Why Do We Do This?

My brother-in-law describes vacations with my family as the McConkie School of Survival. He came up with this term shortly after marrying my sister when my family decided to take a trip to the Grand Canyon. During the few days we were down at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon my brother-in-law was subjected to a nine mile hike along the rim on a Sunday. The next day was a 17 mile hike to Ribbon Falls in the canyon and then back to the rim. In total 26 miles of hiking in two days in a place where temperatures in the shade can reach into the hundreds. 

Ribbon Falls

As my brother-in-law can attest to this first hike is only one of many crazy hikes that my family has done. While I was in middle school my family went camping in the Teton National Park and planned on doing an eight mile hike. After nearly seventeen miles we found ourselves finishing our hike. I've been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon three times with my family. One time was at a place called Toroweap which is basically a near vertical mile and a half trail from the bottom of the canyon to the top. Hiking Toroweap is so dangerous that the National Parks Service discourages people from hiking this trail. The other two times were rim-to-rim-to-rim hikes each of which my family accomplished in two separate four day periods.

So this President's Day's weekend when my mom and dad asked me to accompany them to Bryce Canyon National Park I figured that there would be sometime type of hike involved. Little did I know that my dad hadn't decided where we would go hiking in the canyon. At the Visitor's Center to the park my dad asked a Parks' Employee about hiking. The employee's answer wasn't to tell us what type of hikes to enjoy, but that we should buy $25 crampons to place on the bottom of our hiking boots. My dad wasn't very happy with this response and wasn't willing to shell out $75 on three sets of crampons that we would use only once. So instead he decided to go on his hike without the crampons.

After spending the night in a cabin in Tropic, Utah the three of us (my dad, my mom, and I) arrived at the rim of the canyon to begin our hike into an area known as Fairyland. As we started down the trail into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater we quickly found that crampons wouldn't have been very good for hiking. Temperatures in the high 40's and low 50's had melted the ice and snow in the canyon and we found ourselves trudging through mostly slush. Other than getting my shoes extremely wet I didn't mind this slush too much as it made for a fun way to descend from the rim.

My Dad in the Grand Canyon.

When the trail finally leveled out we found ourselves winding through the distinctive hoodoos that make Bryce Canyon so famous. As we walked through the hoodoos we found ourselves slogging through clay that stuck to the bottom of our boots in two inch thick increments. This provided wonderful resistance training and made us cheer up a little bit whenever we encountered snow because the snow allowed us to get all the clay off of our feet. Eventually after several hours we found ourselves ascending back up to the rim. Once on the rim we thought that our hike would be easy as we would be on a well traveled trail that would make our journey easier.

We quickly found that our wishes of an easy trip along the rim back to our car wouldn't come true. The trail that we found was a set of cross country ski tracks, a pair of snowshoes, and a few footprints that led through snow over a foot deep. Because it was a shorter distance to follow this trail than going back the way we had come my family set off along this path. I did my best to try and stay on top of the snow, but found myself often sinking up to my knees in snow as I would break the hardened crust of the snow. All of this made our hike difficult and it was only made worse when we realized that the trail we were following wandered aimlessly through the woods and wasn't even connected to the trail that ran along the rim. Eventually we found our way back to the real trail and arrived back at our car. 

The hike made the annals of the McConkie School of Survival with a distance of nine miles and a time of almost six hours. It left us feeling exhausted and for the rest of the day we didn't do anything except for watch TV.

Despite experiences like this hike in Bryce Canyon and so many others that have left me tired and battered I still love hiking. I often find myself looking at distant mountain tops and wondering what it would be like at the summit. Several hours later I often find myself at the top of these mountains looking down at where I came from, thinking to myself, "Boy am I tired, but isn't the view even better than I imagined!" That's the reason why my family and I subject ourselves to these hikes is so we can see all the amazing things that we would miss if we didn't go.

The McConkie School of Survival.

My "Little" Brother

My best friend in the whole world is my "little" brother Mitchell. From the earliest age the two of us were inseparable. My parents had the two of us share a room from the time that we were very little. At first I am sure that I was a little irked by the new arrival that showed up in my bedroom and took my crib, but slowly I warmed up to the little guy. One of my first memories is of my brother being rushed to the hospital. At the time I wasn't sure what was happening, but  I knew it had to do with Mitchell and I hoped that he would be alright. Luckily he was.

Me and my brother when we were little.

As the two of us grew together we found ourselves playing together often. The two of us would climb the apricot tree together seeing who could climb the highest. I always found pride in the fact that I could climb higher than my brother. Then when our parents would call us into the house from the tree where we were playing my brother and I would race to see who could get there first. Once again I took pride in the fact that I was faster than my little brother.

