Rim2Rim - minus the pictures

Yesterday was the big day.

The Rim to Rim hike.

North to South.

With only 6 weeks of working out.

The group was so fun - Dad, Matt, Luke, Kelli and Ryan Brown, Billy Rowley, Katie Vermillion, Chuck Melser and me. The ride up was filled with laughter and stories of past Grand Canyon hikes, including the fastest times -Luke at 6 hrs and 5 min and how he beat Willie by taking off when Willie went to the bathroom, our favorite hikers (Steve Patience), Billy Rowley who once brought a frame backpack for the day hike stocked with 5 lbs of M&M's, a few of the Rim to Rim to Rim hikes of the past... We laughed at who would get to sit where on the way back (not wanting to be the one who had to climb into the back of the van) and how sore we were going to be. It was a great, fast drive, great job on that Karolyn, and thanks a million for driving.

Saturday morning we headed out to start. After a few pics (which I didn't take because I brought my camera but left my SD card in the computer), we were off. The group quickly separated and my dad and I were left to bring up the rear, the cabooses.

Each time I do this hike, I start thinking of the book I'm going to someday write titled, Life Lessons Learned Going Rim to Rim. Lessons such as:

The rock that gets in your shoe that seems small, but can cause major discomfort just as a sin without repenting can.

The importance of steady perseverance even when the going seems too rough.

The difference a smile and a kind word can make. My dad has taught me that over and over again in my life. He said hello to just about every single person he passed. This forced them to look up and notice others and hopefully the beautiful sights they were missing out on.

The beauty of the creation.

You can make friends anywhere. We briefly made friends with a group of Iranians, the man from Iowa, the lady from Phoenix who was a rookie rim to rimmer and needed advil, the boy scout group from Tucson. These people become familiar faces as you leapfrog them as you take turns resting at the switchbacks and continually pass each other.

There are many more lessons I thought about during the long hours hiking, but the delirium that sets in going through the Devils Corkscrew made me forget them all.

However, the biggest lesson I learned came as we were less than a mile from the top. My dad looks up and heartily exclaims, "Bro. Larson". There standing ahead was his old temple co-worker, who he served with for a year. We were introduced and then my dad asked him how he was doing, asked about his wife and then his son who was in the Army. He then told us that he lost his boy. My dad asked if it was in combat, and he said no. Bro Larson told us his son had successfully completed a tour of duty in Iraq, even had a grenade land on his chest and bounce off him miraculously with not even a scratch. But after he was finished, he was back in the states at Fort Hood when he was killed by the gunman that so brutally took so many lives. He left behind a wife and I think two kids. As I was choking back the tears, I continued to listen to him testify of the plan of salvation. Bro Larson is happy for his son's service and the honor given to him by the Army. His son is with his Heavenly Father, he is in a peaceful place. His son's wife is excited for the day she can be reunited with him in the next life. And he did this all with no malice and with such a gentle heart. This taught me the best lesson of the day. I have so much to be grateful for. I have a Heavenly Father that loves me so much that he gave his Son to die and atone for my sins so that I can return to live with Him again. Families are forever. Heavenly Father is there for us and though I know Bro. Larson misses his son madly, he has been given peace. After that little conversation, my little aches, pains and annoyances didn't seem like that big of a deal. Thank you for the grand lesson.

It was truly a memorable hike and if I can get over the soreness, I just might consider doing it again next year!

Fashion 101 - by Hannah

You can imagine my excitement this morning when Hannah said, "Mommy, can you braid my hair?"

"Yes, of course. I'd love to!"

My kids never let me do their hair, so how am I supposed to get better at being a girl mom? I parted her hair and went to work french braiding her left side. It looked really good (for me). I went to the other side and she tells me she doesn't want it braided. She loved the one-side-braided look, even though the unbraided side kept flipping over to the braided side making it look so messy!

If that were the end of it, I'd be okay, but then she puts on these high heeled boots with her tights and then even worse, wraps the scrap of her new blanket around her like a scarf and has me tie it in the back kinda like a backpack.

And then we went out!

To stores.

Where there are people.

And then to pre-school.

I had to smile because she looked so incredible and was so proud of her look for the day.

You are cute, Hannah!

Anyway you say it, a girl is still a girl

I have four wonderful and unique children. They all have their own strengths they bring to our family, they all make me crazy at times, and the definitely all have made me laugh a lot over the years. I love them ALL so dearly.

I've been noticing how Annie has been saying the word "GIRL". All of my kids have had to learn it and they all say it well now (except Annie), but not always. For some reason, it has been a toughie for the Platt children to learn.

Jake used to call them grrr's - with no vowel and no 'l'. For that matter he called "squirrels", squr's - and this was the child that was so articulate so young, but he just couldn't get down those two words.

Abby had a terrible lisp and called them girlths. Everything ended with a 'th'.

Hannah also lisped, but added in some spit with it (still does) calling them 'girlths' spraying you each time.

