Handcart Trek

Jessalyn, Isaac, Joel, and Aysha had the opportunity to trek to Martin's Cove, Wyoming, this week, studying the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies.  Our stake leaders began preparing this journey last year, and they asked each youth to prepare his or her own period clothing to increase the spirit of the adventure.

We delegated most of the sewing to Aysha, who has the most experience, the best equipment, and the most room in her bedroom to set up a clothing-making factory.  She sewed her skirt and the "possibles bags" earlier this spring at the church with the help of Relief Society sisters called to outfit our modern pioneers. This week, Aysha, Jessalyn, and I devoted almost all of our time to sewing bonnets, hats, and a second skirt for Aysha while Isaac and Joel kept Alexander busy, cooked meals, and washed dishes.  Both the boys and the girls said that they wouldn't trade jobs.  Sometimes we had Jessalyn on Aysha's sewing machine, me on Jessalyn's sewing machine, and Aysha at the ironing board, all working on separate projects.  We finished the night before they left at 7:00.

Doesn't Aysha look like Holly Hobbie?

At 4 a.m. the next morning, we were all up to send them off.  They met the other youth at the stake center and boarded three buses to take all 200 youth to Wyoming.

Boarding the wagon trains

They survived thunderstorms all night the first night, wet, cold, heat, and lack of the comforts of home for three days.  They came home very tired, but happy and glad that they went.

I greeted them with a warm dinner for the girls and cupcakes for the boys.  The kids ate almost all 24 of the cupcakes!  We are all glad they are home!