10/22/2023
For those that don’t know, the family has decided to sell the cabin on the open market and it looks like it is selling in the next few days. Very emotional weekend up at the cabin (many tears even as I am typing this) as we moved things out of the cabin property.
I’d like to thank Grandma Lois and Grandpa Clarence (RIP) for buying the family cabin way back in 1986. They provided a place that we all got to use for family and friends. We were blessed with 37 years of great memories there. So many great memories. As Chelsea and I were moving things out this weekend we were walking to the lake together and I had a flashback to when we were like 5 years old taking the same walk down to the lake. I wonder how many trips Chels and I have made up and down that road?
I’d like to say a big thank you to my parents Diane and Jerry for taking care of the cabin for many many years. If it wasn’t for them the cabin would have fallen down years ago. They always opened the cabin up in the spring, winterized it in the fall, put the boat and docks in, cut the grass, painted, went over in the winter to brush the snow off the roof so it didn’t collapse, did all the laundry, cleaned the mouse traps, and so much more. They put in countless hours so when the rest of us showed up we could just relax and have fun. Thank you so much!
Thank you Tom and Linda for getting the golf cart…man the kids love that thing and made it much easier to haul stuff down to the lake. I think that thing has gone over 500 laps around the cabin each weekend. Tom and Linda also made it an international cabin with so many visitors from around the world.
Thank you to Bruce, Gail, and Chad Beckman and the rest of the hunting crew for all the help in improving and repairs on the cabin. The work weekends put in a new outhouse (although the side by side outhouse was cozy), remodeled the bathroom, new sauna, new deck, cleared brush so Grandma could see the lake one last time before she passed, and other things. Some great memories for many deer seasons and some great nicknames on the board. I will never live down the nickname I have for stepping in p**p (not appropriate for a facebook post).
Gosh, so many memories. I remember fishing with grandpa and taking the boat across the lake to the resort to see Dick and Max. I remember Jerry on the farm bringing up the semi-camper.. coolest camper I’ve ever seen. The horrible hot July 4th when the power went out and Mike Wallin and I had to cook meals over the fire for a couple of days…all while trying to keep two 8 month pregnant moms from killing us. The aircraft carrier pontoon the past few years; I think we had 27 people on it at one time. The old pontoon that would turn into a submarine if you had too many people on the front deck while moving. All the games of cribbage with that antenna and the cribbage tournaments. The fall colors around the lake and walking down the road in the fall. Family reunions and the BIG wedding of Chelsea and Danny.
But the best memories are just spending time with family. Looking back at all the pictures there are so many smiles out on the lake, kayaking, etc. Thank you all for helping make some great ones for our kids also.
I hope that good can come out of this and our family and friends can heal the rifts that have happened over the past few years. Life always has ups and downs, we choose to remember the good times. Even though the cabin era is over, I trust that God will open another door to make and continue Grandma’s dream (and for us to use the pontoon). God bless all of you and thanks for the great times.
Chuck & Michelle