When the two of us entered elementary school I can remember thinking how cool it was to have my brother in the same school as me. Once again I showed my physical prowess over my brother by being the best in all the sports and by being a head taller than him. But when the school day was over I forgot everything I thought I was better at than him and the two of us would walk home. We would imagine that we were on an adventure together trying to save the world from space invaders. While I was the main hero against our extraterrestrial foes my brother was always there playing an important role. Then when we got home the two of us would play some more.

As we got older the two of us stopped playing so much pretend together. But we still made time for each other. We would go on hikes, talk about music, and talk about the things that happened in our lives. As the time started to go past my brother started to grow taller. Eventually the brother I had once stood over a head taller than was several inches taller than me. Along with growing taller than me my brother also became a much faster runner me. 

When I left for my mission my brother was no longer my little brother. He stood taller than me. He was a better athlete than me and he was working thirty plus hours a week as he finished high school and prepared to go to college. As my brother grew up there was one thing that I didn't notice and that was the growth of my brother's testimony of the Gospel.

My brother always made sure to fulfill all of his duties within the Aaronic Priesthood. While I had hated collecting fast offerings my brother always made sure he did his route, and he always collected fast offerings with a smile on his face. When an extra Priesthood holder was needed to pass the Sacrament my brother always volunteered. Now as it has come time for my brother to leave on his mission he hasn't turned away from the opportunity. Mitchell knows that he needs to go on a mission and he knows why he is going. He knows that he is leaving to serve his Savior. My brother Mitchell is my "little" brother and I'm thankful that my Heavenly Father let me have him as a brother.

My "little" brother.

The Gift of My Parents

It was nearly thirty years ago that my parents were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. Even though these two college students were married on the darkest day of the year they have enjoyed a successful marriage. I haven't ever and will never doubt whether my Dad truly loves my Mom. The same goes for my Mom because I know that they care about each other and will do anything for the other. My parents have been the best of partners and the greatest example to me and my siblings.

My Mom has always been the kind of women who tries to help everybody no matter what condition she herself might be in. As a child I watched her service to the people in the community. My Mom would spend many hours working and maintaining flower gardens at the local elementary schools. Hours that were already going on top of the many hours she spent working on the extensive vegetable and flower gardens that my family maintained at our home. On top of this my Mom helped to drive kids to school every morning and from the time I was in first grade to my senior year of high school she packed me a lunch everyday.

When I was in elementary school my Mom decided that it was time to return to college. She had been a student at the University of Utah when she and my Dad had met. But when my parents started having children my Mom left her education behind so she could focus on raising her family. With both me and my brother in school the time to finish her studies had come. This time in my Mom's life was one of the toughest that she had ever experienced and a time that made me appreciate my Mom even more.

I can remember my Mom would drop me and my brother off at school every morning and would then make the drive from Brigham City to Logan. She did this pretty much everyday of the year even when the canyon was filled with snow. While at school she filled her time with many studies as she earned her degree in photography. My Mom spent many long nights at the Utah State campus developing film and working on projects that she put her heart and soul into. When she was done with those projects she would then return home to see her family that she loved so very much. Despite everything my Mom was doing at school she still made time to be a Mom and to help out with whatever school projects me or my siblings seemed to be doing. I can really say I don't think I would have passed any classes if it hadn't been for my Mom.

I know that my Mom's return to school was very stressful on my Dad. When he was a student at the University of Utah he had fallen madly in love with my Mom. The two of them had married with the hope of spending their time together. With the majority of my Mom's time being spent at the college my Dad found that he wasn't able to spend time with the redhead he loved so much. Yet my Dad knew that school was where my Mom needed to be and that it was important to her and that he needed to help her out. Everyday my Dad would finish his teaching and coaching duties at school and would hurry home to help take care of his children. For several years it seemed as if my Dad exclusively made all the meals at my home.

I know that the years my Mom spent at college were hard times for my Mom and Dad as they missed the companionship of each other. Yet these times have been a blessing for them and for their family. Me and my siblings grew to love my Mom for the time and effort she spent to help us out even if it meant even later nights than she should have been doing. We also grew to love my Dad for the things he started doing for us in the absence of our mother. Yet the people who were blessed the most were my parents who were able to see just how much they loved each other during those years.

I and my siblings are grateful for my parents and for what they have done for all of us. Because of their brave examples all of us have turned into pretty good kids. My Sisters were both married in the temple and my brother is now preparing to serve his mission. I'm thankful for my parents and for them for raising my family in the Gospel.