Gonzo's go on Trek!

We received the calling back in January of this past year and asked if we would consider going on Trek this summer as a "Ma" & "Pa"....at first we were all over it. I have some friends that have gone and they raved about how great the experience was and how it was definitely life altering. So, the Gonzo's decided we were in. The Bishop told us that they were calling more couples than would be needed because there would for sure be some who would drop out. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to drop out....UNTIL we started having our mandatory monthly meetings. Holy Cow!

(I'm going to use Mandee's way of conversation on her Blog...it is so much easier to understand)

A: There is no way in heck that we can do this! 30 miles in 2 days....I can't even walk up the stairs without losing my breath..

L: Oh, we can totally do this...it will be a piece of cake! Let's just start working out now and by the time we leave, we'll be passing all of the other handcarts up!

The Gonzo's at 4am ready to Trek up a storm in our cute skirts!


Well those of you who know me, know that I do like to complain, it's a habit I'm trying to break, but I just can't! So, I just tried to have a positive attitude about the whole thing. But then, we get the list of what we need....I started reverting back to my complaining, only it was in my mind this time. To get 1 child ready for this is quite a task, but I had to not only get the Twinners ready, but myself and Leo. The YW were making their bonnets and skirts and they gave me a pattern to use so that I could do it at home (no one was suppossed to know who the Ma and Pa's were)...the YW Leaders told me, "Oh the patterns are so easy....it'll take you 10 minutes to make one skirt." They knew I didn't sew...and guess what? It didn't take 10 minutes...I probably spent a total of 8 hours making 6 skirts (2 for each of us)...I have to admit, they were pretty cute, although the pockets were on the knees instead of where they should've been.

Anyway...after much preparation we were ready. A few days before we were to leave, I tripped on the stairs and I before I got up, I sat there on the cement for a minute praying that my ankle would be twisted and that I would have to stay behind...but, it wasn't, it was better than ever.

So, we left on Thursday June 28th at 5am. We met at the Church and had a devotional with the youth and their parents. We loaded up on the 2 busses (Le Bus to be exact...never, ever, ever use this company!) Leo and I were fortunate enough to ride with our friends the Patterson's (reference to the Poo Poo in the Pool Party post below) and we made the best of what was suppossed to be a 6 hour ride up to Wyoming. Just up Parley's Canyon, Bus #1 pulled over, so we pulled over behind them, the bus was fuming smoke all over, the bus driver said that it has a habit of overheating on big hills....well, for the next 25 hills, we had to pull over and let the bus rest, so our 6 hour ride ended up being a 9 hour ride....BTW, this also happened on the way home...I hope our ward got reimbursed for some of the cost.

Once we got up to where we needed to be, we divided up into our families. Leo and I knew ahead of time which kids we had. We didn't really know them well, so we were a little bit nervous. But, it turned out that they were all great. We lucked out too, we had 3 super strong YM in our family, so they pulled the cart most of the time and me and the girls just pushed the cart, if you want to call it that.

DAY 1

The first day wasn't too bad...we only walked 6 miles to our camp. The tents were set up and we had a great Dutch oven meal provided to us by the Support Team of the Ward. We were all pretty tired though, I think the bus ride took a toll on everyone! So, we played some games and Leo and Dave Patterson had a circle of YM around them talking about who know what. Kimberly and I were trying to eavesdrop...but we were too tired so we just sat down and talked with some of the girls in our family.

