The Pre-MTC Days

Since Parker left almost three weeks ago, it's about time this blog got him on his mission!

We flew to Salt Lake City with Parker on Monday, March 11th. We drove to Rexburg and stayed with Janine and Byron, and she was nice enough to have all the kids over for dinner that night. 

The next day, Tuesday, I spent a few hours at Kam's apartment helping her pack most of her stuff. Since we flew to SLC on John's platinum flying status, we could each check (for free!) 3 bags. We decided to take advantage of this and brought 5 huge duffle bags with us so that we could bring most of Kam's stuff home with us. When we were checking in at the airport, the lady at check-in asked if we were going shopping. Funny. It was hard for Kam to part with some of her stuff, but I kept reminding her that it was only for a month. She did very well, and we were able to get more packed than we thought we would.

Here's the luggage cart when we got to the airport in SLC to come home. Things kept falling off, and we got some interesting looks (all those bags for 2 people?), but our plan was successful! And now her stuff is waiting for her--in her room and still in the duffle bags--for when she comes home with us on the 13th.

On Tuesday Kam and I had lunch with Cassie, one of my seminary students from Arizona. She enters the MTC soon and is going to the Peru Lima North Mission. It was fun to spend time with her, and she will be an awesome missionary! It's so fun to see former students make these amazing choices in their lives!

Tuesday night was a bitter-sweet night for me. It was the last night we'd spend with Parker for a couple of years, and so many emotions were swirling around in my head: joy, sadness, anxiety, and gratitude, among many others.  John, Parker, and I went to the Rexburg Temple with Zach, Angela, Janine and Byron, and Kam stayed with Hannah and Riley. Then we all had dinner together at Janine's house. It was really nice spending time all together since it's the last time the kids would get to see Parker for over two years (Zach and Angela are moving to Minnesota after graduation to take a job with 3M, and who knows where Kam will be when Parker gets home).

These two have always been really close.

Yes, I have some amazingly awesome kids! I'm so very proud of the adults they have become and the good choices they have made and are making.

3 John 1:4: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.