The Invalid

Training Trek

Friday July 18th at 3:00pm a group of Young Single Adults and stake leaders gathered together and piled into vehicles to make their way to Deseret Land and Livestock in northeastern Utah. Upon arrival they eyed the carts that would pull their belongings into the wilderness...onto the plains.

They were divided into families and loaded their carts. When one of the families drug their cart onto the road they noticed some problems. It was falling apart. Thankfully there was a spare, unlike the pioneers.

So after the cart was traded out, this group began their journey. The road was rocky and the wind intense. However, it was much appreciated due to the warm temperatures. They pulled and pulled their handcarts along the dusty trail. When twilight was descending they made their way to the base of a hill.

At this time they faced a new trial. The men left. The women were left alone to pull on their own. A prayer was said and the journey again moved forward. It was hard, but they were determined not to give up. Once the hill was crested, the men walked along side, but they did not assist. Then all at once they jumped in to help. The load was lightened, the burned was lifted. They reached their destination. Tears were shed as they joined in the beloved anthem "Come Come Ye Saints".

That night they bunked under the stars with the full moon to give them light. It was cold, but they endured. At first light they arose and packed their carts. Then came the fun.

Games were played and a yummy breakfast eaten. This was not just a time of sorrow and difficulty. Friendships were strengthened and spirits were lifted.

Then it was time to move again. As they turned their carts back home they remembered the laughter, the love, and the spirit that was felt.

Halfway back along the trail one sister stepped in a hole and sprained her ankle. Before she could say another word she was surrounded by assistance. A place to sit, a cup of water. Her ankle was wrapped and iced and help was on the way. This was the end of her journey, but the others continued on without complaint.

They made it back. What a time they had. Never to be forgotten. They were able to have an ever so small taste of what it was like for their pioneer ancestors. Now they wait and prepare to help the youth have the best Trek experience possible. The preparation continues...

Family Visits

This past week John, Misa and their five children spent a couple of days with us. I love seeing my family! We had fun playing. My mom took some super cute pictures of Abby in my pioneer bonnet.

We also took some fun pictures together.

I have such a cute neice! I think I connect well with her because she's the only girl just like me. Rock on!

My Day Off

Going downtown is somewhat of a "glamorous" thing to do when you live in Utah. It's the epitome of coolness. Today Christina and I happened to both have the day off, so we planned to trek downtown to do a session at the SLC temple. Unbeknownst to us, the temple is closed for cleaning. Isn't that always how it goes?

However, we did not let the day get away from us. To redeem the experience we took the train to Gateway to do some fabulous shopping. Actually though, we mostly just longed to get some more practical clothing to change into for strolling the streets of downtown Salt Lake City. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Nauvoo Cafe, my new favorite restaurant downtown, then we strolled the streets of Gateway. After a long slew of shopping we found our way to the food court where we refreshed ourselves with cold drinks and some ice cream.

Throughout the day we tried desperately to locate my former companion Sister Torres on Temple Square. After much searching, we found her in the North Visitor's Center. I was so excited to see her again.

We made our way to the train and took the slow ride back down to Sandy. It was a good day. I'm a bit sunburned and sore, but I had a great day off!

The Haircut

If there is anything in this life that I am unafraid of, it's haircuts. Throughout my life I have gone through the never ending cycle of haircare. I have had more perms than I can count, more color jobs than I can remember and more haircuts than I can recall. However, in my mind there are few things more liberating than chopping off those obnoxious locks! Don't get me wrong, I love long hair, but after a while I reach the breaking point. I come to a wall where I must either drastically alter the color or chop it off. As you can see by the picture, this time I opted for the latter. However, in this instance I did indulge myself in some dynamic highlights. I am quite pleased with the result.
I shall never understand why some women are so terrified to cut their hair. Hair grows, and always will. Due to this glorious fact, I have the wonderful opportunity of changing my hair whenever I see fit, with really no eternal consequences. Life is good.