Beyond the Boards Foundation

08/29/2026

The Center for Human Development’s “All In” program hosted a sled hockey game at Amelia Park in Westfield.

08/23/2026

🌲 Why The Crooked Pine?

When we chose the name The Crooked Pine Mercantile, we wanted it to mean something.

A crooked pine may not have grown perfectly straight. It may have been shaped by wind, snow, storms, changing seasons, and everything life placed in its path. Yet it kept growing. 🌲
And we think there's something beautiful in that.

Life rarely follows a perfectly straight path either. We bend. We adapt. We weather difficult seasons. We grow in unexpected directions. And through it all, God can still create something strong, beautiful, and full of purpose. ❤️

For us, The Crooked Pine represents resilience, faith, family, and the beauty of continuing to grow right where we're planted.

As we build this little business, we hope it becomes about much more than what's inside our jars. 🫙 We want to create good food, share kindness, encourage others, bring people together, and plant little seeds of hope wherever God allows us.

🌱 We plant the seed.
🙏 God gives the growth.
🤲 We do the work with our hands.
🧶 And, of course...there shall ALWAYS be twine. 😂

We're only at the beginning of this story, and we have no idea exactly where the path will lead. But maybe that's fitting for a business named after a crooked pine.

We don't need the path to be perfectly straight.
We just need to keep growing. 🌲❤️
One jar. One story. One seed at a time.

— Kim & Shamus
The Crooked Pine Mercantile | North Idaho

08/19/2026

Beautiful Bird I saw this morning.

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! Hope you have a Blessed day!

"Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), easily recognized by its sleek crest, distinctive black facial mask, yellow-tipped tail, and the bright red, waxy droplet tips visible on its secondary wing feathers."

08/15/2026

God knows you’re trying. He knows you’re tired. He sees the battles you fight quietly and the days when simply continuing takes everything you have. ❤️‍🩹🙏

Some of the strongest parts of us are formed through the very things we never would have chosen to go through.

Your pain is not pointless. Your trials are not wasted. God can use the broken places, the waiting, the tears, and the struggles to shape something beautiful in you. 🌱

Keep going. Keep praying. Keep trusting.

God sees you. And He’s not finished yet. ❤️

08/15/2026

🌲 The heart behind The Crooked Pine Mercantile goes far beyond what we put inside a jar.

As Shamus and I continue building this little dream, we keep coming back to the reminder found in Matthew 13:31–32—the parable of the mustard seed. 🌱

We may be starting small, but that's okay.

🌱 The mustard seed — what we plant.
🙏 God — the One who gives the growth.
🤲 Our hands — tending and doing the work.
🧶 The twine — supporting what's growing along the way. (And because...TWINE FOREVER! 😂)
🌲 The crooked pine — a reminder that something doesn't have to grow perfectly straight to become strong and beautiful.

We don't know exactly where this journey will lead, and that's part of the beauty of it. Our job is simply to faithfully plant the seeds, work with the hands we've been given, love people well, and trust God with the growth.

Maybe one of our jars brings a family together around the table. Maybe a verse or little message reaches someone on a day they really needed encouragement. Maybe something as simple as sharing good food creates a new memory.

We may never know where every seed lands.

We just want to keep planting them. One jar. One story. One seed at a time. 🌱🫙❤️

Thankful for His work through our hands.

— Kim & Shamus
The Crooked Pine Mercantile 🌲

08/13/2026

🏒 **HELP US BUILD SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY FOR NORTH IDAHO!** 💚

Beyond the Boards Foundation is taking another step forward, and we could use **one special person** to help us get there!

We are looking for a **Volunteer Secretary to serve TEMPORARILY during the start-up and launch of our 501(c)(3).** This is **not intended to be a permanent, long-term commitment.** We simply need someone willing to come alongside us during this important beginning stage and help us stay organized as we get established.

