Pat and I at Rock Creek Hollow.
The most amazing place I have ever
been. The tears wouldn't stop.....
Deven and Colton.
This is what is all about.
Everyone working together!
Awesome experience!!!!
The toughest river crossing. It was so slippery.
Colton taking a break
There's my hot hubby again!
Lauren Poulsen & Jenny Campell
Me and Shaunna Blake doing the women's pull
Dave Roberts and Amy Myers
The mosquitos were just a little bad...
Just a little wet...
Dave Roberts, Colt, Ryan Gentry
and Kayla Myers
Water, water and more
WATER!!!
Chantz and Deven
playing missionary tag.
Team Work!!!
Deven and Jaden, probably the deepest
river crossing we did.
Colton and Pat
Chantz helping everyone cross the ditch...
Dave Roberts, Colt,
Ryan Gentry and Pat
Colt and Jaden carrying
Sister Carter across the water
Pat carrying Amy across the water
It looks like Colt is having
a great time.
Chantz, Timmy and Russ
My HOT hubby!!!
SIX CROSSING
Man down!!!
Martins Cove
Chantz, Timmy and Russ
Martins Cove
Colt
Martin's Cove
Eric Benson, Colton, Ryan Gentry
Independence Rock
Layton and Colt
Me and Bella
Liberty Rock
Liberty Rock
Missionary Talk at the Willy Campground
Colton & Colt's Pioneer Family
Colton and Pat, this boy loves his dad!!!
Colt, Chantz, Pat and Colton when we first
arrived at the Willy Campground
On June 21st at 5:30am we met at the church in Richfield to start our 8 hour drive to Martin's Cove WY. I must admit that I was not to excited to go. The bishop had gave Pat and I the calling over a year ago and I was dreading it. I had all kinds of negative thoughts going through my head and I could tell Pat and the boys were feeling the same way. We had a short meeting and a prayer at the church and all dressed in our Pioneer clothes we set out at 6:00 am. Our first stop was in Heber City where we all got gas and stopped at the park where the kids played frisbee until everyone caught up. Our next stop was Little America WY. We had lunch there, I was starting to feel my mood improving as I talked with the kids and Ma's and Pa's. I was starting to get excited.
We arrived at our camp site at the Willy Handcart site at 2:00pm. We stepped out of our vehicles and were immediatley covered by misquito's. They were the worst part of the trip. It took awhile to get everything organized with the missionary's but it wasn't long and we were setting up camp. There was another ward that pulled in shortly after us from Providence Utah. The kids started playing missionary tag and it wasn't long until the kids from Providence joined in. They had a great time. We had a missionary story that night and had smores after dinner. The families decorated their flags and we did family pictures.
On June 23 we woke up at 6:00 am and ate breakfast and headed to Liberty Rock. This was the first of my many experiences that built my testimony. All the kids we climbing the huge rock, chasing rabbits and having a great time. We seen pioneer names carved in the rock from the early 1900's. It was amazing to see. We were coming down off the rock when Cozy Roberts came running and said someone had fallen off the rock (I forgot to mention that I was called as the medical person for our trek). I ran to find Jaden Kitchen 11 years old at the bottom of the biggest part of liberty rock in Honas Busk's arms. He had fallen about 30 feet. He never once hit his head and he flipped 3-4 times. He landed on a ledge of rock on his left femur in the middle of a thorn bush. We had the girls stand in a circle with their backs to Jaden and I accessed his leg. He was in a considerable amount of pain and the bruising and swelling made me suspect a femur fracture. We were an hour away from medical help. So we decided to give him a blessing and send him to Casper in his parents car. Now for the amazing part. Jaden recieved a blessing from his father, a few words into the blessing I could feel Jaden's leg relaxing and it almost felt as if the swelling was decreasing. I could feel the power of the preisthood working. After they left with Jaden we all met and had a word of prayer by the bishop. We then left for Martin's Cove. We all met in the chappell after we loaded our handcarts. While sitting there listening to the missionary talk I had this feeling come over me that Jaden was going to be just fine. It wasn't long after that we heard that Jaden had only badly bruised his leg. AMAZING!!!!
We treked at Martin's Cove and visited the Cove's where so many pioneers had lost their lives. The story that most touched me was of Sara Ann Franks who was coming to Zion with her sweetheart to be married in the temple. The young stong men were worked harder than anyone. Sara's sweetheart was worked to his death and froze to death. Sara could not bear to have him burried in the snow where the wolves would get him. She gave up her shall (her only source for warmth) and had him hung in a tree in hopes that someday she could return and give him a proper burrial. Those pioneers suffered more than you or I can or ever will imagine all so they could come to a place that they could practice their beliefs and have the possiblity of eternal life with their family. Very humbling!!! We had lunch and headed back to our camp site. We square danced that night and had a great time.
On June 24 my life was and will be changed forever. We woke at 5:30am, had breakfast took down our tents and loaded our handcarts for our 10 mile trek. The sky was dark and it was obvious that we were going to be rained on. We started off and the camp dog Willy followed. We were not on the trail long when we hit our first water crossing. The kids were awesome. The boys all got together and helped everyone acrossed. They carried all the women and girls and even some of the men that didn't want to get wet. We continued and had not made it far again and we were in more water. The kids at this point didn't care, they were already wet so they treked through thigh high water without hestitation. Those of us who wanted to keep our feet dry did (for the most part). We had multiple times that we crossed water and with team work and great attitudes we made it through all of them. We had lunch on the trail and had one person have some medical problems that were easlily fixed again with the power of the preisthood through a blessing. We expeirenced a women's pull where the women pulled the cart up a hill without the help of the men (simulating when the men were called out to war). It was humbling. It was so amazing to see the teamwork of the women and have the boys experience seeing us do that. The hardest part of the trek was the last two miles. We did a silent river crossing where many fell, the spirt was so strong there. We all had wet shoes by this point so trying to stay dry didn't matter and it was a good thing. We hiked about a mile in water until we got to the bottom of a large hill. The missionary talked to us about how the pioneers used teamwork to get up hills like these. We all worked together and got all the carts to the top. We were the 1st to ever do that part of the trail. We got back to camp and loaded up and headed to Rock Hollow. Here is where I was touched the most. At this camp there were 13 people burried. It was the most serene place I have ever been. In fact I felt the spirit stronger there than I have ever felt it before. I know the boys and Pat had the same feeling. Chantz actually wrote in his journal there and to see him and Colt cry when they bore their testimonies was amazing. They as well as myself were strengthed by our expeirence. I loved every minute of the trek!!! We all were so happy that we went and I know we would be excited to go again if the opportunity arises.
I know without a dought in my mind that the church is true. I feel selfish after seeing the sacrifices that the pioneers went through to get to the temple, when we have one so close and don't use it like we should. I love the pioneers and I am so thankful for the sacrfices that they made so that I can live where I live and enjoy having the gospel in my life. I know that my family will be together forever because of the power of being sealed in the temple and I can't wait to be sealed to my sweetheart in August. I have a strong testimony of the power of priesthood and the many blessings that I have because of it. I am so blessed to be married to an amazing man who honors his preisthood and is the best example to me and my boys. I am also so blessed to have 3 boys who love and respect their mom, who are making good choices in their lives. I am excited to see the blessing that Heavenly Father has in store for them.
So as for my bad attitude about going on the trek, well I was humbled to say the least. This was the best vacation I have ever been on!!!
o
