Call's Called To Serve: Family fun, Family Ward

Monday June 26, the big 60 Birthday today for Sister Call. We spent the night at our home in Spanish Fork last night since we had the Post Trek Fireside for Spanish Fork South Stake. The early morning hours were spent mowing, wedding and taking care of the yard. Cory and Alesha Grisham are taking such great care of our home while we on on this mission. We just a few touch ups and mowed and edge so they could have a week off.

We stopped in at Lisa Call Pierson's work at Altus Fine Arts and picked up pictures we had ordered, and had to sign her cast and see where she works. (this is Elder Call's daughter)

Lisa Pierson, Elder Call's daughter at her workplace, we got to sign her cast.

Lisa Pierson and Sister Call

We met up with Sister Call's family for Zoofest. It was fun to have 20 of us there. What a hot but fun day to spend with them. It was so meaningful since Eric and Stephanie Sabin and their two boys were visiting from Oklahoma, David and Alyson Tregaskis and their daughter are visiting from Iowa.

All the Sabin grandchildren with Alyson showing off her pregnant belly with her soon to be new daughter.

Granddaughter Kelsie and Addy with friend Anne

Elder and Sister Call

Matteo and Eric Sabin (Eric has pictures of him by this when he was young, it's a tradition to get your picture taken by it.

Sister Call on her 60th birthday on the carousel with the grandkids

Ethan, Cooper, Blake

David and Olivia Tregaskis on the train ride

The whole Sabin tribe, enjoying some shade on this hot day

Pearker Sabin

We then went to Scott and Shamae Sabin's home for dinner and cake and ice cream. It was such a fun filled packed day with family.

Gaylene birthday June 26, Eric June 22, David June 28

Princess Claire and Grandma Gaylene, Claire birthday June 4

Enjoying the birthday party with the family

Tuesday June 27, after we finished getting everything ready for the trekkers tomorrow with all the jobs that need done we rode the trail for 28, with the Anderson's. Through all the cows and three hours later we were not even to the first night camp and water everywhere. We decided to go ride part of trial 6 that is not being used this week and see if we could shorten the first day's 10 mile walk and make it doable with this Ward Family, and find an alternate woman's pull. We made it back to camp at 7:00.

The trailer decorated when we returned home Monday night

Wednesday June 28, Elder Call gave the scripture today D&C 11: 11-12. "For, behold, it is I that speak; behold, I am the light which shineth in darkness, and by my power I give these words unto thee. And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good-yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit." We are really trying to do good on this mission and to walk humbly so we can have the Spirit with us and follow the promptings of the Spirit to bless these trekkers who come on these treks.

This week we are with the Lehi 22 ward with Elder and Sister Anderson. They have 87 people and so many small children, it was so fun to see these little ones as they all arrived in their pioneer clothes. One family has 5 boys and they are all young, the dad is from China and joined the church when he arrived in Utah. The boys names are Pierce, Ammon, Jaden, Braum, Isaac. The trek directors are the Paynes and they have 3 young children here on trek. One of the boys here is 14 and is 6'5" . He is from Heber but came with this ward and is the best helped. He is always helping with the little kids it is fun to see this big boy with these little ones. After lunch I walked into camp with James Tyberious Bulon, the most precocious 5 year old I have met. He talked about the solar system, and dinosaurs, and most of the systems in the body. I was stunned and he was adorable. When I met his parents they have 2 other children here, Gabriel Storm, and Leah Serenity. They name there children bible names and middle names after supernatural heroes.

For the little girls they had made dolls and the boys they made the game with a button and string and you wind it up and spin it.

Doll and button string game they made for the kids

Elder and Sister Anderson and Elder and Sister Call

Cute kids this week on trek with us

James Tiberius Bullen (such a precious 5 year old)

The little girls couldn't wait to walk in front and be the trail boss with Sister Call

Posing for the camera, can't wait to start trekking

Thursday, June 29, I am amazed how well this ward is doing with little ones, and teenagers all pitching in to help and everyone looking out for other families children. It was a testimony to me of what a true ward family is.

