Camp Barnabas 2015: Pick Up Day!

It was pick-up day at Camp Barnabas! And we could not WAIT!

And, God-forbid we stay in a hotel the night before. Nooooooooo...ain't nobody around here got time for that!

No, we'd rather get up at 4:30 IN THE MORNING, and head out for our 5 hour drive. Save that $80.

I intended for us to leave at 5, but one of us was still running around after last-minute things...(that would be ME)...and so we didn't get away until 5:08.

We drove in silence for a long time, because...well, it's 5 a.m. And secondly, it's pitch-black dark. And three...it's 5 a.m.

After about 2 1/2 hours, we stopped for breakfast at the Chick-Fil-A in Rogers, Arkansas. I was so happy to GET OUT OF THE CAR. I typically do not mind a drive, but, since I had my wreck...I've become so anxious. I mean, it's about to be out-of-control. Sweating, heart-pounding...OH MY GOODNESS. I know I was getting on Jim's nerves, because...well, he told me. There were a couple of times on this trip when I thought I was going to have to ask him to pull-over and let me out.

To do what, I do not know.

I seriously had to pray and do deep-breathing like I hadn't done in a long time. I am hoping this anxious feeling gets better over time. It's much better when I'm the one who is driving, but I don't want to do all the driving.

ANYWAY, I had been looking at Facebook, Twitter and IG on our drive. I saw on Facebook where Kelly Stamps had posted that Reese Witherspoon was going to be hosting the big Wal-Mart Shareholders meeting in Bentonville (that explained why there was traffic out the wha-zoo). And so I told Jim, "hey, my pretend internet friend, Kelly Stamps, said that Reese Witherspoon is going to be hosting the big Wal-Mart Shareholders meeting in Bentonville."

He was unimpressed.

BUT, as we pulled out of the Chick-Fil-A and got a little ways up the road, a small jet flew over us (I was driving at this point). Jim looked up from reading his paper and said, "there's your Reese Witherspoon," and I got so tickled...BECAUSE WHAT IF IT WAS?

We got to Camp Barnabas in record time. And, by that I mean, almost an hour before the gates opened.

And, by that I mean...we left at 5:08 and pulled up at about 9:15...and the gates don't open until 10.

But you have to get there early...because you want to be one of the first ones out. Why, I do not know. It's not a race.

Except that it kind of is.

There were about 15 cars in front of us, maybe, which is good. When we went for drop-off day, we got there an hour before the gates opened, and there were about 50 cars in front of us. And I was SO MAD.

When we still hadn't moved at 10:10, I really wanted to lay on the horn...not really, but WHY AREN'T WE MOVING? I was so anxious to see Joshua!

Also, I was wondering where we were going to park...and praying we wouldn't have to park in the field.

There's not anything wrong with parking in the field, mind you...I just wanted to park NOT in the field.

There's a whole hierarchy of how things are done. I would explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand. I don't understand.

We got to park in a parking lot beside one of the buildings. Like in a legit parking lot with asphalt and everything! I don't know why that made me so happy, but it did. And then we walked by all of the losers late-arrivers who were parking in the field.

(Amateurs)

Jim didn't go with me on drop-off day, so he didn't know which cabin Joshua was in...but he followed me and I found it quickly. Joshua saw us and immediately began running toward us. 

Bless.

He gave us long, long hugs.

Joshua looked GREAT! Jim took a picture of me and Joshua, and I posted it on my Facebook. Jim got to meet Daniel-from-Colorado, Joshua's CIA-Missionary-Helper person, and Joshua began the process of telling everyone "bye."

On pick-up morning, they have a little closing ceremony in the mess-hall area. They sing and show the video and it's really fun. The last thing they do every.single.year before they dismiss...is the macarena. It is hilarious and loud and fun.

Joshua didn't really want to stay for the closing ceremony, which was fine by us, so we took his luggage to the car and headed out.

Just gonna say: the trip UP there seemed a lot faster than the trip home.

And, you're not gonna believe this, but as we went back through Bentonville, we saw, what looked like, the same little jet...flying right across us again! Only going the opposite way. I yelled, "BYE, REESE!" 

