Halley Rossler

The gang’s back together again! We sure missed these two while they were away at camp. They surprised us as we were leaving Jackson’s game today and we were beyond excited to see them.

We have a 10-year-old first time camper at overnight church camp for four days, the best dad who just had his first ever experience at overnight church camp, and a 5-year-old who played his last official progressive coach pitch game of the season. In this post I would like to share about our experiences his week and add a little insight into the mix for parents as I write.

Lincoln went to his first overnight church camp this week and Paul went as a group leader/counselor. This was technically Paul’s first time at overnight church camp in his life. As Lincoln’s parents we do our best to give him typical experiences in life that he can navigate and manage. We knew overnight camp was not an option even though he really wanted to go. My sweet Paul took off work to take him and serve as a leader for his group so Lincoln could experience camp. Paul said Lincoln did great, and from what I can tell, Paul did great too.:) I think they both had the wonderful time.

Lincoln wanted to recite his memory verse from camp. This verse is absolutely perfect for him and I’m so glad it’s forever in his heart and mean.

 

I’m incredibly proud of Lincoln for overcoming his fears this week. He actually stayed in the bunk room with all of the campers without Paul nearby, which was a big time first for Lincoln. As Lincoln gets older we know he has a desire to be like other kids and interact in group situations with kids his age, but unfortunately that is often a struggle for him. Paul said Lincoln tried his best and observed him figuring out his limits and adjusting accordingly. I’m super proud of Lincoln for how he is learning to cope and navigate social situations that are difficult for him. Going to overnight camp is a huge accomplishment for him and now he’s telling us he wants to go to overnight camp again next year. That is a big win in my book!

I have to share that this would not have been possible two years ago. He was not able to regulate his emotions for an extended period of time to be able to handle all of the transitions and kids around all of the time. It’s a true miracle. If you have a child who has been through trauma and they are struggling right now, please know it gets better. Keep taking one foot in front of the other, give yourself grace, and reflect on how far you have come as often as possible.