This year we attended Family Camp with our church on Mother’s Day weekend. Our church has gone to the same camp for several years, and make it a weekend of service. We help the camp get ready for their summer season, by painting, cleaning, clearing weeds, etc. We managed to do quite a bit, even with the 4 kids with us! It was a fun weekend, but tiring! By Sunday morning, (Mother’s Day) we were ready to get home. A friend told us before we left camp that we HAD TO go check out this really cool tree house at the edge of the camp. So, we decided we would check it out on our way down the hill.
I took my camera and planned to take lots of pictures of our weekend. I had forgotten it in the car and had NOTHING to remember the trip! So, when we got to the treehouse, I decided I better start snapping some. The trees were beautiful, so if nothing else, I wanted a nice picture of all the kids in the woods. Alan took the kids up in the tree house while I waited with Wesley by the car. 
Alan and Joyce are standing on a wooden deck below… pretty tall, huh ?
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Joyce… Going up!
Camille on her way up. Alan’s hat is in the lower left corner. The tree house was probably 12-15 feet up.
The kid ran around and played up top. Then, Greg headed down the ladder with no problem. Next Camille started down. She got to the 2nd rung of the ladder, then fell…. fell straight down. I tried to catch her, but she hit her head on the deck below pretty hard. I don’t remember ever being so scared and thought for sure she was going to break some bones, or worse. I must have broke her fall enough to prevent serious injury. She was nauseous for a while after, but there was no concussion and she was fine by the time we got home.
I think back on that day and am still amazed that she faired so well. I wonder, “What if I had been holding Wes?” Praise God he was asleep in the car. I know I would not have been able to ‘catch’ Camille without hurting Wes, as Camille and I both ended up on the ground when she fell. I wonder, “What if I had gone to check out some pine cones like Greg had asked me to?” I would have been too far away to get to her at all.
About a week after Mother’s Day, I heard of a local 2 year old that fell out of her crib and died. I wonder why God would chose to save Camille from such a height… that she would walk away with only a few scratches… and yet another child is gone after what most would consider a minor fall? I can not imagine the grief of her family, and am so thankful my daughter is safe. I have always felt each of our children has a special purpose on Earth. I know Camille has not yet fulfilled hers.
