Scout camp pictures and an awesome spider story

We got the air conditioner fixed yesterday, so I'm a happy camper!  I'm hoping Brevan is literally a happy camper as he endures the rest of Scout Camp.  Ryan is driving back down to camp today and staying until the end, so I will feel much better knowing Ryan will keep Brevan safe!

Christine let us crash at her house all day Monday, since our house felt like an oven.  Then our family went to dinner with them that night.  I'm so blessed with amazing friends!  The following pictures were taken by Christine at Scout Camp Family Day on Sunday.  Will and Brevan are sharing a tent, and you can see the bug net that Brevan has across his whole bedding.  That would be to keep out the Wolf Spiders - they are as nasty and big as they sound - and all the other Missouri insects and critters that love the humidity.



 Enjoying our potluck meal with Pam and Tanner.

 Clayton Adams, Brevan and the Napier family.  Poor Josh was wearing a long sleeve shirt and church  pants, since we all had to come in our dressy clothes for Sacrament meeting. 

 Brevan took us on a hike to "The Point."

Brevan was disappointed that I hadn't brought the other kids, but I knew they would be miserable in the heat so I sent them to church with the Simmons.  It was hard for Brevan to deal with the change in plans, because it frustrates him when the day doesn't go as he's imagined.  He was also upset that I didn't want to got on a 4 mile hike.  In flipflops.  And a skirt.  When it was 100 degrees outside.  There is only so much I can do to help him feel loved!

It was extremely hard for me to leave camp on Sunday evening, because Brevan broke down and cried about being homesick.  He has had some issues with anxiety while there, and didn't like that Ryan wasn't going to be there for the next few days.  We've checked in on him, though, and the leaders say he has done great and is having a fun time.  Although this camp has been difficult for him at times, I know it's a good experience.  I was very impressed with the leaders and older Scouts on Sunday.  As soon as the older boys saw that Brevan was upset, they put their arms around him and told him about all the great things they were going to do together.  Then they walked him over to a table and started playing a card game with him so he wouldn't watch us leave. 

I have to admit I was shocked at the change in Ryan's attitude towards Scouts Camp by the time I saw him on Sunday.  He had been quietly complaining for weeks about having to take time off work to stand in the hot sun and get super dirty for days.  After the first 4 days, he started to see the "scout vision" and couldn't hold back his emotions about the wonderful scouting program.  He was even asked to be the key speaker at the camp Sacrament meeting. 

I do have to share one funny moment I was told by Kurt Johnsen.  While Ryan was looking for a tent on his first night of camp, he came upon a spider hanging from a web right in front of his face.  Not a huge deal for most people, but Ryan is TERRIFIED of spiders.  Kinda funny, since Ryan is such a big guy who doesn't appear to be afraid of anything.  Ryan got so scared of the spider that he thought he was going to start throwing up.  He ran away making loud gagging noises and shaking his entire body.  Kurt thought he was joking at first, but soon realized that Ryan was being serious and has an intense fear of the little 8-legged creatures, so Kurt let Ryan sleep in a small bunk above his own bunk for that night.  Ryan put in some ear plugs, buried himself in his blanket and fell asleep.  A little while later, Kurt heard someone walking around outside.  Upon investigating, he found Brevan wandering the camp.  Brevan told him he was dealing with high anxiety and was trying to calm down.  Kurt talked to him for a few minutes and thought it would help Brevan if Ryan was with him.  Kurt told Brevan to wait a minute while he got his dad, but Brevan answered, "no, don't get him.  I can calm down.  I'm trying to be manly."  Kurt had to laugh as he told Brevan, "buddy, I don't think you need to worry about being manly right now.  Your dad is huddled in a small space above my bunk because he thinks a spider is going to kill him!"  Brevan thought that was so funny that his anxiety was cured pretty quickly!