DW's family does a camping trip every two years. Everyone comes. Except this time.

Odds are that SIL purposely scheduled it at a time when neither BIL1 or BIL2 and theri families could come.  Ostensibly this was the biennial camping trip combined with SIL's eldest's HS graduation trip.

We left last Wed evening and returned this evening. We had a good time. We stayed in a cabin, just the two of us, while MIL and her sister had their own cabin and SIL's family stayed in a nearby campground in their trailer and SIL's DH's parents and niece and the nieces GF were in their own trailer.

4 days of a great time, Crater lake, waterfall hikes, nights visiting around a camp fire.  Fighting buzzard sized mesquites was the entertainment in the evening.

All with an underlying tension.  This was our nephew's graduation trip combined with the biennial camping trip.  This was also the end of SIL's marriage so she can run off with her GF.

We all packed up Monday AM, had a brief visit at SIL's campsite, and everyone headed out for their respective homes.  Everyone else lives in the same small town a couple hours drive from where we camped.  We had 780miles to go.  We took an extra day and toured Lassen Volcanic NP and stayed in Reno on Monday night.  

As we toured through Lassen a text came in. Tears started down DW's face.  SIL had told her kids on the drive home that she was leaving and divorcing their father.  Who was driving when she made her announcement to their kids.  SIL was all upset. Neither kid said a word.  Not a sound. They pulled into their driveway the kids went to their rooms and closed and locked their door.

The whole trip SIL was taking walk away calls. Clearly her GF.  She is standing on the delusion that she is not leaving her marriage for her GF. She is leaving because she does not want her kids to see her and her DH fight.

GF is not a catch. She is a low income housed several kids by several baby daddies, etc... MIL is concerned that GF is using SIL as a sugar mama. SIL can't support herself. Never has been able to support herself.  MIL was not going to let SIL move in but has caved on that.

This will not go well. MIL is barely able to support herself and the increase in food costs and utilities will case major problems for MIL.  Her sister has refused to help in any way.

An interesting thing that occurred during the camping trip is that the Aunt drove her brand new car.  SIL asked where her Prius is. The aunt said she had traded it on the new one then paid cash for the rest of the cost.  SIL dropped "I wish you would have sold us your Prius so (out nephew) could drive it to class in the fall.  

The aunt went direct to "Your credit is not good with me"  SIL turned purple and slinked away to pout.  It also came out in conversation between DW, MIL, Aunt, and me that SIL had never paid a Cent to the Aunt for the $100K+ that SIL lied to DW about claiming that when her DH got his employee owned company buy out money SIL had paid the Aunt everything back. Nope.

Now comes the interesting sequence of events.  Their house is in her STBXH's name due to her crappy credit history.  His buy out is all in an investment account in his name.  The camper, his name.  The cars, his name.  She thinks that means she gets nothing.  She also does not want to make her kids homeless so she intends to just leave with nothing.  Mostly I think that she is clueless that she could get half or more of everything.  The State of SpermLand is an Equitable Distribution State rather than a community property State. So, if SIL had half a brain, her DH would likely get screwed in the divorce.  But, SIL is not the brightest crayon in the box and makes horrible decisions. So, she will in all likelihood get nothing out of the end of her marriage.  

I am hopeful that she follows through with her he can have it all position.  She has not earned a dime.  Most impactful is that the Aunt does not consider the debt SIL owes her to also be her STBXH's debt.  So, SIL will get squat in inheritance from the Aunt who is well off. The sad part of that is that SIL's kids will also get nothing. Not that any of DW's sibs would retain any inheritance for their kid's benefit. It will be gone in no time flat when that time comes.

DW is heartbroken that her sister did not wait a few days to let the camping trip be a separate memory to mom leaving.  SIL blew up DW's phone with texts until DW just left her on read and got back to focusing on the beautiful scenery we were driving through.  

DW is not in a good place in all of this. Not even close. She feels deeply when it comes to her family though she knows without any delusion exactly who each of them are.

We are both concerned and hope that this does not derail our nephew's fully funded AS degree program working for a solid company making more at 18 than I did in my first job out of my BSEE program.  Granted, it has been 30+ years. He is a wonderful  young man, smart, hard working, and kind.  How the hell that happened with the mother he has is incredible to me.  Hopefully that he is out of HS and moving onto his own life this will not be a major issue for him. Our niece, who is 12, will be the one to bear the weight of all of this. She recently asked her mom if she is gay.  Even a 12yo can discern issues with a parent.  

SIL's STBXH and I had a short moment as we were leaving. I told him to give me a call if he wanted to talk.  I will give it a few days then drop him a text to check on him.  Not without issues, but he is a good guy.  

Once again there is zero evidence that SIL puts any thought into anything she ever does or says.  She runs entirely on emotion and what she wants at any given moment. No consideration of living with an eye to the future or what is best for anyone. Not even herself. It is all about servicing her tingly bits whatever bit that might be at any given moment and about instant gratification.  It is all about her "dream" or being the victim of a never ending sequence of 

DW said something last night after we emptied the car that she has never articulated before.  She blames her mom for much of SIL's life of scamming, stealing, and manipulating.  MIL and FIL left SIL when she was 15 to chase their farm dreams across the State.  DW thinks that having to scam and scramble for her next meal, a roof over her head, etc.. is why SIL is what she is. DW is not wrong.  All that is true. Though I do not tolerate her thieving scam artist never ending crap.

Now, she has decided to destroy the lives of her kids.

We will see how long MIL will tolerate SIL.

Not long I hope.  Or MIL will end up financially gutted.