Idaho Family Reunion
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to marry Jeremy is his family, especially when I met his grandparents. I actually attended one of their family reunions while we were still dating, and everyone welcomed me with open arms. I have very fond memories of his family’s homestead in Idaho where they are from. Grandma Enid is now over 90 years old, the oldest Turpin ancestor left on our side, and the humble home she grew up in is still there along with the fields they planted beets in and used for the high school’s football games. This farm is steeped in history and so many traditions. The family is getting so large that this will be the last time a Turpin reunion can be hosted here, so we all made an effort to come enjoy our last time together at this beautiful place.
We set up 2 campsites with tents amongst the shady trees on one end, and at the opposite end of the farm a camping van and an RV. It was fun to see the different setups! We even brought our bearded dragon in a travel case. With 100F+ degree heat, we could all hang out at whichever spot was cooler or had more shade. Our families were in charge of a couple of meals for the 100+ people, and everyone pitched in with cleaning. There were many ongoing activities especially for the kids like a train made of barrels driven by a tractor, a splash bouncy house, crafts, yard games, and rockets that they could actually launch. They also had lots of ways to beat the heat: snow cones, ice pops, cold drinks, and an epic slip and slide that most everyone got in on! We had some family history time as well with stories from Gma Enid and her siblings about their parents.
A freak windstorm of 50+mph blew in one evening and tree branches fell on a couple of the tents! Fortunately no one got hurt, but we did destroy a couple tent poles and had to disassemble until the wind calmed down.
Family Photos
When you get the whole family together a family portrait is in order! We have always worn Grandma Enid’s favorite color purple. Her siblings’ descendants wore green, red, or yellow so it was fun to see who belonged to which families. Our kids all still fit their previous reunion shirts! I opted to wear a plain purple T-shirt dress instead. As this is our last time here, we wanted to take photos at the yellow house where Grandma Enid grew up in the basement.
Slip and Slide
This was a highlight for many of us, even as a spectator! The giant slip and slide has been a reunion staple since forever. I remember Jer taking Lily down the slip and slide when she was just a baby. Actual sprinklers have since been installed along both sides of the slide so that no one has to hold a hose over the tarp. We went in groups of cousins, siblings, families, and at one point all the children tried to slide down at the same time! Someone would throw a ball from the top of the slide and the person going down the slide had to catch it at the bottom- only achieved a couple of times! They would race back to the top of the hill immediately after landing. W found that he slid much better without his sun shirt.
Rockets
This was W’s favorite activity! He dreamed up many different designs, built his rocket with help from Jer, and loved pressing the button to launch it. He made at least 4 iterations and went to bed with grand plans of launching it in the morning when the machine was turned on.
Skits in a Bag
On our last night we played skits in a bag—a hilarious good time! Each branch of the Turpin family had their own style, some with theatrical storytelling or simple songs. Our skit had to incorporate words they gathered from people earlier, and a ton of props / costumes, so it was definitely a challenge. I’m impressed with how creative and silly our bunch was. Watch for these words in the video: goat, breakfast burrito, tight pants, deez nuts, and marsupial
I loved just being around my in laws and surrounded by happy little cousins. I loved making chicken salad sandwiches with Grandma Enid. I loved getting to know some of our extended family who are still farmers in Idaho, family from New Mexico to Highland, and even cousins who live just across the freeway from us! I loved hearing the family stories of delivering babies in snow storms and tips on how to cook potatoes perfectly in a Dutch oven. I loved checking out my engineer BIL’s changes to the camper van and how they basically had a whole house in there stored neatly and compactly. I loved seeing my dog gleefully run free and greet us with joy after almost a week at a boarding place.
It was an excellent time that we will always treasure. Even though this is the last time at the Turpin Farm, I hope we will be able to create similar experiences elsewhere. I’m so grateful for the hard work our hosts and extended family put in to organize this, and the effort our family members made to attend. Our reunion shirts read, “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.” Absolutely!
This was the last stop on our Idaho Summer Vacation. See our adventures earlier at Island Park here, Yellowstone National Park here, and Rexburg here.
Love, Kat