Our goal, on any trip up to NWA (or home from NWA), is to work it out to stop at Braum's in Alma, Arkansas...at meal-time. The food is not that great, and the flies will about carry you off, and, yes, I know there are Braum's in other cities and towns in Arkansas and Oklahoma...but this one in Alma is a touch-stone for us. When we get there, we know how far away we are from our destination...or from home. 

It's what Joshua refers to as a family "tran-dition."

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, it was late-lunch time when we hit Alma on the way home. Most of the lunch crowd had already gone back to work. It worked out great, because we'd had a late breakfast. 

This is just a side note because I don't want to forget it. I was leaving the rest room. It's a "one-throner," which really has nothing to do with the story, I just wanted to point that out. It's always good to know, right? ANYWAY, I had already opened the door to leave, when I saw this young mom walking my way. I told her, "I'll hold the door, so you don't have to touch anything." I noticed there was a child behind her. What I DIDN'T notice was there were THREE children behind her. Two boys and a girl. They looked like triplets. One of the little boys looked up at me as he walked in and said, "HEY-YOOOO!" 

I wanted to ask, "are they all yours?" but then I figured that, if they were, she probably gets asked that a lot. I settled on, "they are all so cute!" And she said, "thanks!"

I walked off wondering how she kept any one of them from opening the door when it was her turn to potty.

These are the things I think of...because: BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

We were eating when the mom and kids came out, and they got in line to get ice-cream. And, you know that old saying about something being like "corraling cats?" This is exactly what it looked like. What I wanted to remember about this whole scene is how calm and kind the mom was.

Because, I have 4 kids, and one time they were all little. But at their littlest, Joshua was 10 and Clark was born...and the other two were in the middle. So, at least a couple of them were fully aware of how to MIND and OBEY and BEHAVE. Altho, one day, when I asked Logan to please behave, he said, "I AM be-in' hayve."

But this lady...she had THREE THAT WERE THE SAME AGE AND SIZE. 

Bless.

They were really good, but they were active and squirmy. Like kids should be. I just loved watching them. 

And I was just thinking how much we all, as Moms, need encouragement. You know...a smile, a kind word...even a hand of help sometimes. But only if they aren't looking like they're gonna call the police on you if you offer.

Anyway, as we were cleaning off our table and getting ready to leave, this man came up to Joshua and I and asked, "have y'all been running today?" And Joshua and I...we just looked at him. So he repeated himself, and then gave a nod at Joshua's t-shirt, which had some sort of Camp slogan on it...and toward Jim, who is almost ALWAYS wearing a t-shirt from a race, because "WILL RUN FOR T-SHIRT" is practically his life's motto these days.

I started telling this man that we were on our way back from Camp Barnabas. He said that he'd heard of it, and asked more about it. Jim joined us at this point (he may or may not have been in the ice-cream line, getting one of us an ice-cream cone). The man told us that he had a 20 year old daughter who had Down Syndrome AND Autism.

I looked over at Jim and whispered, "we need to sit back down."

I don't know...I just felt like this was a divine appointment.

And even though Joshua did NOT understand why, we all sat back down...and we listened to this man talk. He needed to tell his story and we needed to listen. Jim asked him what his daughter did...what program or school did she attend. He said, "Nothing. She doesn't do anything." He told us that she was non-verbal, and had a lot of issues. He seemed to enjoy talking with Joshua.

When we finally left, he and Jim exchanged contact information. Who knows what will become of it?

You know, I think we all look around, trying to see God at work in some miraculous way. Or pray for God to use us in some big way. When in reality, it's like Henry Blackaby says in his book, Experiencing God, "God is always at work around you."

And He is. Whether it's a young Mom who needs encouraging, or a stranger who stops you in your tracks...it's easy to brush it off as being insignificant.

It's easy to miss when you're in a hurry.

I do that many, many times...miss opportunities that God puts right in front of me.

But on THIS day?

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2

Camp Barnabas Bound 2015

It's finally here! Camp Barnabas time! Joshua looks forward to this week all year long!

I know he's excited, but he's been about to worry me to death over it. The concept of time is tricky with Joshua...and the FRIENDS.

If you've ever planned a special trip with young children, you know...or you LEARNED...that you can't give them too much of a warning or they will hound you every minute of every day until it's "time."

That's Joshua.

My mother-in-law gets aggravated because she'll mention something to Joshua that we are going to do or an event in the family or whatever, and he'll say, "I don't know about that, Mammaw." She has no filter when it comes to him, and doesn't understand why we wouldn't tell him everything and talk about everything in front of him.

