Star S Ranch

The week after the 4th of July, Trent and I got to join the extended Sorensen family at the Family Ranch. It's almost right in the middle of Mackay and Sun Valley, ID. Beautiful land and wide open spaces to fulfill all the needs of a little 2 year old and his equally giddy Dad. Lots of pictures here, but since this whole blog goes into a book each year, it's hard to dismiss certain pictures that hold significance to our time spent at Star "S" Ranch. And some are a bit redundant, but I'm the king, president and dictator of this blog, so this post is probably a bit of a picture overload. 

Brenden had alot of fun playing with his cousin, Marcel. This must have been a game of follow the leader across the dirt pile. 

The sign posts were made my Traci's husband, Neil. Very professionally rustic. 

    

B at the wheel. Where else?      If he can't get in the car, maybe hanging on the car is just as fun.
       

Inside the dear trailer. 

     

With so much land, there was alot of chasing after B. He was just as happy to sit on the tractors, big trucks or 4 wheelers as he was to actually drive them.  This time it was the gray truck he drove.

Later he tried to drive the John Deere

Dad spoiled the fun and wouldn't let him drive the John Deere.  But that didn't stop B from trying again...

"How about this one, Dad? It's got the rocks all ready to go!" 

That didn't work so B found someone else to play with. His cousin who is 2 days older than he! Last year they were so young that they were unable to really get to know each other or play. This year was very different. They both are a little passive of nature so we didn't have to worry about much violence between the toddlers.

Oops, spoke too soon. 

But we still love our little boy. Alot. He gives the best "big squeezes" and semi-wet kisses. 

We all helped clear the Twin Bridges air strip that was just down the road from the Ranch. Sagebrush just doesn't make for smooth landings. You can see the rain clouds that were coming in that dropped just a little on the working crew. I was on restricted work detail, something about Trent not wanting to encourage labor in the middle of nowhere, so I sat out the drizzle in the car with my cute little niece, Mira.

We decided to work on a project each year at our Family reunions at the Ranch. This year it was to build a Platform for our food and entertainment means as we gather at the fire pit near the natural spring. These are the foundations all measured and leveled.

Not the most 'kid-friendly' place. For some reason B didn't understand that running inbetween the moving tractor and logs was not the best route to get to his Dad who just pulled up on the 4 wheeler. Not even 9 months pregnancy can stop a mom from getting to a runaway son before he got too close to danger.

If the tractor wasn't enough temptation or attraction, the chainsaw was also very tempting. At least this time just to look at. 

Good work men. Eric, Craig, Neil and Trent holding the downed telephone pole up meanwhile Rodger got the chains and pulleys set up so they could get the screws in.  

Nice work, tree hugger. 

Not the most conventional 3 Generation shot, but it works. Grandpa on the roof, Dad giving moral support on the ladder and B wondering when it's his turn to play with all the cool toys.

B trying to liven up this work party with a little stick duel. This is his buddy Marcel's Dad, so he's lots of fun to play with. Been properly toddler trained so he knows all the cool 2 year old games.

The 3 boy cousins. Does anyone have any idea what is going on here? I don't think they do either.

A couple nights we had our dinner at the firepit. One cookout and one dutch oven. Both delicious. My dutch oven cornbread was especially fine. Slow cooked and just the right amount of melted butter. 

We later had some entertainment provided by the Curtis family. Aspen and Jack are very talented singers. Here are a few 'couples shots'.  

Tree and Craig

Traci and Neil and their 2 kids. 

Eric and Kari (who were getting married the week after the Ranch trip).

B representing Trent and I.  :) 

As you look down from the natural Spring, this is the view. Rodger's purchased this Ranch in the 70s I believe and there are over 600 acres. Makes for a nice get-a-way.

Now that the work is done, it's time for a little fun.

Rodger is a retired airline pilot, so the kids and grandkids are extremely spoiled and get to go up on airplane rides each year. 

Trent has fond memories of picking rocks off their air strip. Small price to pay though when you get a free flight from your house to the Ranch and cut off 2+ hours of travel time.

The Hanger that Rodger and Trent built with the natural Spring hidden in the trees. Really good 4 wheeler trails past these trees also. You can go almost all over these mountains on the endless trails. 

Mountain lake. One of many. 

This is the old fireman's lookout hut that we hiked up to last year. Long story short, the 3 hour hike turned into 6+ hours. But really great views. 

As Rodger comes in for a landing and starts to taxi back to the Hanger, he stops in the middle of the airstrip and drops Trent and B off. I get on my 4 wheeler to pick up the boys who had to make a quick landing for a potty break.

This was Brenden's 1st time on a small airplane. Trent said he enjoyed it alot and did real well. 

B can't 'drive' the airplane yet, but there were plenty of 4 wheeler rides for him to fill all his driving needs.

On one ride we went down to the river to spend some quality time throwing rocks into the river. Trent is showing B how to throw in the 'daddy rocks'. 

It was a good trip. Lots to do. Nice to visit with family and make more memories together. I'm more comfortable with the 4 wheeler excursions that Trent and I still dictate where we go and a little weary of the upcoming years when B and his cousin M want to go for a ride by themselves.  Hopefully there will not be jumping contests or any races back to the Spring. His Grandpa King wouldn't have passed on any of those treacherous genes, would he?