Trek 2014 -- Day 3-5

Day 3
The next day we awoke to a dry warm tent (thank goodness since it never happened before.) and my first helping of oatmeal (seriously,  it was my first.) When were hiking along we came across a family attacked by a mob of heathens and they mother's husband was taken captive (what a bunch of water-frackers) and later a wagon which has been ripped apart by the same mob (ACID-BATHS,) and we had to take the families' children up a hill the made the past ones look like a tree root. We arrived at the campsite and later we had a hoedown (or as they called it "pioneer idol." We played games stuffed ourselves, and sang and danced. There was a light rain but what else could screw up. Boy that question was answered! So there I was brushing popcorn kernels out of my teeth we all the sudden I laid my eyes upon some horseback riders. At first I thought they were just performers at first but they weren't. IT WAS THE MOB!! Two members and three non-members (and I'm guessing they got a lot of pleasure out of the raid [and ruining the hoedown].) Even without the high powered weapons, foul language, and father-of-lies driven bloodlust, they were still intimidating. So we id what any saint back then would do; rush to the tent, grabbed our stuff our stuff and legged it (with our own legs.) Thankfully our refuge wasn't that far and we settled down, and had some hot cocoa. And with a few prayers the night was 'vampire bug' free and by the time the drizzle turned into a monsoon, we were safe in our tent.

Day 4 and 5

That morning we woke up to fresh biscuits and thankfully, no mob. While trekking through the pristine meadow we came across a couple digging a grave for their dead child. We first came across them since day two when the infant was severely ill and requested mustard. We couldn't give them any but they got it, however it was insufficient. So after listening to their inspiring words, we headed off once more. Later on all the men were gathered to witness the women's pull, an event where all the women and girls had to pull the handcarts on their own. We weren't allowed to help or cheer them on ( it's not sexism, it showed that they were as capable as men at doing the job). (And no, it's not feminism either.) It also shows that just because men and women aren't the same that we are still equal. We just have different capabilities, opportunities and responsibilities. It really plucked my heartstrings during the women's pull, to see them show so much strength and determination and so much resilience.
Now, onto the brighter stuff. One of them was when we were approaching our destination when all of a sudden under our feet was a garter snake!! After one of our family members screamed like a girl ( and no, it wasn't a girl, it was one of the guys)  we got to get a closer look and even hold it for a bit. But because it was wounded we had to let it go. We arrived at our destination, settled down, ate dinner, and had our fireside. All of the families got to show what talents they had to offer. Some people got to speak about how well we were doing and we bore our testimonies. With some faith and inspiration from Jeremy Kristensen, President Kristensen's son, I got up there and bore my testimony myself. Mine was analogy of the bog, from Day 2, and repentance. Picture this, pretend you are going down a trail -- that's life. You are trying to get to Zion. You are going along and you come along a trail that's very tempting to go through. Once you head through you realize too late that it's a bog that's sinking you down the longer you stay in. That represents sin. And the fact that you are carrying a wagon, representing all the burdens and tasks you have in life, can only weigh you down even further. However, you know how I said that I got around the bog doing some island hopping on some chunks of ground? If you can realize it, that represents the Holy Ghost who will stop you from going in the bog and provide you an alternate route. However, if you are already stuck in, just like there were other people who would push and pull and help you to get out of the marsh, that's like the Saviour helping you out of the marsh of sin, representing repentance. My final words were," there is no thought , no habit, no transgression, no addiction that can possibly take the Lord's mercy away from you. God loves you all. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

The final day was an exciting one, as it marked the final walk to Zion. There was a downpour when we woke up -- but was that going to stop us??--NO WAY!! Nothing eventful happened, except, when we got onto the open pavement, there was a herd of cattle and when we were nearing our destination we were greeted by the sounds of cheering people. It was so relieving to make it to our destination but to get a taste of what the pioneers went through. After taking some family pictures we were able to go into the church and partake of a delicious meal of strawberry cake, roast beef, salad and orange juice.

It was so relieving to overcome this great challenge and I'm so glad for all the people who made it possible for me to participate.

trek 2014 - Day 1 &2

Sorry I'm late. I got caught up with the holidays (again.) From June 15-19 I was on a pioneer trek to have a small taste of what my ancestors went through. While on it I recorded it in my journal. This is what I wrote in it.

Day 1
I arrived at the stake centre after a long drive. I had initial doubts about my well being but I was sure I could make it. We organized in to groups, had a dinner of beef, salad and buns, walked a bit then after that, camped for the night. The worst part about the day was my group taking forever to start a fire, and you can say I was burnt up about it.

Day 2
I was supposed to awake to the sound of a cannon, but I managed to sleep through it. After enduring the damp cold, I was greeted by the smell of pancakes and sausages, we ate breakfast and headed off. before we entered the woods we came across someone's home and a family standing on the balcony, but the people weren't cheering us on, they were NAYSAYERS! They also shot fireworks at us, and to make things worse, we stopped in the middle of it when some other families halted their progress. That was the least of our problems. When we reached the edge of the woods we were told to beware of stinging nettle (thank goodness we weren't in New Zealand [go look it up]) in the foliage (as if the persecutor's rhetoric didn't sting enough. Not only that, we encountered dozens of roots and stones that hindered our movement, and then to make it harder, the sun escaped the cloud cover, which made the heat hard to endure, and don't get me started on the mosquitoes. And to make it worse the ground was land mined with cow pies. We had lunch eventually but it did little to help. I desperately wanted to cool off and I got the chance but not the way I had in mind. On the trail we had to wade through a marsh of mud and water. many people got soaked up to their waist. ButI played it safe by doing some 'island hopping' on chunks of ground on a part of the bog. We reached the campsite, had a broth made from beef (which didn't taste good for me) and settled down. Thank goodness that we got over with  the day with the most walking.