Day 2

This was the HARDEST day of my WHOLE entire life....seriously. I would take being pregnant with Quadruplets on a hot summer afternoon with swollen legs and 70 extra pounds on me than to have to repeat this day of my life. BUT, it was one of the greatest days as well...This was the day that we hiked 18 miles up and around Martin's Cove. We left camp at about 7am and everyone's spirits were high, we had been leading in the front of the company the whole day before and our boys were determined to be in the front on this day. Partly because they had a really good pace and mostly because we didn't want to eat the dust of everyone else. Luckily we were chosen to lead again. It wasn't too long of a walk, maybe 6 miles to Martin's Cove. Once we got there we all thought, this wasn't bad at all...but then we saw that Martin's Cove was actually on the OTHER side of the mountain! At this point I was in survival mode...it was 100 degrees outside, we had on long sleeves, skirts, capris on underneath and were all skinky and sweaty. We saw the mountain we had to climb and it pretty much killed us all to get there. Once we got there it was amazing! It was amazing to see this very small area of grass that nearly 1000 people lived on so many years ago. It was also a very, very surreal moment. Martin's cove is at the bottom of a small hill and over the hill on the other side is where the handcart companies would bury their dead. As we walked over the hill it was a very emotional moment. There were couple missionaries at each point of the whole Trek who would tell stories of what happened at that particular landmark. It was here that we were told of the stories of what happened that winter. Once the Saints would wake up in the morning there were almost always some that had passed away over night. The men would carry the bodies over the hill and bury them as best as they could...usually that wasn't the case though, the ground was usually frozen, so they would lay the bodies and cover them with snow as best they could. The missionaries told us of stories of how as soon as the men would head back over the hill, the wolves would come down from the mountain and start eating their dead. Many people have asked over the years, "But why wouldn't the Pioneers have shot the wolves and then use their meat since they were starving?" We were told that this wasn't an option, the Saints couldn't phathom eating a beast that had eating their loved ones.

As we walked along this unmarked graveyard, I couldn't help but think of the pain that the Mother's felt. I imagined my 2 little ones...3 years old and 18 months. If I had lived back then, having to lay their little bodies in those shallow, frozen graves and turn and see the wolves, I wouldn't have been able to handle that. This was the most touching part of the journey to me. Those women were so strong...it is no wonder that they were born during that dispensation. Even though they were devastated, they picked up and continued to go towards Salt Lake.

After Martin's Cove we headed another 10 miles back to camp. We were all wasted but we ate dinner and played games until dark.

Martin's Cove and the Sweet Water River

Day 3

Our final day...this day when we woke up we packed up all our things and cleaned up the campground. We were looking forward to heading home and showering and seeing the kiddies. We headed out for the Women's Pull. This is a handcart pull up a LARGE and steep hill. Before we starting pulling the carts, the missionaries took the men aside as if they were going to war (I can't remember which war?) So, the women all took hold of our carts and headed up the huge hill with giant rocks scattered right in our path. As we pulled our carts up the mountain, our men were standing off to the sides with their hats over their hearts watching us pull, it was pretty touching....and VERY hard.

After the Women's Pull, we made our way over to the Sweet Water River. The leaders told us all to keep the noise down and not to talk at all as we crossed the river. It was quite emotional for some. To think we were crossing the river in 100 degree weather and looking forward to being cooled down. But on the other hand, to think of the Pioneers crossing in the Winter with water up to their necks, no shoes, and freezing conditions.....like the rest of the experience, it gave us just a small taste of what it must've been like.

After the river crossing, we were finishing off the trail over to the busses. We had one last resting spot to get some water and Leo sat down. When our little break was over, he wouldn't get up....he just stared into our eyes looking delirious. So, the trail leader called our Ward Medic and they drove Leo off to safety to take his blood pressure and all that fun stuff. After about 30 minutes, he joined us again...he and I couldn't help but laugh, I was suppossed to be the wimp in all this. He was the one that was so sure of himself (note: coversation at the beginning).

Well, we finally made it to the finish line and we couldn't have been happier. It was a great experience and I am so glad that we were able to participate in such an amazing event. As you can guess, the bus ride home was even worse....it took 9 hours among several stops and busses overheating. The next day at church we were talking to the Bishop, we told him to sign us up for the next Trek in 4 years....as crazy as it sounds. But hey, we are the Crazy Gonzo's!

Mikey turns the big 1-1!

Michael is finally 11! He has been anticipating this day for the past 364 days of this last year.....and I've had to hear about his birthday plans every step of the way.

Those of you who know Mikey know that he is a unique, funny kid who has to contemplate each and every decision he makes, down to what kind of candy he wants to pick out of the gumball machines...this can take at least 10 minutes if we allow him the time.

So, for the past year, he has told me about every idea out there on what kind of B-day party he wanted to have with his friends. From laser tag, to Boondocks...rollerskating, waterparks, balloon fights, pizza parties, treasure hunts...you name it this kid has thought of it. Well thank goodness Harry Potter came out just a couple of days before his B-day...once he found out that, all of the other ideas were put aside and we were going to take him and his friends to see Harry Potter and then have a pizza party. Whew......this was a huge relief to me.

