Farewell, Fatty!

Yesterday we dropped Jared off at the MTC. Oh my gosh, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Jared has been so ready and so excited to go on his mission. He has been preparing for months--well really, he has been preparing his whole life for this. There is no other place I'd rather have him be, but it sure doesn't seem to make good-bye any easier! But we had a great last few days with Fatty before he left. Here are some pictures of his farewell. He gave an amazing talk on hope. So many people came to show their love and support to Jared. After the farewell, my parents had a dinner at their house with Hawaiian haystacks, Curry, and tons of desserts. It was such a great day! Here are some cute pics of the farewell.

Preparing for the crowd! I made some Indian Flag sugar cookies for the big day Makee and YoYoThis is my Dad's best friend Tom and his family. Their son Jono is serving in India Bangalore right nowFatty and one of his best friends, JakeA Few FriendsThis is Jared with Bishop Esplin and his wifeJared with Kevin, Tara, Beckey, and Spence Jared with Myles, one of his best friends Jared holding Rylin with Aaron, Mark, Cassi, Grandma, Sue, and BaileeJare and WhitOne of our last family photos! These pictures were taken the night Jared was set apart as a Missionary. We had chicken and broccoli casserole, Fatty's favorite, that night. And then later on he was set apart with the Bishop and the Stake President there. A beautiful blessing was given to Fatty from the Stake President, and such a calm feeling came over me. I know he is going to be an amazing missionary, and I know he is going to be protected and watched over. After the setting apart, the Stake President left and we were able to say a few things to Jared. It was a very spiritual night for our family. I was so touched by the things that were said. It made me realize how truly amazing Fatty is.
Saying good-bye to Fatty was so hard. Until the last couple days, he only really showed excitement to go. I think the last couple days it really hit him that he is leaving for two years. It was hard to watch him become a bit emotional about leaving home. But even when reality set in, I don't think he ever questioned whether or not he wanted to go. Although he is nervous and scared, he knows this is where he needs to be. Makee has always loved his Uncle J, but it has seemed lately that he has been especially attached to Yo-Yo. Yo-Yo is the name Makee gave Jared because whenever Fatty sees him, he says "Yo-Yo!" One day he came to me with one of Jared's Gatorade bottles and said, "Yo-Yo," referring to Fatty. Ever since then, he always calls him Yo-Yo. Over the last little while, Mak would always ask for Yo-Yo. Whenever we were with Jared, he always wanted him to hold him, or he would go plop into Fatty's lap. This only made it harder to watch Makai say good-bye to Yo-Yo because he did not understand what was really going on. He gave him a hug and said good-bye, but neither he or Isabelle knew they were saying good-bye for two years. It was hard to watch Fatty kiss the kids good-bye. They are going to be so big when he gets back! Bailee and Rylin are going to be Makai's age by the time he is home. But we'll be sure to send him lots of pictures.Part of me really didn't want to go to the MTC because I was afraid I would just cry the whole car ride down. But I was so glad I did. Dan stayed home with the kids, and my grandma watched Isabelle, so it was just Fatty, Mom, Dad, Whit and I. You can only have one car there now that the missionaries have to be dropped off at the curb. We had a great ride there. We all shed quite a few tears, but we had a good time being together and talking. I think it helped Jared to stay calm. When we pulled up to the MTC, there were missionaries EVERYWHERE! Missionaries were being dropped off, and missionaries were there helping the new missionaries in. It was inspiring to see so many missionaries going through the same thing, but all there to do the Lord's work for the next two years. It was a very short good-bye, which was probably good. We got out of the car, got a family picture taken, and said good-bye. It was hard to hug Fatty one last time, but watching him walk away with an Elder by his side to help him, he looked calm, and I knew he was going to be taken good care of. As we watched him walk away, my dad saw Jared hug someone. It was comforting to know that he already saw a friend there. As horrible as it was to say good-bye, I am so proud of Jared. I'm sure as time goes on, it will get easier to have him away. I know he is going to do great and be so successful in his mission. He is such an incredible kid with an amazing testimony. He is such an example to me. I know Heavenly Father will be watching over him throughout his mission, and that is why I feel so good about him going. I know it is where he needs to be. I know there is a reason he was called to India. I love Fatty so much, and I can't wait to hear about all of his adventures. He is in for one of the greatest experiences of his life!