✨ **LIMITED DUTIES. BIG IMPACT.**

Responsibilities are expected to include:

📝 Attending quarterly board meetings
📝 Taking and maintaining meeting minutes
📂 Helping keep basic records organized
📧 Assisting with occasional correspondence
🤝 Supporting the Board during our start-up process

You don't need hockey experience. You don't need to be a nonprofit expert. And you certainly don't need to live at the ice rink. 😂

We're looking for someone who is **dependable, organized, community-minded, and willing to lend a little time to help build something much bigger.**

Our vision for Beyond the Boards goes far beyond hockey. 🏒⛸️🥌

We hope to create opportunities for **children, adults, families, adaptive athletes, individuals with limited mobility, and people of all abilities** to experience ice sports, recreation, community, and belonging right here in North Idaho.

Maybe you've been wanting to get involved in something meaningful but haven't been ready for a huge commitment.

**This could be your opportunity.** 💚

Come be one of the people who can someday say:

**"I helped build this from the beginning."**

📧 **Email:** [email protected]
📱 **Text Preferred:** 208.518.9160

Please feel free to **SHARE** this post, too! The person we're looking for may be someone in *your* circle. ❤️

**Building Hope. Creating Opportunity. Strengthening Community.**

08/12/2026

💚

BILLINGS — MontanaFair opened its gates early Tuesday morning in Billings to give people with special needs the chance to experience the fair in a low-stimulation environment.

Full story in the comments:

08/06/2026

🏒 BUILD THE FUTURE OF ICE SPORTS
IN NORTH IDAHO

Become a Founding Volunteer

💚 Temporary Start-Up SECRETARY Needed

Help us launch Beyond the Boards Foundation

✨ Limited Duties
✨ Flexible Schedule
✨ Quarterly Board Meetings
✨ No Hockey Experience Required
✨ Just a Heart for Serving Others

Help build something that could impact North Idaho families for generations.

📱 Text: 208.518.9160
📧 [email protected]

08/05/2026

🏒💙 Big dreams start with a single step.

Today we're excited to share our temporary business card for Beyond the Boards Foundation!

While it may be simple, it represents something much bigger—a vision to create a place where people of all ages and abilities can experience the joy of ice sports, build lifelong friendships, develop confidence, and strengthen our North Idaho community.

Our mission is to make ice sports more accessible through a future community ice facility that welcomes everyone—from first-time skaters to hockey players, figure skaters, curlers, sled hockey athletes, families, schools, and community organizations.

We're still in the early stages of this incredible journey, but every conversation, every volunteer, every partnership, and every supporter brings us one step closer to making this dream a reality.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in this vision and encouraged us along the way. We know there is still a lot of work ahead, but we're excited for what the future holds and can't wait to share each milestone with you.

Together, we're doing more than building a rink—we're building hope, creating opportunity, and strengthening our community.

Thank you for being part of the journey. ❤️🏒

Building community, character & opportunity—on and off the ice. ❄️⛸️🏒
A thriving North Idaho ice community where every person—regardless of age, ability, or background—has a place to skate, compete, and belong.
Shamus & Kim Mease
2 Corinthians 5:7 ✝️

08/03/2026

🏒💙 Big dreams start with a single step.

Today we're excited to share our temporary business card for Beyond the Boards Foundation!

While it may be simple, it represents something much bigger—a vision to create a place where people of all ages and abilities can experience the joy of ice sports, build lifelong friendships, develop confidence, and strengthen our North Idaho community.

Our mission is to make ice sports more accessible through a future community ice facility that welcomes everyone—from first-time skaters to hockey players, figure skaters, curlers, sled hockey athletes, families, schools, and community organizations.

We're still in the early stages of this incredible journey, but every conversation, every volunteer, every partnership, and every supporter brings us one step closer to making this dream a reality.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in this vision and encouraged us along the way. We know there is still a lot of work ahead, but we're excited for what the future holds and can't wait to share each milestone with you.

Together, we're doing more than building a rink—we're building hope, creating opportunity, and strengthening our community.

Thank you for being part of the journey. ❤️🏒