Reunion, Day 1

We left for our annual family reunion on Thursday morning. It was raining a bit when we left, but drove out of the storm after about 30 miles. We didn't hit any other rain the whole way down to Goblin Valley State Park. But as we got off the freeway for the last 30 miles or so, we could see VERY ominous clouds heading our way.

We debated on whether or not to try to get up the tent before the rain or just wait until after it rained. Apparently, my siblings were debating that, too. We pulled in just after them, and they had already grabbed their tents and were hurrying to get them up - my brother runs out and sets his up in the dripping that has already started, my parents set theirs up under the pavilion and runs and stakes theirs down. My little sister Gordon (who's husband had meetings until Friday) sets hers up under the pavilion and we take hers out as the dripping is getting worse. My hubby is trying to keep kids under the pavilion (unsuccessfully) while trying to get the poles put together so we can put ours up. Then the lightening begins. We have to get the kids down off the mountain so they don't get struck (I was seriously concerned!) We threw our tent up just as the wind and rain came. It was one of the coolest storms that I have ever been in. A bunch of lightening, thunder, heavy, heavy rain, and wind. The wind blew all the rain under the pavilion, so nothing stayed dry. The wind also blew mom's and Gordon's tent over (my mom's stayed stake, Gordon's started rolling a bit!) Our tent, that was set up under the pavilion, started blowing away and it took 3 people holding it to keep it under there.

Well, the kids weren't that impressed with the storm. So we killed two birds with one stone and had the kids sit in the tent (the only dry spot) with a show going on.

At this point, I was finally able to get some pictures:

The wash that was dry when we got there was full of water, being fed by a waterfall that was emptying the water from the plateau above us. It was CRAZY!!

My big brother's tent got a bit wet, but it held up in all the wind and rain!

We spent the rest of the afternoon eating, hiking, playing, visiting, eating, and hiking. Most people (I stayed with E, who was asleep) went over to visit the Valley of the Goblins for a while and climb the rocks. But the kids had almost as much fun climbing the rocks by the campsite!