Family Reunion Fun

Fife Clan 2011

This past August we gathered the whole Fife clan together in Island Park, ID for a weekend of food, family and fun.  My parents rented this awesome cabin called "The Mangy Moose."  It had tons of space for us to spread out in and even a family of moose that would wander by each evening.  We took turns preparing meals and and heading up activities.  The kids especially loved going on 4 wheeler rides.  This game is "See how many kids you can ride at once."   Good thing Kris and Brian were great sports.  We also tried out geocaching for the first time.  Geocaching is treasure hunting with a GPS. 

The kids were super excited to find the cache of toys and such in the wheel hub of this rusted out old car.  Geocaching also helped introduce us to the local law enforcement.  Kris and Brian each had a 4 wheeler full of kids while Dad, Jared, Mallory, Kalene with Bella on lap, me with Eva on lap piled into the Explorer with Leah and Sage in the back.  As we followed the compass around on the iPhone we bajaed down through the church parking lot and onto a main road where we passed a friendly deputy.  He quickly flipped a U-turn and came after us lights blazing.  We in the Explorer panicked over out unbelted little ones and loudly encouraged Leah and Sage to lay down in the back.   The officer passed us by and pulled up behind the 4 wheelers.  At that time we in the Explorer took a quick left off the road into Mack's Inn and left the 4 wheelers to fend for themselves.  "Stinkers" Brian texted us.  Luckily they got off with just a warning.  I could not stop laughing and giggled the whole way home and most of the night.

The cousins put on a fantastic talent show for us.  Abi and Gabby are lip synching  to "Hot and Cold."  Tal and Sterling had some blackmail worth crazy dancing that we caught on video for future generations.  We also had a blast playing some "Minute To Win It" games like a pencil catch, ice fishing marbles with your toes and everybody's favorite "Bottoms Up."  It was a riot watching each of us try to knock plastic cups off of the table using a yo-yo tied on behind.  Jared especially had a "smashing" good time and proved that "Bottom's Up" is a contact sport and proper "support" should be required. 

Our cabin was just off of Henry's Fork above Mack's Inn.  We loaded up the canoe and inner tubes for a little float down the river.  Somehow the canoeists always ended up towing the tube floaters.  The little floaters had such a great time they wanted to float again and again.  Being close to Mack's Inn brought back many memories of when I was a kid and my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins would crowd into a cabin at Mack's Inn.  We would stay up late playing cards, running wild, catching minnows, and having a wonderful time.  During the weekend my sister Kalene asked me if now that it was our turn to be the moms at the reunion if we were Aunt Patsi and my mom, Donetta.

One of our favorite childhood memories of those reunions was feeding the fish up at Big Springs and visiting the John Sack cabin.  A school of huge trout lived under the bridge and would swim out into the open water to gobble the chunks of bread or left over pancake that we would throw over the side.  But now there were only a few medium sized trout and they were not at all interested in out bread chunks.  A hungry little muskrat came swimming out and gathering the little chunks though to take back to his family.  This year we bypasses the cabin tour as the little ones found it "BORING!!!" on a previous trip.

Our family reunion was celebrated over my birthday.  Happy 34!!!  Leah was nice enough to share her Birthday Princess crown with me while my family sang "Happy Birthday" replete with Cha Cha Cha's.  My wonderful mom made my favorite, raspberry cheesecake. One night we watched a movie, "Rio" on the big screen that Brian brought up.  Another night we roasted marshmallows and made smores.  We played bean bags and cards, stuffed ourselves silly, and created lasting loving family memories.