Sand dunes...here we come!!

Another late entry about our summer activities...

Memorial Day weekend is always our annual trip to St.Anthony's (near Rexburg, ID) to camp and ride the four-wheelers and motorcycles with Colby's family. As always, it's an exciting (albeit dirty) weekend for everyone. This year, it was quite cold and rainy, but did that stop us?

Not one little bit! We're not scared of a little rain!

Once Korinne and Porter get on the four-wheelers, it's pretty hard to get them off. But they each get a turn learning how to drive.

Holt is totally in his element! A four-wheeler (they make the coolest noise, VROOM!), and a cookie, what more could a guy want?

Okay, how about another cookie?

After we manage to get Korinne and Porter off, Holt finally gets his turn for a ride.

We have to get off and explore the vast sand!! And maybe take a little with us in our shoes!

Let's go on a train ride!

So, this entry is a little late, but summer isn't for sitting in front of the computer, right?

This was in early June....we took the kids on the Frontrunner down to the Gateway.

We thought they would want to eat somewhere fun down there, there are a lot of yummy options, but what did they choose? You guessed it, McDonald's. (sick) So, Colby and I just decided to have Costa Vida (yum). Then, instead of wanting to go to the planetarium or something like that, what do they want to do? The fountains, of course!

But, hey, they had a blast, so that's all that matters, right?

Just one of the numerous fun activities that have occupied our summer so far.

I'm sitting here enjoying a beautiful, rainy summer day with my kids. We actually went outside in the rain for a little while just to feel it fall on us and enjoy the clean smell....I love summer rain!! Now, the kids are playing "pioneers". They've built a handcart, set up a tent, and have been pulling and pushing all over the basement. What a great way to spend a rainy summer afternoon. But, since they have started playing, I was reminded that I have not shared our experiences of the Trek that Colby and I just went on with our stake last week.
We were asked by our bishop and Stake President in January to be a Pa and Ma, so we've been preparing for months. I had heard that it was a really good experience, but that is such an understatement....it was absolutely incredible! We have been reading books and studying stories of the Martin and Willie handcart companies for a few months, and then being able to walk in the actual places that they walked, and suffered, and died....the feelings are really indescribable. It waw a lot of work, but extremely rewarding.
We had 7 "children" , one of which has cerebral palsy. She wasn't in a wheelchair and was able to walk a small amount, but she did have to ride in the handcart most of the way with all of our equipment and everything. I'm sure it was extremely uncomfortable, but she was so sweet, she never complained. This also meant extra work for our youth that were our "children", but they also, never complained. They would just pick up the handcart and go, singing songs and playing "20 questions" along the way. I had been worried before we left that the teenagers might just complain and mope the whole time, but none of them did! They were awesome. And all of them helped in the camp where they needed to and then went the extra mile to help our girl with difficulties, all without being asked. And when one of the girls from another "family" got some heat exhaustion, she climbed in the cart with our other girl, and the boys ran them almost 2 miles to get her to a place where she could get an IV and get cooled down. Later, they said the experience was incredible for them because they felt like they had some unseen help running the cart that far in the heat as fast as they did.
It was amazing to have our Stk. Pres., Pres. Jardine and his wife Diane as our trail bosses. They led us our and trekked with us the entire time. Our Trek was around Martin's Cove and Rock Creek Hollow in Wyoming. There were couple missionaries all along the way and they were amazing. They had stories to tell us and pointed things out to us of where the pioneers had been. Some of the places we went were dedicated, sacred ground, just like the temple and the spirit there was just as amazing. The kids were all reverent and reflective in these places and many of them said they didn't want to leave when it was time.
Rock Creek Hollow was one of the most amazing places because we saw where President Hinkley had dedicated that area and also the grave where 13 people were buried in one night after crossing Rocky Ridge. The sacrifice these people made for the sake of the gospel, and for us was ultimate, and I am deeply grateful for them and for the opportunity that I had to be there and feel, even just a tiny bit, of what they may have endured.
I'm going to record what we did every day, just for my own memory, or I might forget in years to come.
Day 1: Met at Stk. Center 5:00am, our families were assigned, had a devotional from Pres. Jardine, then loaded school buses for a 7 hour ride to the Visitors Center at Martin's Cove. Once there, were issued our handcarts for each family, then had an orientation, then on our way. Trekked 3 miles to our camp. Set up camp, had a delicious dutch oven dinner, then sqare dancing that night.
Day 2: Breakfast, cleaned up camp, then had festival of pioneer activities (butter making, doll making, tug of wars, skeleton walking and other pioneer games). Then, loaded up and Trekked 7 miles through Dan Jones Cove and Martin's cove. Then, boarded buses again to head to next camp site. Set up camp, had another delicious dinner, then company testimony meetings which was awesome.
Day 3: Breakfast and cleaned up camp, got our handcarts loaded and headed out for our 10 mile trek. Did the women's pull this day which was awesome. I can't believe how real it felt when our men were called away on the "Mormon Battalion" and left all of us women to do the pulling, we were sobbing as they marched away. We then had a message from Diane Jardine about the priesthood and then went 3/4 mile up a long dusty hill to reach the men again. They weren't able to help us at all, but just stood along the trail with their hats off watching....it was incredible! This day, we also did several crossings of the sweetwater River. The first one was one of the spots that the pioneers actually crossed, so it was sacred and we had to be reverent crossing. The next ones after that, everyone was able to play in the water and get cooled off. After our 10 miles, we unloaded the carts, got back on our buses and headed to Rock Creek Hollow. Here, we set up our camp, had dinner, then went to the sacred grounds of Rock Creek Hollow for a devotional and learned about the handcart rescues.
Day 4: Breakfast, cleaned up camp, had a devotinoal and testimony meeting, then on the buses and on our way home. We were so thankful for AC in our home and healthy kids, our own beds and showers!!!
I would definetely do it again if asked, and I hope my kids get the chance when they get older.