So, we went to the movies (it was awesome if you haven't seen it) and then ate pizza, opened presents, and the kids had a "late night". This is a new term out here with all the kids...A "late night" is just a way of saying that they are going to be out playing with their friends until late...which to them is about 10pm. Another funny term they use is a "eat over"...which is basically, "Can we eat over at Emma's house. " And then a "late over" is a way of saying, "Can our friends stay at our house until late, but not sleep over?" Anyway...the kids played and Leo and I were able to enjoy a relaxing game of Scrabble.

On Sunday we had the fam over for another B-day party and Michael got lots of clothes. We gave him a Rock Tumbler...and that was by far his favorite gift. What 11 year old kid wouldn't want a Rock Tumbler? I know I always wanted one...but then I read the instructions and you have to tumble the freaking rocks for 10 WHOLE days straight! No wonder the rocks come out shiny and clean...after almost 2 weeks of tumbling what wouldn't? Anyway...we still haven't started the lenghty process because Michael is working like a mad man to complete his Arrow of Light for Scouts.

So, let me tell you a little about Michael...phonetic style:

M: Michevious Monkey

I: Incredibly Curious

C: Candy Loving, Cookie Crunching, Cracker Chewing Kid

H: Helper to all his Teachers

A: Always willing to help cook

E: Eats anything sweet

L: Lovable

We love our Michael Michael Motorcyle! Happy Birthday!

Haili saves the day...and a bird!

This is posted by none-other-than Haili herself:

The bird got stuck in there through the chimney
and then got stuck in that pipe.

We had an experience that we would never forget. We heard a noise coming from our downstairs. It turned out that it was chirping and scratching. We knew it was a bird and hoped it would find a way out before it died and started to stink up our downstairs. After the first day we found it sitting on one of the pillows in our downstairs. Lulu our dog came down and started barking which scared the bird and it wedged it self between the pipe and stayed there for a while. We tried to call anyone to help but no one could help. Our neighbor came but still know one could get it.We had to run out and deliver a few things and when we got back the bird was out. I was chasing it all around our basement and finally caught it in the hall. We were afraid at first because it was flapping it's wings and chirping but we still caught it. I'm in the picture above and a hero for the day.

When we finally caught it we let it outside and it was fine. It wasn'thurt at all.

Poo-Poo in the Pool at the Patterson's Party on the 4th!

The Gonzo's had a fun, full, family day on July 4th. We had a BBQ at our friends house down the streeet. All the kids had a great time swimming in the pool for hours until... someone discovered little pieces of poo-poo (the little ball kind) all in the pool. Now as most mothers, you HOPE that it wasn't your child, and even though I defended Beezer up and down to the other mothers, I did have a sneaking suspicion it may have been him! Leo assured me it wasn't him, he had taken him #2 a couple of hours before. It if wasn't for the fact that Brandon is very weird about using the bathroom, I probably would've admitted it was him. Most 3 year olds would just pee in the pool, but not this kid. He comes out every 30 minutes to tell me he needs to go potty while holding his thingy, even if he is in the tub having a grand old time. Heck, when I was 3 I would've totally just peed in the pool, but I guess he has a little more tact than his mother.

P.S. There were a lot more little kids there than pictured above...so my money is on one of the other kids and the poo-poo.

So, after the poop was cleaned up, we headed up the street to where David Patterson and Leo were setting up the fireworks. Now, this is our first year participating in the neighborhood gala on the 4th and it is quite a production...well, anything the Patterson's do is a production. Dave and Leo set up a huge church table and laid out all the fireworks from shortest to the tallest. They also set up 2 ladders in the street and put 3 levels of platforms to put the fireworks on. It was quite a show! Don't get me wrong, I love to watch fireworks, but after 90 minutes of it and Mason peeing all over me, I was ready to head home. So, Mason and I headed home and the rest of our pyrotechnic family stayed to finish.


Pic of the ladder thing:

It was so fun to see Leo involved with this "ensemble"..he finally talked me in to buying one of those HUMONGOUS firework packages this year and this was BEFORE the 4th.

