The Trekkers Return

Sometimes it's hard to begin . . . to find a place to start the story . . . even with the pictures in place, there is just too much to write down. So pardon the brevity . . . I simply can't write it all. Erik left on Monday the 8th; Christine left Friday the 12th to participate in our Stake's Pioneer Trek. Erik and I were both supposed to be up there helping with site prep, but I simply couldn't leave some of our kids (not to mention some of their issues) for someone else to look after. So, Erik went alone, to dig holes, to chop firewood, to cart water, to sleep on the ground when his air mattress went flat, to get stung on the tongue by a bee. (This is a good time to remind yourself not to drink out of a juice can that has been setting out). He was able to call home several times, and reported how cold it was (36 degrees at night), how windy it was (non-stop from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), how wet it was (rained every night), and how tired he was (hitting the sack just as soon as dinner was done). Hard worker or hardly working - it's not for me to say. Pioneer Trekking Christine, ready to push a handcart, but not ready to say good-bye to little brother. All showered and clean, and ready to start walking. The Aloha Bucket, equipped with all her basic needs (not to include deodorant, makeup, electronic devises, etc.)

That was the BEFORE . . .

And this is the AFTER . . .

Look at this brown beauty - I'm talkin' about the skin not the dress. Lesson from the Trek #1 - brown people really do burn - Mom wasn't lying all those years she insisted on the use of sunscreen. Lesson #2 - walking in the dirt and not showering for 4 days produces a pretty layer of dirt in the ears, and a great amount of dirt encrusted under the fingernails. Welcome home weary travelers!