Duchesne Cabin

This month my parents sold the family cabin — and with that, we said goodbye to a place filled with decades of memories. We were lucky to go down one last time to help pack it up, but also to soak in all the lasts.

This wasn’t just any cabin — it was built by my grandparents the year I was a senior in high school. It was my grandpa’s baby, and it truly felt like a piece of him. We spent countless weekends there building fires and roasting s’mores, sitting on that old wooden bench (the one that always threatened splinters), laying in the back of Grandpa’s truck watching for shooting stars, and shooting BB guns at old tin cans in the yard. Inside, the soundtrack was old school vinyls especially Queen — the unofficial anthem of the cabin — with old Disney VHS tapes of childhood favorites playing in the background.

We’d play darts, I would read books out on the porch, paint rocks (my grandma was such an artist — her creativity was amazing), and stay up late playing Scattergories. Starvation Reservoir was just outside of town, and we loved spending hot summer days in the water. Duchesne was the sweetest little country town, famous in our family for its small-town rodeo.  Movie nights at the old drive-in just a town away. And of course, the Rhino — everyone’s favorite. The boys could ride it for hours on end.

After my grandparents passed, I was so grateful my parents kept the cabin in the family. It meant more time to make memories in that beautiful place with the most stunning sunsets.

It’s hard to see it go. So many memories packed into those walls.

Thanks for everything, cabin. 

My first and last signature on the door

🩷

Link to past cabin blog posts
 

Cabin

We love our family cabin so much, we couldn’t pass up a trip—even if it meant going right after our river adventure! 😅 We were a little worn out from all the driving, but the cabin always makes it worth it.

There’s just something special about that place—spinning old records, playing darts and board games, roasting marshmallows over a bonfire for s’mores (a must!), and of course, tearing around on the Rhino.

This time we brought the kayaks and spent a relaxing day on the beach at Starvation Reservoir. The water, the sun, and the slower pace were exactly what we needed.

We even capped one night off at the drive-in movie theater to watch The Stunt Man—a perfect way to end a full day.

Grateful for these memories and this little slice of heaven we get to share together. ❤️🏕️🚤🔥🎯🎬

Queen our family's cabin anthem

and everyone's favorite-the rhino

Lake Day!

For Christmas one year we got my parents this sign for the entrance of the cabin (it says Murphy Cabin with the address)

Gosh, it had been a couple of years since we’d been to the drive-in movie theater, and it was so fun to be back! It’s definitely not the best or most comfortable way to watch a movie, but the experience is such a blast there’s just something nostalgic and special about it.

 

Cabin

The Murphy cabin.  Our little sanctuary.  We just love coming here each summer.

The boys can't get enough of driving the rhino.  Logan especially was excited that this year he could reach the pedals.

Playing rummikub with Tim and Mary

Building fires

collecting more cedarwood for the fire.  Nothing is better than burning cedar.  smells amazing.

Carson getting out the telescope to look at the moon

After looking through the telescope all night, my astronomy loving boy decided to sleep under the stars. So he put a mattress in the back of the truck and surprisingly slept in till late in the morning.  He loved it and saw lots of shooting stars.

The whole cabin crew.  It was a great weekend!