Nathanael's life has changed the most in the last 5 months. On April 9, 2014, he received a letter calling him to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Chile, Rancagua. I was so surprised! Because of his Tic Disorder etc., we had to have him speak to a counselor at LDS Social Services to determine if he really was able to go and serve a full two year mission. He met with a gentleman for about an hour and a half asking him over 100 questions. At the end, he asked for a list of Nat's accomplishments and strengths. We just printed his resume and the man looked at it and exclaimed that if he was able to accomplish all those things, he certainly would be able to serve a mission! We invited family and friends to dinner that night and also had them guess where they think he would go. It was an exciting night and I was so grateful that he was so anxious to go and serve.
The next week, we celebrated his 18th birthday. It was incredible to me that I became a mother 18 years ago. Where did the time go?
Nathanael did go to Prom with a young woman that he did not know very well but he had a really good time. It was kind of a last minute thing but I was glad that he was able to go to Prom his last year of high school.
On May 4, 2014, Nathanael received the Melchizedek priesthood from Travis. I kept asking Nat if he were ready for this added responsibility. Finally, Nat told me that he was ready and that I shouldn't worry about it anymore. We were so blessed to have our extended family come and be there to support him.
On May 18, 2014, Nat graduated from the seminary program. He was asked to speak at this ceremony. He gave a wonderful talk and it was such a blessing to hear him bear his testimony. I started to realize that he had grown up right before my eyes.
Nathanael graduated from Lone Peak High School on May 31, 2014. Honestly, I felt relieved to have him graduate. He is so brilliant but it was difficult at times to get through for him and for me. There was an insert in the program and his name was listed as receiving the top score on his team at the Academic Decathlon. Incidentally, he helped get the team a $2000 dollar grant this year. He was a great captain and a great leader.
Nathanael received his own endowment at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on June 6, 2014. We went to JCW's afterward for dessert. Again, we were blessed to have so many family members come and support him. That night, he became a man.
Finally, he spoke in our ward on July 27, 2014 with two of his friends who were also leaving the following Wednesday. Again I was grateful to hear him bear his testimony. We had a family brunch afterward and then various ward members visited later that day. I am so grateful for all the support that he was given. That weekend before he left was wonderful. A dear friend of his was able to get tickets to see a taping of one of Nat's favorite shows, Studio C, and he chose to take Nat. In between sketches, the audience gets to ask questions and the cast members give them good, better, and best advice. Nathanael's friend was chosen to ask a question. He asked what Nat should do to prepare for his mission. They then asked Nat where he was going and he replied Rancagua, Chile. Everyone cheered and they threw him a t-shirt. The advice that he got was to live the Gospel, eat rice and beans so that when you eat rice and beans, you think of home, and pretend that you cannot read Spanish! I doubt anyone would appreciate that experience more than he at that time. The next day, we went as a family to eat lunch at a family owned Chilean restaurant. The couple that runs it was so friendly and the food was incredible! We had the best time as a family. It was definitely my big "moment of joy" these past few months.
Monday, July 28, 2014, Nathanael was set apart as a full-time missionary and given a beautiful blessing by our stake president, President Noble. I cried throughout the whole blessing. Afterward, we changed and headed over to a local park to have our family picture taken by my sister-in-law, Leslie. It had stormed all day and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to do it outside where we had planned. However, the Lord blessed us with a tender mercy and the weather ended up being perfect.
The Tuesday before he left, we went to his favorite Pizzaria for dinner. Again, we enjoyed being together as a family. It was a wonderful time but also made me a bit sad for I knew that our family would forever change-for good of course. However, part of me was and is grieving that he is not my little boy anymore. We stayed up all night on Tuesday because his flight was at 6:30 in the morning and we had to be at the airport 3 hours early. There was no reason to go to bed. Nathanael finished packing and it was time to go. Travis gave him a Father's blessing that was tender and sweet at 2:30 am. Travis had a difficult time getting through it because his emotions would take over. I am so grateful for a husband who honors his priesthood and is worthy to give our children blessings at such important times in their lives.
At about 4:00 am on July 30, 2014, we said goodbye to our oldest child. I watched him walk through security and a feeling of peace overwhelmed me and I knew that he would be okay. He is ready. He has been taught and prepared and grew up while I wasn't looking. My! How time flies!