Top 10 funniest Honest trailers

Ahhhh the honest trailer: one of youtubes most viewed content ever! Created in Feb. of 2013 to mock/satirize on the 3D release of Star Wars Episode 1, this became an internet phenomenon and put the channel screen junkies on the map. So in honor of their work I've made the top ten funniest honest trailers ever! With links below. I lied, you can just find them on any search engine.

10. Divergent 

9. Home Alone

8. Man of Steel

7. Home Alone

6. After Earth and The Last Airbender

5. Iron Man 3

4. Harry Potter

3. Independence Day

2. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

1. Pacific Rim

Announcements

-Revised 'Clean language is cool' with swear replacements

Everything's going "Uphill"

This post is about our most recent trip to Jasper National Park. It all started out with a quite 3 1/2 hour drive, and a stop at Subway. The silence ended with a competition to find the first wildlife with the prize being $5: Mom got first grabs when she saw a coyote despite numerous objections, but then Sophia stole it when she spotted deer. The hotel is the exact same one as I went to last year; a Best Western Motel with fireplaces two floor rooms and a swimming pool with a hot tub which we swam in later on, then we settled down for the night. The next morning we awaked to the sound of cable TV  and family eager to greet us. Soon after we got skis, and ski gear then headed for the mountain. When we got there, to my own discontent I left my mitts at the shop, so I had to borrow some from my relatives. When we set foot (or ski) we were greeted with a load of rough terrain which allowed my sister to do a bit of 'gymnastics.' The next few times before lunch we went up was just up to mid-mountain. We traveled up the the top once but when we got there it was a total whiteout. After that we ate lunch where I helped myself to some onion rings, french fries, a burger, and a chocolate milk. We did the same thing over again until we went inside when my joints were starting to ache then did some more runs. When we got back, I relieved myself of the pain by sitting in the Whirlpool back at the Hotel, but I left earlier due to sensory overload (it was crowded and noisy, two of my least favourite things.) The next day we took things even further on the mountain. We went as high as we can go on the chairlift and took different runs. I was doing the same speed and technique until lunch, that is where thing changed for the better. When inside my father criticized my slow pace (I was fastest on the Old  Road Run but anywhere else was a bit of an issue.) He explained that because I kept using the 'snow plow' move (where you put my skis together to make a triangle) it was the reason my legs were killing me. Believe it or not, the message got through to me and my technique and speed improved drastically. After skiing we headed with the family to L&W, a greek restaurant to celebrate my brother's 13th birthday (*insert dramatic tune here*) The day after that we dropped off all our equipment then did some window shopping where my brother got a fascinating piece of bismuth. On the way back we had another game of "Spot Some Wildlife" as I like to call it where this time I took the $5. (I spotted a heard of elk.) It was a great trip but there was one minor issue. Can my parents take me sometime when I'm not learning economics in social.

Venturer Winter 'Camp' 2014

Recently I got back from my camp in Nordegg, and believe me it was quite the experience. It began with a ride in the Motorhome, the only stuff that happened were us engorging on mom's signature cinnamon buns and playing games of Slap and Snort. Before we arrived we got stuck in a ditch and the elders vainly tried to get out, but soon a truck came by and noticed us, and towed us out. Soon enough I became transfixed in the National Geographic Magazines they had to offer. Later we played games of Foosball and after dinner we had other round of Slap and Snort and I was introduced to Liar's Dice. The next morning we did the priority objective of the camp, our FOCUS, (or Leadership training.) We went over things such as what makes a good leader and causes of stress. The minute that was out of the way, we went snowmobiling. We we set off, believe me they were 10x as fast as the quads in Barrhead. I wasn't driving even though I never get distracted on the quads, and besides it's a whole new machine. After a quick drive we stopped, set up a fire and roasted smokies, and on the way back we hit a jump. It was like this for the next day before we left. And it's something I'll never forget.

Road Rage

Now, I said in the last post about the false alarm with the fire department. As if things couldn't get any worse, another incident happened last monday. I was going to get a game for  my Wii U that I got for Christmas. So there we were driving on Ottewell road the direction we take to the church when all the sudden we spin out of control and scathe a small pickup truck. And my parents say i'm going to screw up on the road. The left side of the van was dented and the headlight window was broke. Thankfully the driver we hit wasn't as mad as he should've been. Then he took us to his insurance company which was less than 2 blocks away; By that strip mall with IGA. Once that was done we headed over to the police station where we should've gone in the first place. Mom called Dad the minute we hit and he advised we should go to the authorities. Once that was settled we headed home; and I was disappointed we didn't enjoy the day like we should've had. Speaking of driving, you know how I have been begging for a learner's permit or even the driver's book. Well, my parents say I going to have to learn I'm not permitted to drive their vehicles when I get a license.