Hangin' With Blake

 Handcart Treks recreating the experience that our forefather Mormon pioneers had 

crossing from points east to the Salt Lake Valley are popular with the LDS youth and their leaders. 

Awareness is definitely raised of the difficulty, 

the commitment and the sore muscles and blisters they experienced.

The trek over Rocky Ridge to Martin's Cove in Wyoming is one of the hardest and the best. 

 Over 400 youth and leaders of the North Salt Lake Utah Stake 

went on a three-day handcart trek there 

beginning on the 24th of July, 

and Rick, as 1st Counselor, is over all of the youth of their stake and was in charge, 

and he, Jodie, Katie and Abby trekked with them. 

The Stake President and the 2nd Counselor and their wives also trekked.

Roger and I grabbed the chance to hang out with Blake while they were gone.

Blakey has a fun and busy itinerary for this summer including playing with Jodie's sister, Jennie and cousins at her home in Pleasant View, 

two swimming lessons a week, 

"school" sessions with a wonderful, trained therapist 

and two-hour playtime sessions with Alyssa, the darling young adult across the street 

who has watched Blake grow up and adores him.

Blake has progressed a lot this year with his fun teacher, Duncan

We dropped Blake off at Jennie's, singing all of the way there because we couldn't figure out how to turn on Blake's recorded music in Rick and Jodie's new car.

Because we were so close to Maddox, 

a favorite restaurant when we lived in Ogden, we went for a yummy lunch.

I tried the ground lamb and Roger had a steak. 

The left-overs fed us another meal!

So yummy!

Blake is a crack shot! 

Nine out of ten times he puts the ball through the hoop! 

He's like a little machine!

He is so much fun and such a great kid! 

We took him with us to visit my friend, Karleen, in Daybreak, SLC,  who was in a T-bone car crash 

with her daughter and is recovering from a broken pelvis and surgery on her eye socket. 

She is improving rapidly and we visited her in her lovely home and Blake and Roger played at a nearby park 

while I visited with Karleen and her beautiful daughter, Kara 

(had to throw that in - Kara just gets prettier as time goes by!).

Each time we would get in the car with Blake after that first day driving to Jennie's, 

Blake would say, "Sing, Grandma!"

We sang all of the way home from Karleen's!

We love to take Blake for a burger and fries, his favorite!

Blake ate every. single. fry!

I fixed a roast pork dinner with homemade applesauce, roast potatoes and roast asparagus 

for the trekkers, who returned Friday afternoon.

Note the bottle of Advil in the pic - they were sore but bubbling over with stories of their adventures!

Next morning, Jodie took Roger and I to the airport and we flew to Kona, Hawaii, 

to spend a week visiting with Patty and Hal.

Stay tuned for our adventures . . .