The Year We Missed the Cutoff

 Mia loved camp last year and it was no question whether or not she wanted to go this year. Then I put off sending her registration in for more than a few days. She begged me every day to send it it but I was distracted by the new puppy. Then the letter came letting her know that she was not accepted due to the camp being too full but they will put her on the waiting list. She put on a brave face but I heard her crying in the basement. I cried too. I had let her down and could not fix it. This brought up good conversations about God's will and being able to trust that it is meant to be this way etc. I did check with the camp to see where she was on the waiting list and it was far enough back that it seemed unlikely that she would make it. Possible, but unlikely. It felt tricky to pray that she would get in as that would mean so many other girls could not go. The weeks before camp were rough as various people asked her if she was excited about camp and just assumed she was going. Lots of Mom guilt for me. We planned out some other fun activities to make the week go by faster and to help ease the pain. Mia is such a hard worker, amazingly cheerful about it, and in the weeks following Hank's birth while Mia was putting up with a lot of housework and my roller coaster emotions I often felt so bad that she could not get away for a week, it would have been so deserved. On Thursday before camp a girl from church who was on the camp waiting list, got a call and was accepted. Oh boy, we had to be so so close. Her last name started with a G ours was an M... I could not help but try to guess in my head what number she was at by now.  For two days I looked longingly at the phone, willing it to ring. And then, after we had given up and camp had started, it did. At 3:45PM on Monday. I'm thankful Nate answered the phone as the caller ID sounded like it was saying, "Reuse Popcorn Seed." So I thought, telemarketer and Nate answered it. I heard Nate say, with much feeling, "She would love too," and I thought oh my he is going to give me the phone with a telemarketer on the other end. It was camp and they had called. One girl did not show up and Mia got to be the very last camper. Number 240. Amazing. And I'm still feeling the wonder of it. Thank you God.

 I imagine she is having a blast. We are limping along without her.

Olive is being a handful for Ellie, Nate had Hank and I had the camera. 

Hank is not a huge fan of his car seat. You know how some babies love to drive? Not him.