Our family has been going "to the cabin" for more than 60 years in Annandale, Minn. The cabin may have changed over the years, but the family fun has not. The cabin (shown) was built in the 1970s and finished little by little. For many years the walls were the only insulation, and we carried the dirty dishes down to a basement washtub. That was the only plumbing. We didn't care; we were just happy to be at the cabin.

When we are all in Annandale at once, there are 23 people and seven dogs — four generations of fun and chaos! (We even bought the cabin next door to make room for all of us.) There is nothing better than hopping in the car on Friday night and being out on the lake an hour later. It is close to the city, but feels like another world.

When the sun is shining, it's hard to decide if we should hop on a float toy, fish, set up lawn games, mow the grass, start on a cabin repair project, hike, or just sit on the deck and enjoy the scenery and each other. In winter, we are still up there but the activities change. The only thing that does not change with the seasons is the amount of food that we eat up there.

We are so grateful to Dick and Pat Anderson (our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents) for their hard work and sacrifice in making this wonderful cabin life a reality. Now, Dick watches with a big smile from heaven and Pat from the deck, while we all make more wonderful memories.

The family of Dick and Pat Anderson