Friday

July 29

1. Grady. I will never forget the day he was born. I can't wait to give him a big hug and kiss.
2. Getting the yard all weeded with the kids.
3. Taking the whole neighborhood to the pool.
4. Eating Hot and Ready's on the grass as we watched football practice.
5. Max coming home from Cayden's party and telling me about the cute girl he almost "snowballed" with.
6. Emilee's first sleepover. She begged and begged and begged until her dad caved.

Thursday

July 28

1. Getting my pantry all cleaned out.
2. Going to the temple with Jason!
3. Teresa seems to be doing okay.
4. Butt Paste for Jayne's sore bum.
5. Sitting on the porch this morning with Jayne and Lucy and watching the birds.

Wednesday

July 27

1. Max got his Bear at Pack Meeting. Have I ever told you what a cute boy he is?
2. Jason gave his mom a blessing before her surgery tomorrow. I hope everything goes okay.
3. Jayne LOVES Molly and Chloe.
4. Watching the thunder storm out in our front yard tonight.
5. Yummy hot cookies from Wendy.

Tuesday

July 26

1. Shauna. She is a great example to me by serving everyone with a smile. She is always happy and goes harder than anyone I know. I am glad Emilee has her for her YW's leader.
2. Going to lunch for her birthday.
3. Football started up again today. Please keep my boy safe!
4. Going down and watching a little bit of practice. Seeing my cute husband show the boys the practice drills.
5. Summer nights. I have to hold on to every one! The summer is going much to quickly!

July 25

1. The best 14 years of my life!
2. Being married to my best friend and the man of my dreams.
3. The best sacrament meeting about Trek.
4. A yummy BBQ at the Millers.
5. Memories of our great wedding day.

July 24

1. Going up to Wallsburg for the parade. Emilee drove Rolland's Ranger and the kids threw candy from the back.
2. I love that cute small town.
3. A yummy lunch at Mom and Dad's with everyone.
4. A little family night about Trek.
5. And then a perfect relaxing nap out on the grass under the trees. My Mom and Dad took the kids to the rodeo and Jason, Emilee and I stayed back while Jayne had a nap.
6. The Pioneers and my greater appreciation for them. My Trek experience has changed me forever and was the greatest experience of my life.
7. Going to Ruth's Dinner up immigration Canyon for our Anniversary. A yummy dinner, awesome band and sitting outside on the patio.
8. I love Jason!

July 23

1. My ABBIE is 8!
2. Her happy smile and love for life. She is the kindest big sister to Lucy and Jayne.
3. She can do anything she wants. Things come easy for her and she has a natural ability at all sports and is a great little dancer.
4. Today I went to lunch and shopping with her. Of course she wanted Chinese food from the food court and only wanted to buy sweats to wear. I'd find her the cutest things but she had her mind set on a pair of sweats. She also wanted a big Carmel apple all to herself. The first question she asked is- "do I have to share it with anyone?"
5. Going to Brick Oven for dinner and then played outside.

July 22

1. Kelly, Teresa, Taylor and Lewis.
2. Teresa has my kids on her birthday.
3. Getting everything packed up and loaded ready to go home. The Pony Express and my letter from Jason.
4. The Incredible Testimony Meeting. We have the greatest youth in our stake. I hope my kids get to have this experience!!
5. Seeing the grave site of those saints who gave everything for us.
6. Chapstick and Advil. I was ready for a shower, my kids, and my bed!
7. Back on Cupcakes bus and that she didn't flip the bus in the mud.
8. Rootbeer floats and flushing toilets at Little America!
9. Driving into the Stake Center and the people that lined the streets with signs and balloons.
10. Seeing my kids!!!!!! Thank you Teresa and Craig for taking good care of them!
11. That Emilee is such a GREAT big sister.
12. A shower and clean dry clothes and shoes!
13. Going to Cafe and Rio and telling our kids about our experience. Having the back room and Jason just breaking down as he told the kids everything.
14. Sleeping in our bed.
15. Holding my Jayne again.

