Sept 4th 2024- MTC Drop off

You know what is funny? Just looking through these pictures gave me a visceral reaction. It was a total trauma response. My heart started pounding and I started breathing a little faster. It shocked me. He has been out for 7 months! 

I think people make you feel like you if you aren't like it was the best worst day! I think it can be a hard day and still be glad that they are going. I am so happy Ty is on a mission. There is honestly nothing on this earth he could be doing that is better for him. I have always wanted him to go and I couldn't be more proud of him for doing it. 

But this was not the best day. It was a hard day. 

My boys are my whole life. My life is helping their life. And I love it that way. But since this is sort of my journal I'm going to be honest here. It ripped my heart out. So it's ok if it isn't the Best/worst day and it just feels hard. And not best. 

Ty's last photo outside the house. 

I made him pancakes and let him have all the jam he wanted! I spent the last 10 years getting mad at him for eating too much raspberry jam. 

Saying goodbye to Logan. 

He was given a time around like 1:45 when his district was set to be dropped off. We have never done this before obviously so we had to kind of figure it out. 

We got there early enough to go eat. In and out in Provo had all of these boys with missionary tags there with their families. I'm sure they were doing the same thing we were. Ty didn't want to eat. He acted like it all wasn't a big deal but looking back I could tell he was nervous. And he didn't want a huge big goodbye from us to make it hard. 

We went to the church that was next door to take a few photos and let the little boys say goodbye. He told the boys they were a wuss of they cried. Honestly he said stronger words than that. I thought he was being rude but I honestly think he didn't want everyone crying and feeling bad because he would be hard for him. I don't know that but I really think that. 

You know I had this whole picture in my head of how this was going to go. The whole family gets out of the car and he hugs the brothers. Then hugs dad and mom. We are all sad but excited for him. Then he leaves. It didn't really go that way at all. 

We were told that you don't have much time in the parking garage so we told the boys to stay in the car. Come to find out they could have totally come out. You go through the security and they send you down to the parking garage. As you go in you can see a lot of missionaries who are currently in the MTC standing there and they are the escort. I was hoping Ty's friend Jack would be there! He was still in the MTC when Tyson got there. 

We drove up and got in a line behind other cars and Ty's escort came to help him. Bryan and I got out and the other kids stayed in the car. When I saw everyone's families getting out I told them they could too but they decided to stay in the car. I was a mess. I couldn't hold back my tears. Ty gave me a hug and told me it was ok. My boys are not used to signs of emotion where I'm the only girl. 

I was surprised to see Bryan having a hard time too. It made me feel better. I mean how can you send your kid off for TWO YEARS and not have it tug at your heart! The escort offered to take a photo for us. It was the pathetic photo below. This is the only place I will post this. I look terrible. 

He walked off and my heart shattered. My little boy. The one who played with tractors for hours. Loving the sand box. Almost always happy running around full time. It makes me cry thinking about it. He walked off and was gone. 

The parking garage- missing my boy already. 

Because Ty was so fast to leave we had to sit and wait behind the other cars. I look to my right and there is a line of cars saying goodbye. In front of us and behind us. They were all elders in this spot. And I kept thinking all of these families saying goodbye to their children for two years! We can't visit or see them besides a weekly phone call. Which is more than they used to get. 

Then the family right in front of us (like feet from the front of our car) said a goodbye like I thought we would have. One by one, saying goodbye to each family member. The girls were crying their eyes out. He was giving them these long hugs. Then the family had a group hug. And we just had to sit and watch them. It was had. 

As we drove out of the parking garage I literally said to Bryan what kind of religion is this! If it wasn't true who would do this? 

The drive home was quiet. Easton was fighting a lot with the boys but I think it's how he was processing his emotions. 

What a day. One down 4 to go. And I can say 7 months into this mission I just couldn't be happier with his decision to go on a mission. It's been so amazing for him and our family. And our weekly phone call is the highlight of my week! I still miss him like crazy though. 

Home MTC

HOME MTC

I had no idea what home MTC was going to be like. We did get his schedule that was pretty close to what it was for them. We had the first morning off and didn't know what to do. Then his classes started. He set up a spot in my craft room where he could sleep and do his classes on my old lap top. He would have class and scripture study there. Sometimes he would go to Calvins house or Calvin would come here since they live so close. 

I opened my schedule to just be home for him when he isn't in class. Someone is suppose to be a companion to him when he isnt' in class. And that could be his brothers, Bryan or I or another priesthood holder. I thought we would get to spend more time together in little bits of breaks he has. But he was burned out during his breaks and just wanted to lay around. 

Ty loves this weird movie called Taxi driver. Stock and Brett made ty this lego guy that kind of looks like the guy in the movie. Ty took it on his mission. 

He would let me take him to lunch sometimes. 

Going to different spots for classes helped a little . And I got him treats. 

Dropping Ty off at Calvins house to study. 

My birthday!  We went on Ty's lunch break to lunch and invited Grandma and Grandpa. 

While Ty was in classes Bryan and I went on a ride with my parents up to my fav spot near temple peak. I love that ride. 

When we got home the kids had my cake ready with every freaking candle we had in the house. It seriously looked like it was on fire. Even though they were teasing me it was sweet that they did something for me. It made me happy to think Ty may only miss one of my birthdays! Instead of two. 

I have been trying to to get Ty to cook all summer before he left. I wanted to make sure he could make himself food and not just have pancakes like he usually ate. So he found a recipe online for homemade authentic spaghetti. We went to Walmart together and bought the things we needed for the dinner and he helped make it. I thought it was so good! It took hours but we made it. Only Blake, Bryan, Ty and I ate it but it was really good. Ty came out swinging with the cooking. 

Ty was sleeping in the other room to be able to get up and do his MTC stuff without interfering with Blake getting ready for school. I had him help me go through his things. Which was hard. But much easier with him with me. We found a lot of things he hadn't seen for a long time. 

Home MTC is hard for a kid with ADHD. I thought he did pretty good. But I did find it funny that he had drawn on his foot. 

My niece had her baby blessed and we went to the dinner after. I knew Sannette wanted to give Tyson his goodbye hug. She had talked about it all summer. 

By the last Saturday I had temple plans for Ty, Bryan and I with all of his grandparents and Ty decided he didn't want to go. He needed a break from church stuff. I was somewhat upset because I had all of these ideas that I would be able to spend some time with him during him MTC on his breaks and he had not wanted to do anything or he went off with his friends. While I think it was really good for him to be with some of his friends I felt left out. 

Ty made a deal with me that if we didn't go to the temple he would go on a razor ride with Bryan and I. 

Having a teenage boy is crazy- you would do anything for them. Wanting to show love for them. And all you get in return is a OK when you say I love you. I kind of broke down to him that no one was going to miss him as much as I would and I just wanted to spend some time. 

So we went on a ride. We actually went to find a tree that a kid that used to be in my ward carved on. And Blake went with us as well. 

This is up Providence canyon- this spot overlooks Providence. I call it grasshopper point because we went one time and it was covered in them. 

The next day after church Bryan decided extremely last minute that we would go to the cabin in bear lake. My parents had just gotten WIFI so Ty could do his home MTC. We honesty got ready in 15 minutes and left. 

In the middle of the night their smoke alarm kept going off. It was full of all of these crazy nats that made it go off. Over and over. Super annoying. But we did have fun. 

We went and got him one last haircut before he left.