the TREK

Maryn went on her first Stake Youth Conference.

It was a pioneer Trek.

I think I was more excited it about than she was because although I have always wanted to do one I never have.

I drove a car load of kids the 90 minutes to the site. 

Felt the excitement in the air,

asked Maryn to put on her bonnet so I could take a picture of her,

and left the kids to their Ma, Pa, family and handcart.

(I believe this is the one and only time that Maryn wore her bonnet. 

Keep reading and you'll understand that she had very poor judgement in not putting on her bonnet again for the next 3 days.)

Doesn't she look like good Laura Ingalls or something?

At the end of the 3 days the parents were asked to come to watch the kids return to the "Salt Lake Valley" or the starting point of their TREK.

We did and ended up waiting for 2 hours because the handcarts had a hard time coming down the mountain. 

It was worth it though because the sight of them all coming 'round the bend,

pulling their loaded carts

looking like real pioneers,

 knowing their last 3 days had been

tough,

spiritual

and fun

brought tears to all the mom's eyes.

Maryn was in a daze. 

Dirty

Stinky

and sunburned

BAD.

Once they arrived they had to disassemble their own family's handcart.

There were SO many people who were involved in putting on this TREK.

It was overwhelming and made us parents so grateful to them.

With the TREK people and the parents who came to watch there was a multitude of people.

They fed the multitude a super lunch.

Maryn, on the ground on the left.

They were having a hard time wanting to break up their little family who had bonded so much during this time.

The clean Slichtas on their lawn chairs eating their corn on the cob

while the dirty Ma and Pa Debenham sat right on the dirt to eat their corn on the cob.

Writing notes to her "family."

With Rebecca. 

Maryn didn't believe me when I told her I wasn't aware of women pioneers who wore pink bandannas.

Maryn was caught wiping off her pink Nike logo with a rag once when they sat down to rest. 

Brother Hamilton in our ward called her the pioneer Princess.

Although no one was allowed to bring make-up on the TREK

Maryn wore enough the first day to have it last all 3 days.

Who does this girl belong to?

Nonetheless we were so happy to see her and have her home. 

We could tell that she had some special times living like a pioneer woman.

Maryn's face, neck, head and ears were so sunburned.  

She never answered me when I asked if she wished she would have worn her bonnet. 

Pioneers weren't so dumb ya know.

Everything they wore had a purpose.

Even their aprons weren't for decorations or for cooking.  They had many uses.

Bonnets weren't for being cute...

duh!

I am happy to say that Maryn didn't suffer any scaring from her sunburns.  She looked terrible and couldn't stand the dry, blistering skin.

It was torture to not want to peel the skin off prematurely...

but, she did.

Maybe next time she'll want to take 2 bonnets.