Trek

We got home from Puerto Rico just in time to get ready for Trek!  Josh and I were called as Ma and Pa and Rease and Rhen went as trekers.  It was THE COOLEST experience to be a part of.  The girls each got put into a different family and as Ma and Pa we had a family of our own with 8 other kids from the stake.  We ended up with kids that we didn't know but very quickly got to know each of them and love them for who they are.  We were also given a baby doll right from the beginning that we were supposed to treat as a real baby.  One of our girls Elise took charge of that baby (Johnny) and was the best little mom.  

The trek part was hard and hot and dusty but we had plenty of stops and lots of water and food to go around so it was definitely manageable.  Some of the kids struggled more than others but for the most part our family was amazing.  One of our boys got blisters the first day and then kind of spent the rest of the trek in the medical tent being treated for those and soaking in all the attention he could get :)

Each family was given a huge, and I mean HUGE, tarp which was how we made out shelters at night.  We learned quickly that we had to work together to get that thing put up and taken down every night but we figured it out.  We would prop our wagon up and tie one side of the tarp to the wagon then stake down each side and the back to make this cool tent to sleep in.  

We had fun activities all week but by far the most fun was the square dancing night!  All the kids gathered in a huge circle and danced and danced into the evening.  It was a gorgeous night to sit out and watch them all together.  

We had family time, spare time, sleep time, and social time when we got to camp and we were able to see Rease and Rhen really often throughout the week.  

There was a kite flying day which was super fun and the women's pull that was such a sweet experience to be a part of.  The girls in our group were just amazing and just kept going when it was hard.  We learned a lot about ourselves during that pull.  

We also ended up with a real life experience that was crazy.  That last afternoon when we pulled into camp to set up our tent for our last night over,  Josh said he wasn't feeling well.  He laid down for a bit after the tent was up and just continued to feel worse.  The medical team took him in and let him rest in the med tent for a while and then decided that they probably better test him for covid just in case.  Sure enough the result came back positive!  They asked him if there was anyone that could come get him so he could leave camp THAT NIGHT so he didn't get anyone else sick.  Isn't that the craziest? Josh's parents drove up and picked him up back at the parking lot that we started at and just like that, we were without a Pa.  It was so crazy to relate that experience to real life pioneer stories about families that really lost a parent on the journey.  Our kids stepped right up and didn't miss a beat making up for Josh being gone.  I truly truly felt the Lord with us that last night and the next day as we treked home.  

We had an absolutely amazing time on trek and feel so grateful that we got to be a part of that.  It is something I know we will never forget!