Mothers Torture Chamber (MTC)

Yesterday we said our good-byes to Josh at the MTC. We know the routine now by heart: spend the morning slowing getting ready... check the clock for the time... no one has much of an appetite... check the clock again... close up the suitcases... look at the clock... give a few last words of advice and encouragement... check the clock... stay strong--no tears... okay, it's time to go! As we load the suitcases in the trunk the snow begins to lightly fall. And I'm thinking why didn't I bring a jacket? I'm freezing! It's 40 degrees cooler here than Arizona! I barely notice how gorgeous the mountains are all covered in white. Slowly we drive the short mile from my parents' house down to 9th East...

And THERE IT IS... the Missionary Training Center... the big iron fence wrapped around dozens of tan brick buildings... a rather ordinary looking place... but with extraordinary things happening inside!! Mark was the first of our family to enter those gates to start his mission there almost 30 years ago! And now all three boys will have had those same wonderful experiences learning and growing within these walls. (My mom and dad served there for many years and they once told me that the MTC is a place of miracles.) As you enter, the spirit is palpable--I get goosebumps every time I'm there. Other than temples, I think it is one of the most spiritual places on earth. Someone dubbed it the Mothers Torture Chamber, but I only say that tongue-in-cheek, because it really is an extraordinary place!!

Josh has remained calm all morning but now I notice a little nervousness kicking in. As we pull into the parking lot, the older gentleman volunteers are everywhere directing with hand signals and orchestrating every movement with great precision. Pull up here...park over there...Welcome Elder!... take your luggage there....go to that door there... Yes, I remember it all too well from the last two times! I whisper to myself... stop tears...don't spill out yet! While Mark parks the car I help Josh take his suitcases down the long sidewalk. His big neon green tags will help him easily find them again among the masses of black suitcases. We huddle outside in the drizzle for another picture or two and then send him in one door and we enter another. We watch him as he gets some instructions and then joins us in the lobby for the official placing of his missionary badge. As his mom I get the honor of placing it on him for the first time. The knots in my stomach temporarily untwist as I feel the sweet peace in knowing that he is now officially part of the greatest army on earth--the Lord's missionaries! I am so grateful and proud!

It's time to go into the chapel... we cannot stall any longer... hurry, one last picture. Again we are guided by cheery volunteers saying "Welcome Elder!" every few feet as we walk the long corridor to the chapel. We watch 30 or so minutes of "Mormon Ads" and fun facts about the amounts of milk and cereal consumed by the missionaries in the MTC each day. (Did you know it takes a 300 cow dairy to keep the missionaries in milk??!) Then President and Sister Smith enter and the meeting begins. My eyes are pooling with tears as we all sing "Called to Serve". I'm watching Josh as he intently listens to the talks. The lump in my throat is growing and I'm biting my lip to keep it from quivering... only a few more minutes to sit by my baby...my boy soon a man... We watch part of the video "Called to Serve". (It was made about 20 years ago and my parents and many of their New Hampshire missionaries are in it.) After the closing prayer... it's time. Slowly everyone stands up and deep breaths and sighs echo throughout the large room. But Josh is ready to get this over with quickly! Hugs, tears, kisses, smiles, and one more big, squeezy hug to last me for two years... And then he turns and walks toward the missionary exit. A few moments later he is gone....disappearing amongst the sea of short haircuts and dark suits.... Robotically we move toward the big yellow sign that says "Family Exit" and down the hallways lined with tissue-offering volunteers. Out into the fresh cold air I pause to look at those beautiful mountains and wonder if Josh will see them, too...

During the drive back this song is playing in my mind... "Dear Lord, who hears and answers prayers...please keep thy servant always in thy care...as he prepares to teach his fellow men...oh keep him safe and bring him home again....In the hollow of thy hand as he grows from boy to man let him know the special blessing of thy peace." (This was sung at Josh's "farewell".)

Well, the hardest part is over. My eyes will probably be puffy and red for a couple of days... can't think about the two years. I'm on pins and needles waiting for his first email to arrive... a Blackberry would sure come in handy! Honey, how 'bout it?

