The Fobert Family: July

The number of sibling pics on my phone that are taken without my knowledge really remind me that these kids of mine do really love each other, even when they sometimes don't act like it.

Ruby's pretty impressed with herself on the trampoline.

Brotherly love...

and war.

Mac & cheese face.

We had a great 4th of July and ended the evening with friends shooting off fireworks.

Sparkler fun

The day we got home from Utah, Ammon's short red cast came completely off when Been took him out of the bath. Alas, back to Kaiser for ANOTHER! We must have set a record. Back to a full arm one this time!

Ben, Meilani and I participated in our Stake's Pioneer Trek where we dressed like or pioneer ancestors and trekked through the Mormon Immigrant trail for several days.

We were expecting very warm temperatures but were surprisingly greeted with buckets of rain falling from the sky. I naively asked if they'd cancel because of rain when we pulled up completely unequipped for the wet conditions. Ben laughed and helped me find a garbage bag to use as a poncho.

This is Meilani's little trek "family" that she worked with through the experience.

At one point during the trip the men are taken off the trail to replicate when the pioneers were taken off to war.

Ben bonding with one of our trek "sons."

Meanwhile us ladies completed the "womens pull," which was at the top of the list of one of the hardest things I've ever done, both physically and emotionally.

Our little band of daughters was one of the first carts up the incredibly steep incline. They didn't tell us in advance, but the men lined the trail cheering us on, watching us struggle, wanting to help. The girls in my group were amazingly strong. It was humbling to see so many girls go back to help other wagons over and over and over again. I was reminded that I always want to be in a position to help. I need to prepare myself to be self reliant so that the Lord can best use me in His great work.

I cried a lot watching these women and girls that I loved so dearly work together to accomplish something amazing.

All the "Ma's and Pa's" on trek.

Pulling with our little family.

We had quite the bonding experience. We cried, we laughed, we were wet and tired and hungry and dirty, and we made it through with smiles on our faces.

Meilani with her family.

On the first night I apologized to Ben for getting us into this trek experience. I had really wanted to go and wondered on that first soaking wet night why I had agreed to do this. By night two however, my perspective had changed. It was hard, but it was worth it, much like most everything in life. Seeing the youth pull together was amazing. In all the training before trek we were taught that we were to represent an ideal family for the kids we watched over. We really grew close to those kids and felt a great cohesiveness as a couple in working together to support our "family."