Pioneer Day and Stoddard Family Reunion!

How thankful I am each time I think about the pioneer ancestors I have and the difference they've made in my life!  Without them, I wouldn't be where I am or know what I do.

It doesn't hurt, either, that we get a fun holiday, Pioneer Day, to honor them.  We started things off Wednesday, when we drove down to Utah.  We stopped to pick up the rest of the fireworks, including "The Mother-in-law" (which costed $100...ahhh!  Luckily, a few pitched in money because Dave had already spent $100 on fireworks).  We picked Amy & Boji up (from their "village" as Cal said) to drive down with us.  That was fun to chat and laugh with them the whole time.  Boji melts my heart, he is SO cute!  And I love my sissy, what a great lady!  We stopped at Taggerts restaurant to get some carrot cake for the road, my first time eating their dessert (I went there for dinner once) and it was so amazing!  One of the best I've tried.  We also saw a wild fire just by there burning up the mountainside, which was sad.  We made it down to Bountiful just in time for the Handcart Days parade.  It's the best one around, if you ask me!  Love this homespun parade.  We were so glad to see all of our families there and to see the kids hang out with the cousins.  We were especially excited to see Emma again!  It felt like she had been gone forever, and it seemed as if she'd grown up a little more in the week and a half she spent with family.   Lucy kept saying "soon we get to see our real sister!" when she talked about picking Emma up in Utah.  Emma and Tayla and Amber all had a blast together.  Cal and Kaison (though it had only been a week) acted as if they'd never been detached at the hip.  Lucy & Brody running to each other, yelling out each others names, and embracing each other when we first got there was priceless!  And seeing Boji and Covey (a.k.a. Mr. Squishy to Amy) look at each other and pull their cheesy two-tooth grins is so cute!  <3

That night, we went back to the Ryerses for some pizza and to just hang out with the gang.  We decided not to go the firework show for Handcart Days, as we've had a hard time getting a good seat the last few years. 

On Pioneer Day, we woke up early to go to the Canyon Estates ward neighborhood breakfast.  This is a tradition that goes back as far as I can remember.  We had some yummy pancakes, bacon and sausage, fruit, juice and milk.  It was fun to see some of the girls I was in YW with who were visiting their parents also, some of my old leaders, neighbors, and friends.  Particularly, I was happy to see Brother Schroeder, who is a German pioneer.  He is the best and always makes those around him happy.  He truly loves and lives the Gospel and is a light to those around him.  He's getting very old now, but it seems that he doesn't ever really age or lose his enthusiasm or energy.  I hope I'm that chipper when I'm that old.  

Following the breakfast, we went with my brother Marko to the popsicle factory where he works.  He took us all on a tour, which was interesting.  I've never been there, and he started working there at 16.  Before we went in, we had to put on hairnets.  Lucy looked at me and said "You're looking good in that, Mom!"  Wow, glad to know I can make a hairnet look good, haha!  That girl and her comments!  She also said when we were running some errands that day "Oh, there's little daddy!"  Mark showed us all around, showed us how they make the popsicles and even let the kids help in the process.  It was pretty cool.

Then Amy & I hit up some retail...since that doesn't exist here like it does there.  We went to Target and a clothing store and bought a cart full of clearance shoes for our fams, and a few new clothes.  It's fun to shop with that girl.  Then we headed to my parents for a pioneer lunch.  We had homemade whole wheat bread and butter, and some potato, corn and bacon soup, along with corn and watermelon.  Then we had some apple candy Emma helped Grandma Di make.

We then got all ready to go camping on our first family reunion with my siblings and their families and parents.  We decided to take turns planning a family get together each summer, and it was a great way to kick things off.  Antelope Island at the Great Salt Lake was our destination this year.  We got out there, found our camp spot.  We walked around a little bit, Emma went down to the lake with Amber and Mark to swim, played in the sand, did bubbles, set up camp, had dinner, played some card games, looked at the spiders (there were a ton, yikes!), roasted marshmallows and made eclairs over the little flower pot fire, sang camp songs, and looked at the stars.  It was pretty nice, and not even buggy at all.  The next morning, we had breakfast, got ready, played some more, took down our tents, did a nature scavenger hunt Emma and Grandma put together, and went out to the water.  Everyone was so surprised how easy it was to float in the water with the minerals and salt contained in it.  The kids loved catching the brine shrimp and called them "cute" (?).  We chased the brine flies around also, there were a ton in certain areas, which was kind of yucky how thick little clusters of them flew around together.  We then showered up and ate lunch.  We went to the Visitor Center next, and it was a pretty nice one.  Finally, we went on a drive and saw some antelope and bison.  It was pretty nifty.  It was nice to all be together, and we made some good memories.  I'm glad we have started doing this, because we have reunions with extended family, but this is a great excuse for us all to get together each year.  Thanks, Am, for the suggestion!  Our kids are already talking about what they want to do for our reunion in a couple of years when we're in charge of planning it.  I love my family and am so grateful for the parents and siblings that I have.  They're all an inspiration to me, just like the pioneers. 

On the way back home, we went to Sam's Club in Layton, and ran into a family in our ward back home.  Totally small world!  We arrived back and stayed with the Ryerses the rest of the weekend.  We cleaned up and relaxed that night.  Saturday, we woke up and were able to attend the temple.  It was so busy, I've never seen the Bountiful temple more crowded!  But we were able to squeak in to do some sealings.  It was neat, though I felt light-headed a few times.  I'm thankful for the spirit and the work of Elijah that goes on there!  My mom watched the kids and they had fun with her.  We said our goodbyes to her and my dad, and then we went out to run errands all afternoon.  The new Sonic opened up, so we stopped by for happy hour slushes.  We got most of the stuff we needed by dividing and conquering.  That night, we went to Jerry & Stacy's house for our annual Pioneer Day firework show.  We all met up in their front yard, where we enjoyed some ribs, dutch oven potatoes, salads, corn, and treats.  The kids played, we talked and lit off fireworks all night.  Stacy's side of the family came too, which was fun to see them all and catch up a bit.  I was glad Shirley and Jeff were able to come.  Shirley was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, stage 2.  She's been doing a little better and was feeling well enough to come.  She's starting chemotherapy this week, so please send up a prayer for her!  We had quite a few good fireworks and it was a great show!  And bonus, no one got hurt this year, unlike last year.  I love how excited Dave gets about it all, it's pretty cute!  And I can't say the rest of the kids and adults don't enjoy it either, so I guess the money we burned through for fireworks went to a good cause.  :)

On familysearch.org they have a Mormon pioneer campaign right now where you can see if you have any pioneer ancestors.  According to the website, I have 31 that crossed the plains.  It's been fun seeing their pictures, figuring out when and in which companies they crossed the plains, seeing some pictures that were familiar and some new ones that were added.  And they have excerpts from journals and historical documents on these people who have gone before which I've enjoyed reading through.  Even if you don't have any pioneer ancestors, Family Search is worth going to and seeing who you're related to.  

One of my ancestors, Oscar Orlando Stoddard, who was appointed captain by the apostle George Q. Cannon over a handcart company named of him, shared some touching experiences of his trek west.  One thing in his account really stood out to me.  He said:  "Bro. Cannon told them at the start if they would be humble and faithful not one of them not one of them should die on the road to the Valley, which was literally fulfilled." ...  "I must say, according to the best of my understanding and knowledge, that this, the last hand-cart company, came across the plains in as good condition as any one of them."

Oscar Orlando Stoddard Photo credit: Familylegacy.org

What great examples we have, of these pioneers faithfulness and perseverance!  I also think what he said here is applicable to us.  I know in our lives if we will be humble and faithful and endure to the end, we will all make it back to our heavenly home in safety.  What a great blessing!