Bret, Anders and I arrived home from Trek last weekend.  We were gone for three days being a Ma & Pa to 9 kids who were assigned as our "family".  Thursday morning we got up early and headed up American Fork Canyon to get our handcarts situated before the youth arrived a couple hours later.  We packed our handcart and visited with the other 39 Mas and Pas.  The youth were dropped off quite a ways above our meadow where we were waiting.  They had to walk down into the meadow.  They knew the name of their family and 350 kids proceeded to look for their family flag.  We were so excited to meet our "kids".  We had their names and pictures that we had been studying so we could be familiar with them when they arrived.  My first thought as I met the 9 kids who we would be together with for the next three days was, "did we just get really lucky?"  I loved them instantly and felt like we were going to have such a successful trek.  I love watching Bret interact with the youth.  He doesn't try to be buddy-buddy with them even though kids always really like him.  He relates to them, gets along with them but also gets so much respect from them.  Our first day we only hiked 3 miles but it was uphill and tough.  Our handcart probably weighed 800+ lbs.  Our kids got along so well and some even seemed to have known each other forever even though they had just met.  They were such hard workers and never complained.  That night at camp, we cooked, ate and headed to the meadow for square dancing.  The first night it poured all night!!!  We woke to lots of clouds and were very grateful considering we were going 8 miles UPHILL!  It was a tough day but our family did not complain at all.  As one of our kids said-"it was all up here in our heads, though".  They sang and had a ball even though there were times we struggled.  After lunch they took our 2 oldest boys for the Mormon Battalian and we proceeded UPHILL without them for the rest of the day.  It felt so good to get there!  What an accomplishment and what great kids.  Once there, however, they wouldn't let our handcarts into the meadow where we camped so we had to carry everything down a ways to our campsite (tents, stove, sleeping gear, 5 gallon buckets etc.)  We immediately got on dinner and set off for family games.  Our family was so tired and enjoyed each other so much we felt like staying around our campsite and chatting and playing games but we knew we were supposed to be with the whole group.  The large family games were so fun though.  For a while we played separate girl and boy games that were typical of the Trek time period.  It was fun when the girls in our family saw Bret (or their Pa) in a stick pull with another Pa and started cheering him on, "Go PA!"  Too cute.  I also laughed harder than I had in months and months when our girls had trouble tossing the bean bag while holding dish rags.  Thanks Girls!  I smile just thinking about it!  After games they started an evening devotional when we started to get pounded by rain.  500 people ran for their tents.  Girls got in theirs, boys in theirs, Bret and I in ours and waited it out.  In between giggles from the girls we heard,"Pa, we're getting wet."  Bret braved the pelting rain and lightening to check the kids tents.  They were both getting wet.  When all was said and done, we had some wet sleeping bags and tents.  Anders came to visit us from his family and informed us he could wring out his sleeping bag and pad they were so wet.  I gave him my stuff and Bret and I had to both sleep on one very tiny pad covered by our fleeces and covered ourselves with one sleeping bag.  Our fleeces didn't do much for the rocks we were sleeping on so we ended up with about 45 minutes sleep.  The next morning was sooo muddy and soggy.  We did what we could but put most things in garbage bags and headed downhill.  It was gorgeous and easier to get down.  About a mile from our finish, we could here cheering.  Family had gathered to meet their children and cheer us through our last small river crossing.  What an incredible experience I hope to have the opportunity to do again!