Annie I think is my favorite girl sayer, she calls them "gores". I often ask her if she's talking about Al or Tipper.

It makes me sad when my kids innocent way of talking finally matures and they figure out the way they're supposed to speak. I find myself still talking in their old ways, while they look at me like I'm nuts.

Star Student

My beautiful peanut, Abby, got the honor of being the first star student in Mrs. Parra's class this year (only because that is the week I signed up for). She was so excited for me to come in and to be the center of attention. She was especially pumped up because she got to hold the teacher's special pointer stick, the only time all year she'd get that honor. So Annie, Hannah and I all got to visit her class last Friday and watch her use that pointer to show her classmates her poster and pictures. She may have been a teeny bit nervous though, because she looked straight at the poster on the wall, back completely to the kids, and talked about each and every item on her poster.

Abby really is a super star. She is a wonderful older sister and a great example to Hannah and Annie. She is kind, sweet, funny, smart and caring. I never thought I'd get through that first year of life with her, she was a permanent attachment on my hip. Only I could make her happy. But I look back and think how precious she really was and I wish I could go back and just scoop her up and cuddle her sometimes, but she's just too cool now and I'm getting to be too dorky for her (I've always been dorky, but I've had my kids fooled).

Abby I love you and as much as I wish you'd quit growing, I'm excited to see the wonderful young woman you are going to grow to become, because I'm seeing it already - just don't to it too fast.

Silly Bands

So, I really thought we could get through this latest fad without ever buying one single silly band. I didn't feel like I was depriving my kids the fun of the latest trend, they were coming home with new ones that they somehow mooched off their friends, or more likely, that their friends gave them taking pity on them. But that all changed Monday. The kids talked me into going to Wal-mart to buy their own silly bands. I didn't realize so many came in a pack, something like 2000 for a dollar. (Now I don't feel so bad that my kids have been bummin em' off others. I think I now owe some kind kids that took mercy on my kiddos a whoppin' 30 cents). But they all used their own money and we came home with quite a load of Silly Bands.

Now my kids look properly sloppy. They are not good-looking bracelets. They look messy, but as in all fads, this too shall pass.

Of Course I Would (like, duh!)

Here is a little conversation that happened in our car on the way home from St. Johns. First, a little background though. Hannah is a bit of a tormentor to her siblings. Therefore, no one wants to sit by her. They stay as far away from her as possible. For reasons such as: when playing slug bug, Hannah takes her own version of it and starts wailing on everybody saying, "tree, grass, car, stick..." Anything she can see, she hits someone for it. She teases, touches and pesters.

(Notice all the mosquito bites all over Hannah's face. The rest of her body was way worse)

So anyway, as we were on our way home, near Snowflake, Jake had the privilege of sitting by Hannah in the back seat. We were looking out at the sky which was beautiful. Rays of sunshine were breaking through the clouds. It was breathtaking, actually (in a good way, not like in Seinfeld).

(Look at how green it is. The White Mountains are the greenest I have ever seen them)

Jake: That cloud looks like Jesus is coming down.

Hannah: If he was coming down, would you jump out of the car and give him a hug?

Jake: Yes, would you?

Hannah: Of course I would!

It was so matter of fact, so simple and made Jeremy and I look at each other and smile.

I love listening to my kids, though sometimes I wish I drove a limo as the family car. That way when there is arguing I could just roll up the window separating us and drive in peace, but then I'd miss those conversations. And those conversations make the unbearable teasing worth it, I guess.

Cyndi's 60th

This weekend the Platt's all got together to celebrate Cyndi's 60th birthday. And what a great weekend it was! We had the great idea to surprise her in the temple on Friday night. All week long I was just giddy with excitement, unexpectedly clapping or smiling just thinking about how shocked she would be to see us all there. She and Drew work in the Snowflake temple, so all that could, gathered for the 6:30 session. Her coordinator was in on the surprise, bless her heart, and made sure that she would be where we needed her. It was not quite the dramatic effect I had expected since when we entered she didn't see us and we didn't see her. It drew out the drama a little bit more as one by one she saw us all. She cried and cried. It was a great temple experience.

Then on Saturday, we all set about getting ready for the big garden party in their backyard. It was so wonderful. It all came together so perfectly. The food was yummy and Koe was the perfect emcee. Then came the flower ceremony where we all presented her with a flower and told her why we appreciated her or loved her. Her kids all told funny stories. Then we gave her one of my favorite picture books, One in a Billion. It is a great story about a flower who spends his time in a gardener's home where he is loved and cared for. Then comes the day when he is transplanted to the garden where there are billions of other flowers. He suddenly feels so insignificant like he doesn't matter. He eventually learns a life lesson we all need, and that is that we are all important and we are all one in a billion, not just one of a billion.

It was a fun weekend with a lot of laughter, work, smiles and good times.

Happy Birthday Cyndi!