Blackberry Days - Henry's Lake, Idaho - Part I

Blackberry Days was on the road this year.  Thanks to the family of our sister-in-law Liz (married to Geoff's brother Ian) we had a cabin to gather in on Henry's Lake near Yellowstone.  We rented another overflow cabin and enjoyed four full days together.

On the way to Henry's Lake we stopped in Rexburg, Idaho to load up on food.  I spent my childhood 4th of July(s) in Rexburg at my maternal grandparent's home.  We would go down to main street for the parade (and gather candy thrown from the floats) and watch the fireworks from the side lawn.  We cousins put on plays much like our girls do today.  We all slept in the "cold room", a cement room in the basement with four beds in a row.  My uncle Phil would pull out any loose teeth (I always kept my loose teeth to myself) and my grandma would make me drink any leftover milk in my cereal bowl.  Best of all was having our family skating rink all to ourselves.  I loved all of the neon lights and disco music.  Those are happy memories.  My grandparents died in a car accident when I was six, but those summer memories are some of the crispest of my childhood.

By sheer intuition I found their old house.  My aunt and one of my cousins still live there, but sadly they were out of town so we couldn't say hello.

After reflecting on those family gatherings long ago where we had dozens of cousins stuffed into one little house I realized that my mom and aunts and uncles lived with the mayhem of getting all of us together - overtired and sugar-loaded kids, clothes and toys scattered, and major meal operations.  Those happy memories of my childhood make the sometimes-headache moments worth it.  My kids will remember this.  This is their happy childhood.

 Ceci had been counting the days to see her favorite friend/cousin Bailey

 Here they are playing Grandma

Geoff's mom and sister Ingrid took a group of kids horseback riding.

This was the view from the driveway.  Absolutely stunning.  Too bad those weeds and wildflowers tickled my nose all week...

 Like the colored hair?  Markers.  Part of dressing up like "teenagers".

 Ceci and me out for a ride

 Tennie with Liz

Geoff wake-boarding for the first time in who knows how long

Taeya and Adele

Lousy pictures but a glimpse into the rowdy nightlife of the Davis family - Christian and Mitchell on the drum, Tennie on the spoons, Geoff on a xylophone and Davey on the guitar...

 That's Trent doing vocals, and just moments after this photo there was impromptu dancing by many looking so calm here

 More to come...