Summer categories: Family Reunion, Sunsets,games, hiking

I've decided to divide our summer in Idaho/Oregon into categories. The first was Annalyn, and here are the next three:  4th of July weekend, we went up to Emigrant Springs for a Hendrickson family reunion.  The weather was beautiful and we had a good turnout. 

I took Tanner, Taz and Cynjyn to meet their second/third cousins Mary, Ben and Maddie.  We found out that Ben and Maddie were attending BYUI and so that was cool for Tanner even though they aren't quite on the same tracks.  They played some badminton to get acquainted.

My cousin Petra was nice enough to take a picture with Cynjyn.  I have been telling Cynjyn that she looks like Petra since she was little.  I think they have similar face structure and dimples.  Taz was totally freaked out to imagine that Petra's youngest brother Tyce is my cousin.  I am the oldest and he is the youngest.  I don't know why that was so weird to him, but he was obsessed over that fact.  He was also a little weirded out when I told them that his cousin Trey and his third cousin Aaryn are cousins and third cousins.  Trey's mom is Aaryn's dad's sister and Trey's dad and Aaryn's mom are cousins (clear as mud right?).

Cynjyn was determined NOT to have fun and meet people at this reunion, but she ended up really bonding with Maddie, Mary and Ben.  So much in fact that she ended up spending the last night there at the cabin with them (We had been going home to mom and dad's each night rather than spending the night there.)

The relatives ended up having an epic game of Ultimate Frisbee that started with Taz, Cynjyn, Tanner, Aaryn, Ben and Maddie and ended up with too many to count joining in for the fun.

There was also a lot of game playing going on! (Aaryn, Ben and Cynjyn)

Tanner Maddie and Mary.

I'm a little obsessed with the Western sunsets and I've got my kids hooked on them too.  They are just beautiful and I can't bet enough of them!

We play a lot of games, it's just what we do.  Grandma and Grandpa got Cynjyn to play a little Cribbage and we played a ton of hand and foot and pinochle. 

We were trying to have an active summer and so we decided to take a hike up Table Rock one day.  It is a popular hill to climb in Boise and we started bright and early one morning. 

It has super steep parts and some leveled off parts. 

Cynjyn saw a snake right away as she was ahead of us and quickly turned back and stayed with us.  Taz and Kres made it to the top in 35 min.  It took the rest of us an hour.  Tanner and Beckham saw a snake too.  Cynjyn made it up a really steep part and was done.  She didn't want to go any further.  She was being quite adamant about this.  So we started off with out her, but were encouraging her to continue as she was so close to the top. 

She did continue and was so glad she did.  Once at the top, you could hike down to these little caves and rocky area where there was a bunch of graffiti.  It was pretty cool and we all liked it.  Both she and Taz want to go back there for their Senior picture shoot.

Taz found some initials that fit with him and his crush.

He also found his friend Lex's name on the rock.

We really liked the view and the scenery and even the hike wasn't so bad.  Next year we want to improve our time and get up even faster.