And you'd think by the third time I'd be a pro at this sending off a missionary stuff, but I'm already working on a package to send up all the "forgotten" items!

The Countdown is on...

The countdown is on as we are just hours from Josh being set apart as an official missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I've already had butterflies in my stomach for a few days now. It's because I've done this 2 times before, and I know how hard it is to say good-bye, and it doesn't get any easier! He is my last missionary (unless Katelyn decides to go--although most girls don't). I watched him last night as he said good-bye to his huge group of friends. Many of these young men and women look to Josh as their leader, an example of always doing the right thing, but also having fun along the way. And I'm pretty sure that is how his mission mantra will be... work hard...play hard (just on p-days of course).

It is with a mixture of sadness and joy that I let him go. Sadness because I will miss him sooooo much... and joy because he will grow and learn more than I could ever teach him here at home. And so I wonder...did I love and nuture him enough? Did I sometimes hold him too tight because I wanted to shield him from the outside world? Now with great faith I have to cut those apron strings and launch him out the door...to new adventures... to the Georgia Macon Mission where the people will hopefully embrace and love him and want to listen to his message of the gospel.

Josh turns 19 today....

My 3rd son turns 19 today. Without going into the details of his birth, he was a miracle in many ways. I'm so thankful for him and so grateful to be his mom. He has brought such joy to our lives. Here are 19 things about Josh that I love:
1. his big toothy smile/grin
2. his thick mop of hair
3. his little notes and lists that he makes to remind himself of stuff he needs to do (just like I do!)
4. his willingness to always make good choices even when it's hard
5. that he doesn't mind driving his old red Rodeo
6. his homemade (on the computer, of course) cards every Mothers' Day and Christmas
7. his thoughtful, tender prayers
8. his strong testimony and committment to serve a mission
9. that other moms tell me they don't worry about their son/daughter when they are with Josh
10. that I never had to wake him up for school or church or early morning (4am) volleyball practices
11. that he shows good sportsmanship and team spirit and always rallied his teammates whether they were winning or losing
12. that he shares his "crib" (slang for house) with his large circle of friends
13. his delicious sandwiches
14. his amazing videos and his keen eye for special effects (google "Josh Weathers Fast Sunday" and you will find his video on YouTube that he won Best Special Effects for at the Arizona LDS Institute's Academy Awards of Film Night)
15. the cool songs he writes and records
16. that he willingly took a few years of piano lessons (and continues to teach himself)
17. that he tells me dinner was delicious even if it wasn't!
18. his excellent guitar, drum, and harmonica playing... (Ask him to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man" with guitar, harmonica, and singing at the same time!)
19. And last, but not least....that he tells me he loves me every day!!

Wow...am I a lucky mom?! I love you, Josh! At this time next week we will be taking you to the MTC to start the next great adventure in your life.....

Seeds of Faith

"Faith is like a little seed...if planted it will grow..." (Song from the LDS Childrens' Songbook)

When we landscaped our yard a few years ago we left a nice plot for a garden. Other than a couple of tomato plants, we have never fully used that space. Well, we finally did it! Jon and I (Jon digging, me directing) spent the afternoon sowing seeds of cucumbers, peppers, squash, watermelon, corn, strawberries, and green onions. (We cheated with the tomatoes and bought 3 varieties already 2 feet tall at Costco the other day.) I admit I do not have a green thumb and don't like digging in the dirt (especially after I've just had my nails done)...couldn't find the garden gloves anywhere... But I have to say it felt good to be doing one of the things that our church leaders have always counseled us to do. We wished we'd saved a bigger plot for the garden because we actually had much more we wanted to plant. Of course in a couple of weeks we may be laughing about that if none of our little seeds germinate! Gotta have faith!

Lemony Fresh!

