Trek 2011~ June 22-25th!

Aaron and I just got back from yet another WONDERFUL pioneer TREK!! We were not Ma and Pa though this time...we were Gram and Gramp for three families! We were a bit bummed due to last time LOVING the other position. BUT we ended up LOVING this one just as much...just in another way. (We were more of the behind the scenes peeps...just making everything come together and run smoothly.)

Due to us not being ma and pa, we didn't get to enjoy the youth as much. We really got to know the leaders of all of the wards and the stake presidency MUCH better. What a HOOT is all I am gonna say. LOVE our leaders. LOVE them all!!! Lots and lots of GREAT laughs were shared. :)

A VERY easy and quick run down went as such:

Aaron and I had to be to the stake center on Wed morn at 5am. We drove with the Stake presidency all the way up to Wyoming. I thought I was gonna be snoozing on the way up, NOPE...laughed all the way up. These guys are a crack up. We got to the destination and got everything ready for the kids to get there. (2 hours later)

In general:

Everything went smoothly for the most part. The kids were GREAT. (very positive and happy.)
Their feet held up GREAT. (not so much for the leaders though, haa haa.)
The food was GREAT. (all pre cooked and yummy!!)
The activities were GREAT. (Thanks to the good ol Berkleys!)
The weather was great. (Not too hot and not too cold!!)
The sleeping was GREAT. (was so tired, slept like a baby!!)
+ MANY more Great things.

The only negatives would be TICKS, but heck...when are those good?? We lived!


There were MANY pictures taken, but these are just a few for the general purpose of sharing. ENJOY! (Thank goodness these are not scratch and sniff...ugh!! We stunk!)

Aaron and I (Grandpa and Grandma MC!) Clean and ready for the kids to get there...so we can TREK!
What a HANDSOME pioneer STUD!!! Love this guy. What a great Pioneer he would have been. Not me so much! ;)

Leo Pyne (our cook for the week) with all of the hand carts. He did an amazing job!!

The kids got there. They loaded their carts and away we went....
There was water and mud!

Later on that evening, the men were taken away for missions. The women had to PULL their carts by themselves. Always a VERY spiritual and neat experience to watch. (I was not able to help.)


We camped here! Aaron hiked up the hill a bit and took a picture of camp. (Doesn't look like 200 people...but there was.)
Aaron made some friends along the way. All the kids LOVED this little dude.


Not so much this one...

Hoe down time!! We danced our hearts out. Fun times for all!
These Berkley's were PRO'S!
Awww...the scary and very DIRTY faces came out! Ha ha
Behind the scenes. The kids were enjoying a devotional and we were preparing 21 dutch oven peach cobblers. YUM!! Good times!
Licking the beaters were a must!!

Haa haa! Up close and personal. (He was getting into the chocolate a bit much!)

We licked out the bowl too. Mmmm mmm good!


The leaders TENT corner on a beautiful day!
The leaders did a BOMB fire one night and LAUGHED our heads off. SO much fun! Aaron was dancing a little jig just for us. :)
I met these two AWESOME (leader) girls that I just LOVE! They were fun to talk with while we walked our 25 miles.

Rudolph the RED nose Leaders. Haa haa...mainly Charee~! UGH! There was lots...lots of SUN for our poor faces.

More days of treking.....(there was LOTS of hills. STEEP hills!!)
ROOT BEER making time!! What a good yummy drink to end out our fab TREK! YUM!
To be honest, this TREK was kinda hard. It was hard to leave the boys at home. It was hard to walk with blisters on top of blisters. Ouch! It was hard with lack of sleep...BUT over all...this was CAKE compared to what the pioneers went through. I would not have been a good pioneer AT ALL!! I am grateful though for the opportunity to go and have my eyes opened and see that MAN, we have it easy compared. Other ways though, we don't. We just need to keep on a walking.

***BELIEVE ***HOPE ***ENDURE!!

Highlights from this last week!

Summer is about in full swing (it's about time) and things are just getting more and more busy. The camera is not always around our neck..but a few things were caught this week.

There is a daycare just over the fence in our back yard. Tate is pals with some of the kids over there. (They say "HI" to each other..haa haa) He likes to 'show off' for them sometimes. This week...I found him out back sharing his guitar talent. Haa haa. Silly kid!


We then hit our yearly WARD camp out. The dinner was DELISH! Aaron made the BEST dutch oven potato's EVER!! They all got eaten up in two gulps. What a guy, always making the BEST tasting foods.

Here are some Hottie ladies that were around after the yummy dinner. ooo laa laa!



Grandpa Scott (one on right) came and played some good ol ROCK and ROLL for our after dinner entertainment. It was so fun having him there. Everyone would just call out their favorite songs and they would just sing and play it. It was GREAT!

