Feeling good with the Thelers

Monday July 10, for our preparation day we went to Salt Lake to exchange trucks with Scott Sabin. He took our truck last week to pull the trailer they rented to go to Yellowstone, Tetons, Jackson, Wyoming. We met up at his job site at Primary Children's Hospital. He gave us a tour of what they were working on there. He is the Project Manager for Jacobson Construction.

Elder Call and Scott Sabin explaining his project at Primary Children's Hospital

Elder Call and Scott Sabin on the roof  by the helicopter pads of Primary Children's Hospital

This rock was stuck in the break caliper of our truck. The Sabin's borrowed our truck for their trip. A $203.00 fix.

Family night we had a nice evening with Cindy Hartley, Jenny and Jolene Buckley who were in the Cokeville School when the bomb went off were survivors of the bomb blast. They were 6-10 years old when the bombing took place and it was very interesting to hear how it had affected their lives. Some good and some not so good. Cindy Hartley was the sheriffs daughter who the movie was about. Jolene and Jenny Buckley were with her and they enjoyed being reunited. It was interesting to learn that most of the kids and teachers involved do not talk much about it. It is hard for them to relive the events.

Cindy, Jolene, Jenny

Tuesday July 11, the cows are back this week in the sheering corals while the cowboys take care of them. It is amazing to see how they rope them and get them all moving. They are so skilled in taking care of them.

The cowboys and cows in the corrals by our trailers

Wednesday July 12, trekking this week with Tooele East Stake, we are on trail 6, the first day is a 10 mile day, and they are feeling it by the time they get to came about 6 pm. They have 24 handcarts, the lead missionaries are the Thelers. They have 290 people. There theme is: "Press forward with Unwavering Faith, find strength in Christ." They have been on trek every 4 years and they always have weather issues, of rain or snow. Before we left staging President Pankratz gave a beautiful prayer and asked that the elements be tempered while they were on this trek. The Stake Young Men's and Stake Young Woman's Presidents are the trail boses. Bret Nicholasen, and Ronda Swasey. President Taggart another member of the Stake Presidency is also on trek this week. The people driving support have really easy names: Andy, Dan, Mitch, Mike.

They have flower sack babies that each family has to carry. The young women made them and each one has a different baby pajamas on. They are quite heavy with 10 pounds of flour in them for the main body. It was fun to see all the different ways they came up with to carry them with bandannas tied together.

The Calls and the Thelers

Darren, and his pioneer baby Floyd

Rebecca turned 12 today, and Sister Call, she had a special birthday song sung to her.

Bishop Terry Wright, who is the senior vice president of Jacobson Construction, Sister Call's son Scott boss.

One of the wards singing at the nightly devotional

Trekkers on the trail

Thursday July 13, we have the scripture today and I shared this thought about the Pioneer's: "I will never get over being thankful to the pioneers. I hope you never get over being thankful for them. I hope that we will always remember them and let us read again and again, and read to our children's children the accounts of those who suffer so much." President Hinckley

The scripture is Psalm 100: 3-4 "Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with purpose, be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Since they only have 4 miles to walk today we stayed in camp until 1:00 and played games. They had watermelon eating contest, tug of war, stick pull, horse shoe toss, corn hole game with bean bags, and jump rope. Elder Call did the pony express mail delivery as Bob, on his his splinter. The Stake President had to sing, "I am a child of God." and he did it in opera, it was impressive. We had a beautiful walk along the lake to their next camp. This trail is my favorite one. The hoe down was fun again with Lucky calling it. They danced at 5:30 and then we took Lucky to another Stake to call a hoe down at 7:00. One of the port-a-john drivers wanted to keep dancing. He loves hoe downs. I told him to go to the other Stake and then to come back next week since Lucky will be coming again. It is always so fun to visit with new people every week. We made butter out of cream, by shaking it in little cups. They had scones later that night a fun idea. A great talk by the member of the Stake Presidency on not getting distracted, and staying on the trail. He used the analogy from the movie, "Up" of the dog, Doug who gets distracted by squirrels. A great talk that the youth can really relate to. On the way back to our trailers we saw two dear with the velvet on their antlers. A end to a wonderful day.

Watermelon eating contest 

Three legged race

Stick pull

Tug of war

Horse shoe toss

Elder Call as Bob the pony express delivery with his horse Splinter

Elder Call and President Pankrats receiving the mail

The hoe down with the Thelers dancing

Thelers relaxing in camp

Sister Call making butter from cream

Friday July 14, this is woman's pull on trail 6 and and I had a wonderful talk with the Dr in the 4 wheeler on the way up. She has been the best Dr I have seen on trek and so positive. She keeps smiling and saying, "that is so lovely," she had to spend the night before at the Evanston hospital since a boy's diabetic pump came out, she was there for 6 hours and no sleep, but just the sweetest Dr I have ever seen.

Dr Owen and Sister Call. She always had on bright lipstick

The wind came up at the port-a-john stop and then light rain in the afternoon, so they had a perfect afternoon walk to camp. Sister Call was on support and when she got to camp they had been dumped on, and pouring water off the top of all the dutch ovens. This was a testimony of Stake President Pankratz prayer for the weather to be good for these trekkers. Light rain during their closing devotional.

The boys leaving for the woman's pull

The woman having their meeting in a beautiful meadow before the woman's pull.

The woman's at the start of the woman's pull

Going across a water crossing

Saturday July 15, a great Stake to say good bye to and so many memories with them. The normal clean up of trucks, side-by-sides and water buffalo's and Ekins invited us to dinner. We had a fun visit with them about their trek and ours and after dinner we went shopping at Smith's, and after they checked out Elder and Sister Johnson who where missionaries here last year and live in Evanston were in line behind Ekins. It is one of those what are the chances. We had a wonderful visit with them, they are such great friends and we sure miss them here with us this summer.

President Pankratz with the handcart gift and Elder Call

Sister Call and Ronda Swasey, Stake Young Womans President, with all the hats from lost and found

Sister Call and Sister Jackson, she was in charge of the food, we loved to tease her, Elder Call

The song book for the week

Sunday July 16, grandparents again today of number 26. Char and Chis Call are new parents of their first child. Ethan James Call, born at 5:55 p.m. 7 lbs 4 ozs. 19 3/4 inches long. Each new little spirit that is born is such a blessing.

Ethan James Call, our newest grandbaby

We had a special family night tonight by the Moriettis. They are missionaries here from Lyman, Wyoming. They told about their mission in 1993 to Russia. They went in their 40's. What a great example of faith and trust in the Lord to go and serve at that time in their lives. They had many miracles that happened as they served there.

The Moriettis with some of the things they collected from Russia mission.