Tough Scout

On Friday night last week, Hyrum had a scout campout in his leader's backyard. It was just down the street and around the corner. Seemed like it should be a safe experience. Thursday night Hyrum asked if we could check the weather to see if it was going to rain. Yes, the forecast projects that at around 3:00 am Saturday morning, there could be a rain thunderstorm. He looked at me and his eyebrows gave away his concern... this could be bad! This past summer, there have been a few rainstorms, and whenever there was thunder and lightening outside, Hyrum couldn't relax and couldn't fall sleep and kept telling us he felt sick and had a tummy ache. I believed him, but what could we do? We'd say a prayer with him, offered to give him music on headphones so he wouldn't be able to hear it, but he could still see the lighting. Eventually we just told him he'd be okay and he'd have to toughen it out. And this was in a house in his warm bed with a roof over his head. And he's going to go outside and sleep in a tent during this storm?!? I don't know what to do to help you buddy. So, that's on his mind and mine as we looked at the weather.

Now all this is true to form for Hyrum. He has always been a timid little kid. In 2007 when he was 5 year old, he was TERRIFIED when we bought a puppy. When he was 3 years old and we took a trip to California, he didn't like most of the rides at Disneyland and, despite being a big Toy Story fan, would have absolutely nothing to do with meeting that big giant Woody person. 

And don't get 3 year old Hyrum of the past even started about those scary ocean waves at the beach... Each time the wave rolled in, he screamed. (Had to go find the clips on our home videos...)

(We didn't leave him alone crying hysterically by himself the whole time, just about 1/3rd of the time.)

"CAN'T YOU ALL SEE THE DANGER?!?!?!?!" 

Nope. Ethan, a careless fool, not heeding Hyrum's warning, just layed down in the sand making sand angels.

We eventually took Hyrum back to the hotel (this was at Oceanside and we were staying at a hotel just across the Pacific Coast Highway, walking distance just over the bridge.) So Corey started to take Hyrum back while I stayed with the rest of the kids who were playing in the sand. But Hyrum continued to have great fear with each wave going out....

And each wave crashing back in....

Yeah, he was a bit beside himself with fear. Thus is our little Hyrum. 

So, back to the present... before his campout Friday night, we check the weather again, and now it looks like instead of the storm coming in at 3 am, it's going to come in at 10pm and last ALL NIGHT. What do you think of that Hyrum?

I didn't know if he'd survive, but he went over without complaining and seemed calm enough, but I didn't know what was going through his head. They had a little fire and cooked their tinfoil dinners. It started to rain that night. Here at home Corey and I say a prayer or him to be okay. Around 4 a.m. I'm awake and pacing the floor, it is totally pouring heavy rain. There is a ton of lightning and thunder... one lightening hit really close followed by an immediate loud clap of thunder, and I've got images of this little terrified boy that keep flashing through my mind and I can't sleep.

It was loud, it was constant, and I was worried sick. I just kept saying "Poor Hyrum!!!" Corey drove over to their house. The gate was locked, but he said he didn't hear any screaming coming from the backyard.

After a half hour of intense downpour and lightning, it softened up a little bit. Corey texted a dad that was sleeping out with the scouts. Thankfully he replied right back and said Hyrum was doing okay. Okay, he's okay, a dad is there with him, he's not alone, maybe he'll survive a few more hours. We were able to go back to sleep.  

I was grateful to see it get light in the morning, I woke up and was ready for his return. He walked in at 8 a.m. "Hey mom!" I look at him. "Are you okay?" "Yeah" he replies, like it was no big deal at all. I let him know that I was a little sick with worry for him. He shrugged like it was nothing. His only report was that his sleeping bag was soaked. So that was that and he was fine! Who knew! 

My little Hyrum is all grown up.