As far as I can see, "my tree" is the last one standing. When we were little, my grandpa carved our names into trees in the lot next to our cabin. Until a few years ago, even my aunt Ruth's tree was still standing I think from the 60's. A lot of the trees have been cut down since then but mine is still there. It is actually very sentimental to me and floods my mind with memories of the cabin and FAMILY.
I remember going up there a lot. My mom and aunt Sandy brought their sewing machines and made us shirts and barbie clothes and bedding for the barbie beds that grandpa built and grandma painted.
I remember my cousins.
I remember a bunch of cousins getting on motorcycles and 3 wheelers with uncles and playing tag with a water gun all over the mountain. I was on with my uncle Marv and our 3 wheeler almost tipped over in a ditch. But big, strong uncle Marv saved us. We survived!
I remember going on a walk with just my mom and hearing a horse. Turns out it wasn't a horse. It was a moose and I was scared. I remember trying to hide behind my mom and she was kind of laughing at me and wanting to watch it. Weren't you afraid Mom?
I remember several times my parents letting us bring friends to the cabin (Mary Frances, Jessica, Robin, Becky) and when I was in high school, my best friends, the guys and girls spent time up there (Heidi, Denise, Kathy, Sandra, Tisha, Lezlie, Scott, Rijen, Bradd, Bran, Steven, and Spencer, if they all made it.) We even slept up there one time, all in one room on the floor. Never thought anything of it. We were such great friends. I remember that same night, Heidi and I cut a bunch of pictures of eyes out of magazines and while everyone was sleeping, we taped them up all over the walls. Then Heidi pretended to be crazy and in her delirium had pasted eyes all over the wall and I pretended I just had woken up and was trying to calm her down. Then she shined the flashlight on all the eyes on the walls. (I am laughing my head off while I reminise.) Everyone woke up and I think we had them fooled.
I remember Jolie, Kellie, and Brandon running into the cabin telling me they had just been chased up the steep hill by a moose....(the reason I didn't go on that walk to the river was because I was afraid of moose.) I believed them until about 2 years ago. My mom and Jolie finally told me it wasn't true. I felt betrayed for being fooled and so so afraid for all those years. :)
I remember being 8 weeks pregnant with Jack and very depressed and afraid for anyone to know I was pregnant (John was finishing up his MBA at BYU. He wasn't working and we already had 3 kids. We had to get help from both our parents to survive.) My mom and I were alone in the cabin and she asked me if I was pregnant. I told her and had probably the worst cabin trip ever. Because of no one but myself, I felt very inadequate.
I remember Heidi and I planning out our future with the cabin we would share one day. We signed a contract and drew up the plans. I still have them in my journal. We also built a firepit. It was pitiful but it's still there. I think the cabin was a great escape for me during all the family turmoil.
I remember my dad making us work really hard to plant a lot of trees. None of them survived but we all had so much hope that they would.
I vividly remember hanging the shutters with Jolie and my grandpa. I miss you Grandpa. You and Grandma are written all over the cabin.
I remember painting rocks and wood. Grandma always had paint available for us wherever we were. This year, my mom sent paint and brushes and canvas boards for my kids to paint and it brought back all those wonderful memories again. They loved it! We all did.
I remember the roaring fires Grandpa would build in the old stove. It would get so hot in the cabin, no one could sleep. The stove would shine red it would be so hot. I always wanted to help.
I remember at night hearing my mom stomp her feet really fast and loud across the cabin floor to scare away the mice.
I remember watching my mom jump up on the chair because she saw a mouse. One time a squirrel ran in the open front door and under the couch. I don't remember if I was there for that or just remembering hearing about it. It may have been just my mom.
I remember my mom going up there for peace and relaxation. We'd paint toenails and she'd read and read and read.
There is a cabin journal. I love reading old entries but it seems most people forget it's there and most posts seem to be from me lately.
I remember Jolie's friends. Amy, Annette, Liesl. And Ryan's friends....Mikey and Eric. Late one night, I drove my mom's RX7 up there with Ryan's friend Eric. I took a wrong turn somehow and had no idea where I was. I'm sure I scared Eric with my crazy driving and I'm sure "someone" helped me get where I needed to be. I was really lost and still to this day wonder how I got there.
I remember my mom always making good food at the cabin. I think of cheese soup when I think of what to cook at the cabin.
I remember lots of people falling through the deck. Jolie, Grandpa, Richard, Scott Crandall? Who else? It's been rebuilt since then.
I remember the story of my dad dropping Ryan off at the cabin when he was 13 years old and leaving him for the night. Ryan was so scared, he left every light on in the cabin all night. In the middle of the night, a drunk man came to the cabin and asked if this was where the party was. My heart aches every time I think of that story. I wish I was there for Ryan more during those years. My heart aches at how alone he must have felt for many years.
I remember last year, John and me and the kids rented four wheelers and spent 8 days at the cabin. WE HAD A BLAST!! We rode all over the mountain, saw a lot of moose, made treasure hunts for the kids, played tag like I did at their age, and had a great, memorable time together.