And, I get that...and it's nothing against her...she just doesn't know how he is. She loves him with all her heart, and wants the very best for him, like we do. She talks with him several times a week and they have a very special bond. He shares things with her that she thinks he doesn't share with anyone else...and that's okay. She doesn't understand all of the complexities involved in raising and living with a person with Special Needs.

So there are things...many things...that we do not talk about in front of him. Sad things, bad things, mature thing, things on the news...it's too hard for his innocent mind to comprehend. There is much we cannot control, but at home...in our home...we carefully consider the things we allow him to hear.

Anyway, for the past 4 weeks or so, he's been, "well, when I'm at camp..." and "well, only "x" amount of time until I'm at camp."

Joshua has been going Camp Barnabas, or as one of the FRIENDS calls it: Camp Bah-RAAAA-Nah-Bas, for about 12 years. When he first started going, the cabins were old and not air-conditioned, and the facilities needed a lot of updates. But then Ty Pennington and his Extreme Home Make-Over team came in 2005, and rebuilt and enhanced some things. The media attention led to more funding, and they were able to build all new cabins for the campers. Things are a lot nicer now!

Clark said he would ride up there with me, and I was so appreciative of that. It takes about 4 1/2 hours to get there, and then we have to wait in a long line for an hour...and then it takes about an hour to get him checked in and settled in his cabin...and then it's 4 1/2 hours home. Any way you cut it...that's a long day, right there.

I've done the trip by myself, and I don't really mind it...altho it does help when someone else goes with me. I feel safer, altho I don't know if I am. I have someone to listen to me as I sing for 12 hours talk to. Joshua likes to have "people" there with him for all of his important things. It makes him feel special.

The main reason why it's good to have someone come along, is that they realize how exhausting this day is. Because if you're the one who stays home and gets 12 hours to do whatever you want, well, you have a different perspective of how the day went.

Right?

In the end, Clark AND Faith-the-girlfriend went with us. Faith had never heard about Camp Barnabas...or, as another one of the FRIENDS calls it: Camp Bar-nah-rahhhh-bas...until she started dating Clark nearly 3 years ago...and she has always wanted to see it.

So, as I am posting this, Joshua has been at Camp all week. We are going to pick him up early in the morning. The last night of Camp is always very emotional for the FRIENDS. They have what is called "cross carry." I will be praying extra-hard for Joshua and the FRIENDS tonight.

I just started thinking that maybe I should post links to Joshua's camp experiences from last year. You can find them here, here, here, here and here. And then the last post from last year was the one on cross-carry, that I linked above.

I cannot WAIT to see my boy tomorrow! We've only seen two pictures of him on the Camp website. One from when we arrived...and one with him and his counselor at the pool. I hope he's had a good week!

"I have written your name on the palms of my hands." Isaiah 49:16

The White Wedding

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to attend the wedding of the daughter of some dear friends. It was held in our former "home" town...not really our home town, but it's where we spent 15 years of our lives when our kids were younger, so they consider it "home."

And people in town were calling it the "White" wedding, because both the bride's last name, and the groom's last name, is WHITE.

Isn't that fun?

I really wanted to bring Joshua with us. I knew that there was no one in our family who would enjoy it more. BUT I was going to be taking him to camp the next morning, and I was afraid the extra excitement and the late night would be too much for him....and might affect him adversely. You know, gastro-ly speaking. Ha! :)

So Jim and I drove over there by ourselves.

The wedding was held at our "home" church...and the church where Holly and Aaron were married. SO many memories there. We saw old friends, and people we knew, starting from the time we stepped out of our car in the parking lot.

That's something I MISS SO MUCH. Where we live now...and we've been here 3 years...we don't have that feeling at all. Oh, we know people at church, and we recognized others as looking familiar...but that feeling like it's where we belong? Not there yet.

May never be there again.

This world is not our home, right?

Anyway, it was Old Home Week for Jim and me at this wedding. We had the BEST time! It was also incredibly special, because the minister who was marrying these two young ones...was the minister who married Holly and Aaron. And he and his wife are precious friends of our family.

At the reception after the wedding, we were able to see a TON of people. From the very old...to the ones our age...to seeing their children...and even some of their grandchildren! How is it that people our age are GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS?

