Garrett's Homecoming (March 6th)

Things got crazy so it's time to update on Garrett's homecoming! We were late!!! Of course we were late. Why wouldn't we be late? We had what felt like 37 people we were trying to get to the airport on time! :-) Okay...so we were late but it wasn't OUR fault this time! We will blame it on the pilot this time since he left the airport in Salt Lake over 20 minutes early. We were supposed to pick him up at 5:47pm. We had signs and everything. As we came over the summit into town I saw a plane fly over us. We don't live in a big city so planes aren't flying in all day long and I said, "Look, there's Garrett's plane... it's early and we are now late!" It was 5:04pm. We raced through town, which during rush hour (it was) feels like we live in a big city. And Thayne dropped us off at the curb and we all ran in to see him! He looked so good!!!! So grown up and mature. He was tanned and healthy and happy to see us too! His little brothers just grabbed him and wouldn't let go. Kalli did the same. Kami had told us when we were getting in the van to go that she was going to give Garrett the biggest hug. She was only a year and a half when he left but we talked about him a lot and had his pictures out so she talked about him too. But when she came face to face she hung back for a few minutes just watching. I guess kissing Garrett in theory is fine, but kissing the actual person left her wondering what she was thinking!!! She finally warmed up to him though. The next morning she climbed into his lap everytime he sat down.

After the craziness at the airport we were supposed to go to the church and he would be officially released as a missionary and then give his report to the stake president and the high counsel. He was pretty emotional. Which was pretty expected considering he had been off the plane for an hour and had loved being a missionary. He gave a beautiful report. I had wondered what kind of missionary he had been, and if he had grown the way I had hoped while he was away. He wasn't the best letter writer so I didn't get a lot of those warm, fuzzy, missionary mom experiences. And I had worried about that. Let's just say that when he left I was ready to kick him out the door... so I wasn't so sure what he had become. But he had become the man I had hoped, and so much more. He grew up. He gained a firm, strong testimony of the Savior. He gave of himself. He learned to love the people he served. He was powerful in speaking! It was amazing. I cried. Of course I cried, I'm his mom. It's a requirement to cry when your son gives his missionary report! ;-) So it was all worth it. 2 years without seeing my son, but in that time he became a pretty incredible man. And for that I am grateful!!!