After several years of growing citrus trees we finally had a good crop this year. Lots of oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, but only one tangerine! (I don't know what happend there.) But I love those lemons!! I brought a handful in the other day and they made the house smell soooo wonderful. Mark noticed the minute he walked in the door and of course he was hoping it was lemon bars or lemon pie he was smelling.... So I jumped on the computer and surfed all my favorite recipe sites for a new lemon recipe. After an hour I had printed out dozens of them and finally decided on a lemon sour cream cake. It was dense, moist, and had lots of lemon zest in it. Today I picked some more and the kitchen is overflowing with lemons...mmmm... maybe my neighbors would like a few. And then I had this brilliant idea... I wonder if putting a lemon in each bathroom would make it smell lemony fresh without having to clean it? It always makes my garbage disposal smell better, so why not? I peeled one a little bit and left it in the bathroom and when I came back later it smelled really good. My housecleaning tip for the day? Company coming and no time to clean the bathroom?? Just hide a couple of lemons in the medicine cabinet or linen closet and bam! Lemony fresh and clean!

A "Doggone" Adventure

Our beloved dog Sandy (golden retriever/lab/collie mix) decided she wanted to go on a run by herself on Friday. She is usually very good about not sneaking out an open door. But I knew something was up when I saw Josh running down our street yelling to get the leash! Sandy high-tailed (pun intended) it around the corner and down to the Riparian. Now this is a 100 acre water preserve park with lots of trails and wildlife, including burrowing owls and lots of rabbits....Sandy loves to chase them and...oh how can I put this gently??...grab them with her jaws and teeth...eeewww....She really is a kind and gentle dog and has NEVER bitten or even tried to bite anyone...but those darn rabbits just bug her. Okay...so back to the story....Josh called me on his cell phone and said she had gone in the entrance of the preserve...when he finally found her she would watch him out of the corner of her eye and when he got within about 50 feet she would take off running again....So, Jon and Katelyn jumped in the truck with the leash and a treat and headed to the preserve to help. Of course I was frantically pacing the floor like any worried mother when a child is missing. They finally retrieved her, put her in the truck and drove home. Too bad dogs can't show more expression or talk because I think I saw a little smug look on her face and she was probably thinking "ha ha...those silly humans... I showed them....if they don't want to walk me every day I'll just go by myself!"

Sawdust Everywhere

I've always heard that remodeling is worse than starting from scratch. Well, we built our home 8 years ago and it needs a little updating. So now we are doing a little minor remodeling and I'mthinking I'd rather be starting from scratch! The problem is it's the master bathroom area and I happen to spend a lot of time in there! Even with the shop vac at full force the dust has a mind of its own and it floats and lands on everything in the garage as well as everything in the bathroom area including my makeup, our clothes, on the tp, all over the mirrors....you get the picture. And we've only just begun....the shower is next....thank goodness we have 4 other bathrooms we can use!

I shouldn't complain because the labor is free... my son Jon is a woodworking wonder! He built us a TV entertainment center with bookcases when he was just barely 17! He recently returned from a 2-year mission for our church and he couldn't wait to get out his tools again. I'm so thrilled he's home...and not just because he's finally getting my to do list done!!

Beginnings

I've been thinking about writing in a blog for at least a year now... I mean it's the hip thing all the young moms are doing now, right? But hey, us moms over 40 are fab, too...so why not?? And maybe besides adding wrinkles and cellulite we've gained some wisdom to share with the younger generation. (Ha!) I often sneak a peak at some of their blogs and say to myself "how do they have time to write in a blog"? And then I remember back to those quiet moments of babies napping and much earlier bedtimes.... when I used to pull out the old Singer sewing machine to sew a new outfit or a floral chintz pillow (circa early 1990's... and does anyone sew anymore?) ... And, yes, even I faithfully took out my journal and painstakingly wrote about every precious moment of my childrens' early years...Well, okay....I confess....the first child I was very consistant....the second...pretty consistant....the third...occasionally consistant...sorry #3 child....I'll get to finishing your baby book someday! And the fourth child? Well, she was a foster child that started living with us when she was 7 and we have now adopted her. (more on that in a later post....) Even though we missed those early years we're making up for lost time with new memories!

So here's to new beginnings....a fresh new blog-journal of random thoughts about life and being a mom to a tweener (I think that's the new word for pre-teen but it's not in the dictionary yet) and three emerging young adults. Where did the years go??