiled as he stepped from the tub leaving his space station behind.

Letter for my Grandson Samuel on his Twelfth Birthday

Dear Sammy,
Happy Birthday Sam. You’re turning twelve today. This is an important birthday because you will receive the Aaronic priesthood. The priesthood is the power of God, which is given to man to act in His name. Always remember that your authority comes through your ordination but your power comes through personal obedience and worthiness. The priesthood is a gift from God that blesses all His children. Your Heavenly Father now trusts you enough to give you the responsibility to help others. Up until now your parents, extended family and church leaders have been taking care of you and helping you grow and learn. Now it is your turn. For example, you will be able to pass the sacrament for the first time. Isn’t it wonderful that God allows you to be part of this most sacred event?

What a great blessing it is to hold the priesthood. I hope you take the time to go to a quiet private place and pray to your Heavenly Father and ask him how you can magnify your priesthood. Praying and asking questions has been a great way for God to send messages to us. In fact, did you know that when the Prophet Joseph Smith was translating The Book of Mormon that he found a part that mentioned baptism? On May 15, 1829, he and his scribe Oliver Cowdery went into the woods to ask God about baptism. As they prayed, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light. This messenger was John the Baptist, the prophet who baptized Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, now a resurrected being, laid his hands on Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon each of them the Aaronic Priesthood, which had been taken from the earth during the Apostasy. With this authority, Joseph and Oliver were able to baptize one another. John the Baptist was chosen by Heavenly Father to prepare the way for the Savior and to baptize him. John did this through the authority of the Priesthood of Aaron.

After baptism, a sacred experience and opportunity comes to the members of the Church each week as we partake of the sacrament. This is how we renew our covenants with our Father in Heaven and take upon us the name of his Son and promise to keep his commandments. Those holding the Aaronic Priesthood have the sacred privilege and honor of preparing, blessing, and passing these holy emblems of Jesus Christ’s body and blood. God wants us to repent, come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and partake of the sacrament. When we renew our baptismal covenants in this way, the Lord renews the cleansing effect of our baptism. In this way we are made clean and can have His Spirit to be with us. That is why it is so important to take the sacrament each week.

 As you know, the offices of the Aaronic Priesthood are bishop, priest, teacher, and deacon. With the authorization of the presiding priesthood leader, deacons pass the sacrament. They also help the bishop watch over Church members by giving service and assist with temporal matters such as gathering fast offerings for the poor. Teachers perform all the duties of deacons and also receive other opportunities to serve. They prepare the sacramental bread and water and serve as home teachers. Priests may perform all the duties of deacons and teachers. With the authorization of the presiding priesthood leader, they may also bless the sacrament, baptize, and ordain others to the offices of priest, teacher, and deacon.

I have noticed that you have a big heart Sam and that you love deeply. You are a true and loyal friend. Remember that the best friend you will ever have is Jesus Christ. You have amazing talents and abilities and I know that you will use them wisely. As you serve in your priesthood responsibilities I hope you remember that serving your own family is also important. The most important exercise of the priesthood takes place in the family. Your parents and brothers and sister really need you to love them and serve them as only you can.

You stand at the beginning a life-time of service. As you serve in the Aaronic Priesthood, it will prepare you to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, receive the blessings of the temple, serve a full-time mission, be a loving husband and father, and continue in lifelong service to the Lord. I love you so much Sam. I have so enjoyed watching you grow up and become such a wonderful young man. I will love you forever and be your biggest fan. 

 love,

Grandma Baadsgaard 

Emma's Baptism Day

Emma Baadsgaard standing with her father Jacob Baadsgaard
right before she was baptized

Grandma and Grandpa Baadsgaard
with Emma right after she was baptized.

All the people who came to support Emma on her special baptism day.