Temple Hike

 Confession: the first time I heard about the 22 mile hike to the temple, I though it was a stupid idea. It was based off a man who walked 22 miles to work on the Salt Lake Temple every week for decades. A youth group in Utah followed his same path and walked 22 miles to the Salt Lake Temple in his memory. Okay, cool. But it has zero to do with our youth who are not in Utah. No one was walking 22 miles to work on the DC temple. 

But (thankfully) I am not the one running the youth program at church, so it was scheduled for April. And the closer we got, the more the idea grew on me. Mostly it was the idea of doing a hard thing. I feel like I see so many of the youth unwilling to try new or hard things, unwilling to leave comfort zones. And I remember feeling that way when I was a youth, and how much I regret it now. So by the time it rolled around, I was all in. Seth was given no choice, but Catherine volunteered! I tried to push her to do the shorter, 7 mile hike instead. Nope. 

And so, WAY too early in the morning, we loaded up and drove down to DC. The first part of the hike was along the Potomac, and it was simply enchanting. Rocks, trees, vines...it felt like some sort of fairy woods. There was a creek flowing through some huge rocks about 1/2 mile in, and the kids probably would have just stopped there if given the chance:

Gabe, Catherine and Benjamin

The first few miles the kids were so energetic: running, hopping, climbing. Climbing on giant bridges over the Potomac:

Owen, Gabe & Catherine

It helped that there were lots of cool things to see on the way.

Like this memorial to people lost at sea:

I got Catherine to take a selfie with me!

And smile!

Miracles happen!

Some of the group at the memorial:

Then it was across the Potomac and into the heart of DC.

Here are a bunch of youth sitting on the Jefferson Memorial:

By this point we were maybe 1/4 of the way and the kids were asking for snacks and water. 

A few miles later and we got this:

The hike was a fun combination of urban and wood locations. I loved getting to walk through the beautiful old (expensive) neighborhoods! 

Lunch was at the National Cathedral. Catherine almost didn't make it (she was really slowing down, teary-eyed). But then Bishop, who patiently waited for her, offered her some peanut M&Ms. After eating a handful she was literally skipping the last 1/2 mile or so until the end. 

Benjamin was also having a rough go of it. I think he'd pushed himself too hard to stay in the front. He was very red-faced and very unhappy. Bro. Mattson patiently walked with him until they got to the cathedral. I loved when Benjamin finally sat down to lunch and his brother Adam brought him an entire plate full of veggies. "This will make him happy." And it did. Those Kraczeks and their veggies...

Then it was more hiking. By this point most of the charm had worn off and the kids were just drudging through. Also, somehow Owen ended up carrying Seth's backpack for most of the second half of the hike:

Seth, Gabe, Owen

Youth on a log.

Notice Catherine's scowl.

By this point we had separated into different groups. Seth stayed up with the front group, while Catherine and I were closer to the end. 22 miles is not easy, especially if you are the youngest participant by almost two years. When she was really dragging, Doug Mullins told her he'd buy her a milkshake if she finished. She shrugged it off, but kept going. Anytime there was a good spot by the river, she'd stop and soak her legs, arms and neck to cool off:

About seven miles away from the temple, a group of people from the ward met up with us. We stopped for snacks and some pictures, then were off again!

Talia did zero hiking.

She was there for moral support.

Melissa did the full hike with us!

Hiking 22 miles is better with one of your bestest friends. 

About two miles out, Catherine hit another wall. She was stumbling, crying, saying she just couldn't do it. I had about exhausted my methods of inspiration, but thankfully Melissa still had one gem up her sleeve: prancersizing. Giggling about prancersizing got Catherine through another mile. 

Sadly, not a picture of us prancersizing.

Once we caught sight of the temple, Catherine was in beast mode. Bishop joked about beating her to the temple, and that was it for her. She literally ran the last 1/4 mile (up a hill!) just to make sure that she beat Bishop. 

We couldn't really get onto the temple grounds since it was a week before the open house began, but we walked past the gate and got to see it. Then we headed to the stake center next door for some pizza and cookies!

She did it!

And she's (mostly) still alive!

Seth and Gabe also did it!

And are a bit less alive than Catherine:

I had to get the Seth recap from the leaders who were walking with him. Apparently he was really, really dragging at the end. It didn't help that the only shoes he owns/will wear are a pair of Vans, which just don't give much support for this kind of stuff. And that said Vans were literally falling apart by the end of the hike. Contrary to Catherine's motivational M&Ms and prancersizing, Seth was told he would be kicked in the butt or pantsed if he didn't finish. A great illustration of the difference between young men and young women leaders.  But he finished! Even if he had to be driven to the temple grounds for the group photo because his feet were too sore to walk any further (they let us sneak in for a photo!). 

One of my most favorite photos of ever.

These two are buddies and I love it. 

We made it to the temple!

The map of our hike, in all its glory.

And the three littles who got to enjoy a day with Daddy instead of suffering with the rest of us.

This is what I posted on social media after we got home:

Last Saturday Seth, Catherine and I hiked 22 miles with our youth group. We started in Virginia, crossed the Potomac, visited some sites on the National Mall, ate lunch at the National Cathedral, hiked through Rock Creek Park and ended at the Washington DC temple in Kensington, Maryland.

