Cabin Time

In Minnesota, cabin season typically starts around Memorial Day weekend and ends around Labor Day. I loved having a cabin to go to in the summertime when I was growing up. Although it wasn't a short jaunt, it was always worth the four hour drive North. There is just something about the smell of the lake that gives off such a nostalgic feeling for me. I just love it.

My feelings about the cabin changed about two years ago. I was at my cabin when my mom got the 5 AM phone call from dad in regards to my brother's accident. Words can't really explain the gut wrenching feeling that came through my entire body that morning. My mom was hysterical, so I drove the four hour car ride straight to the hospital. I think my mom and I spoke maybe 10 words to each other. It was longest four hours of my life. I stayed in the denial stage until I got into the hospital elevator, pressed the button that said Neuro/ICU button and saw my husband and father in the waiting room and I completely lost it. It's like when you are holding in your feelings and then you see someone who you love and you just break down. That's what happened. And ever since that day, I haven't gone back to my cabin. I wasn't ready last year. I hadn't had enough time to heal. Because even though I'm not the one who is paralyzed, I still went through hell. But I'm ready now. I'm not sad anymore. Well sometimes I get sad about what my family has been through, what my brother has to go through, but for the most part - I really, truly am happy. And I am excited to go to my cabin this summer. I am excited to see all of the remodeling that has been done so my brother can enjoy it there too.  But what I'm most excited about is for my boys to start creating memories just like my brother, cousins and I did there. We are going back up there as a family this weekend, ahhh, I can almost smell the lake.

This is the new dock my Grandpa put in so Brendan can have Rio by his side (also our other wood dock probably wouldn't have been able to hold his chair).