I remember going on a lot of walks with my cousins. I remember the rare walks north and east down the other big hill and feeling very adventurous.
I remember many stops at Kens Cash for last minute items and a lot of stops at the Polar King on the way home.
I remember many games. A lot of cards and Kismet.
I remember Annette getting a tick and having to drive down the mountain to a pay phone to find out how to get the tick out. It was about midnight. We finally got it out and the tick is still taped into the cabin journal. On the way back we saw a ghost while we were driving through the fog down the road. (Probably just a bird or owl swirling in the wind but my mom and I still claim a ghost.)
Watching movies on the Beta machine. The Beta videos are all still there but the machine doesn't work anymore. And it seems we always wanted to watch the same movies every time we went. Money Pit. Max Dugan Returns. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. Now my kids do the same thing. Cabin movies for my kids are Twister, Batman Begins, Babes in Toyland, and Hook. They crave watching them every time we go.
Thunderstorms are amazing up there and I always hope for one. The cabin rattles and the light shines through all the windows around the cabin.
I love to go out at night. It's always cold and quiet and really dark. I love to look up in the sky at the millions of stars and the milky way in the silence and KNOW I have a Father in Heaven who created so many amazingly wonderful things for nothing more than our pure enJOYment.
I remember watching down at the gate A LOT. Always watching for cousins or friends or grandparents, even my husband. Anticipating their arrival.
When I was dating John, we went to the cabin one day with Sean and Jolie and were completely goofy. We wore the motorcyle helmets.....who hasn't....and had a great time with the men we had hoped to spend the rest of our lives with.
I remember the big triangle bell. It's loud and awesome and still hangs in the cabin.
I remember taking down the deer head on the wall every time I'd go up. It scared me.
I remember the trip with all of the H family. We went to the Oakley Rodeo and played ridiculous, dare games. There were so many of us we took up all the beds, all the floor, and possibly even part of the deck to sleep. We sat in one huge circle at night playing games and singing. The next time my grandparents went up, the neighbors across the street came over and told them how much they enjoyed our large group and loved all our singing. It was a missionary moment and my grandparents gave them a Book of Mormon. My grandma has told me many times since to take John's family up anytime. I also remember playing footsies with my brother in law Travis that trip. Oops. Honest....I thought it was John. :)
Every year, I look forward to seeing how "high" or "low" the river is and how "high" or "low" Smith and Morehouse is. One year we drove up with Ruth, I was in the back of her volkswagen bug if I remember right. We got there and the bridge over the river had been washed out and we had to go home.
I remember driving up in Sandy's station wagon. Best spot was in the very back facing backwards. I remember Kellie getting car sick and having to pull over. We didn't wear seatbelts. We climbed all over the place and drove our mom's crazy.
Every year we hope to see a moose. We usually do. This year I was afraid of seeing a bear. I guess there were bears in a cabin area a couple gates down from us a couple of weeks ago.
Tradition is to take a picture in the corner of the deck with the incredible view and a picture at the bottom of the dam. It's breathtakingly beautiful.
I remember driving with my mom to Park City and getting hit by a dump truck. My poor mom. I love you mom. Was it that same trip that Ryan was drowning in the pool in Park City and you jumped in in your jeans to save him?
The memories are endless and I love creating more with my own family. I feel very grateful for a Great Grandpa that I never knew that provided this for his posterity. Did he know how many people were going to benefit from this? I have a great love for him and for my own Grandpa and Grandma for all of their love and sacrifice and hard work and time and money that has and still goes into this cabin. I'm grateful for my uncle Dan who has picked up where Grandpa left off.
These are just a few of my memories at the cabin. I also have memories of my mom's stories growing up going to the cabin and skiing down the big hill.
My dad turning on the water out by the road late one night and a deer running past him really fast. One of the few times seeing my dad frightened.
My mom and dad trying to get the news to come on from the HUGE antenna on top of the cabin. My grandpa had pride in having the biggest antenna on the cabin and on his own house.
My mom and dad and Dan and Georgette talking about each taking a room to remodel. I remember them laughing about having a room of mirrors and me asking why they would want a room of mirrors.
My mom and dad and I think Sandy and Brian went for New Years one year, is that right? and were freezing and couldn't get the fire going so my grandpa came up and did it for them. That's Grandpa. It doesn't matter how far away, he'd be there as quick as he could and do anything for anyone.
My mom and I were talking about how much everyone works on the cabin, fixing the deck, rebuilding the deck, restaining the deck, fixing the roof, fixing the pipes, cleaning up the mice poop and the dead mice every year, more cleaning, more fixing, and with how much work everyone does, it stays an old rickety cabin that needs a lot of work. But one of the things I love most is cleaning and fixing and trying to make it better. It's worth it.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MEMORIES. A lot of people helped make up so many wonderful memories for me. There are many more from the past and hopefully even more ahead. I love the smell at the cabin, the view, the quiet, peaceful sounds, the creatures. It all works together to make an amazing experience every time I go.
