Summer Camp Out & 4th of July

Well, we survived another camp out and 4th of July. They seem to be almost one activity because they are only one week apart. It is two great weekends together.

Our yearly Camp Out this was held at Camp Timpanookie, at the top of American Fork Canyon. We all arrived in the early afternoon to set up camp. It is a beautiful spot and thanks to Laura and Lyle, we had really good camp spots. The afternoon and evening was spent talking and having fun together. The grandkids really have a lot of fun when they get together, exploring, finding bugs, mice and all sorts of things. Lindsay and Holly brought their pet snails which I would not hold. We had a great supper that night, all the hamburgers and hot dogs you could eat. We spent some time listening to Great Grampa Hansen telling, in a recording, how he, his father and brother discovered two of the three caves of Timpanogos Cave. Also, that evening a new activity was created; roasting red licorice over the fire. The kids really had fun. This went on until it started to rain. Finally, about 9:00 we were all wet and decided that it was time for bed.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast and then about 11:30 loaded up to go to Timpanogos Cave where we had reservations to climb to the cave. For most, it was their first time going to the cave. It had been a really long time since I had been up and the memory dulls with age. I forgot just how steep that trail was. The said it was only a mile and a half but the didn’t say it was all straight up. We started out with 23 hikers and after 2 hours of hiking, we got all 23 to the cave entrance. I was really proud of all of them as it took each one to help with the smaller kids and the old people.

They limit the tours to 20 people but I asked the ranger, since we were all decedents of Martin Hansen, is we could go as a family. They bent the rules and let us all go together. So the tour was just or family and the ranger. It was really special. The grand kids even remembered what they had heard the night before.

I am not sure what was the hardest, going up or coming down. My knees felt like that roasted licorice, all soft a wobbly when we got down. We made it without any blisters, that I know of, or accidents of any sort. There were a lot of stiffness for a few days but great memories of participating together and learning some family history.

That afternoon, we had a special edition of Family Fued, complete with a guest host. We all had a great laugh at each other and ourselves. After a super meal of corn, pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans, we hand froze ice cream and had it over Greg and Annette’s famous apple, peach and pumpkin cobblers. Man they were good.

Jill and Michael then took the older kids on a snipe hunt when we set up for the slide show that Lyle had prepared. Again we all laughed at some of the old pictures of each of us. After roasting a few more licorice, we all hobbled to bed.

Sunday morning we just had some breakfast, cleaned up and came home. Some, like Roxie, didn’t want to leave because they had so much fun. There’s always next year and we have already started to plan for that one.

The 4th of July sleep over in the back yard was a lot of fun this year. It was the first time we have had Carrie, Matt and their family and it was great to have them with us this year. The kids got to make a lot of noise with the snappers, all 2500 of them. We had a great supper and plenty of time to talk play and enjoy each other. Of course, there was the annual movie on the back yard and then bed. The night was spoiled some time around 1:30 A.M. by the thunderstorm that drove everyone into the house to sleep where ever they could find a spot.

Breakfast was omelets in a bag, bacon and pancakes. I don’t think anyone went away hungry. It is always fun to spend the day together and to have a great holiday. I makes you thankful that we live in a place where we can do that without fear and to be free.