Our Story

LaBelle Lake all began in 1989 when Jim and Shannon Youngstrom purchased a large piece of land next to the Snake River. They had one little daughter at the time and one more on the way.  The young couple started building their dream home in 1993. This was the home to six children and many animals including llamas, horses, goats, hedgehogs, peacocks, newfoundland dogs, rescued deer, and many more. Jim and Shannon always encouraged their children to follow their dreams and work hard. Their second oldest child Kira remembers her parents having a poster on the door in their bedroom that said "If you can dream it, you can do it." They have been great examples of dreaming and building and never giving up. Since the beginning Jim has never stopped designing, creating and building this gorgeous log cabin and surrounding area. Together the couple raised six talented and successful children in this home and  in 2017 they turned their beloved home into a breath-taking wedding venue and retreat center. The Youngstrom family is involved in the day to day operations of LaBelle Lake. The 2nd oldest in the family, Kira is the director. Cambria the youngest and her brothers Brigham and Britton are the tomahawk throwing instructors along with helping where ever needed. Jim is constantly adding more landscaping and features to the property and his wife Shannon works closing along side Kira and the LaBelle Lake staff to make sure things run smoothly. The brothers Garen, Britton and Brigham have taken over Jim's log home building business, building in the warm months and then switch to focusing on the Ice Palace in the winter. The oldest daughter Ciara steps in whenever she can help. Kira has called her many times stressed during an event and needing an extra hand. This family sticks together and helps each other through everything. It is all about lifting each other up and leaving this world a better place than how we found it.