I know that was a lot about Nat but I will be writing more about the other children in this blog as we have a mission blog set up for him and all that he is doing. I feel so grateful and blessed that he has made this choice and that he has gained his own testimony and is serving because he wants to-not because Travis and I have made him go. He will be a wonderful missionary but I do miss him. However, I wouldn't want him doing anything else.
Okay. Now for some "noteworthy" highlights of the others' activities......
Lindsay finished her Sophmore year in high school very strong. She was able to sing in the Spring Concert with Nathanael and her cousin Hunter. In June, Lindsay was able to attend girls' camp with our stake. It was a really good experience for her and she enjoyed spending time with the other girls. In July, she was able to attend an EFY (Especially For Youth) at Utah Valley University with her friends. She really enjoyed the group that she was in and all the workshops, games, and dances. This last August, she started her Junior year of high school. She has a tough schedule but she is very bright and I know that she will do well if she works hard. Lindsay was asked to attend her high school Homecoming dance. It will be coming up this week and she is very excited. The young man left a bunch of wood pieces cut into different shapes at our door. Each piece had a symbol so you knew that those pieces went together. One of the letters said, "Wood you go to Homecoming with me?" and when we put the pieces together, it spelled his name. We answered the next night creating a little beach and wrote "Shore!" in the sand (brown sugar). This time Ethan got to help drop it off at the porch and run. In the past, it has been Nathanael and Lindsay but now that Nat is gone, Ethan gets to help.
Ethan was very happy to finish seventh grade! This summer he was able to attend a special scout camp to train young men to be good leaders. He then was able to attend his scout camp with our ward and earn several merit badges. He needs to finish up just a couple of merit badges and do an Eagle project and he will have earned his Eagle. We are so close- sprint to the finish! Ethan also participated in a couple of soccer tournaments. His team did not win any "hardware" this summer but they were put in higher groups and played teams that are playing at much higher divisions. So far his team has done really well to start the season and I think part of it is that they had to play at a higher level in these tournaments and the experience helps the players to "up their level of play". Ethan himself has earned a starting position that he had not done before and he is doing really well. He began eighth grade a couple of weeks ago and seems to really be enjoying Men's Choir in particular. He is singing second Tenor.
Clarissa graduated from fourth grade and was voted "The Best Author" in her class. She has been working hard at Irish dance this summer and was able to move to the next level with Lindsay. I decided to work with her this summer in swimming. She is so cautious but she did everything that I asked and she is becoming a good little swimmer. I am so pleased because swimming lessons have been so hard for her. We just celebrated her 10th birthday. Again, how time flies! She is my baby girl and it seems like it was just yesterday that I found out that I was having another girl. I was thrilled and she brings such sunshine to our lives! We had a "storytelling" birthday. I wrote a Mad-lib story about the girls and they added the adjectives. Then they made bookmarks out of patterned felt and gems. Next, the girls played a game called, "Telestrations" that is like telling a little story with pictures and words or phrases. Finally, they made paper dolls that could become characters in a story that they make up at home. Clarissa had a blast because telling stories is something that she loves. She started fifth grade and seems to be doing well.
Finally, Zachary is learning and growing so much! I took him this summer as well to learn how to start to swim. He also did everything I asked. He didn't like it-but he did it! He is off to a good start. He then started his second year of preschool last week. He was so excited! He was up at 7:00 am dressed and ready to go and preschool does not start until 9:30 am. When Travis and I dropped him off, he wanted to make sure that we were not going to stay. Ha! Ha! When did he become a little boy and not my baby? Again, how time flies!!!!
Well, this has been a long one. Whew! I am ready to go to bed. There are just a couple of other "noteworthy" items I want to write down because this is our family history.
One, we were able to go on vacation to Disneyland as a family this last June. It was a wonderful vacation and a great way to end that phase in our lives. It was interesting because we always listen to a "Harry Potter" book on the way there and back. It was time to listen to the seventh book in that series. We listened to it all the way there and back and just as the final words from the book were being spoken, we pulled into our drive-way. It was so symbolic. One story was ending and another one beginning-just like our family.
Two, Travis and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary while we were there. Yes, how time flies! We have had our share of ups and downs but I wouldn't want to be on this journey with anyone else. He continues to be my best friend and I could not have asked for a better father to help me raise my children. He is a man of honor and integrity and he lives for his children. We celebrated by having dinner at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland. It was a memorable experience. (My parents had come with us and took the kids for the evening.) I am so blessed to have the parents I do. They are a couple of my favorite people in this world.
Too many "moments of joy". I just feel so blessed and grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment