This past week Paul and I had the chance to take our oldest son on a pioneer trek. We left on Tuesday morning and got back Saturday morning at 7am.
As a blogger you never have a day off, EVER. I knew that I was not going to be able to have ANY access to internet including my phone for at least 4 days. In the past 2 1/2 years if I have ever had a vacation I am always blogging along the way, in the car, hotel, where ever I can get internet access. I love it, but this was the first time I had to step away and get some help. I scheduled a TON of posts for while I was gone but I hired an AWESOME blogger to help me, her name is Courtney and if you are a blogger and need a day off she is great!
Paul and I were “Ma and Pa’s” for the trek, we “adopted” 9 teenagers and were a family for the trip. We left Houston and drove 9 hours to Oklahoma to a cattle ranch. Fun fact: We were on the ranch next to The Pioneer Woman!!! It is beautiful country.
We had to dress in period costume, which for women meant, full skirt, bloomers, apron, button up shirt to the neck and full sleeve and bonnet. IT WAS HOT!
Our kids were AWESOME. They worked so hard, and at night we danced and they played guitar. We set up camp each night with tarps and slept under the stars. There was a river that we cooled off in, but we had NO showers or any kind of modern connivence. We truly lived as the pioneers did that crossed the plains.
Most of our meals were cooked in dutch ovens. I will post some of the recipes here as they were really good, I like to use dutch ovens even when we are not camping as it makes a great meal!
Our “company” had 7 families, there were 3 companies so 21 “families”. It was such a great experience, it was very hard work and very hot. You gained such an appreciation for what those before you had to go through and what their daily life was like. I was so glad that we were able to go, I enjoyed the time off and the time we were able to spend together, my husband and I.
At one point on the trek, the men and boys had to go off to do something else, it left the woman to push the cart by ourselves. We had a huge hill that we had to get up and were determined to do it. As we got to the top I pulled my gloves off because my hands were sweating so bad and when I did my wedding ring flew off. We were never able to find it. Many of the pioneers had to leave behind things that were very precious to them, I was sick to my stomach walking away knowing it was gone forever. But I felt like I really got a taste ( whether I wanted it or not!) what they had to go through.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I had such a neat experience I will remember it for the rest of my life.
Thanks for hanging in there while I was gone, I hope you didn’t even notice! Happy 4th of July!
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
Just as angelic as she looks, this girl could easily raise a Village by herself, and all the children would grow up to be President.
Self proclaimed, she would be a webkinz dog. Because, "they're cute, and puppies are too. And they're sweet and they always get along with other puppies."
This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
Not "Pick-Me-Up" like caffeine, she wants you to pick her up! AND NOW!
Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
Practically Perfect in Every Way for now! Nicknamed "The Panda" she is rolly polly and lives by the motto, "the little one, is KING!"
The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
Well, glad to have you back! I always look forward to checking out the latest deals and steals. You really do a great job and have helped my family and I save lots of money. Thank you!
Doesn’t really sound like my cup of tea, but really glad y’all had a good time, so sorry about your ring makes me sad for you both, maybe someone will find it & return it. All things are possible to those who believe.
No it was extremely hard, I would have preferred to be in the AC as well! But I knew we would learn a lot and it was a good experience for us… I am going to a beach next “vacation”!!
Is there some sort of agent or group that organizes these? Sounds like a good family vacation for us when the kids get bigger. An antidote to the entitlement factor if you will.
We did it through our church on their property. We were talking about that though because I have some friends that did it as a family. I will find out.
Entitlement factor, I sooo know what you are talking about!
I would deffinitly do something like this when my toddler is older (and any other kiddos I will be having in the near future).
Hard work (the harder the better) pays off and once you complete the task at hand OH the feeling it gives you. ESP if it ends is some kind of relaxation *I would sooo, make sure that I would have some kind of “me” time when getting back home.*
Sounds amazing and looks beautiful. How did you learn about this? Something my husband and I might want to do with our daughter once she is old enough. Sorry about your ring. I would be upset too.
On a side note, I love the Pioneer Woman. Her blog is wonderful. Makes me wish I lived there. With AC of course.
http://consumerist.com/2011/07/extreme-couponer-arrested-for-stealing-coupon-inserts.html
Tell the truth, Tiffany! (of course I’m kidding, I know that’s not you!)
LOL, “what are you in jail for?” Stealing coupons!
So sad about your ring! Sorry! I lost my entire wedding set the week after I got married. On a golf course. Someone found it AND returned it!! YAY God!
Tiffany, How awesome you and Paul were able to share such a valuable memory with your son. Sorry to hear you lost your ring on this adventure. The Beach Vacation will have a new meaning after this experience. Thank you for all you do here!
What an amazing time to spend with your family!
Oh WOW! I read the whole blog!
I almost shedded a tear for you about your ring. I had waited to get my engagement ring for 5 years (w/a lot of hard times around when Hubby proposed). Then things happened we got married (FAST, not the way I would have liked or wanted) adn I got my wedding band. AND that is when I started getting this little rash underneth my rings. So sad I can not wear them anymore. I was promised that I would get another set. A set that has the engagement, and both wedding bands. I think I will be waiting for awhile seeing how our finances have been going.
I did not notice you were “gone” just busy. LOL
This is so awesome for you! Your Stake must have been the group right after our Stake…my daughter just got back last Saturday from a trek on the church land in Oklahoma! They also had so much fun and had a great time. I told my husband that when our Stake does it again in 4 years we were going to be Ma’s and Pa’s. What a great pioneer attitude you have about your ring…I am so sorry you lost it. I do hope that some group behind you guys will see a sparkle in the grass and find it and turn it in! I would be devistated. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Oh..I asked my daughter how it went when we picked her up late on Saturday…she said, “I don’t ever want to push anything ever again…not even a baby stroller!”. I thought that was so funny. She did have a good time despite the pushing and pulling! 🙂
sounds like a great experience! (rough, but “fun” in a feeling-accomplished-sort-of way) and excluding the ring mishap. sounds like you have such a strong marriage and family—you know what the ring stands for and that it’s not the ring that makes it happen. 🙂
Tiffany, I am looking forward to the dutch oven recipes. We have a huge fireplace and we have been intending to cook on it in the wintertime, but it never seems to happen. Maybe you can supply me with a recipe that is so tempting, I’ll finally break down and do it!
Loved reading your story and so very sorry you lost your ring. I agree as someone else posted that “you know what the ring stands for and that it’s not the ring that makes it happen” but I am a very sentimental person and would be so sad to lose my ring. Thank you for your posts, coupon related and not!
Tiffany, Would it be allowed for you to go back with a metal detector to locate your ring? Just a thought.
Yes, we have talked about it! We might do that later in the year….
Great story.
Sad about your ring.
My youngest daughter lost her engagement and wedding ring. She and her husband were vacationing in LV and she took them off to wash her hands and left them on the sink.
Apparently they were stolen by the room maid. They reported the theft to the hotel, but they didn’t do anything about it.
I would have called the LVPD and had them question the maid, but my daughter was so shocked and in disbelief that she didn’t know what to do at the time.
As for your loss I think that if it were me I would take a metal detector and a front-end loader if necessary and search until I found it.