East Canyon Retreat

This is a journal post:
Growing up, I spent half my childhood at THE CABIN. It's a cozy place up Weber Canyon by the river. My dad built it (with my uncle) before he even built a house for him and my mom. She always tells about how angry she was at him for spending all of his spare time at the property for 5 years building it...while she was home with 4 young kids waiting for him to build her a house. But as soon as it was finished and we spent our first night up at the cabin, she knew he was brilliant.
I was just a baby, so I remember going there for as long as I can remember. Almost every holiday we spent at the cabin. Long summer days/nights we spent at the cabin. It was only a 35 minute drive from where we lived, so it was away from everything... but close. We would go for a few hours, or for a few days. I have soooooo many awesome memories of that place. Like all of us cousins lined up in the twin beds playing orphanage. And climbing up and down the ladder that led to the toy loft. Spending hours on the tree swing. Packing a bandanna with lunch, tying it to a stick, and pretending we were "Hobos," and exploring all day. Riding horses, especially "Smokey." Playing in our tree house. Tubing down the river. Having Junior High parties and dancing with boys on the deck under trees strung with lights. Going there with 100 kids after high school dances. Snowmobiling in the field pulling sleds. Riding motorcycles. Learning to not be afraid of Box Elder bugs, ticks, mosquitos, and bees and just "flick" them off. Of course, going to the cabin always meant really good food! I could spend all day telling stories.
So, it was a heartbreaker when we found out 10 years ago that my parents were selling their half of the cabin (not the property) to my uncle and aunt. The plan was that my uncle and aunt would live in the cabin and have a condo in St. George, and my parents would build themselves a new cabin on the property. Initially, we figured it would be about 5 years before the new building would be complete, which meant that we would have no access to the cabin anymore. We went through and are going through major withdrawls.
Well, life happens, and here we are 10 years later. No cabin. I'm sad that my kids haven't had the opportunity to make their own memories of the cabin. But I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the crappy economy (and drop in home building), my incredible dad has found some time to work on the new cabin and hopes to be finished by the new year. Oh the joy and anticipation! We look forward to many many fun times at the new cabin now called the "East Canyon Retreat." There's no question in my mind that my kids will soon hold a special place in their hearts for this place, just like I have.
Occasionally, over the course of the 10 years, my sweet Aunt has hosted family get-togethers. Everytime we are up there, we just die with love for the place. There's just something about the smell of the air and the beauty. They have worked hard to keep the place looking amazing. They even added a fish pond stocked with huge trout!
My dad has had his trailer parked up next to the work in progress so every once in a while we've gone up to help and/or play. Will especially loves to build with grandpa, even has his own gear. Always a good time. Here's some pictures from a couple weeks ago.
I'll update on the progress.