A Family Night Hike. . . . .

Last night we took the wonderful opportunity of hiking up Strongman Trail to Waterfall Canyon. It started out very exciting cause we'd never been on this hike before & so the kids were anxious about it all day. Lately it seems that Hoko & I have really come to love the outdoorsy recreation that Ogden has to offer. We took a drive out to Cache Nat'l Forest Campgrounds that is literally like a 15-20 min drive from our home. There's a beautiful lake there with a beach/marina area for families to go swimming. They also offer fishing there. We're planning to head there this weekend with the kids.








Anyways, back to hiking. What started out exciting, started turning into feelings of frustration on would we ever get there?? We literally got lost three or four times before we found some fellow hikers that were heading to the same place & we were able to get our butts on the right track. Lol. Had we not gotten lost so many times, we'd have shaved off an hour or two of our overall time. The kids were such TROOPERS & didn't complain much at all. Savou hiked up the WHOLE way on his own & Hoko & I took turns carrying him on the way down. All the rest of our kids did such an AWESOME job & they all agreed that it was worth it once we finally reached the top. Which I must add that we will NEVER do this hike again with all our kids until they're older cause it's actually quite a difficult hike for your average adult. But such a GREAT workout & one of those that once the destination's reached, is breath taking!! :D I didn't know I took so many pictures so enjoy. . . . .I feel like these pics don't do the real thing any kinda justice. But I can't wait to head up this trail again soon.








There were so many times that I wanted to flat out give up & turn around, but I didn't want to let my kids down. Seeing how determined THEY were to reach the top was so invigorating, yet so humbling for me. So I kept my thoughts quiet & kept encouraging myself to keep pushing on. When we got back last night, Hoko said that he was thinking the same thing. And we both realized that this has been the story of our lives. Ever since we started our journey as a family, we've set goals, re-set them, changed them altogether & even gotten off track totally & been lost. We've looked back on our lives so far & can specifically pin point areas that were exactly the way our hike went. With our kids totally being the driving force behind our motivation to get back on track & focus. And then there were the times when Hoko & I needed each other in taking turns passing our kids back & forth between each other in order to carry them through their rough times. It was such an incredible experience & I will never forget it. Our oldest, Aaliyah, totally took charge & clearly proved the reason why she's the oldest of our six kids. She's responsible, caring, loving & very aware of her younger siblings. Hoko & I didn't have to ask her to step up to certain responsibilities that I would've thought we would have to. She is AMAZING & I love her so much. Lote si'i was her loving, constantly supportive & encouraging self. She was constantly looking out for everyone else during our hike & I was so grateful for her child like spirit. Polu Marie was pretty much miserable because we had gotten lost so many times. She gave up on us & wanted to turn back long before we reached the top. And even when we did reach the top, she wasn't as excited about it as the rest of us. Lol. But she kept her complaints very minimal & was patient with all of us in our effort to complete the task at hand. So for that, I am grateful to her. :D Sila didn't join us. She was at a sleep over at her auntie Lote's house. Baby Hoko was absolutely remarkable!! He reminded me of the times when Hoko would get sent out of state for work & he would be on the phone with him. . . . .Hoko would always tell him that he was the man of the house & to take care of us while he was gone. *tears* Well, he demonstrated that yesterday & continues to impress us with his four year old nature. He was constantly racing with his older sisters wanting to be in the front because he wanted to 'show us the way.' Lol. On the way down he fell on the rocks, but he's always been our one that holds his emotions inside if he can. Considering that he's only four, he's not always successful. But the fact that he tries so hard to take things on with out complaining or crying always leaves me feeling so heartfelt for him. Even when he gets beat up by his bully of a cousin, Spencer, (hahaha) he'll hide so as to not let any of us see that he's hurt. Stinky Spencer!! Lol. I ended up giving Baby a piggy back ride a little ways down the hill cause his knee hit the rocks pretty badly when he fell. My husband was so patient. I am literally in awe of the way Hoko & I seem to balance each other out. Especially at times when it's needed most. When I was ready to give up, he would encourage me along the way. When his legs were shaking uncontrollably from carrying Savou on our uphill climb, it was like my mind went into some kind of survivor mode & I had the strength to take over for a little while. I love my family so much & the experiences that we share never fails to teach me more & more of the unconditional love Heavenly Father has for each & every one of us. It's mind boggling to even try to consider it being a parent myself & thinking of the overwhelming love I have for my own children. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to continue to progress & grow through the different strokes that life throws our way. :D Til next time. . . . .