Trek

Wyatt and I had the opportunity to go on the trek with the Pasco and Pasco North Stakes. It was INCREDIBLE! I loved every minute of it. The spirit was amazingly strong during the trek. Those youth are AMAZING!! They can do hard things! I don't think we give our youth enough credit for what they can do. These kids were put in families where they didn't know anyone or maybe knew a couple of kids and maybe their Ma and Pa, yet they got along so well and worked really hard together. And although I didn't see Wyatt too much except at meal time (I went as a cook) and maybe during stops when we handed out ice blocks or filled water containers and when I got to trek the last day, his ma and pa said what a great kid he was and how much help he was in their family (I guess what else could they say besides nothing?). The best thing about the trek was that the spirit had touched so many kids that the following Sunday most of the youth in our ward that went, stood up and bore their testimonies. It was the best meeting we had had in a long time. I am so grateful for that opportunity to go. I'd do it again in a heartbeat and with all the belly aching Wyatt did before, he actually loved going.

Dillon Stephenson, TJ Fa'amausili, Rychardt Whitby, Johnathan Mc Cormack,Wyatt, Isaiah Foster

Pasco 1st Ward

Michael Johnson,The Baughs, Dillon, TJ, Bishop Perdue, Rychardt, La'auli Fa'amausili, Johnathan, Wyatt Isaiah, Garin Whitby, Gavin Holway, Jacob Jenks, Logan Perdue, Jared Rasmussen

Miranda Nelson, Hailey Stillwell, Kendra Sasayaket, Monica Law, Carrie Stephenson, Hailee Perdue, Grace Wallace, Megan Johnson, Karra McMannamon 

Chatting it up before they divide into their families.

What an awesome sight to see so many youth from 2 stakes participating in this trek.

Wyatt's best friends...

Johnathan McCormick, Kevin Bair, Brock whitby, Wyatt, Rhychardt Whitby (behind), Zach Whitby, Hayden Whitby, Garin Whitby

 Wyatt's Trek Family

The Orton's, Bentley, Bishop Wells, Gabe

Karrigan eppich, Emma Nieforth, Wyatt, Ethan Lott, Steven Phillips

Of course Wyatt doesn't remember the other girls...

I absolutely LOVE this picture! He is so handsome.

Becky Andersen, Jill Lybbert, Meredith Harker

We didn't get to trek the first day or the second for that matter, which was such a bummer for me, so the ladies obliged my need for trek experience by allowing me to pull them in a handcart. It was too much fun! Wish I could do it everyday for exercise. It was a workout but does not compare to this...

This was the hill they climbed before they reached camp the first day. Someone would run a rope down the hill and tie the rope to the cart. While some pushed behind the cart others pulled at the top...

 Wyatt, TJ, and Cortez Ruiz watching Yellow company pull their handcarts up.

Some of the activities they were able to do were, archery and bbguns. Wyatt was happy I found one of him shooting the bow because there were so many pics of him dancing (below)

Preparing to serve the first meal of the day...Chili and biscuits.

Taking a break after serving hundreds of trekkers.

This is a cool picture Kim Whitby took of all the trekkers dancing the Virginia Reel. Wyatt is actually in the middle toward the bottom left.

There were 15 photographers who took all these amazing photos on the trek. I had to peruse over 9,000 pictures to get the ones I wanted.

I loved the fact that they did a bunch of dances and almost all of the kids participated. Even Wyatt and all his buddies seemed to be having a good time. Although now he won't admit it.

Wyatt, Brock, and Kendall Rodriguez

 Even I got dance time...can you spy the Hawaiian pioneer?

Wyatt and tanner Torrescano

Back to trekking for the second day.

President Montierth (our Stake President in the center) and Bishop Perdue

Taking a break. The second day of the trek was HOT!!!! and that is an understatement! It was around upper 90's that day. There were a few who got sick but luckily only two needed IV's...but EVERYONE finished the trek. A lot of blisters too. It just happened to be the hottest week so far of that entire summer.

That second night every youth got a letter from their parents or someone close to them. I've never asked Wyatt what he thought of ours, but I hope he felt how much we love him.

 

Danny Valdez, Wyatt, and Rychardt 

That night we served roast beef and mashed potatoes, corn, and blackberry cobbler. It was a hit. Trekkers came back for seconds, thirds and fourths. They were that hungry and it tasted soooo good.