After words we just sat and chatted around the fire pit til late and (went home.) Sad yes, we really did want to camp but with the forecast said it was going to be cold and rain. It didn't! It was the most perfect night for a camp out. Bummer deal. Next year for sure.



We decided it was time to leave when Davin fell asleep on daddy's shoulder! (11pm!) So sweet though. Ahhhh.


Major HIGHLIGHT of our week! Our AWESOME and MOST fab next door neighbor works at Gossners. He brought us over all of this CHEESE!!!! I was soo amazing, I had to take a picture of it! DANG! (YES! This was cheesy~yeah yeah...that pun was for my dad.)


It is the time again to go to our favorite park and feed our favorite DUCKS!! We had lots of old bread that needed to be chucked. The ducks ate it all happily and the boys enjoyed feeding them just as much. :)

We love summer!!

The park is a fun tradition also always feeding the ducks!!


I just love that the boys are such great playing pals!! They make me happy to see them happy!!



Until next week....

A week of FIRSTS!!!

This last week was a week of *FIRSTS in a few different ways.

Here they are....

Aaron started up his summer season of hockey!! He LOVES the game and the exercise. The games are FINALLY early enough that we can go and support him with it. YAY!!! He really is getting good at it too.

WAY TO GO AARON!!


He is the dude on the LEFT side of the picture. *FIRST game and *FIRST time having us there in along time!!

Here he is again~
Some family and friends came to cheer him on. Even though it is summer feeling outside (sorta)...we still all have to dress warm and wintery. Brrrrrr.

After the game. Daddy got warm hugs by Tate.....

and Davin!!! They both LOVE LOVE LOVE going to daddy's games. ~Great bribery now!!~
This next *FIRST is kinda NUTS and funny at the same time. Our neighbor LOVES to WAX anything and everything!! She talked Aaron into getting his back swimming worthy. HAA HAA! (He might just kill me for posting this.....but it is just too funny.) He really doesn't have that much back hair, but enough that he likes to clean it up before hitting the pool. What a guy!!

Believe it not, I have NEVER touched my eyebrows with anything. Never plucked and never waxed! Gross huh!? I am sure they probably needed it...but I just never did it. So she talked me into a brow wax. It was quite the *FIRST experience!


Getting ready for the pain.....

Onto the next First...

*FIRST time to LAGOON for the season. And even more so *FIRST time binging a kid!!!


Our fab neighbors had three extra tickets and asked us if we wanted to join. Of course we said YES! We LOVE Lagoon!!!

Aaron and I usually go yearly with his work party. We always have the option of bringing the kids, but we choose to get a sitter and make it a date for the two of us. (This way we can jump on rides and be worry free having a total blast together.) We always feel guilty to a point for not bringing them..but see the hassle the other families experience.

Well this year was a *FIRST and we thought we would be good parents and bring one of the kids. Tate was the lucky dude! We experienced quite the time.

He was a bit excited, even in the parking lot!
He rode lots of great rides with one of his dearest friends....SO CUTE!!!

......BUT waiting in lines were not his cup of tea. SSSShhhessh, this kids needs to learn patience!!

It was a *FIRST for Aaron and I to ride the kiddy rides. They are fun too, believe it or not!!


LOVED seeing all the sweet animals! They really do have a lot! We were in AWW!
Fun times all around!
We did have some breaks from the kids and had some adult laughs!! Much needed.

But it was tender to see Tate in heaven!! He was super cute!
He was care free and got soaked!!
Rode lots and lots of great rides!
He was even SUPER daring to go on FAST ones. If he was only taller...he would have gone on anything and everything.
Raddle snake rapids was not nice to us! Our back sides were soaked! Aaron was from head to toe. HAA HAA! Tate didn't understand getting his clothes wet...but still enjoyed it.

This ride was not near as wet...hee hee.


Just chillin'
Then it was time to pack up and call it a day. It was great to bring along Tate, but we all decided that next time...kids stay home. (Until they are at least 5 or 6 years old.) By then, he will be tall enough, understand that we have to WAIT in line..and wont throw fits about silly stuff. Over all...it was a perfect weather day and a complete BLAST!!

It really is "what FUN is!!!



We also got invited to our *FIRST BBQ up the canyon! Due to all the flooding, it was a *FIRST that we have been surrounded by water to eat a tin foil! NUTS!!!


We enjoyed great company. Great food and....
......GREAT s'mores!! BIG ones too!!! YUM!!
The kids LOVED feeding the ducks....throwing rocks into the river...and just getting SUPER DUPER dirty like a normal little kid.

Super cute kids.......messy and HAPPY!



Until next week.....