TREK!

Oh my goodness. Trek was the funnest thing I have ever done. Ever. Just thinking about it I really don't think I have had more fun before. And to prove to you that it was fun-Jesse loved it! If Jesse loved it, than it was pretty darn amazing. If I was told I could relive 1 experience in my life-it would be trek.

Wednesday morning at 5 we arrived at the church. We went to our assigned area where we had left our buckets the night before. (We were only aloud to pack our things in a 5-gallon bucket.) When I get there, I found out a few people I knew were in my family, none of my best friends obviously but I was still glad to know people. One of the girls is from the ward I combine with to play church ball with- and we are pretty good friends so I was excited just that I knew people! Then I met my "Ma and Pa" and they were just soooo nice. We had 2 families that make a company, so I met the other Ma and Pa in my company and they were amazing as well!

The bus ride there was LONG. It was 6 hours I'm pretty sure. But we got to know our company and we played some bus trivia and games. (Side note.:there was a trivia question about "Lost" and I'm the only one who got it.)

We got to Martin's Cove and picked up our handcarts, walked over to our campground and set up tents. It was probably like 5 at this time. We then ate dinner and finished setting up. Afterwards we headed over to a little area for some square dancing! I loved it-and I think everyone can love it if you just have a good attitude for it. There were other stakes camping near us, and they were small enough that they could combine for square dancing so they were on opposite ends. I later found out that Donny Osmond was on trek the same time and place as me. And I bet you anything that he was square dancing with the other stake and I am just DYING thinking about it.

Anyway.

I guess it's kind of hard to explain why it was so fun. If I just say everything we did it will not do justice for the fun side. It was fun because the whole time we were walking with the handcarts my family just had a blast. 5 of us siblings had a little band going on called "Dream Team." So sometimes we had to switch around positions so everyone had to pull the cart, but whenever we could we got the Dream Together and made music. One person would start out with a beat, and then we would just add on an add on till it was CRAZY. It probably doesn't make much sense, but just so I have it in my own record I am making sure to write it down.

The Last Handcart
A lot of things on trek are reinactments of something the Pioneers had to go through. This experience I had never heard of before and it was the hardest one. 
On the third day when we were stopped to eat our sack lunches along the way, My Ma calls our family to go talk to her. She said our family was chosen for "the last handcart." When everyone was finshed eating-every group except my family went with their handcarts to the top of this long, steep hill. Then the missionary who was at that station told us the story, of a Pioneer woman who's husband's feet were frozen and he couldn't walk. So the other pioneers said to just leave him in the snow. If I recall correctly even the husband told her to just leave him. But she said No one get's left behind. I'll pull him in the handcart. So she pulled him all the way to Salt Lake. The missionary told us kids that we would have to line the trail while our ma pulled our pa up the hill. She said our ma had to struggle and challenge, and we couldn't help her until the spirit told us we could.

So the boys went farther up the hill and the girls started near the middle. It was no question, the hardest thing I've ever had to watch. After we have already bonded so quickly and we all loved our ma and pa. It was SO. HARD. to just watch her stumbling giving everything she had to get him up. My ma is a small woman and her husband is a big guy. It would be hard to pull the handcart up the hill by yourself empty, and she had to do it with her husband in the cart.I was getting teary eyed, my sister who was standing opposite me was balling , when our ma got closer to us she had to turn around because it was the saddest and hardest situation. I didn't know exactly when we should join in. Looking back now-I am amazed. How far she made it by herself. When she was a little past midway where I was standing, she was just stuck. She was grunting and anyone could see she was using every muscle in her body. After she was stuck for I don't know it felt like 2 minutes I couldn't take it anymore. So I started pushing on the outside handle. Then my all her children just ran to the handcart to help push. I love my ma. :) 

I have many more experiences to share. When I get the pictures I will show them as well.