4 months today....

I can't believe that 4 months today is Garrett's release date. He has been on his mission for 20 months. Where did the time go? When he left I wondered how we could go 24 months without seeing him. I knew the time was going to drag on. 2 years of not seeing my oldest son. But I knew, without a doubt that he was supposed to be in Puerto Rico, that he was doing with his life exactly what he was supposed to be doing. But still, 24 months... it's proof positive that a mother's heart doesn't really break. It hurts, but still keeps beating. 4 more months, and then he is home and will have grown into a man and will be ready to jump into his own life. Which really is unfair in so many ways. We give them up as teenagers that know everything. We don't get to watch them develop into men, and then they come home, changed for the better but wanting to get on with living. And as mom's, no doubt we want to hug them and not let go for about, well... 24 months!

I remember when my little brothers came home from their missions. What an exciting time. One of my brother's came to visit and we spent several sleepless nights putting his scrapbook together. That was such a great time. Precious hours we spent putting pictures in a book and him sharing stories that he would have otherwise forgotten. It was great to hear his experiences. It was so fun to hear about the people, see the love he developed for them, the joy he found in serving them....I hope that I get to share times like that with my boys as they come home from their missions. And my daughters too if they want to serve missions.

But Garrett.... 4 months left!!! WOW! He is my first, so parenting him was such a learning experience. Of course every child is so different that parenting them is never the same. But there is something about a first. He will be 21 years old when he comes home. And yet... I still remember everything so clearly about the day he was born. I had been in labor for days. I hurt, he had gone on a growing spree and just a couple of days before he was born I got stretch marks, and my ribs started spreading. What strange things they do to a body. But the morning of February 25th I got up and got Thayne off to work. I showered and was doing my hair when that pain hit. I KNEW what it meant. It meant all of the other pains really didn't hurt before that one. Thayne stopped back by before he left town for work. I told him this was real, and he wasn't leaving. We got over to the doctor and he confirmed that this was it. My parents came up to the hospital. I had not eaten much for a couple of days. I was hungry. But they told me I couldn't eat. My dad and Thayne though decided to bring KFC to my room. I LOVE KFC potatoes. My room smelled like KFC. Isn't there some law against bringing food into a laboring woman's room???? I remembered that they finally ordered an epirdural. I remember the sweet relief as everything went numb. :) I had been in labor for soooooo long and they were concerned that he would be too big for me to deliver so they had a c-section team standing by. I remember the epidural wearing off and my mom hating to see me in pain so she hunted down whoever she thought could bring me relief! And then it was time. They moved me to the OR in case I had to have a c-section. I was determined not to.... and soon I delivered the sweet, 9lb 10oz boy on February 26th! I remember the look on his dad's face when they handed Garrett to him. His chest puffed up so much I was afraid the buttons would pop right off his shirt. This was HIS boy, and he couldn't have been happier! His son! Back in the day they didn't test for strep, and we had to let Garrett spend several hours in NICU. I couldn't wait to hold my baby boy. I finally told the nurse she would have to get me there, one way or another! She quickly got me to the nursery and I knew what heaven was when they put that little man in my arms for the first time. I had lived to be a mom... and he gave me that dream! There are so many moments that are like snapshots in my mind. Garrett had the most blonde, wild hair that just stood up! He was such a sweet little man, and loved it when his brother Jace came along. They were great buddies. Partners in crime (I'm not sure that ever changed, even in high school... I seem to recall something about eggs, the principal's house... oh, never mind, it's better to forget about the dumb moments they have had!) Garrett's role as the oldest is something that he was born to be playing!

So, I sent out a boy, and in 4 months my son, now a man will be coming home. I think that the experiences he has had there will stay with him forever. But even more, I hope that the experiences he has to look forward to will be even better!!! It will be fun to see where his life leads him now and what he will be able to accomplish! I can't wait to wrap my arms around him and have him home and see what he will accomplish with his life!!!!