Carry on.....2009 Stake Trek

Sometime in February, Paul and I met with the 1st Counselor in our Stake Presidency. I was really nervous because I knew that I was being released from the Relief Society Presidency and wondered what calling I was going to get. (Stake Conference was a few weeks away and I prayed we weren't being called in for something to do with that) I was relieved when President W asked us to accept the calling to be Mas and Pas during our stake Trek in June/July. As embarrassed as I am to admit it now, my first question was, "What am I going to do with my hair?"(Yes, President W heard me say it and hopefully forgot it right after.)

I was actually really excited, because I have heard SO many great stories from those that have been on past Treks. Paul knew that it would hit me eventually what I was REALLY in for, and he was right.... I am NOT the best outdoorsy girl out there and REALLy having to rough it like the pioneers, started to worry me a little. The thing that made me worry even more though, was the idea of 6-10 teenagers that would be part of our "family." This might seem a little dumb to some, but I haven't served with the Young Women for almost 10 years and that was for only a little while, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Brayden is a great teenager so I don't know what it's like to deal with REAL teenagers. I had dreams of bratty teenage girls and cocky teenage boys, talking back, sneaking out of their tents and running all over the place. Needless to say, I did A LOT of praying before we went on the Trek.....

The Stake leaders that were in charge of getting everything ready were SO great. We had several meetings before to answer questions and let us know what to expect. My mom and mother-in-law were great to help me round up clothes for Paul, Brayden and I. My mom sewed a lot of my stuff and they turned out pretty cute (for pioneer clothes)

Finally the big day came! At 5:30 a.m. on July 30th Paul and I headed to the stake Center with all the other Mas and Pas and our Big Siblings (They were older kids that would help us out and be a leader to the other's in our family) The person in charge was calling out the Big Siblings and matching them with their Ma and Pa. There was one kid with a HuGE sombrero-looking hat that kept yelling out every time one of his friend's names were called. He would yell, "YAY! you have a family!" Oh man!! That's not my family!" and just kept yelling things out....I kept thinking, "That kid would be fun to have as our Big Sibling. He seemed really fun and crazy.

When mine and Paul's names were called, so was sombrero boy's. He ran up to us and gave us a hug and said, "I have a Ma and Pa!" Paul's first thought was, "Great we get some punk kid." As we were walking to the cars to drive up the canyon, Zach said' "I'm really not handicapped, I was just being funny." We had a good talk on the way up to wait for the rest of our family. Zach seemed like a really great kid and even proved to be so much more than that, the rest of the Trek...

Oh! I have sooo much to write about the Trek but I am going to have to finish it later.... If I would have known before how it was going to turn out, I wouldn't have worried at all. We had the BEST kids in our family!! Everyone of them pitched in pulling the handcart, helping around camp and were SO strong in the Gospel. I think I came out of the Trek with a stronger testimony of Prayer...I know that God was watching out for us (especially me because I was seriously terrified that we would have these unruly teenagers that really didn't want to be there and I wouldn't know how to deal with them.) I have tons more to write but I will stop for now. Here are few fun pics we got while we were there.....

All of the girls on Faith Hill during the Women's Pull. All of the girls were AMaZinG!! The boys were so great to walk right beside us the whole time. Two of the cute boys even carried HUGE boulders up the whole way, to put under our wheels while we stopped to take breaks. (I was there too, just in the back in this pic. All of us took turns pulling and pushing)

This is after the Women's Pull (Notice how cute I look. Hahaha.) It was really hard with just the girls but it just made me realize a little of what the real pioneer women had to go through when they had to go days, weeks and months without their husbands.

Paul and Zach doing the stick pull. I think they broke every long stick we had

Zach split his pants during the second day and thought our table clothe would work to cover it....It didn't work so great.