Tales from the camp trunk ...

I told Bill on Friday night that I had envisioned my reunion with Jacob when we picked him up from camp.

My “vision” was that the music to “Reunited” would be playing in the background as we ran towards each other and embraced.

In reality, we saw Jacob and his cabin walking to the closing ceremony.  Bill and I called his name …. he turned around …. gave a little half wave and then kept on going.

WHAT?!?!  The mother who gave him life?  A little half wave?!

It’s cool … he hugged me later.  Told me he missed me and thought about me.  Then all was right with the world again.

He also told me some other stuff that I’ll tell you in a minute.

Found the girls too and everyone said good bye to their counselors:

And their friends:

Everyone had a blast.  They looked taller, tanner, their hair was blonder … and their faith was stronger.  We had some great conversations on the way home about what they had learned and it just confirmed in our hearts how much we love how Pine Cove does camp and the things they teach and how they inspire.  It’s awesome.

What was not so awesome were the camp trunks.  Actually just one trunk.

Jacob’s.

I have heard stories of moms opening their trunks and realizing their son only wore one pair of shorts all week or how much it stunk, etc.

And for some reason I thought it might be different for my boy.

But alas, it was not.

Jacob told me as we were leaving that he ran out of clothes.  I thought that was strange because they tell you to send nine outfits although they are only there six days.

Then he told me that he “got a little confused and accidentally wore the theme night outfits (which were in labeled Ziploc baggies) during the day so he didn’t have some of the things to wear to the theme nights.  When we got home he showed me the bag that “confused” him.  It said “black shorts”…. which I wrote on there so he’d wear black shorts with that particular shirt.  He thought it said “buck snort” which was the name of the first theme night (Buck Snort County Fair).  That is where it all went wrong.

He also said he didn’t write any letters because he “looked and looked but never saw his (self addressed and stamped) envelopes and paper.

When we got home I found:

4 weekday outfits still in their ziploc baggies

2 theme night outfits in bags (unworn)

2 (out of the 3 he took) bathing suits (unworn) - said he never saw the other two

Blue jeans (unworn) for riding horses - said he wore shorts because he didn’t know he had pants

And … last but not least … the ziploc baggie holding all his letter supplies.

Oh, and it stunk.  Might have been the wet socks he put in ziploc baggies that had clean clothes in them.  Why ask why?

Truly none of this seemed to bother him … which is good.  His sisters are SO meticulous about what they pack and wear.  Savannah told me she did ask Jacob every day if he was having fun and he always said “yes” so clearly it wasn’t an issue.

Unlike the year I got a letter from Brittany that was only one sentence:

“Dear mom … you forgot to pack my belt”.

Or the next year when she wrote another one sentence letter:

“Dear mom … you forgot to pack my hair brush”.

Now that I think about it … perhaps it’s a good thing Jacob couldn’t find his stationary.

No letters telling me what he thought I forgot!

The trunks are now back in the attic until next year.

Maybe next year I’ll get a letter.

Maybe.