I think next year he is going to drag me up to Wyoming to get the good stuff.

What's up with guys always hovering around the grill at a BBQ? Like it takes 5 of them and a baby to get the steak and ribs just right!

Haili had a blast with with her friends swimming and watching the fireworks. She has 2 best friends her same age and they both live a couple of houses down from us...Emma and Aubrey.

Haili, Aubrey and Emma

F-O-U-R-T-E-E-N

Steph & Liz are FINALLY 14! We had a b-day party on Sunday with the whole fam (minus the Tuna's). We ran out of candles and used matches, but Steph got the giggles and accidentally blew the matches out before we sang! So, there were only 2 lit.

I can't believe our twinnies are actually 14! When I first met Leo they were only 3 years old and so little! I remember the first time Leo and I went out on a date, we took all the kids to Jungle Jim's and the twins were wearing these cute outfits with onsies on....they needed to go to the bathroom, so Leo asked me to take them. They were so sweet...they held my hand and from that moment on I fell in love with them! Infact, I fell in love with them months before I fell in love with their dad.

Stephanie:

Stephanie is the older twinnie and definitely plays the part of the responsible, older sister. She is smart,loving, sweet, protective, kind, honest and is MORE than anyone could hope for a daughter to be. She loves to sing, read her LDS "romance" novels and enjoys watching Lost and CSI. She talks about being an FBI agent when she is older and is very, very mature. Ever since she was little, she has always been a "daddy's girl" and still enjoys cuddling with Leo. Oh, did I mention how beautiful she is? Seriously, we totally lucked out...not only are are twins perfect, they are the most beautiful brown-eyed girls in town! Everyone always tells us how pretty our girls are......and they are so humble about it. We love our Snufalupagus (Snuffy)!

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is the younger twinnie, but she doesn't act like it. She is just as much involved with things as Steph. She packs a mean suitcase, and is very particular about how things are folded and done. I would dare guess to say that she is a perfectionist. Liz loves the same things as Steph...she also has a beautiful voice and a great sense of style. She is very loyal and kind, and seems to be the only sister to get through a day without fighting with Michael. She loves giving "juicies" to Beezer (and he better be the only boy she does this to) and has a great sense of humor. She is always making us laugh and is known to talk to her different body parts...hmmm, is that normal? She also is a daddy's girl but only when it is convenient for her. We love our Lizard Breath!

I am so thankful to be the mother of these 2 very special girls...I never imagined what wonderful young women they would turn out to be. I can only hope for them the best and dream of the very special women I know they will becom in the future.

P.S. The picture above is the twins with their favorite cousin Junior...isn't he cute?


WE LOVE YOU STEPH & LIZ!

Gonzo's visit Chicago!

Here's the low down on Chicago...Leo and I told the twinners that if they got straight A's all year that we would send them on a trip to visit Cheechers and Ryan in Chicago. Well call me crazy...but I like to set the standard HIGH, we know how smart our twinners are, but we wanted to see if they would step up to the challenge to accomplish this and thought that the reward would help push them even more. It worked, they did it...they finished their 8th grade year as best as any parents could hope for.

So, not only did they get their long awaited trip to Chicano....I mean Chicago, they both got an early b-day present which included some MUCHO$DINERO and got to go shopping with Cheech in downtown Chicago. They also caught up on ALL 3 seasons of LOST and CSI.

Leo and I flew out with Beezer a couple days after the girls left and spent the weekend with the Ray's (aka Tuna's) and had a great time with both sets of twinnies. We played our favorite game Settlers... the Gonzo's lost every time....and of course no game of Settlers is complete without a family fight between Tio Leo and Ryan....

Rachie and I got to practice some songs from our upcoming CD ...we also added a few Spanish songs as a marketing ploy...we figure we can sell a lot more CD's if we become bilingual. Look for our CD sometime this fall.

Our favorite event was spending time with our favorite mini-twins. This always leaves Tio Leo dazed and confused. Leo has always had this struggle within about the mini's. For some odd reason, he feels like he needs to have a favorite between Holland and Ethan. As much as he tries to favor Ethan, his heart belongs to Holland.

Any ideas of what we can bribe Steph and Liz for next year? How do we top off a shopping trip to Chicago?