July 21

1. Tyler and his good heart.
2. All the Stake Logistics people who worked so hard to load all of our stuff on and off the trailers. The food people, and the millions that made this week so awesome.
3. The music playing in the camp as we headed off on our big day long walk across the plains.
4. The monuments along the way that remembered those who had given their lives on those very trails.
5. The Vignettes along Rocky Ridge. We had 6 stops of different people telling us incredible stories of the sacrifices some of the Saints had made. I loved Sister Doman's song about the mothers and their babies. I loved them all!!!!
6. Seeing President Rogers and Dave on their horses as they led the pack.
7. Jason and the boys in our families pushed the handcarts through the 7 BIG mud holes for us. Of course Amanda Fee and Taylor also wanted to go through them. Jason kept telling me to not worry about it and go around. I ended up falling in one and then walking through the last.
8. The amazing kids we had in our family and the way the worked so hard pulling and pushing the hand cart without one complaint!!!
9. Pushing the big boy on top of our cart because he was chaffing so bad!!!
10. Gold Bond powder and bathroom stops.
11. That we live in a day with indoor plumbing! One of the outhouses was so disgusting!! It was full to the brim but I had to go so bad.
12. Watching our kids pull the last hard part up Rocky Ridge all by themselves.
13. Singing songs and playing games along the trail.
14. Holding Jason's hand as we walked and walked and walked.
15. Treats along the way. Next time we know we need more!
16. The weather was perfect. Overcast and breezy.
17. Finally making it and the grand arrival. The stake lined the trail and cheered for us with Come Come ye saints playing.
18. Watching the others arrive at camp as it poured rain.
19. Jonthan coming into camp.
20. Sitting in Jason's trailer with Lexi trying to keep dry.
21. Costa Vida for Dinner.
22. Seeing the other couples in our ward throughout the week.
23. The Christensen's and the Nichols.
24. Building fires to keep us warm. We were all pretty wet and cold.
25. Listening to Josh Brown tell his story about Gold Thrope.
26. Our last family meeting and prayer. Most of the kids were begging to go to sleep at 8:30 PM. They were to tired to wait up for our family night.
27. Me and Jason shoving in one sleeping bag. We opened my bedroll and it was wet. So I thought Jason and I could just share his. We laughed for hours trying to shove in together. We couldn't move or zip it all the way up. We had to have Glen turn off our lantern because we couldn't get on once we were in. Finally Jason got fed up with being so crammed and not being able to move so he got in my wet sleeping bag. Then the rain came down in buckets. We watched the storm move across the sky and the cool lightening storms. But then everyone was soaked and cold. My sleeping bag was now wet and it was only 1 am. We spent the rest of night waiting for morning to hurry and come. Jason sat by the fire with several kids. Some kids slept in the yucky stinky urinals. At 5:00 Jason came to me and told me that we had seconds until we were going to get soaked again. I jumped up and tried to put on my socks and shoes but I was to late. The rain started to come and I ran across a huge field towards the food tents with one sock on and the foot barefoot. I met LaDonna and Paul Carter also with the same idea. We were so happy when the sun came up!!!! And so glad it was the last day.

July 20

1. The beautiful morning. We were all wide awake and ready to get going at 5:30. All of our sleeping bags were damp from all the dew.
2. Our Dan's Cove Devotional. The beautiful music, kneeling down as a stake and President Rogers pronouncing a blessing on us all. President Corbridge challenging us to have the Courage to Act, to Sacrifice and to do Hard things.
3. Walking through Martins Cove with complete reverence and silence.
4. Seeing the statues of the boys that carried the saints across the Sweetwater River, and the 4 boys that were singing out in front. Wow! Bishop's acting as Brigham Young and talking about the rescue.
5. Crossing the sweetwater as a family and putting our feet in the freezing cold ice water coolers to see how it really felt.
6. The Women's Pull. Donni Bate's prayer, and the indescribable feeling that was there. I have never felt the spirit so strong. Singing the Young Women's camp song at the top of the hill and then the EFY version of Sisters of Zion and Army's of Helaman.
7. Jason! That I have him every day of my life.
8. The Priesthood.
9. The Young Women of the 9th ward all so happy to see each other.
10. Ice Cold Water to drink.
11. Our Bandanna's that we kept wet at all times.
12. Jason's bing bing. He was in charge of spraying the family at all times to keep us cool.
13. Sitting next to Shauna, Lisa, and LaDonna, on the bus ride to the BLM training.
14. Being back with Jason.
15. The most beautiful sunsets and sunrises I have ever seen.
16. Bathrooms. Outhouses never seemed so great.
17. Dinner cooked by the stake.
18. Gold Bond Powder.
19. Our family night and hearing what the kids loved best.
20. Seeing all 500 hundred of us camping all together and the cool sight it was.
21. Jason and I eating salt water taffy in our sleeping bags and having Kaitlyn telling us that it wasn't good to eat treats at night.

