Families may be forever, but family pictures are few and far between.

Well proving that sometimes dreams can come true,

or at the very least that fate can miss when it tries to kick you in the pants,

 we actually made it to get a family picture taken before

Trent left for two years.

I know, don't pass out from the shock, I know I almost did.

True it was 6:30 the night before he left and JC Penny's closed at 7,

but still

the picture was taken and actually it did not turn out half bad.

Here is a rather fuzzy picture of what we looked like the last time

we managed to force everyone at gun point to sit

in front of a camera.  It has been way

too long since Trent wasn't even shaving

the last time we had a formal picture taken.

Diana took a shot with this adorable hat.

And another with a chair and teddy bear.

The three offspring even managed to sit next to each other long

enough for this moment to be captured for posterity.

And no Trent does not moonlight as a bouncer

or hit man for the mob.  So you will have to look

else where if you need that kind of thing.

Here is the soon to be next driver in the house.

And here is the future missionary, 36 hours from the MTC.

Here is the happy couple 26 years into this marriage thing.

We needed one of all the boys.

And one with just the girls.

All in all, it was one of the more painless family picture taking episodes

I have been privy too.

Now we don't have to worry about that for 7 more years.  Whew

Hipstacular Progress

I have not said much about Jared for quite some time. Perhaps I have been afraid to jinx his progress, but things are finally starting to get back to normal. He no longer uses his crutches, walker, wheel chair, or cane. It is really quite amazing. He does walk with a limp that is due to the fact that his foot drops when he walks. That should go away in time.

Today we went to see the surgeon who did the hip replacement. He was so amazed to see how well he can walk by himself. Jared will still go to physical therapy twice a week for a couple more weeks, then it will drop to once a week. I will be so excited when I can stop writing out a check to PT each month for $100.

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since this whole ordeal began. Who have thunk it could go on this long.

He still has a lot of hard work ahead of him. He has missed a whole year of school. But that can be made up. He is still painfully thin, but hopefully we can fatten him up over the summer.

OK, now I will post pictures from the Pioneer Trek that our stake did a month ago. At this point Jared still had the cast on his leg to help straighten it out. I am so glad that I was able to get copies that were taken. Jared did not really share much with me about the trek. I hate the propensity teenage boys have to act like clams.

One thing he did share. The stake President told the group stories from the Willie Martin Handcart company. One of the stories was about a 9 year old boy who was in charge of getting his 3 year old brother to the top of a hill. He carried him for 24 hours and when he reached the top, the older brother laid down and died.

Several of the hills that our kids went up were so steep, that Jared had to get off of the hand cart. One of the young men in our ward carried him up each hill. Jared told me when he heard that story, it reminded him of his experience.

As a mother, that told me that the trip was worth it. If he could take his personal experience and relate it to the story, sounds like it made an impact on him.

And so against his permission I am publishing these pictures from the trek. Shhh! Don't tell him, OK. I think they are amazing pictures and I can not resist blogging about them.


One of the best things about these pictures is that he is smiling in all of them. Something I haven't seen for a long long time.

Here are a group of boys from our ward. Notice one of Jared's friends is borrowing the crutches. Also notice how much to tall they are for him.

Here he is making his way across one of the bridges. Even though he rode a lot of the time, he did a lot of walking, and he was beat the next day.

I love this picture from behind. He is way up there in the green shirt.

This picture could be made into a Mormon ad. Here is his Young Men's president supporting him so he doesn't fall. Pretty much sums up the purpose of the young men's program. So many analogies, such as the Saviour holding us up when we are too weak to make it alone.

At first he was shy about riding, but one of the leaders just plopped him on top and he got used to it.

It was painful also, as the ride was so bumpy.

Another good picture to show how as members we can carry each other's burdens. Sometimes it is our turn to ride and other times it is our turn to push and pull. But I believe we won't get out of this life without experiencing each way to grow.

There were 250 people who went on this trek. Quite the undertaking.

The first night, Jared was on a cart of a different ward. When he was hesitant, the leader told him look how many cute girls they have, you should milk this for all it is worth.

The girl in the blue apron pulling in front was on Jared's soccer team for several years.

It was really windy and a bit cold in the morning.

Here he is with his old friends, his crutches.

He looks a bit comfortable here. I wonder what they are saying to him.

I loved this picture and had to put it in.

Going up one more hill.

Talking with the Stake Presidency. They said that Jared helped lend reality to the trek.

Getting some instructions and hold his bag with a biscuit that was and example of how little they would get to eat for one day.

Looking good.

Crossing the water.

Boy this water is cold.

And so that is the latest progress report. I was so determined and happy that Jared could go on the trek. The more things we can do to get him back into normal teenage hood, the better.

I am cautiously optimistic again. Here's crossing my fingers that things continue to go well.