Pioneer Children walk and walk and walk....

 The second day!
We found ourselves pushing and pulling, up and down hills...
Big hills!  Steep hills!
Lots of work!
But so much fun to watch the kids work together.

When we were asked to be 'ma and pa'
we were given the option of having our own kids in the family.
We talked to them and gave them the option also, but said they wanted to be with us.
Thayne said he really wanted our kids in the family.
I asked him why... he said because he knows how hard they work, of course!

This was the big pull, on the last full day of the trek.
We cut through brush, up hills with no trail but the real challenge came
with the big hill before we made it to 'the valley'...
It made me truly appreciate what the pioneers went through,
knowing that their trek was for real, and ours was just to honor them.
I was amazed at how the kids worked together. 
This was a serious hill, down and then back up,
And dangerous if one of the carts got loose.
Everyone worked so well together...
and our three kids just blew my mind!
They are so protective of us... they watched over their dad,
Not wanting him to hurt his back again.  They are amazing!!!
They are TOUGH!!!

After we got our handcart down the steep hill, and back up again,
we had time to rest. 
Except our boys didn't rest.
They watched the other families headed down the hill, and ran back to help.
Over and over again.
They were exhausted... but they found so much joy in helping everyone else.
I have no doubt that they would have been the ones to go back to rescue those stranded.
They would have been the first to volunteer...
They would have carried us over the Sweetwater if that was what they had to do!
They ran up and down the hill helping everyone...
and found great joy in doing it.

I feel so blessed to have experienced something like this with our kids...
To see them find joy in helping others and to give that help so unselfishly.
I am grateful to see that they 'get' that life isn't all about them,
and that they are happiest when they are giving.
They understand that when they lose themselves in serving others,
they are truly happy.
They live that way every day of their life...
It wasn't a big deal to give, because that is what they do.