Austyn's Birthday

Sunday was Austyn's 15th birthday. She was hoping we could get Colby home, but two weekends in a row is tough on his studies and his calling (he is the 2nd Counselor in the Elder's Quorum) so we settled with just skyping him. He "joined" us for dinner =) meaning we ate our Hawaiian Haystacks (Austyn's favorite) while Colby ate his microwaved ravioli. Chris and Stephanie had gone to the Badger Den for dinner, but Colby didn't want to. So we sat the laptop on the dinner table and "ate" together. It was fun! i need better speakers, we have a most difficult time hearing him when other conversations are going on, and no one seems to notice when i put my head right down by the computer to hear him. That should be their "sign" to stop talking, but they don't get it. We chatted for a while after dinner, Chris and Stephanie came back to the dorm after dinner, and settled down to chat with us, too. They are cute. We have a great time each Sunday as we gather around the computer to catch up on the happenings of the week. Britanee took pictures of us all talking (Rian joined in too, she was pretty darn funny) and I will try to get those up soon.

Colby really enjoys rooming with Chris. He's a funny guy, and I'm sure Colby enjoys his humor and the fact that they have similar interests. His classes seem to be going well, and after his successful first semester (3.6 gpa) I don't worry so much about his study methods...they seem to be working fine =)

I ran into Kyle Denney at Macey's the other day and he said that he would be sending in his mission papers at the end of February. We need to get Colby's cavities filled before we can send his in, and that won't be until the middle of March. Stewart (my nephew) said that four boys on his floor at BYU just received calls to Helsinki, Finland! Wow! Four? Crazy, I wouldn't mind tho if Colby went to Finland...I'm hoping for someplace exotic, so we can go and pick him up when he's done =) Australia, New Zealand, France...I'm not too picky. =)

Our Weekend

We've had a great 3-day weekend! Chris (Colby's roommate) brought colby home friday for the long weekend. It's been so nice! I thought we would have to wait until Spring Break in March to see him, but NO, we got a wonderful surprise! We are hoping he can join us for President's Day weekend as well, and then we can celebrate his 19th birthday! We haven't done anything spectacularly fun this weekend, just enjoyed being together. It's been wonderful... Tonight we did all get together for dinner...Britanee, Brian, Rian, Ashlee, and Steven came over. We kept it simple with sloppy joes, chips, and salad. It's great to all be together and sit around the table and talk and laugh. Again, it's been wonderful...

I usually look forward to the start of a new year, a new beginning...however, this is a year I've been dreading for quite some time. I know I should have a better attitude about it, and I'm really trying, but it's difficult. Maybe "dreading" is too harsh, but I haven't been looking forward to it. Sometimes we have to do hard things. I think this might be my motto for the year...

"I CAN DO HARD THINGS"

My emotions have been running high today...our lesson in Relief Society didn't help =) It was about simplifying our lives, putting the most important things first and foremost in our lives, to slow down. Interestingly enough, before church today I was online checking to see if there were any employment opportunities at our local Target store, and the local Macey's. My thinking being that I somehow need to pay for Colby's mission, AND keep myself busy while he's gone. The lesson let me know that an additional job was not the answer. I still don't know what the answer is, but I'm trying to be open to guidance and inspiration.

We drove Colby back to school tonight. It was great to see his new room (bigger) and get him settled in it. We hung his art prints that he received for Christmas, and the room looks great! He seems excited about the new semester (with the exception of his 7:30 am pe class) and about his new roommate, Chris. I'm excited that he's excited =)These are pictures from Colby's first new years...he loved all the confetti! This was the new years that we celebrated at 10:00 pm instead of midnight. The kids didn't even know, and we all got to bed at a normal time =) Too bad we can't get away with that still. I have pictures from Colby's 18th new years and will post those as soon as my camera battery is recharged =)

Today is the last day of 2010...I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that! It seems the older I get the faster time passes. That can be good and bad... Colby's mission will fly by (I hope, at least for me), but my time with him before he leaves will fly by as well. We take him back to school on Sunday, and I'm sure he's ready to go back. We are a little boring around here, and I'm positive he misses all the studying =) Tomorrow we will go to the store and stock up on spagettios, cheese sticks, Dr. Pepper, and pudding to get him through the next several weeks at school.I don't think we will get to see him again until his spring break, which is in March.

