Labor Day

Despite the dreary forecast of torrential downpours all over the state, we made the 5+ hour trip to the Skagit River where we go camping with my family every year. This year the Miller family joined us, even though they're not big on camping. We each had our SUV's packed to the max and started our journey up I-5. With four kids all under the age of 5 between our two families, we expected to make several stops along the way - most of them being bathroom stops :)

We finally made it by 9pm or so, but it wasn't raining so we were able to set up our stuff without getting everything drenched. That was about the last time it was dry the entire weekend. My dad had gotten there the day before and had all of the quick shades and tarps set up around the campfire - except there was no campfire. Even though the campground was drenched all the way to the core of the earth, there was a freaking burn ban!!! So there we sat in the pouring down rain with no campfire. We had to be really creative with our meals now that we didn't have a fire to cook over, but we made it work.

The rain didn't bother the kids in the least. In fact, I think they would prefer to camp in the rain. They loved stomping in the puddles and filling up buckets and bottles with water and dumping it out. Their favorite activity of the weekend was slug hunting. Yes - I said slugs. They each found a stick and by the end of their "hunting" trip they had come back with what looked like slug skewers! Nice...

The first day, the Miller family had an issue at nap time and ended up at the laundromat for the majority of the day trying to get their sleeping bags clean. Then Sunday morning Rob and I woke up to pool of water taking over our tent. I have been a camper my entire life, and rain at the Skagit River on Labor Day is pretty much a guarantee. Rob, on the other hand, had pretty much had it by this point and declared to everyone that we were going home. I think the rest of our group was glad that someone else gave in first, because everyone else followed suit and packed up their stuff as well - even my dad!

Can't wait until next year!!!