Catherine just turned 11 in February. She was the youngest person (by almost 2 years!) who completed the entire hike. She even ran the last quarter mile up a hill to the temple in order to beat Bishop Uhlig to the finish line!

But it was far from easy. By the end I had to rest while standing because I knew if I sat down I would not want to get back up. Catherine repeatedly told me she couldn't do it, often with tears in her eyes. It was HARD. But just at the moment when she really was going to give up, Bishop would offer her a handful of peanut M&Ms. Or Melissa would teach her the joys of prancersizing. And then she found that she could keep going after all.

I wasn't with Seth's group, but when I'd catch up with him at rest points, I was concerned for his physical health. He looked completely exhausted: pale, glazed eyes, lethargic. His leaders told me he finished the hike on .0045 of a tank. But he did it!

The DC temple has been closed for four years. I've enjoyed the chance to visit the temple in Philadelphia instead. So I was surprised at my feelings when we caught our first glimpse of the temple. It felt like homesickness. Like I've been gone for far too long and it's time to come back.

Easter

We had a thrilling Bunny Day morning, with kids trickling down the stairs, one at a time, to get their baskets. Seth gave his tennis racket and water bottle a big, big thumbs up:

Elijah was all about the candy.

Except not actually.

He'd take one bite out of each piece, then toss it:

Aaron got giant water beads, which he has been very, very stingy about using.

I think he's maybe used five the entire summer:

Elise was legitimately about the candy, as shown by her cheeks in this photo:

Catherine eventually rolled out of bed (she's our sleep-in kid). 

Elijah was right there to help her figure out her Easter basket.

We opted to give the neighborhood egg hunt a try again this year. Seth was assigned to be Elijah's helper, and Catherine was told this is her last year. 

So much beauty here. 

There was much less trampling of small children this year, which was a win. Also much less candy in the eggs, which is also a win. But instead they were filled with junky little plastic toys, which I possibly hate more than junky candy. I think we'll skip the hunt next year. 

Elijah began Easter Sunday the proper way:

By getting his face stuck in my Easter basket.

Only 3/5 kids were interested in dying eggs this year:

Only one cup of dye got spilled, so not too bad! 

Happy Easter, everyone!

Elijah at Three

Little Elijah Mark, our barbarian puppy. You are hilarious and exhausting and demanding and snuggly. Mostly exhausting, but I sure love you. Being a toddler mommy is not for the weak of heart! 

Your newest obsession hit HARD. It was bulldozers and excavators, but then, suddenly it was LAWN MOWERS. Actually, all the forms of lawn care are very exciting: leaf blowers, weed whackers, rakes, shovels, you name it. But lawn mowers are king. You have taken full possession of the toy lawn mower that Grandma Cathy gave to Seth when he was little (which I was about to give away because no one ever touched it). You use it all the time now to mow "Lijah's grass" and whatever other grass you deem in need of mowing. I can't keep track of all the times I've had to start a desperate search for you when you've wandered off mowing. We're working on that. 

Helping rake my mulch.

That poor mulch was a mess for months. 

But don't worry. You haven't left construction vehicles behind. They're super helpful for many tasks around the house. Especially for grinding wheat!

Yes, that is a tiny excavator in there.

Other times it's a bulldozer.

It's even better when said toys were previously out in the mulch.

Extra fiber, anyone?

You are still very, very attached to me. Not quite to toddler Aaron levels, but way beyond any of the other kids. If I ever do anything terrible to you, like go to a meeting, or go shopping, or go running without you, there's much trauma to your soul. We then have to spend some time snuggling in order to reforge the broken bond:

How dare Mommy go to the temple?

You're still pretty terrible at potty training. If you're totally naked, you're gold. But put any kind of underwear or pants on and it's a free pass to do whatever you want. Sigh...

Naps only happen in the car or on a walk. When the weather is nice, Dad and I try to take a walk every afternoon so you can nap.

Stats at age 3: 30 lbs (35%), 3 ft. 2 in. (52%). 

You are a blanket junkie. You sleep in a giant pile of blankets, both the muslin kind and the waffle blankets. If we ever try to cover you up with an unacceptable blanket, you immediately toss it off, highly offended. 

 You still have some rage issues, especially when being pestered (which is mostly by Elise and Seth). You jut out your lower jaw and move in to kick or hit or head butt. You still bite occasionally, but very occasionally. 

Our neighbor girl Juliana is one of your buddies. You are definitely frenemies. Friends until she tries to take your lawn mower (or you try to take hers). But it's trending in the 'friends' direction more often now. 

Lately you've been chanting "boh-na-boh-na-boh-na-boh-na" over and over again. I have no idea where it came from. 

You adore Catherine. She is usually the one who will help you when you can't reach something or comfort you when you get hurt. You love waking her up in the mornings by crawling onto her bed and laying on top of her. 

You're still not a huge fan of other people. Amy Montano has spent the last several months of sacrament meetings trying to win you over by bringing you a package of Smarties every week. You still don't smile at her, but you will approach her for Smarties, so she's calling it a win. 

