Stimpson Reunion, Sasquatch, and So much Fun!

We just got back from a fantastic family reunion at West Piney!

There is a long slide to get down to the baseball field, creek and playground.

Hangin out with the kiddos!

Trace was obsessed with this ramp from the moment he saw it. It echoed really loud when he ran on it. Then he hauled a toy car up the the top and rode down it. This made for many fun hours. I am a little worried because he doesn’t seem afraid of anything.

Uncle Mark taking Trace down the slide. He loved it! At the bottom he clapped his hands and ran up to do it again. I am just glad we watched him closely so he didn’t go down alone!

I also went down the slide but instead of clapping at the bottom I crash landed on my knee and ankle and hobbled around the rest of the trip!

Kody headed down the slide at lightning speed.

If you look closely you can see Sasquatch in this picture.

Richelle got a better picture of him.

Then later that night, Sasquatch was spotted across the woods. Here are the kids watching and looking for him. Jared was mysteriously missing whenever Sasquatch appeared. ;-)

Trace shared his birthday with two cousins, Kaila, and Andre! We woke him up to eat some cake and all the kids were blowing horns and I think it all was a little too much for him by the look on his face! But he sure enjoyed the cake the next day.

It was a delicious cake! ;-)

Baseball

Aunt Richelle playing-peek-a-boo through the metal railing with Trace. He loved it!

Kendra with her new favorite food. Watermelon!

Trace, Ryan, Landon, Kade, & Harrison eating some grub.

We played “Minute to Win it” doing lots of different tricks. This one we had to blow up a balloon and use the air to knock the cups over onto the floor.

This one we had to stack 30 cups and get them down the fastest. I lost :(

Me and Trace going for a nature walk.

Mom & Dad taking a moment to pose. Thanks to Richelle for letting me swipe these pics. ;-)

Kody and Larry running around the cabin in the three-legged race. This is a coordinated family…no major injuries!

There was also a lot of free time to sit, relax, and chat.

Sure, this may technically be called a “dust-devil” but it was massive so I am calling it my first tornado. Isn’t the ride home to Boise lovely?

Passing through Arco, we stopped at Pickle’s Place. I was not impressed but the chair in the front was cool.

Poor Kendra got sick and threw up all over herself in the car on the way home. Here she is in Trace’s shirt. She also cried the entire night keeping everyone in the cabin awake, but we now can see two teeth coming through! Stinker!

I miss the beautiful forest already! It was so fun to see everyone. EVERYONE was able to come this year except for Trent who is on his mission. The reunion was great! We had so much fun! Can’t wait until next year!

A Sheep Grabbin, Berry Pickin, Road Explorin Day!

What do sheep, berries, and a lot of dirt roads have in common?  Well they all were highlights of our exploring trip today. The great city of Emmett, Idaho! 

Trace was doing so well, he even walked up to a huge sheep and was happy until it let out a huge “BAAAAAA” that scared him half to death and he let out a few tears. ;-)

Wow, a cow tail! Have you ever seen one of these close up? Pretty amazing!

This goat just looked like a person.  She was even smiling when I took the picture. I decided to name her Sue.

Trace just ran from one cage to another, from the rabbits to the chickens, to the roosters, to the ducks. Lots to see.  It was so cool to see all the young people working with the animals. 4H stuff is pretty cool!

Ummm, how’d that one get on here. ;-)

  The Brave Sir Trace of Meridian made a visit.

Kendra stayed in her car seat for the most of the trip. She was a good sport….. Up until she threw up all over Lisa. Thankfully, Trace and I were on an adventure exploring when it happened. 

After the fair we found this fantastic YOU PICK fruit farm. There was a sign that said if no one was out there to ring the bell and they would come.  Lisa was happy to do so.   Note she is sporting her weekend hat which she wears almost every single weekend!

Tons and tons of Blackberries! The people here were so nice.  They said to feel free to snack and “be quality control” on the berries so we did. Trace was especially happy to help out!

Lisa picking the berries. I guess the black ones are the best so we took our time picking out the best ones.

