24 hour camping EXTRAVAGANZA! Part 2

The canyon that never ends is that canyon that goes from Vernal to Flaming Gorge. I don't know how many miles it is, but there are about 10 switchbacks that you have to go super slow around so you don't drive off a cliff and die. Thus, it is slow going. As I mentioned before, I ate some Skittles early on in our journey which set off a cataclysmic event in my mouth, making me extra cranky. All of the kids were asleep by this point, but as we made turn after turn...after turn, I started to verbally abuse my poor husband. Things I remember saying:

"How much longer?" (Times 8, said meaner each time.)
"This is completely ridiculous."
"This is the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. Honestly THEE stupidest."
"I'm never going camping with you again."
"Are ya happy now?"

Midnight: We arrived at the campground, which incidentally, could have been a training ground for Al-Qaida because it is so remote. By the time we got the tent up and the kids settled, it was past 1 a.m. All night I listened to the air mattress make that wondrous "hiiisssssssssssss", as we got lower and lower to the ground. By the time the sun was up, our feet were in the air and our heads were on the ground.

7 am: When I exited the tent, I was greeted by Nils, saying in his best I'm-really-scared-of-you-voice, "Good morning, ex-wife."

10:30 am: Get swimming suits on, floaties blown up, and get ready to go play in the water. We took the rain fly off the tent because it was getting so hot.

11 am-2:30 pm: Frolic about in Flaming Gorge.

2:30 pm: Notice storm clouds heading our way. We decided to head back to camp before it started raining. The kids were all in their swimsuits, and Ava was diaperless because we're classy like that.

2:35 pm: The typhoon arrives. As we were driving back to camp, we were being pelted by ginormous raindrops coming fast and furious. We finally made it, and Nils and I jumped out of the van to throw the rain fly back on the tent. Because, you know, at that point it really made a difference. We surveyed the damage, which was about an inch of water inside the tent. Everything was soaked. It was the perfect way to end our camping extravaganza. We started to wring stuff out, but quickly realized there was no point, so Nils just rolled everything up into the already deflated air mattress and stuffed it in the back of the van.

3 pm: Nils looked at me and said, "All I wanted....was a fun family experience. That's really all I wanted." We left Flaming Gorge (a day early)- foreeeevvvvver. We realized a few minutes into our descent down eternal canyon that Ava still didn't have a diaper and was probably peeing all over her carseat. She got one on eventually.

8 pm: Home sweet home. We laid everything out on our front lawn to dry out. The great thing is that it didn't look white-trashy at all. It goes without saying that we had some laundry to do- and that's when the washing machine started to gush water out the bottom. Yeah, actually that was the perfect way to end our camping extravaganza.

THE END

*Nils redeemed himself by disassembling the washing machine, figuring out what was wrong, and fixing it for 37 bucks. We're still married, and I still love him. And I'm sorry for the mean things I said.

*I went to the dentist yesterday and I need two root canals. I had one of them today and will go back next week for the other one. Ow. Darn stinking Skittles.

*The kids thought the whole experience was just great.

*Nils wasn't really literally dying to go camping.