"BLESSED HONORED PIONEERS!" - Cousin Camp 2011

     Because I spent the week prior to the arrival of all the little people working on the Forsgren blogs my heart and mind were very in tune to what our early forbears went through...so it was meaningful and fun to have Pioneer Day be the theme of our 2nd annual Cousin Camp.

      I brought my Pioneer Day decorations from home so we could teach about handcarts and covered wagons

Mom's had made sunbonnets and skirts for their little girls.

Aunt Jill gathered everyone around to tell the pioneer story and teach, "For some must push and some must pull. . . until we reach the valley-o"

  We borrowed a wagon (that was the scaled down version of my handcart or covered wagon dream), loaded it up with heavy things (Ethan being part of the heaviness), bottles of water, "journeycakes" and beef jerkey and then gathered so that "Brother Brigham" could address us and tell us to not be faint of heart as we set off on our trek across the plains.

We made sure one had to carry a baby the whole way (a nice big teddy bear);  and took turns pulling and pushing the wagon over a few minor rises in the dirt road from our cabin toward the main road that bisects Mammoth Creek.

Way up ahead Grandpa and Tara are scouting out the territory for us.  That's grandpa wearing his authentic lime green pioneer T-shirt   :-)

It was just hot enough at mid-day to be a little uncomfortable.  We were glad to reach the cool stream.  We talked about how the pioneers didn't have a little bridge to cross like we did and so they would have to wade through the waters in their clothes and sometimes take the wagons apart to float them across.

We finally arrived at "Ft. Harris" (the shady steps of Victor's old boss's cabin) where we rested, ate our journey cakes and jerkey, drank some water and then started on again (this time back to the cabin)

We pointed out the beautiful Sego Lilys and told how the pioneers dug up the bulbs and ate them for sustenance when they didn't have other food. 

Our little trek was not far (about a mile and a half total), but it was hot enough and long enough to tire out little 3, 4 & 5 year old legs (and Grandma's 67 year old ones).  We waved at a neighbor on the way back.  Charles, who brought up the rear with 18 month old Ethan, told us that he stopped to chat with him and Paul actually said he thought we might be polygamists!   The nerve!

Other cousin camp activities included our favorite: homemade ice cream in a bag.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Uncle Peter showed us that this.....

....could eventually become this!!

 

The guys did their guy thing...and set the annual cousin camp tree planting movement in motion

Thank goodness adults have a longer attention span so the job gets finished.

We recapped our pioneer adventures round the campfire.  I don't suppose pioneers ate S'mores or roasted hot dogs, but they felt the same weary bones and the same "now the day is over" relief. 

Maybe, just maybe, some of those people smiled down on us from up in heaven and were proud of yet another generation of faithful, cherished descendants!  As proud of our accomplishments in overcoming the challenges of our day as we are of them for overcoming the challenges of theirs.

Oh, and P.S.  This is the view the trekkers didn't get to see.  This is what happens when there is enough moisture to make the dessert blossom like a rose.  (It is the summit of the next mountain range south that we drove through taking Victor to Scout Camp at Del Webb).  The wildflowers are especially wonderful and abundant this year.