We're going to miss you too!

Awhile ago, Shane and I were called by our Stake President to serve as a Ma and Pa for our Stake Pioneer Trek. We were so excited to have this opportunity to spend four days with kids from our area up in Martin's Cove...we knew that it would require good spiritual and physical preparation on our part, and we couldn't wait for the adventure.

We planned, prepared, and prayed for months. Shane and I wanted this to be an unforgettable experience for our 'family' on trek. We wanted our 'kids' to have the spiritual experience of a lifetime! The time spent together at the temple and on our knees in prayer was much needed time for the two of us to spend together...it felt so good.

The day before trek after I dropped off our buckets of belongings, I came home to find Dukie like this, snuggled under our already made bed. I'm sure he sensed that we were leaving! My brother Eric and his wife Nina always kittysit Duke whenever we go out of town, so I packed up Duke's things and we headed to their house to drop him off. It always feels so good knowing he is in good, loving hands!

On our 3 year anniversary, July 27th, I woke up at 2:00 AM feeling SICK. I figured I was just experiencing a mix of extreme excitement and anxiety, so I tried to brush it off. We arrived at the church to meet our family at 4:00 AM, and I was still so sick! All while meeting our 'kids' I was in and out of the restroom, hoping that my illness would pass. We all boarded the yellow school buses, and I wasn't quite sure that I was prepared for the seven hours of bus ride we had ahead of us!
By our first stop, I had to get off the bus because I was so sick. I slept in a car for the rest of the way to Martin's Cove, leaving Shane with our eleven (may I say, AWESOME) teenage 'kids'. Once we arrived, I didn't feel well enough to even sit through the video presentation about the sacred ground we were on. Once again a leader escorted me to the car to rest while everyone else trekked for the next 4 hours.
I tried to eat, and I tried to drink but I couldn't! I felt embarrassed to say anything because I figured the sickness would pass. 4 hours later, Shane and the medical crew found me in a miserable state...I hadn't realized that I was as sick as I was. They gave me a shot and hooked me up to an IV and quickly pushed 2000 CCs of fluid in me. I was carried to bed, and sadly, we were taken home the next morning.
Although I didn't have an opportunity to meet our 'family', that's the only thing Shane could talk about for days. Our 11 'kids' were amazing; they all got along with each other, they were prepared, and they kept their prayers with me the whole time.
All I could think of were the pioneers...how did they do it? They were sick, and I'm sure most of the time they felt absolutely awful, but they had the determination and will to push on. Their faith in the Lord kept their heads above water. We all have a little bit to learn about our ancestors, and just my two days of feeling miserable dressed in pioneer clothing, I learned a lot about them. I gained a testimony of their faithfulness to the gospel.

Maybe that's why we were called, maybe that's the answer I needed.


Although we were heartbroken, it was lucky we came home. After eight days of feeling sick, I'm thinking it's just about time to feel better!