Summer 2025 Be Trippin' Like That

Summer 2025 Trippin'

UPCA Bryce Summit & Girl's Camp, Moab June 9-13

Ward Pioneer Trek, Wyoming, June 23-26

Youth Bryce Summit June 30-July 2

 So Cal July 2-July 6

 Bear Lake Taylor Family Reunion July 10-13

 Pac Northwest Family Road Trip July 18-27

 Callie in Kauai & Oahu July 27- August 12

With just a few days home between each trip, there wasn't really time to be "home." It felt a little like drinking from a firehose. In talking to a neighbor, they said, "We don't go anywhere in the summer, we just stay home." Knowing how the Heber Valley shines in summer, I felt some FOMO about missing it. Maybe next year!

 

We were each asked to focus on our heritage by walking for an ancestor. I chose my great-great-great-grandmother, Fannie Smith Spilsbury, because her story is my all-time go-to pioneer story and, wow. I was happy that after sifting through stories, Callie chose to walk for my great-great-grandmother, Annie Katrine Jensen, my namesake, and many others, including my Treenie.

Heber 6th Ward Pioneer Trek 

June 23-26th 2025

Originally, when Matt was Bishop, Trek was going to be Youth Conference. Then COVID came along and cancelled the whole thing. However, the new Bishop resurrected the idea and extended the invitation to all ward members. Huh. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I asked Matt what he thought about going. He said he was not interested and that he didn't have enough vacation days. However, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that I might like to go. From the get-go, Callie said, "I'm going." When I got a text from the Young Women President asking if I was going to accompany Callie, I asked what they would do with the youth who didn't have family members on Trek. She said, "They will be orphans and assigned to another family." My Callie as an orphan??? I texted back, "I'll go." And with that, I had committed. Gulp. Weeks later, Matt caught wind during a conversation, "You are going on Trek?" As the date approached, I asked him how he felt about staying behind. He said, "I think everyone is going who wants to go and everyone who doesn't want to go isn't." That 'bout sums it up. Last time the five of us went, I kid you not, we spent 500 dollars in preparation, on clothing and supplies. This time, nada. It was great to still have everything. I have loaned out my trek bag at least four times to family and friends. Sticking with the pioneer adage, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

The first step was a pre-trek activity where we would make our family flag and learn the square dances. I was running late, so I sent Callie ahead. She messaged me to hurry up because they needed help with the family flag. I thought I'd be helping them finish up, but when I got there, they were just staring at a blank piece of fabric. They told me that Callie had said to wait for me cause I am a great artist. Whaaaaa? Pa had AI-generated a pretty good-looking image that we used. I wasn't going to draw the people, though! So instead, I made people out of the words Faith In Every Footstep and then drew a hat or bonnet on the top.

June 23rd, 2025

Callie and I had a delightful drive, just the two of us, laughing and talking on the way up to Wyoming. 

I found the landscape to be breathtaking. 

Previously, Matt had walked us through setting up the tent in the backyard to make sure we could do it easily. The car was full to the hat-brim with cots and bloomers. When we arrived at camp, we chose a spot that was rather away from everyone else and very close to where we would unload our stuff. Attempts to persuade us to move closer to "our family" fell on deaf ears. We liked our spot. When we were offered help, we honestly answered, "We've got it." Pa said, "Matt told me you'd say that, but to offer help anyway." I said, "Well, I'm here, and Matt isn't." I guess I don't have to wonder what kind of pioneer I would be. I'd be an assertive pioneer. Then, when he asked if we had room for one more in our tent, I knew in my heart that just would not work out. I answered sympathetically, "I would have needed to know ahead of time to plan on that." He said, "Fair enough."

Assertive pioneer.

This trip was unusual to me in the sense that I just showed up! Various committees had done prep work, but I wasn't a part of that. I didn't hate it. When it was time to square dance that evening, I was delighted that one of my primary kids wanted to be my partner. 

The skies at night were enjoyed till every last morsel of light was used up. During the day, we trekked about six miles, which I thought was just right. However, as we entered the visitors center after Martin's Cove and had crossed the Sweetwater River, everyone's faces looked like we had climbed Everest. I said to the missionaries, "Oh, how we've suffered!"

During the course of the next few days, we did the women's pull, which reminded me of how funny my boys were the last time we went.

I was touched to see how much work and organization had gone into the details of this trip, the food, the itinerary, the food, the activities, the food! There was also just such a sweet feeling. I will treasure it always. Especially my time with Callie,

which turned into more time than it needed to be when I turned left instead of right coming out of camp, and we ended up in Casper!

Make that an assertive and disoriented pioneer.