July 19

1. That I don't usually have to get up at 3:00 am. Jayne woke up at 3 as we were getting ready to go and screamed for an hour. She had her legs wrapped around me so tight and was hanging on for dear life. I swear she knew exactly what was going on.
2. My Mom for coming to get my kids.
3. Seeing everyone at the church in thier pioneer clothes and the feeling that was there. I loved the song that was sung in the chapel.
4. Sitting by Jason for the 7 hour hot bus ride.
5. Jason was the bus captain and fixed the glass door when our water cooler went busting through it 10 seconds into our ride. He had it all duct taped up like a pro.
6. A breakfast sandwich at Little America.
7. Sitting by the Morris's and Paul Adams.
8. The picture of James and Joseph Kirkwood at the Martin's Cove Visitor Center.
9. Getting split up in our family's and getting on the trail with our handcarts.
10. Getting to know the kids and Jason asking them their favorite sandwich.
11. Cooking dinner as a family and all the kids willing to help with everything.
12. Square Dancing. I have never seen Jason enjoying himself so much. He was shaking a leg!!
13. The awesome devotional at night and the story by the missionary.
14. My sweatshirt. It was freezing cold and so windy and Jason told me that there was no way that we were packing coats.
15. Getting in our warm sleeping bags and passing out. Everyone was so tired that they were begging to go to sleep.

July 18

1. I survived the 3 hours of rastling Jayne. Wow is she getting tough at church.
2. The Deleuws are comings to Trek.
3. Our little family meeting and family prayer. All 5 kids were crying.
4. Knowing my kids will be in good hands. Thanks Mom and Teresa!!
5. Dinner at Millers.

Sunday

July 17

1. Getting all of our Trek stuff checked in today. It was Hot one today and I hope I can make it.
2. Watching Jason teach Max how to work in the yard. He edged the lawn, learned how to mow, and they weeded together Max was so proud.
3. Going as a family down to the pool. Running into the Yarro's and Lisa Morris.
4. Meeting the Yarro's at the movie Inception. Wow! What a mind boggling movie. Who's brain can come up with something like that?
5. Coming home to my kids after having a full on panic attack about leaving them for Trek. What will I do with my Jaynie?

July 16

1. Jayne's cute little voice saying "Mom" all day long.
2. Air conditioner. Wow it's hot this week.
3. Making chicken salad and taking it to visit Sarah.
4. Dinner with Jason, Em, & Jayne at the Pizza Factory. I love their Raspberry Lemonade.
5. Watching Bounty Hunter with Jay.

Friday

July 15

1. Heather took my kids to the pool so I could get some stuff done.
2. I got the boat clean, coolers washed, and stuff gathered for Trek.
3. Lisa L for bringing over her Trek stuff for me to borrow.
4. Melissa Kendall for our pediatrician.
5. Home Sweet Home.
6. Talking to Jamie.

Thursday

July 14

1. A day with our little family out on the lake.
2. Relaxing on the back of the boat.
3. Jayne going on the tube with the rest of her sisters and brother.
4. We had ear drops for Abbie's ruptured ear.
5. A clean flushing bathroom facility.
6. A new route home. We were the only one on the road and it was beautiful.
7. Lucy is our peace maker in our family. Always such a big helper and kind. She made the ride home easier than it could have been.
8. Don Pedro's in Evanstan.
9. Home sweet home! Nothing like a shower and my own bed.
10. Having all my kids help in packing and cleaning up.

July 13

1. Watching the kids knee board together and laugh so hard.
2. Jayne slept all the way through the night. I thought we were for sure in for a rough night in the tent.
3. We weren't cold. I had us prepared for a winter storm and the kids were all taking off layers and complaining that they were so hot.
4. Jason got over his little break down and had to apologize to all the fellow family campers.
5. Smores and talking around the campfire. Delayna's homemade ice cream.
6. Going with Max and Jason down to the lake for a late night swim. Jayne throwing rocks.
7. The beautiful sunset and rainbow.

July 12

1. We made it to Flaming Gorge safe. Crowded but safe. We all shoved in Jason's truck and it was tight quarters to say the least.
2. Our big tent. We had so much fun all sleeping together in our tent.
3. Getting out on the lake and the kids playing, tubing, & swimming. The water was a little nippy but the weather was perfect. I even went on the tube with Emilee.
4. Going to get ice cream at the store after dinner.
5. Jason telling the kids stories about when he used to come to Flaming Gorge as a kid. And then stories about his Gramp.
6. Jason's late night swim in the lake. Max and McEwan skipping rocks.
7. Craig and Teresa! They put in so much work to get us all up there, days of packing and prep work to load up the camping stuff, & feed us all. I love how Teresa is always happy and never thinks of herself. She is always making sure everyone is happy and having fun. I love her.