Our "Spooky" Halloween Ride

The Wednesday before Halloween, Jake's parents planned a spooky Halloween ride up Tibble Fork in AF Canyon on 4 wheelers and RZR's. We decided to drive up separate and just go in our Durango behind everyone so that we could go home whenever we wanted and not have to be worried about ruining someone else's night by making them leave early {since we don't have our own 4 wheeler or RZR} and because I don't want Kaycee on 4 wheelers yet, especially since it was pitch black.

Preston is Danny's friend. He got all sorts of decked out!! 

Kaycee showing off the headband Wendy got for me

We were talking to an uncle of Jake's when everyone left so everyone got a head of us but we saw the general direction they went and figured we'd follow the signs. Except there were no signs. We kept going thinking we'd see some lights or the fire or something at some point and just didn't see any sign of anyone. After it felt like we'd driven for a super long time, we set the trip on the mileage and started tracking how far we'd gone. 

And then the road got really sketchy. Like REALLY sketchy. Like barely meant for 4 wheelers but definitely not a vehicle sketchy. With cliffs. And pitch blackness. 

I didn't grow up with 4 wheelers or doing off roading so I always get nervous. Always. Hence why I'm adamant about Kaycee not riding them yet unless it's a flat road and it's for less than 30 seconds. I didn't want to be a stick in the mud for this ride though so I was determined to keep my fears to myself and not whine to Jake about being scared. 

The road got incredibly bouncy with all the huge rocks and Jake was having to be very careful he didn't hit one. Fortunately Kaycee loved the bouncing of the ride and it put her right to sleep. Miracle #1 - we didn't have a screaming baby while we were trying to find everyone. 

We got a bit further up, drove through a small river {trust me I was freaking out inside} and kept going when I started feeling very sick. I get car sick so easy so I figured that's all it was and rolled the window down for some fresh air. Didn't get better - that always fixes it for me so I was surprised. I started thinking about what I was feeling and realized I wasn't car sick, I was scared. But I wasn't just scared, I had a bad feeling. Like a turn around now kind of feeling. 

I looked at my phone and saw we had nothing resembling service. And then I mentally started having a panic attack. We had no water, no food, no service and 1 blanket in the car. If we popped a tire up here in the middle of nowhere, we'd be stranded. No one knows where we are. If we rolled, no one would know where to find us. After trying to calm myself down for a second, I said to Jake that I thought maybe we should turn around. He said we had to be close and let's keep going.

30 seconds later, I think he felt the same thing I did because all the sudden he said no I think we should go back, I don't feel good about this anymore.  

I had prayed earlier in the week that we'd both start to feel the Spirit more in our lives. This wasn't what I had in mind though!! Realizing that we were both feeling the Spirit very strongly, I got more scared as we started our descent back down the mountain. I'm positive I would have got us lost, it's a dang good thing Jake is so good in the woods at finding his way back. Kaycee kept sleeping the whole way down and I was squeezing my hands so hard I'm positive they turned white. When we got to the main road, Jake and I both laughed at how odd it was that we wanted to get out of the car and kiss the ground. We left a note on Jake's parents car that we'd got lost trying to find them and had gone home and headed down the mountain. We both got really bad motion sickness from how bumpy and wind-y everything was so getting home and out of the car was one of the greatest moments I'd experienced in a long time. 

Saying our prayers as we put Kaycee to bed was a neat experience - I'd never thought to be grateful we weren't stranded somewhere. It made me have a lot more respect for pioneers - having to endure seasons like that with children and have to see them hungry and cold has got to be one of the hardest things imaginable for a parent. I'm grateful I didn't have to deal with any of that - Kaycee slept so she had no idea what was wrong and had zero reason to be scared. 

I'm grateful for the opportunity Jake and I had to feel the Spirit so strong, both in this experience and with Jack. Although it isn't what I had in mind when I prayed to feel the Spirit more, I'm grateful for the answer to my prayer. 

Next year, we plan to ride on a 4 wheeler for the spooky ride so we don't get lost.