24th of July - A Pioneer Day Celebration

I haven't posted in a while. S'been c-a-r-a-z-ay! (Do those words make sense to you? That's how it sounds coming out of my head.) The day before I got really sick, we had a fabulously long day at our little community Pioneer Day Celebration. (Pioneer Day is a state-wide holiday commemorating the Mormon Pioneers arriving in Salt Lake Valley after their long trek to the West.) Every year, the residents of Mapleton come together for a fun filled day, to commemorate our pioneer past. With the day consisting of a 5k run, breakfast in the park, the parade, carnival games/prizes, treats including snow cones and cotton candy, continuous musical muses from local talent, lunch in the park, and an art show...it' busy! The celebration is very "small-town"-ish, hinting at a "Norman Rockwell" scene.

All the wards are invited to enter a float in the parade who's route starts at the Jr. High and ends at the elementary school across from the little white church. I participated in the parade with my four little ladies and the rest of the primary children and leaders. Debbie, our 2nd Counselor in the Primary, created the float for this year's parade. She'll never volunteer to do it again, I'm sure. After hours and hours of crafting at it's best (and a failed attempt half-way through), she created an amazing caterpillar in the style of a "Chinese Dragon". The caterpillar's face was made using none other than a paper-mache technique (and paint). A felt-backed fabric was used to make the long "body", arched with hula-hoop halves for the kids to hold it up with. I made the banner that was "paraded" ahead of the float that stated our theme, "Tomorrow's Butterflies". I guess we didn't have a "float", really. Most of us walked the entire parade route. Only the little ones got to ride in the wagons. Even so, all the children enjoyed the experience.



After spending most of the day in the park, we had a BBQ with friends and then went to an awesome fireworks display, put on by a local dentist and Mapleton City. This year's show was absolutely amazing. We were literally watching them explode just over our heads and the finale was quite spectacular, even for a "small-town" showing.

I am thankful for the pioneers who suffered so much in the early days of the Church's organization to give us the religious opportunities we have today. Their stories herald examples of true faith, strength, and valor; and encourage us to do better, to be better.

A member of our ward shared a poignant pioneer story last Sunday. One of her ancestors was, as a young girl, part of the Willie Handcart Company. She was very tired and weak from all the walking she had done in the cold. A man pulled up aside her in his horse-drawn covered wagon and asked if she wanted a ride. She immediately said yes. The man took off in the wagon ahead of her, causing her to run to keep up. The little girl thought he was the meanest, nastiest man she'd ever met. Just then, after her blood was circulating, the man stopped, ran to her, wrapped her in a warm quilt, and laid her down inside his wagon, bringing her to safety. He rescued her. She went on to say, we all need "rescuers" at times in our lives.

I am thankful for all the "rescuers" that have come in to my life, be it a ward member, neighbor, a friend, or a family member who were readily available and willing to help, no matter the circumstance. Who has "rescued" you?