Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Camp Barnabas 2015: Joshua and Jenni

Joshua and Jenni have been going to Camp Barnabas together for 11 years. That seems like such a long time...and it has flown by! Last year, Jenni didn't get to go the same week as Joshua, because her Mom didn't get her signed up fast enough, and it filled up.

It was a saaaaaad time.

Here are the Camp Barnabas updates from 2014: here, here, here, here, here and here.

And the updates from 2013 here, here, here, here, here...and here.

It's been a fun, fun time...mixed with moments of sheer terror (that last post from 2013!).

This year, Joshua and Jenni were going to be able to go the same week, and all was right with the world. Because last year? All I heard was, "Jenni's not going to be here...Jenni is sad that she's not going to be here...guess I won't see Jenni this year..." And on and on and on about the fact that Jenni wouldn't be there. He worried about it so much...to the point that he even bought her a gift from the CB store...to take home to her.

So, you'd think that they'd both be ecstatic about spending the same week at camp together.

Ummmmmmm...yeah. About that.

Jenni's mom told me that when she asked Jenni if she was excited to be going to Camp with her friends this year, she said, "I'm just worried about Josh." (She calls him Josh or Joshyboo). Her mom asked why, and Jenni said, "I just hope he doesn't get mad or jealous when I dance with other boys...maybe I should just go to a different term, like I did last year."

MAYBE SHE SHOULD JUST GO TO A DIFFERENT TERM LIKE SHE DID LAST YEAR.

She has no memory of how she bawled and squalled about not getting to go the same term with Joshua, and a few of their other friends from Therapeutic Recreation. Or of how upset Joshua was that she couldn't come with him. Or how big of a FIT her mother had to throw, to try and get her back on the list...because once you're off...it's verrrrrry hard to get back on.

Yeah, why don't you just go to a different term like you did last year.

Go ON with your bad self.

So, on the day we left for camp, I kept in contact with her mom...so that we could get there around the same time (we didn't). We got Joshua all set up in his cabin, and we got ready to head back home...and we still did not see her family. It was only as we were walking out that we saw Jenni's parents. I think they were behind us a little ways...and it takes them longer to get Jenni all set up.

We all know it takes longer to get girls all set up, right? With any of my boys, they were fine with us dropping them off and doing very little to get them settled...but with my girl? She always wanted all of her things out...set up and organized, looking cute and pretty.

And then, as much as Joshua and Jenni looked forward to being at Camp together...as much as they talked about it and wrote about it and dreamed about it...they pretty much completely ignored each other all week.

Which, I'm fine with that...because it's better than having drama.

Joshua said that his counselor, Daniel, and Jenni's Counselor...intentionally kept them apart as much as possible. Which, again, I'm fine with that...and it probably made their jobs a lot easier.

Joshua told us how he saw Jenni one night at a dance, but walked wayyyyyyyy arounnnnnnnnnnd a different way, so that he wouldn't run into her.

WHAT THE WHAT?

And then he told me that he wrote her a letter to apologize.

Unfortunately this kind of behavior goes on all the time with them. I have to keep reminding myself that how other non-challenged couples think...is not the same way Joshua and Jenni think.

And to not get all upset about it.

"...love is kind and is not jealous..." 1 Corinthians 13:4

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