“I think it’s going to rain more!”

We should have listened to our oldest backseat driver. Eerie foreshadowing.

But my husband and I wanted to execute at least one idyllic family picnic during our trek across the country. And what better spot than Rocky Mountain National Park?

Except, of course, we knew the storm was coming.

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I have always been fascinated by water. Truly, it knows no bounds. It can both heal and destroy.

And, apparently, it can also turn sandwiches into sponges.

Day Five on the road offered many lessons, including the importance of leaving early for National Park summer adventures (we didn’t).

In addition to an awesome picnic, we set our sights on a hike. To showcase our inner cheesiness, my husband and I have been practicing mile-long walks in the sweltering Southern sun with our daughter’s hiking backpack carrier. We didn’t think to invest in a rain shield.

After all, it doesn’t rain in the West, right?

But it did…for hours.

We were feeling defeated until we chose to embrace the inevitable soggy feet (and children) to come. A short .3 mile hike to a hidden waterfall.

Twenty minutes into our trek, everything changed.

The rain ceased completely.

A mother and daughter volunteered to take our picture (okay, several pictures).

And I decided to jump into freezing Colorado waters.

Sometimes I think we forget that discomfort can bring life.

But I pray the little boy holding my hand could feel the jolt in his toes as well.