Memorial Weekend . . . To Remember . . .Maybe

For the last two years, we have planned to camp over Memorial Day weekend.  For those of you familiar with Idaho, this may seem a foolish thought, but never-the-less, we have prepared, traveled, and attempted.  So far, we are 0 for 2.  

Last year, we packed up early for low temperatures and snow.  This year, it was a mixture of rain, rain, rain and oh yes, rain.  It all began lovely.  The temperatures were inviting and we were able to set-up camp in a timely manner to enjoy hot dogs over the fire, followed by popcorn and treats.  We called it a night at dark after some fire side chatting and a bit of exploration by the littles.

Saturday morning began early.  The Mighty Dad set out to help some of our family with some improvements on the area (this is family land and we love having the blessing of enjoying it) and it started to rain at about 8 am.  Sprinkles and mist, at first, then quickly followed by a steady downpour.  The workers persisted and decided to stop at about 11:30.  So we retreated to the trailer, the kiddos had been there for a while already, and had some lunch, a bit of a rest, and played some games; waiting for the clear weather the "weather man" predicted.

We finally had a break at about 4:30 pm.  We quickly got out to the sun and tried to enjoy it . . . not knowing when it would end.  The kiddos explored and explored, we did a little skeet shooting, four-wheeler riding, and had some dinner.  We finally sat down to enjoy the sun and it began to get dark and cloudy.  We gathered under the canopy just in time to avoid a 20 minute hail storm, followed by a 30 minute rain and then a clear, blue sky.  

This lasted long enough for smores on the fire and then back to rain.  By this time it was about 9 pm and we were all so tired of the rain and tired from the work, so we went to bed.  At about 2 am, Darling Helper and Peaches became sick to their stomachs.  So for the next few hours of in and out sleep, throwing up, and cleaning up, the rain remained steady, like a bit of rhythmic music for our nights escapades.  

At about 9 am, we all drowsily woke to the pitter-patter that we had hoped would subside; not so.  So, unanimously, we decided to pack it up and head home.  All night we worried about the affect the rain was having on the dirt roads that led us back to civilization.   So, we threw the kids in the truck, broke camp and threw everything in the trailer and headed home.  We made it out amid mud puddles grasping at every surface.  So, another failure with camping over Memorial day.  I don't like to fail . . .

. . . but did we?  A lot of fun was had, yummy food was eaten, time was spent with family, and even in the rain, we loved every minute of it.  Looking forward to next year!

Enjoy!