Celebrating 30 years, pioneer style

Nothing quite like celebrating your 30th wedding anniversary waking up in a small tent feeling dirty, tired and ugly. But with the help of disposable cleansing cloths and some clean undies, we were on our way to what will probably be our most unusual anniversary ever.

Our anniversary fell on the third day of our 15 mile hike. The end was in sight.

We exchanged gifts in our tent that morning: I gave him a half a bag of cheetos from Wednesday's lunch (this was Friday) and he gave me a small bag of fruit snacks from Thursday's lunch. It was very romantic.

We actually both ate our gifts right then at 5:30 a.m. to give us enough energy to get up and fix breakfast for our nine children and break camp to ready ourselves for the last 5 miles (mostly downhill) - think toes jamming into the ends of your shoes all day.

And, of course, I added a couple of excedrin to my morning snack in order to be able to make it out of my tent.

Our four strong boys: Michael, Peter, Matt and Jacob (our fifth one never showed, hmmm...)

Our five strong, beautiful girls: Andreya, Brandi, Ashley, Maddie and Mackensie
A water, snack and pioneer story break along the trail. This was day 2 when we hiked over 5 miles up a mountain. It was REALLY hard. The estimated weight of the fully loaded carts was about 500 pounds. I found out this day that maybe I truly did have a bit of pioneer blood in me when I realized I would sit pretty much anywhere, regardless of what creepy crawlers might be lurking on that stump, near that rock, or on those weeds. AND, I ate food with dirty hands. Eww.
Our amazing children pulling and pushing that cart uphill all day. The Ma and Pa weren't supposed to help but we did on the hardest parts--especially the Pa. Someone had to take the pictures.
Jacob leading the way.

There were nine trek families in all, about 90 - 100 kids. We were hiking in the mountains in Northern California east of Redding. It was really neat to look ahead and see a bunch of handcarts being pushed in front of you or to look back and see them behind you, depending on which day it was. It really did look pioneerish.

We would stop along the way and adults would share pre-assigned pioneer vignettes about real experiences, mostly from the Martin and Willie handcart companies. Greg was asked to speak twice, once filling in for someone else who couldn't make it. He did a great job both times.

His second talk was by the "Sweetwater" river (it's pioneer name). Everyone sat down by the river and he asked us all to close our eyes. Then he pulled out his harmonica and played "Come, Come Ye Saints". He played one verse and then had two of our trek daughters sing the 4th verse while he accompanied them. It was really moving, sitting there listening to that harmonica with the sound of the river in the background.

This is also where I was assigned to give my little talk. I told briefly about my great, great Grandpa William Stimpson who came across with the Martin handcart company. He started out with 2 young sons and a pregnant wife and ended up in the Salt Lake Valley with just one son. He buried his 2-year-old near the Platte River and two weeks later buried his wife and newborn son soon after she gave birth. They are buried near Independence Rock.

I showed the book that I was given by mom and dad that lists all of us Stimpson kids, spouses and grandkids as descendants of William and encouraged all the kids to write about this experience in their journals. I told them how grateful I am that some people kept journals back then so we could know these stories because my great, great grandpa couldn't read or write. He had to sign his marriage certificate with an X.

After all the boys and men were required to carry all the girls and women across the river, we finally got to sit and put our feet in the water. That felt like a little piece of heaven.

The river area was so beautiful--I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it. I guess I was just too exhausted. And nervous about my talk.

I know that I'll never forget this anniversary or this experience.

We got back Saturday afternoon and it is now Sunday morning. I could barely walk down my stairs this morning because my calf muscles are so sore.

I read my email and found out at 7 a.m. I was supposed to attend Welfare Meeting at 9 a.m. I begged off saying I was staying home this morning to tend to my banged up body.

That's the pioneer spirit.

I promise I'll go to church at one.