You still love music. The Encanto soundtrack is your current favorite, although you still sing 'The Imperial March' in the car during long drives. You also love books, especially if there are construction vehicles involved. 

You are my alarm clock. Every morning you slam our door open, run to my side of the bed and jump in for some snuggles. But you never hold still. After a few minutes of wiggling, you whisper, "I want my milk" at my face, and we head downstairs. I call you my puppy alarm clock. 

You definitely hold your own despite being the youngest of five. You would be happiest if I let you run around outside, stark naked, with an endless supply of dirt and construction vehicles. We love you, Big Stinky. Happy birthday!

Elijah Turns Three

 

Helping make his birthday cake.

Mom can handle this level of disaster only for the sake of a birthday.

Aaron was my awesome birthday helper.

He decorated all the balloons for Elijah's birthday.

At age three, Elijah has joined the family tradition of screens in the mornings.

Birthday cereal? Krave!

For Elijah's birthday, we decided to go on a grand adventure. I loaded him into the bike trailer, grabbed his brothers (the girls were at school), and we biked to Castle Park. Elijah was thrilled to find this bulldozer in the sand!

All the boys playing in the sandbox:

From there we biked to Burger King for lunch and ice cream.

The sweet cashier with Down's brought Elijah a birthday crown.

I didn't even know they still had those things!

After an emergency call to Jon to help with a flat tire, we all made it back home!

It was about 8 miles total.

Elijah was totally exhausted after all that riding in the trailer. 

For dinner we had noodles, which is Elijah's favorite food group.

Then it was cake time!

Decorated with love by Catherine and Elise.

I was worried he'd be upset about us borrowing all his trucks to put on the cake. Nope. In fact, he kept bringing new ones over and putting them around the side of the cake until he ran out of room. It was all very exciting.

Birthday boy and his construction vehicle cake.

Ready for the singing!

Out go the candles!

(please notice the lack of pants)

Then, still with no pants, it was time for gifts:

Pew pew guns from Aaron and Seth!

But the biggest hits were from Grandma Cathy, who loaded him up with construction vehicles:

It was a perfect Elijah birthday!

April Activities

Making homemade Oreos (Aaron's request)

Hanging out at the Patapsco River with the Oliveras during spring break:

Blake shows Seth and Catherine the ropes

Elise convinced Emma and Marley to float her down the river in their tube:

I later floated down with her and got a nice bruise on my rear from some rocks in shallow water.

Catherine found some precious treasure:

(it was some sort of building material, we think)

But my kids were mostly there to eat Marley's snacks.

Especially the seaweed.

Seth complained mightily about his boredom.

It's hard to be the biggest one with no buddies to play with.

Elijah was happy to be an excavator in the dirt.

Seth winning all the big brother points by spinning them in the tire swing:

A friend in the ward helps coach a youth mountain biking team. He emailed me with a couple of family-friendly events that we could try out. We may have stressed him out a bit by signing Elise up. She (and Aaron, actually) were quite a bit younger than most of the other riders. So the coach had his Elise (a senior and one of my YW) come along to help my Elise. Which was really something because I know how Big Elise feels about biking. But it made Little Elise soooooo happy. Big Elise said she got a lot of practice saying, "Uh huh. Yeah." on repeat while Little Elise chatted nonstop. But these bike trips earned Big Elise the undying affection of Little Elise. There have been several pictures delivered on Sundays to Big Elise from Little Elise.

Free shirts that don't fit and are two years old? Score!

And how did the other riders do? Seth apparently tried to start out leading the pack, but quickly fell behind. He's used to being the biggest and fastest one in his peer group. But he didn't feel discouraged. Instead he told me, "Those guys are really good!" 

Catherine was frustrated because she wasn't fast enough for Seth's group, but was a bit too fast for the younger group. She kept getting stuck behind slow people and having to walk up hills after losing momentum. But she loved Coach Jen (and Coach Jen loved Catherine--she's always looking for girls who want to ride!). 

Aaron rode with Jon since he was too young for the Catherine group. His comment to me when he got home was "I need a bike with gears." Surprisingly, Seth's old bike actually (barely) fit him. So now Aaron has gears for future biking use. 

Everyone came home tired, sore, excited, and full of cookies. Seth and Catherine wrote this on the floor of the garage after getting home:

"I biked myself to death! Now everything hurts."

Elise's stoned koala.

My newest favorite piece of child artwork:

Also, my dogwood bloomed and I just am in love with it every year:

(this looks oversaturated, they're really a pale pink)

Random April things:

(overheard conversation)

Aaron: "Grandpa Russell is your average grandpa."

Catherine: "That's not true!! He's like the buffest grandpa ever!"

Aaron: "That's true. He's always bouncing around and stuff."

*****

Elise keeps referring to duct tape as "goose tape."

*****

One night at Primary Activities, Aaron fell off his bike and bloodied his knee. While the leaders were taking him inside to clean it up, Catherine found out what was going on and hurried to the rescue. Aaron was pretty upset. Catherine knew just what to do: calm him down with math! She started asking him math questions, and he immediately stopped wailing so he could concentrate on the numbers. Catherine for the win!