July 24, 2013 - Goodbye for 18 months

The day started off early.  Missionaries have to be up at 6:30am.  Ate breakfast, I made a couple of peach cobblers and sat around and talked and waiting for the post office.  Ok, that might sound a bit odd but we knew Jered's mission call had been assigned and would be coming today.  However we leave to take Amber before the mail comes.  So I had contacted the post office to see if it would be possible to go and pick it up in the morning if it really did come.  I called at 8:15am not being able to take it anymore.  The lady went to check with the mail person.  Waiting...waiting...waiting...I'm sorry we don't see it yet but we sort until 10:30am.  She took my name and number and told me she would call if they found it.  UGG, lots of prayers sent up that it might be possible and more waiting.  We got the call about a half an hour later that they had it.  YIPPY, Amber and I ran down to get it and Jered made calls to friends and I made calls to family letting everyone know it is here and we are going to open it at 9:45am.  (In about an hour)  We grabbed it from the post office and then ran to Walmart to grab some donuts for the opening and a watch for Amber.  Made it back as everyone was arriving.

Amber was really happy because she really wanted to be here for the opening of another brother's mission call.  Well I guess I will not keep you all in suspense, Jered got called to serve in the Guatemala Cobán Mission, he reports to the Guatemala MTC on December 11, 2013 and we will speak Spanish.

After all of that excitement it was time to say goodbye and head out.  Amber was full of smiles except when her best friend Nutty (aka Kendra) started crying and then she started loosing it.  She told Nutty to knock it off and all was better and there were smiles all around.  We are sad to let her go but o so happy for her and excited about this wonderful opportunity she is going to have.  I tend to get the most sad in quiet moments by myself or if I am talking about missionary work, then I get all emotional.

Amber with Great Grandma Nielsens.
 She is 96 years old and an inspiration to us all.

Amber with Grandma Mary, Great Grandma Nielsen, and Grandma North

Aunt Karolina, Mary, Olivia, and Mosiah

SIBLINGS (only missing one brother Elder Bryen North who is serving in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission)

It's Nutty

Saying goodbye to siblings who will grown and change a lot in the next 18 months.  Why do we do it?  We do it to obey our Heavenly Father and to help bring people unto Christ.  We also know it will help each of us.  It will help Amber grow and develop her talents and we will each grow through her experiences.

Oldest Brother Deven
(Deven went on a mission to South Carolina Columbia)

Amber with Jered who just
got his mission call

This is Mikel he is 16, Amber will come home
from her mission and it will be time for him to put his papers in.

Ceaira is 13, she has been letting Amber bunk with her for the last few months.

This is Taryn she is 12, just getting into the teenage world.  When
Amber comes back she will be ruling it.

Taylynne is 11

Zane is our baby.  He is ten now.

After saying goodbyes it was time to pack the car and head to Provo where the MTC (missionary training center) is.  As Amber loaded her stuff she found a Taylynne trying to stow away.

Jed and I then took Amber down to Provo where we had time to stop in at the flag shop.  We have little 4" flags of the kids missions.  We needed one more Arkansas flag and now the Guatemala flag.  We also had lunch at Los Hermanos.  Lots of places in Provo give free meals to the missionaries entering the MTC that day.  Los Hermanos is one of them.  We didn't know it at the time, we just like the place but were pleasantly surprised by the banner announcing it as we pulled up.

   After eating it was time to head to the MTC.  They are very busy on Wednesdays.  After waiting in the line of cars that were also there to drop off their precious cargo we got our little pink sticky note and headed around to the drop off zone. 

 As soon as we pulled up to the curb Amber was jumping out and hugging someone that was not in the car.  It was one of the Hosts and she knew her.  I forgot to ask her who it was, after all it is a traumatic time for a mommy.

We get her luggage out and we give final hugs and have them take a picture and then she is off.  

We will get to talk to her on Mother's Day and Christmas, other than that it is through letters.