Farewell Gathering in Utah

Brady and I flew to Utah on Tuesday, November 16th to spend the last night, and next morning together before he entered the MTC. When we arrived at the Salt Lake Airport, our good friends, Russ and Pam Alston, met us as the airport to offer us their car to drive as we had plans to go to Temple Square. The Alston's are Brady's second family in UT, as their son Travis, is one Brady's best friends. They both attended Bingham High School as new students together and were in the band. They had many great times together.  I enjoyed getting to know the Alston family when we lived in UT and feel so blessed to be able to maintain that relationship even after we've moved. Bishop Alston and his wife Pam have been a blessing in our lives. (Travis and Brady have been able to spend one month together in the MTC. Elder Alston leaves Dec. 20th for Portugal).

Brady and I went to Temple Square and we met Brad for dinner at the Garden Restaurant inside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

 Afterwards, we walked around Temple Square and went inside the Visitor's Center.

After we left Temple Square we went to the Alston's home, who offered to let us stay at their home and hosted a Farewell Gathering for Brady.  I am so grateful to them and their sweet family for inviting us into their home, taking care of us, and for providing Brady with the time to say goodbye to dear friends.

I had invited Brady's friends who are mostly attending BYU, and others from our ward.

From top left:  Sanford Family, Megan, Becky, Cody and Rachel, (this is some of our Bishop's family, Bishop Sanford was out of town for work, Emily, Natalie and Sydney were home), Kyle Sanford, Jeppson Family - Melissa and Alma with their four darling boys, Mark Scanlon and Ashlee, Alston family, Hill Cumorah Work Crew friends (Trevor Lott, and the second is Elder Alder, I don't know the other's names :( ), Trevor Uptain, Blair Janis, Trevor and Josh, Day family - Tanner, Sister's Day and Corrinn, Troy Jolley, and Richard and Karla Parkinson.

 Brady talking with one of his best buddies - Mark

The sweetest moment was when four of Brady's buddies from the Hill Cumorah Work Crew drove from BYU to see Brady off. You could instantly see the love these young men have for each other. That's what serving a mission does. These young men served together on a mini mission as part of the work crew for the Hill Cumorah Pageant. They have remained close. 

Trevor Lott, Preston Alder, Mike Heath and Jody Hirschi

It was nice visiting with friends from the ward, but even better, was seeing Brady light up from visits from these special friends. Thank you all for being in Brady's life.

Saying Goodbye

One more day before Brady will be entering the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah. Puebla Mexico will be is final destination in a few weeks, and for two years he will offer himself in Service. He will learn to love people he doesn't even know, eat food he has never tasted, and walk the streets of cities he has never even heard of.  He is willing to do all of this because he believes in something greater than himself. His family has the courage to let him go because, they too believe that the Lord will do more with him in 2 years, than they have done with him in the last 18 years.

This was probably the hardest part about sending Brady off on his mission...watching him say goodbye to Brinkley, Kasey, Kolby and Braxley. It broke my heart watching them each say goodbye. Two years is such a long time when you are thinking ahead. Looking back it seems fast, but right here faced with the beginning of it, seems like forever. I can't imagine everyone not being together. I can't imagine how much everyone will change in two years. Kasey will be a Junior in high school when Brady returns. Brinkley will be Brady's age of 19 and in college. Kolby will be a Freshman in high school, and Braxley will be in 7th grade, and will have just received the Priesthood a couple months prior to Brady returning home. 

Kasey's goodbye was by far the hardest. They hugged for over a minute and just cried. Brady and Kasey have shared a room together. Kasey's the next oldest brother and a perfect basketball team mate when they play on Thursday nights during Elder's ball. He loves Brady so much and they are great friends. I believe Brady has helped Kasey through some things this year and it has bonded them even more. Kasey told Brady last month when we took our little family vacation together to CA in October, and we each took turns expressing our feelings to Brady, about him, and about him going on a mission, that he didn't want Brady to go on his mission because he loved him so much and was going to miss him, but he knew that he had to go. He then said, "this is deep for me, while choking back the tears...I want to serve a mission because you are." That was such a great thing to hear and a very special moment for Kasey, Brady and our family. I love how much Kasey loves. He's always had the most loving and generous heart.

Brinkley's goodbye wasn't as emotional as Kasey's, even though she did cry too. I think I was still worried about Kasey.  Brinkley and Brady became much closer when we moved to UT and they had to attend a new high school together. They hung out together and were in the marching band. That was such a fun time! They drew strength from each other and became the best of friends. She's wearing her Mexico shirt to school today to honor Brady.

See...Kasey is still crying as he and Brinkley leave for school. I even ran outside crying just to look after him as he walked down the street to go to the bus stop. And that's when I lost it. I bawled like a baby outside watching him and Brinkley walk off wondering what Kasey's tender heart is feeling like and worrying about him. I hated that he had to leave for school so emotional.

Kolby is tender hearted as well, and just kept hugging Brady for a very long time. I remember when Brady went back to UT earlier this year to work and was gone for 3 1/2 months. It was during the baseball season and Kolby was starting to play on a team and became one of the pitchers. He asked Brady if he could show him all his baseball pitches before he left. That was so awesome. I know it meant a lot to Kolby when Brady would come home to visit and watch him play in one of his games. Kolby is a great pitcher like Brady! He has always looked up to Brady.

 When Braxley and Brady hugged good-bye, at first it was funny because Brady was laughing at how much shorter Braxley is from everyone else, so he ended up sitting down for their hug together. Afterwards, Braxley just sat down and cried. His little teary eyes were so sad and Brady was crying too,

 

He was also smiling a bit at both of them just sitting there with their sad faces crying. Is there anything more sad than these two boys sitting there just crying.

I'm glad I got a picture of Brady playing with his ears. He always does this and it's just one of those unique things that Brady does. He's been playing with his ears since he was a little boy. 

I was video taping and taking pictures at the same time because I can do that with my camera, however, the quality of the picture doesn't come out looking good and the lighting is bad, but at least we have something to show these tender moments between Brady and his siblings who love him so much. Brady did say something to everyone as he was hugging them, and he wrote them each a letter and had it waiting for them when they returned from school.  Here are the letters...