All my stuff smells like pickles!

I just spent three days of awesomeness pulling a handcart in the middle of nowhere Wyoming wearing pioneer clothes and bug spray. And yes, I did volunteer for it. By the end of it we walked a total of 22 miles without showers, flushies, or any sort of running water. It was about as authentic as you can get in today's day and age.

I went on trek when I was a youth but it's a totally different experience when you're a Ma because you get to have you're very favorite Pa with you the whole time. One of the other best parts? Getting to know the members of Red 4--Taylor, Kaylie, Sam, Gary, James, Hayley, and Catherine.

They be the smooth to my jazz

Bonnets =pioneer sunscreen

The only thing I really succeeded at was slowing these mustangs down.

See what I mean?

We got out of it all with minor scraps and very few blisters... turns out duck tape really does fix everything.

There were lots of uphills

and downhills

and even some antiquing

Then we had the women's pull. Anyone who has been on trek knows what this moment is like...and that I can't adequately describe it to those who haven't.

After pulling a cart for a meager 3 days, I was quite a wreck! I was tired, stinky, and convinced that I needed at least a full week to fully recover. Then I remembered that during those 3 days I had eaten great food, had no health problems, and had 7 full sized chillen's to help pull all of our junk. It is at that point that I came to the conclusion that I have absolutely no idea how the pioneers did what they did for so many days and across so many miles! But after going on the trek and having had a small taste of what they did, I sure do appreciate all of the sacrifices that they made to make the life I have today possible.

"We must be sure that the legacy of faith received from the pioneers who came before us is never lost. Let their heroic lives touch our hearts, and especially the hearts of our youth, so the fire of true testimony and unwavering love for the Lord and His Church will blaze brightly within each one of us as it did in our faithful pioneers." -Elder Ballard

I agree Elder Ballard. Happy Pioneer day.