David took him back to the doctor yesterday to get the results from his TB test, and blood work. Everything looks great! He also got a couple of immunizations, one of which needs three follow-up shots...one he will have to get down at school, another we can do when he's home for spring break, and the final one they will hopefully take care of while he's out in the mission field. Guess we'll see...

Today we will spend with family...we are headed to the movies later today with Grandpa and Grandma Haymond. Later Ashlee, Steve, Britanee, Brian, and Rian will join us for a family game night to ring in the New Year. I don't think Rian and I will make it to see the New Year sneak in, but we'll try =)I better head to the store and stock up on snacks! Happy New Year!

and so it begins...

I had a brief “missionary mother’s moment” at 6:15 this morning…imagining dropping my son off at the MTC. I imagined the two sweet elders that would greet us as we pulled to the curb, removed Colby’s belongings from the car, and sent him on his way. I imagined saying to them “This is my only son. Please welcome him, help him, guide him, and love him as I will not be around to do it for the next two years.” Now I know that these two elders will not be with my son the whole time he’s out doing the Lord's work. I know that trust in the Lord and leaning on Him to welcome, help, guide, and love Colby is the only thing that will get me through the next two years. But I imagine myself needing to say it out loud to someone. Anyone. These two unknown elders are the first, and only, individuals I meet at the MTC.

Maybe I should define “Missionary Mother’s Moment.” It is any “moment” I have, whether panic-stricken or spirit-filled, in regards to my only son being gone from me for two years in the service of the Lord. The panic-stricken moments are filled with anxiety and tears, knowing that I will not be with him to help allay his fears; over-come difficult moments and challenges; keep him safe. The spirit-filled moments are also filled with anxiety and tears, but the kind that are sweetly reminded that he is in the Lords hands, and all will be well. Each “moment” varies in length, and sometimes I am so overcome with sadness and tears that’s it’s hard to function normally. Other times I am so overcome with strength and (proudness) that it’s difficult to understand why I have my panic-stricken times.

I am so very proud of Colby and his desire to serve a mission. I am proud of the way he has lived his life to this point, staying faithful and being an amazing example to all. I am proud of his courage, to step into the unknown with faith in his Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I hope to have acquired a smidgen of his faith by the time he returns home.

We’ve officially begun his mission paperwork. We’ve been to the dentist, and completed his physical with the doctor. I still need to ask for an increase in my anxiety medication dosage…I think i’m going to need it =)

- - -

It's snowing as I look out my home office window this morning. As much as I hate the snow, I'm finding it oddly comforting today. It's a "wet" snow, and as the drops hit my window they make a comforting, rhythmic sound. We have a rather "laid-back" agenda for today...a visit to the doctor's office to check on Colby's TB test, a short trip to the mailbox for any new Christmas cards. The rest of the day will be spent savoring our last holiday season (for a while anyway) with Colby. I'm trying not to think about next Christmas, or the one after that when he will be absent from our family. I'm trying instead, to just enjoy the now. It's not very exciting, we watch movies, play games, shop for poster frames (Colby received two posters for Christmas, da Vinci's "Last Supper," and van Gogh's "Starry Night") and chat about silly things. I like it though, if the conversation got any heavier, I'd start to panic, so we keep it light.

I was awakened earlier by the snow plow as it made it's noisy way down our street. No one else is up yet, so I think I will get to some "creating." I have an online "shop" where I hope to sell some of my creations to help us fund Colby's mission. I don't know how successful it will be, but I try to keep this scripture in mind as I work...

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." 1 Nephi 3:7

I know that He will help us support Colby on his mission by "preparing a way."