MAN! Life goes on!

Everyone there asked about our family. Everyone who asked about our family, asked specifically about Joshua. Well, mainly they asked WHY WE DIDN'T BRING HIM.

Yeah. We probably should have.

Jim and I talked all the way home...about the mark that town made on our lives; about the people who poured into us and our children; about the lessons God taught us during those 15 years.

INVEST IN PEOPLE, y'all. No matter where you live, no matter how long (or short) you've been there, no matter how long you think you'll stay.

Someone is waiting for you to hold out your hand to them...for you to make eye contact and ask questions and be genuinely concerned and LISTEN TO THEM.

Save a life, make a friend, be the hands and feet of Jesus.

"So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith." 1 Thessalonians 3:7

Holly is DONE with Nursing School!

Today, our daughter, Holly, finished nursing school. We are so proud of her and so thankful for this accomplishment. She has worked VERY hard.

She graduated from Ouachita Baptist University after 4 years with a degree in Biology. When she came to her Dad and told him that she felt like she wanted to go to nursing school after that...well, let's just say...it could've been bad.

BC Jim.

Because he is wise and thrifty and plans ahead and always knows what he's doing and is never wasteful with money or time. I'm not just saying that...it's really true.

Ouachita is a wonderful school. I went there, Holly went there and Clark is going there in the Fall. It's wonderful...but it's not cheap.

Jim has a good friend, and he kept saying that we should encourage Holly to go into nursing. After the first time we talked to her about it, and she quickly shut us down...I decided not to bring it up again. Jim, on the other hand, brought it up several more times over the course of a couple of years, and still got the same response.

He told me he was really feeling like that is what she should do. I told him to pray about it. I told him that if he prayed about it, and Holly ever had a change of heart...then we would all know it was of God, and not of us. So that's what he did.

And when Holly came to Jim, God prepared Jim's heart for her...just as He had prepared her heart to seek His will.

After Holly got married, she enrolled in school up in NWA and took some courses they were requiring her to take to enter her program.

*This is also known as the time when I nearly lost my mind because WHY DOESN'T EVERY NURSING PROGRAM IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS?

Because they totally should.

After a year, Aaron-the-son-in-law got a job in central Arkansas, and so they moved...and she applied to a nursing school in Little Rock. Jim and I have been so impressed with how hard she has worked to make her dream happen.

As of today, she is DONE. She passed all of her courses, and graduation is in a couple of weeks.

This whole thing is proof that miracles still happen, because if you knew her when she was little? Well, you'd remember a squeamish young girl who would "sympathy throw up" if someone around her got sick; who gagged if something looked or smelled bad, and who would turn white-as-a-sheet and nearly faint at the sight of blood...or needles.

WHO would've ever thought a girl like that would CHOOSE to be a nurse...and LOVE it?

GOD, that's Who.

And over the course of her life, He's taken great care to combine her gifts, talents and personality, along with her life-experiences...to make her heart tender toward those in need.

At an early age, we saw her "bent" by how she treated Joshua...and then her younger brothers. She is still their biggest protector, antagonizer, support and friend.

We are so proud of her! She's got a job in the NICU, and she's going to be a GREAT nurse!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6

The Black Widders in the Garage

Lots to report, but it's late and I'll try to get all caught up tomorrow.

I just wanted to share that we had our annual Terminix inspection last week. As the guy was finishing up with my receipt, he casually said, " OH BY THE WAY, you have a big, angry Black Widow in your garage."

And then he left.

AND THEN HE LEFT.

And I was thinking, like, WHAT IN THE WORLD?

And also: WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL IT?

Is there something in their contract that says they can only inspect for/kill termites?

Because, I'm just gonna put this out there: feel free to use my flip-flop anytime you see a big, angry bug at my house.

Anyway, Jim found it today and BROUGHT IT IN THE HOUSE TO SHOW ME. Annnnnd...it's legs were still moving. And to that I say: "no thanky."

I was freaking out. Jim said for me to please.calm.down...that it wasn't going to jump at me or anything.

Excuse me...I've seen Harry Potter.

Jim said it was so big because it was full of babies, and I said, "GET THAT THING OUTTA HERE!"

And now my left eye won't stop twitching, and every time the ice-maker turns on, I jump 9 feet in the air.

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You." Psalm 56:3