Trace just LOVED picking blueberries. He just picked and RAN to the bucket to dump them in squealing each time he picked one.  The berries he picked were the ones that no one else would pick (too small, tiny, and white) but he thought he was being such a big help. 

Here he comes running to the bucket to dump a handful inside!

I’m not sure whether he ate more than actually went into the bucket but he was a big help.

Here is our stash!   We got quite a few blackberries and blueberries, and some peaches. All for 6 bucks! Can’t top that!

Then Trace got thirsty and wouldn’t let go of Momma’s drink.

Kendra posing next to some delicious peaches.

Ha ha! Lisa thought this was Honeysuckle so she ate one.  Only later did the owners tell us it wasn’t honeysuckle, just some sort of Trumpet flower. Lol!… and she said it tasted just like honey. ;-)

    

Last on our trip we wanted to check out Black Canyon Reservoir.  We will definitely return with the boat. There was some cool falls to see at the dam.

By this point, Trace was stuffed with berries and ready for nap.  A Saturday well spent!

Katching 1 tiny fish in Ketchum!

We met some friends near Ketchum for camping and had a great time!  There was a little rain here and there but we had a blast!

This is where Photoshop might come in handy... Make that fish about 4 or 5 times bigger.

This is a great place to camp.  Fishing nearby, a hot springs down the road. However, it was overflowed this time so we were lucky to get a spot that was warm. Still beautiful as can be.

Trace helping Kenya eat. She wouldn't touch her dog food until he started giving it to her bite by bite. They made a good team.

 

Here's my favorite little buddy. This year it was so much fun taking him camping. He walked everywhere. We all came home muddy as can be but had a great time.

Game and snack time in Kim & Brian's giant new trailer! Fun times!

Kendra relaxing on a pile of blankets. First night Lisa and I split the kids up, we both froze while the kids were hot. Second night we got smarter and figured out a way for us and the kids to be warm. Forgot pillows this time! Blast! We survived. It was fun! ;-)

Blast through Summer!

Every summer we find it harder and harder to keep up the blog.  So to help with that, here is one long post of a bunch of fun times we have had so far.  Starting with the most recent and working backwards..Fasten your seatbelts!!! 

Lisa sure is talented.

She is feeding the baby,  paddling the boat with her feet and helping me keep Trace in his seat. All at the same time!

This weekend we had Lisa’s family up.

It was a lot of fun and great having everyone here!

Jaydee & Riley getting ready to play “I spy with my little eye”.  An easy game that still lets me sit here on the swing like a sloth. ;-)

Jan & Kev strutting their stuff (as well as you can strut while pedaling a giant pelican around).

I’m too cool to smile. Bo diggidy!

Lake Lowell.

This pic was taking just moments before we floated into a giant patch of tall reeds.  I was glad we had that oar to get us out of there! ;-)

Lisa cool, calm , and collected.  

Tiny Kendra in her jacket.

Trace learning to drive the boat!

The newest Skipper!  For our first time out together on the boat we had a great time and I learned something NEW!  A towel, when it falls out of a boat into the river sinks immediately. I don’t know but I always thought it would float. Nope!  One slid out and was gone immediately so if you are boating out at Lake Lowell and see a tan towel out there please grab it for us. ;-)

We went with the Dallings to the Boise Rec Festival.

It was fun and hot as can be. Well maybe not. My brother has been texting me from Arizona about how its 120 degrees there so I guess 93 or 94 isn’t too bad at all!  

Above you can see Eric, Sophie, Trace, and I as we get some of that refreshing water!

Two wet water rats!

Wendy and Aaron and my parents came to visit.

We had so much fun together. Here is a pic from the great Costco.  Pizza and soda only 2.50. How can you beat that?

This was the first time we had ever gone paddle boating. Here is

Aaron, Jake, and Connor!

     

Cool dude cousins Andre  & Trace.  Funny how I still remember when Andre was Trace’s age. Man, time flies!

Memorial Day

Grandpa & Grandma Stimpson’s grave. We went to Burley. It was nice… All except Trace had a fit moments later and threw up on the road. Hopefully no one stepped in that. Yuck!

So summer has been great!  So what's next? Let us know, we’ll all go do it!