Thanksgiving was so much fun with family-especially hanging out with cousins!
Thanksgiving this year was centered around service.
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First up: Run to Feed the Hungry.
The Byrds and the Millers braved the early morning Thanksgiving Day chill.
Some walked and others ran the 5K through beautiful Sacramento neighborhoods.
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In the afternoon, family and a family friend worked on making some hats for Angel Outfitters.
Such a wonderful way to serve grieving families of angel babies.
A few of us that day have lost a child through miscarriage.
We understand a little of how these families might feel.
This particular service was in honor of an angel nephew/cousin.
We were able to make 40 hat sets (80 hats in total) in varying sizes.
The angel baby is dress with one set and the other set remains with their families.
(Some have been sent to a Women's and Children's hospital in Louisiana.)
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Our final service of the holiday was to make these cute advent calendars for all our nephews serving full time missions. They were sent to Oregon, New York, Germany, Michigan and Southern California. The calendars included a fun joke for each day leading up to Christmas Day. We received many thank you cards and messages from these amazing Elders.
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Our Michigan Elder had his farewell talk that Sunday.
It's pretty emotional to see these young men grow up!
9 years ago, (HW Dad) was asked by the Stake to be a Captain for their first youth trek. I saw how he prepared and served. I was home with our 3 boys at the time ages 8,5 and 3. We missed him and we were anxious to have him home. We went to meet him after 4 days. When he came in with the 3 families he was over, we couldn't recognize him. His face was covered in dirt and a lot of facial hair. As we hugged him, their was a change not only in his appearance, but in his spirit. There was a greater love. 5 years ago, (Son #1) was 12 years old going on his first Trek experience. Again, we missed him and worried a little but knew that he would be safe. He had an (amazing set of Trek parents, Aunt and Uncle and a Big Brother that he knew and looked up to.) Again, the family went up to meet him and as he came in with his Trek family, he was all smiles! Again, as was with (HW Dad) 4 years before, he was dirty, but there was also a change in his spirit.
I thought what would it be like if I could go someday on Trek? Would I also have that spiritual change? Because of my health these past couple years, I didn't think that would happen this time. But early in the year, the youth high counselor and a member of the Stake Presidency asked if we could be a Ma and Pa over a small group of youth in our stake. With much prayer, priesthood blessings (which said it was my choice whether to go or stay), and great faith, I found the scripture 2 Nephi 32:9.
"But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." With this counsel from the scriptures, we became Pa and Ma Byrd.
(Flag designed, drawn and colored by our Trek Family
with a little help from the Sister Missionaries.)
I was grateful that we accepted this assignment. I was dirty the first minute I stepped out of the car at the trailhead. But the spirit that was felt there among God's beautiful creations away from my iPhone (we only have pictures that others took of us) and computer was strong. Yes, I had iPhone withdrawals! The 9 youth, 2 aunts and 1 uncle that were in our little family were strong in body, heart and spirit. I am grateful for their physical strength to push and pull our handcart, but I'm especially amazed by their inward strength and ability to fellowship, teach and strengthen one another. There was another reason other than (HW Dad and Son #1's previous experiences) that I wanted to go on Trek. 2 of my own ancestors were in the Mormon Battalion, Phebe Draper Palmer Brown, a cook, nurse and laundress in Company A and John Coxin Company E. They accepted the call from Brigham Young to go with 500 men to fight for the US Army in the Mexican War. I wanted to know and walk where they had been knowing that it would be physically challenging for me. They first marched all the way from the Missouri River to San Diego, California. They travelled north after they completed their service with the United States to participate in the search for gold in and around the American River/Sutter's Fort, Sacramento, California. With the aid of the gold nuggets they found they journeyed to join the Saints who gathered in Utah. My ancestor Phebe, rode a mule (whose name was Ginny), all the way from California to Utah. (Some moments on the trail, I wished I'd had a mule!) The Mormon Emigrant Trail that I walked these past 4 days is that area. One other ancestor, Eliza Roberts Cox who was the wife of John Cox, was one of the women left as her husband marched in the Mormon Battalion. I was able to experience in a minute way how she must have felt. To see her husband leave and then struggle with her other sisters in the gospel with their children on their journey to the Salt Lake Valley. In my case, I saw my husband and three sons leave. I knew that strength would be needed to help the girls and women in my family pull our carts up steep terrain. I felt my ancestors especially during this day- guiding and pushing with me. I had felt their spirits strengthening me throughout my journey.
(During a Vignette where there were a lot of ants. I love my husband!)
The theme for Trek was "What is the Price to Come Unto Christ?" The emphasis focused on 4 areas: Integrity (Doing the right thing when no one is watching) Service Charity (Having the Pure Love of Christ) Testimony
As Ma Byrd, I was able to see all of those attributes exhibited throughout our experience in the mountains this week.
Integrity I saw so many youth with Integrity, making good choice when they thought no one else was watching them.
Service I saw the service of members who could not go on Trek. Those who made skirts, aprons and bonnets. Those who helped get paperwork completed and letters written to every person on Trek. Those who made or sent cookies for us. They were very welcomed by all of us on one of the very hardest sections of the trail.
(lots of hot spots, 3 toenails fell off, a little swollen, but NO blisters... yippee!)
The saints on the trail who helped with medical needs (blisters, leg cramps, dehydration, hygiene, etc.), food staff (delicious!), vignette actors/organizers, and transporters of water and portable potties.
Charity I saw charity as youth and leaders freely gave their love to help push and pull carts in their own families and then go back to help others. Pure love from those who stayed to walk with those who were a little slower than others. Our Trek big brother who truly became a brother, a mentor and friend to his younger Trek brothers.
Testimony I saw testimonies grow. I shared with my family 2 Nephi 31:20. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
The experiences on Trek correlate with what we may face through our lives.
And I am grateful for the growth of my own testimony.
I know that through hardships and struggles in our daily lives that we become stronger in our faith and draw closer to our Heavenly Father as we go to Him in prayer. I felt it strongly before and during Trek. We can use the atonement of Jesus Christ to help us through our own personal journeys in this life so that we can return back to our Heavenly Father someday.
(The end of the trail with my beautiful family.)
I explained Trek on Facebook this way:
TREK 2014.
One of the most amazing experiences that our entire family was able to participate! We were (Pa and Ma Byrd) to ten amazing young women and young men ages 13-17 not biologically ours. Our own children (Son #1, Son #2 and Son #3) became children to different sets of parents for 4 days as well. For 21 miles, we pushed and pulled pioneer handcarts on the Mormon Emigrant Trail, the same area that my own ancestors travelled 165 years ago. We all were exhausted, sore but stronger, dirty-sweaty-sticky, uplifted spiritually and renewed ourselves to love God and love our neighbor. (Lovely Daughter experienced her own trek with (Grandma A, Auntie C) and cousins. She's never been away from any of us for more than a day. She missed us a lot and we missed her too!)