Dorothy Eppich, Verdeen Jenks (trek leader), me, and Becky

The third day of trek all the cooks were able to join the trekkers. I.WAS.ECSTATIC!! It happened to be the women's pull. The men left the women to pull the handcarts by themselves up a hill about a quarter of a mile or so. For some trek families it wasn't to hard. They had strong older girls. For others it wasn't so easy.   

We were able to go back down and help those who needed help so I went down about three or four times. (I had energy because I hadn't been trekking the whole time) 

 The Priesthood on their way up the hill to meet the women at the top. They were given a talk by their leader and then watched at the top of the hill as some struggled to pull their handcarts. Some of the comments by the girls were that they didn't appreciate or realize how much those boys actually did. In my sons testimony that Sunday, that was one of the things that he mentioned...how hard it was to watch and not be able to help.

The Priesthood waiting to help as the women puled their handcarts to the top. What a relief it was to have them help that last part of the hill.

I had asked the Orton's if they didn't mind if I trekked a long with them so I could spend a little time around Wyatt. They were great and let me come along. Wyatt thought they were awesome which helped him really enjoy his trek experience. I cannot express how grateful I was for that.

Ending the trek with smiles all around. I don't think I've ever seen youth so happy to finish something.

Purple Company led by Bishop Wells was one of the last to come in.

The Orton Family after the trek.

Wyatt and Tanner chillin' in the shade and happy they have grass to lay on.

Ethan Whitby, Braden Whitby, Cortez, Johnathan, Wyatt, Bishop Petersen (Wyatt's AWESOME seminary teacher!)

Doing what boys do...whatever that is

Games were played after the youth settled into camp for the last night.

 The cooking crew minus Lana, and Nancy Schultz.

Steve and Chantelle Rhoads, Jill, Sam and Meredith Harker, Becky, Dorothy, and Lisa Merrill 

 Just going over this still brings tears to my eyes. I will forever be grateful that I was asked to go. My only wish would be that John could join me next time like he was supposed to but couldn't because of work.

I loved the ladies and men that I worked with as a cook and just had a really good time.

Our Sealing

This has been the day that we have been waiting for. A day that has brought so much joy in our lives. He is such a precious little boy. Some words that describe our day are: 

BEAUTIFUL

PEACEFUL,  JOYOUS

MIRACULOUS,  SERENE

FAMILY

 LOVE

 SPIRITUAL

 FAITH PROMOTING

ETERNAL

There were so many challenges leading up to this day but as John said "All of the challenges and trials came to a halt when we all entered the Salt Lake Temple to have Kekoa sealed to us forever." I couldn't have said it better. From financial struggles the past few months, to kids (mine and my sister Nezhone's), John and I getting sick this past week, to self doubt about whether I was the best mother for him the last two months, I know now that satan was trying all he could to prevent this. I am grateful for my testimony in our Savior. I know that He lives and loves each and every one of us. I know he loves our birth mom and has helped her through the most difficult challenges especially that of placing her precious child with a family she had met ONCE. We love her. We will always love her. Her strength is a testimony to us that our Heavenly Father is a God of miracles and that he hears and answers prayers...and it is not always on our timetable. As our birth mom said, "I often wonder if the Lord would have told you to adopt had I not been messing my life up at the time. That is how passionate I feel that Jason was meant to be in your family."

She just might be right.

Some wonderful people were able to join us for this day. My sisters Nezhone and Maile and her husband Cliff, my brother Kimo and his wife Andrea, John's brother Ian and his wife, both mine and John's mom, and some GREAT friends, Per and Zandra Anderson, and Duane and Carriann Newman. We are so glad they could spend this day with us.

To end this post I wanted to write some of the kids' feelings and thoughts.

Wyatt: "I am glad that Kekoa could be part of our family forever. I felt peace."

Te'alani: "I was so happy that Kekoa could be ours and I cried and it was really hard not to cry and I thought the temple was really cool. I was excited."

Israel: "I felt happy and excited. I thought it would be fun having a little brother forever."

Nyah: "I felt excited when he got sealed to us. I am so happy that Kekoa is in our family."

To John and I this has been one of the most miraculous, challenging, and greatest moments in our lives from beginning to end.

Thank you Jess for the best gift ever, for listening to the spirit, and for being a part of our lives.