* Seth turning 16!
* Seth going on Trek to Martin's Cove
* Grandma and Grandpa Carlson were here for TWO weeks!
* We hosted the Carlson Family Reunion!
* Lots of pictures with family
* Seth ordained a Priest!
PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR THE REUNION!
OTHER FUN THINGS WE DID AT THE REUNION (THAT DIDN'T GET PHOTOGRAPHED):
* FAMILY PREPAREDNESS PRESENTATIONS
* TRIBUTE TO GRANDPA (FOR A BELATED FATHERS DAY)
* DANCING THE VIRGINIA REEL AND THE GRAND MARCH
* MORE SHOOTING FOR THE GROWN UPS!
* FAMILY HISTORIES READ ALOUD
* S'MORES AROUND THE FIRE
* MARSHMALLOWS AROUND THE FIRE
* EARLY MORNING RUNS EACH MORNING
* FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT (PICS COMING SOON)
* LOTS AND LOTS OF COOKING!
* LOTS OF HUGS, SMILES, LAUGHS AND MEMORIES MADE!
BEFORE GRANDMA & GRANDPA LEFT, WE NEEDED MORE PICS WITH THEM!
Spiritually Speaking...
Our Spiritually Speaking moment this week comes to you from Seth who just recently returned from the Pioneer Trek to Martin's Cove!
So I (Seth) recently returned from a week long experience with our and a neighboring stake. We went down to the actual site of Martin's cove, and to Sixth Crossing. We had to meet at the church at 2:30AM on Monday morning. In total we had around a 15 hour bus ride to reach our destination. So let's just say it was long. Once we got there we met up with our families and went to our campsite a few milies away.
The second day is when we actually went to the actual site of Martin's Cove. When we got there, you could just feel and tell the peace and the spirit which was in the area. Thinking that that's where the handcart company held up as one of their only ways of survival. We also went to a place a few miles away called Devil's Gate. It was really cool and gave us an opportunity to climb up many large rocks to reach it.
The next few days we went to the other campsite at Sixth Crossing. We did a lot of walking with the handcarts and many river crossings. Each time I tried to go back and help as many carts as I could. With my family we had two diabetics so they couldn't push as much as they would like to, one girl who had something happen to her leg, another guy who got injured and couldn't run, and lastly a girl who tore her ligaments in her ankle. So I was lucky enough to be the only child in our family who didn't get hurt. So I consider that a blessing, and it also gave me the opportunity to help others out more. Since we ended up carrying one of the girls in the cart, and the last two days, after we finished with all the cart stuff, I had the opportunity to carry the girl who tore her ligaments everywhere.
On the last full day we were there, we went to this spot, the name slipped my mind, but I'm thinking it was called Rock Creek. So there we visited one of the mass graves where there were fifteen people buried on that site. You could feel their presence there, with the peace and tranquility of that place. Even with 220 youth there, it was very reverent. (Yes 220 youth. They said that we had the largest group that has ever come there.) Afterwards still at that place, we had a large testimony meeting. There were a lot of really great testimonies that touched a lot of people.
Then there was the whole drive back to look forward to. On the bright side, I can now say that I have seen what 90 boxes of pizza looks like in one pile. And I can also say, that with 220 youth, 90 boxes of pizza lasts only around 10 minutes. We finally got home at Saturday around 1:30AM.
There were so many weird and funny experiences, so many I can't write them all. Things happened from a guy getting stuck in the bathroom for an hour, to me managing to split both pairs of my pants, to every single night wherever I was at, there was almost nonstop laughter. But as I said, there were so many, it would take a lot longer than I have to list them all, and some that shouldn't be shared.
That whole week I grew spiritually, and learned a few things. I leaned that with everybody helping, the task at hand is a lot easier, every little bit helps out. After coming back, I realized that people notice the hard work that you do. I didn't realize it at the time, but a lot of people were noticing all the extra work I did, and have commented on it. My mom's said a few people spoke to her about it, and my Trek Pa (in our ward) even mentioned it in his testimony in front of everyone. That week, I managed to grow a lot closer to my Trek family, getting to know each of them personally, my friends, and God.
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