An Afternoon at Yuba Lake

A few weeks ago we spent the afternoon at Yuba Lake with my Brother Jacob and his cute family. The weather was too windy to take his boat out, but the kids had a great time on the beach!

They had fun floating around on the tube!

Matthew loved swimming in the water...

and the mud!

Mitchell loved scooping up water and sand to make his "land mass."

All of the kids loved being in the water and the mud!

Josh enjoyed finding the perfect skipping rocks,

and we all enjoyed relaxing together.

We even made a little wink.  (We love you, Caleb!) 

What a fun summer afternoon!

Man Camp

Every year the boys in the Baadsgaard family go on a Man Camp- no girls allowed! 

They eat manly food, fish, ride the four wheelers and get as dirty as they want!  

Mitchell Ross

When Mitchell was born we knew his middle name would be Ross- after my dad. Mitchell adores his grandpa!  He loves when grandpa tells him "You shall not pass!" whenever he tries to walk by with out giving him a hug.  

He's a lucky little boy to have a grandpa with such a big heart.

Love you dad. 

Chipmunk Josh

Earlier this summer Josh had some oral surgery done. He had 5 teeth removed and lived on pudding and jello for several days. He's been dreading that day for so long that after he recovered he said "I'm having a hard time knowing what to worry about now!"

Army of Helaman: We Do Not Doubt!

In the Pioneer Day Parade this year there was a very special entry. Over 2,000 young men in our area gathered together as an "Army of Helaman." This event showed spectators what the 2,000 stripling warriors from the Book of Mormon might have looked liked like. The boys marched with their staffs, sang We'll Bring the World his Truth and Called To Serve then shouted "We do not doubt!"  The army of young men was followed by the full time missionaries in our area.  I was moved to tears. 

 I am grateful that Matthew was able to participate with his Uncle John and cousin Bradley. (Josh dressed up for the picture, but wasn't able to march because he just had oral surgery) They were an inspiration of hope and faith to our whole community. I hope Matthew will always remember what it felt like to be a part of something so remarkable. You can read more about this event here.

Meet Mozzarella

Matthew has been asking for a kitty for a year, and I kept putting him off thinking he would move on or change his mind. Finally at the beginning of the summer, he told me, "Mom, I just really need something to love..." How do I say no to that? So on the top of our Summer Bucket List we wrote "get a cat." 

We went to a home nearby that had a litter of kittens in their bushes and Matthew picked one out. He brought her home and named her Mozzarella because she is the "color of cheese."  We call her "Ella."

I am not a cat person. In fact I thought they were sneaky and mischievous. 

I was right. 

But, she is also just what my boys needed. 

 They adore her. 

 What started out as a venture to get an outdoor cat has turned into an adventure of clawed furniture and curtains.

 But when I check on my boys at night and see her curled up next to them 

It's totally worth it.

Summer Magic

Happy 4th of July!

Lake Cocolalla

After spending a few days in Washington, we drove to Lake Cocolalla in Northern Idaho! It looked like something out of a Hallmark film! There were bald eagles flying over heard, Lily pads near the shore banks, crystal clear water and plenty of sunshine!

My Top Ten in no particular order:
 1) Watching Josh collect rocks and use his field guide to identify them.
 2) Matthew lived in the snorkel. I loved watching the spout move across the water and watching Matthew's smiling face emerge!
3) Mitchell speaking his version of "Italian-o"
4) Kayaking, kayaking, kayaking!
5) Watching Dallan fish with the nieces and nephews (who knew he was a fisherman?)
6) Tubing behind the boat!
7)  Fires, fireworks, and s'mores!
8)  Playing "Ticket to Ride," and other fun games! 
9)  Teaching the cousins all of the games I learned at girls camp
10)  FAMILY TIME with the whole Moody gang!  We sure love each one of them!

The Moody gang!

Mitchell

Caleb

Matthew

Josh

Dallan

Yours Truly

Cousins!

We made many magical memories with our Moody family!  

Thank you for a trip we will never forget!