Gymnastics Camp

Every year the majority of the girls at our gym attend gymnastics camp together in Pa.  In fact, even some of our coaches go.  Our oldest daughter has been wanting to go for years.  Last year anytime I would say, “Guess what?”  or “I have a surprise for you,”  she would always respond with, “I get to go to camp?”  Seriously, every little guess what and surprise suddenly seemed like a let down.  Finally I had to sit her down and say, “Sweetie, I know you want to go to camp, and I’d love to send you, but it is a lot of money and it isn’t going to happen.” 

She took it very well. 

And then she started saving her own money for camp.  This was well before the girls went to camp in 2014.  She knew when she was saving in the spring of 2014 that she wouldn’t be going to camp that June.  She never whined or complained when the girls all went to camp last June and she didn’t. She saved all spring, all summer, all fall.  Every tooth fairy dollar…. every cent of allowance.  Each month she’d take her spending money for allowance and deposit it into her savings. 

Last Christmas Scott and I decided instead of giving her a gift for Christmas, we would pay for the remainder of what she hadn’t saved for her to go to camp.  Her one Christmas gift from us (besides her stocking) was a letter saying, she would be able to go to camp this summer. She was elated.  Still she saved.  When time came in January to register, she turned in all she had saved and we paid for the rest.  When her birthday came in February, she set aside a huge chunk of her birthday money for spending money at camp. 

And last week, she finally go to go to camp.

I was so excited for her.  I knew how long she had waited.  My biggest fear was that it wouldn’t be as good as she had thought.  “What if she built it up to be too wonderful in her head and she was let down?”

She was not let down.

She had the time of her life.

It’s been so fun to hear all about her week.  She got to practice gymnastics 3 times a day, all week.  She learned some new skills. She met and was even coached by Olympians.  She got their autographs.  She went on a high ropes course and even saw a mountain lion!   Her day basically consisted of eating, gymnastics, the pool, and friends.  Pretty much her ideal day…. all week long.

It was hard to say goodbye to her for a week.  But, I strongly suspected that I would miss her way more than she missed me.  And I was right. (see her down there in the front row?)

I am so proud of her for saving so diligently for something she wanted so badly.  And I am so thankful we were able to help make her dream come true and send her to camp.  I am thankful that she had an amazing time while she was there.  And I am super, duper thankful to have her back home again.