Sister Call and her little trail boss girls

Best friends on trek getting ready to leave

Elder Anderson, the little kids loved this gentle giant

Catherine had to pick me some flowers

Dad and son enjoying a story in the grass

Elder Call holding hands with some of the kids as they walked

When we got to camp the adults wanted to relax and talk in a circle. The little kids all had their chairs and got them out and set in a circle and entertained themselves. I got a couple of the teenagers to round up about 14 other kids and bring there buckets we taught them a fun game that Elder Peart taught us last year (chicken, taco, boom) Then we played (big bootie) this went on for a few hours. They wanted a relaxing trek, with not a lot planned and since it was a ward they wanted to relax and visit. We called a hoe down again, and there is a 11 year old boy Alex that we watched the first day dancing and so we asked him to called the hoe down with us and to help teach the 3 dances. He sang the whole song of, "Oh Johnny Oh."

Can't get enough of these cute kids

Friday June 30, today we had to cross a water crossing, and the Bishop was really glad for this to go along with the start of the modified Woman's Crossing. They seems to like the pull and a lot of the kids rode in the carts.

The water crossing on this trek

All the sisters gathered for the woman's pull

Sister Call was on support to get them to camp after lunch. This means driving the ranch mission truck and the port-a-john and water buffalo follows us to camp. Since this last night camp is so close to our missionary village I was able to take some leftover food back to our fridges. I had one of those what are the chances because of this. That morning I had posted on facebook about being with the cute kids in the Lehi 22 ward. I checked my phone for a minute where we have internet at the trailers and Mindy Mann Cowan, had responded that this was her ward. When I got back to camp I asked the Pynes if they knew the Cowan's and she said that her daughter Addy was here. Mindy grew up next door to us for 20 years and she was best friends with my daughter Sharley. Once I knew it was Mindy's daughter I could sure tell she looks so much like her mom. We had a wonderful talk about her grandfather that she never knew that had died of cancer before she was born.

Sister Call and Addy Cowan

Elder Call delivered the mail again as BOB, who can spell his name backwards and his horse Sliver, who was a true thoroughboard, and all the little kids had to surround him and pet his horse. It was really fun for them. Then Elder Call changed out of his vest and beard and hat, some of the kids wanted to know where Bob went, we told them that he had to go deliver mail to other trekkers here this week. Saturday morning they came up to the water buffalo driver and said I know it was you that was Bob. It reminded us a lot of Christmas and Santa.

All the kids loved Elder Call the pony express rider and his house.

Saturday July 1, this ward had a short walk out of camp to staging. Fun to spend the last four days with them and their cute families. After we got them all sent off and our Saturday chores done of washing the trucks and side-by-sides and emptying the water buffalo and vacuuming it out we prepared for 20 of Sister Call's family coming to stay for the weekend.

Lehi 22 ward leaving staging the last morning

Scott and Shamae Sabin and 4 children rented a trailer for the week to come and then they are going to Jackson Hole, Tetons, and Yellowstone. They got their trailer all set up and we toured the buildings. When we got to the trek center, Cooper who is 6 found a bird inside upstairs. So this was the start of bird rescuing this weekend. Shamae took off the screen of the only window and tried to shoo him out. He flew all around and crashed into a wall. We thought he may be dead, but then after a while Shamae coxed him onto a flyswatter and slowly walked him to the window. (So wish I would of had my camera to get a picture) Kelsie had a baby bird fall out of a nest and put it back. Also the killdear birds hatched and we got to see them.

We had dinner and met up with Sister Call's other 3 children at the rodeo in Evanston. The Lester's the stake president over this ranch came and they set by our family also. It was a perfect evening. The little kids got to participate in the chicken catch. They let about 3 chickens out and the different age groups of kids have to try and catch them. They start with the 5 year old kids. It is so fun to watch them try and catch the chickens. We had a caravan of mini vans back to the missionary village tonight for all the Sabin's to stay for the weekend.

Addy Sabin

Stake President of Evanston Stake the Lester;s and Elder Call

Enjoying the night at the rodeo with family

Fun at the rodeo

Sunday July 2, we had the Sabin family testimony meeting today for church, some forgot church clothes and with so many little ones we held our own church meeting here. We had to get some fun family pictures and we missed having Wylin and Kristen here, (this is Sister Call's other daughter). Olivia who is 1 loves the cows so we had to go see the cows, lot's of games played of pickle ball and hatchet throwing and one of the favorite things for the 4 little boys were playing with ropes that are used for mountain climbing. They packed these around and lassoed things and people. We went on a very dusty ATV ride and we sure got dirty. We saw a little bit of the ranch. We had a visit from BOB on sliver the horse around the fire pit and s'mores were in order to end the night.