Can I just stop time?

No, really?!  Can I just stop time and go back to when life was simple and when my children were small?  I am not trying to get all sappy and sad.  But as I look back at the past three months since Garrett received his call, boy have they flown by.  Of course looking ahead you think we have plenty of time to prepare, I have plenty of time to enjoy my son, my family.  Fast forward to today and wow!  Has the time flown by!  

I was talking to one my mom that had a child out on a mission and her reply to me was that it was the worst two years of her life..HAHA!   She knew her child was on a mission for the right reasons, but to not be able to hear their voice was awful.  She said her husband reminded her that is why it is a sacrifice on our part.  I imagine that is what out Heavenly Father must have felt when we left as well.  It is a sacrifice on his part to let us go and hope that we make the right choices that lead back to him. 

So here I sit putting all my faith in my Father in Heaven that he will watch over and protect Garrett when he leaves on his mission.  I am not the first parent to put a child out on a mission and I am not the first parent to feel scared for their child.  You know, when you, yourself, was 19, you felt invincible!  You felt like you knew it all.  But when you have a child of your own and they reach the age of 19, you look at that child and think, "WOW!  You are just a child!  You don't know a thing!"  I am sure my parents thought the same thing. So as much as I love Christmas, I am not looking forward to it this year.  I know that once that day is over time starts counting down.  It has been all along.  This is something we have prepared for for the past 19 years.  But once that day gets closer, I don't know about you, but I am not ready for this.  I know I am going to send out a young man that will return an adult.  

At least, for the next four to five months, I will be immersed in student teaching; I finally get to play teacher all day!  Maybe that will help soften the pain of having Garrett gone.  

So if you see me and ask me, "Are you ready for Garrett to go on his mission?" My answer will be "No."  At least he is just a plane ride away...7 hours and 11 minutes (about $600 for the ticket, right now).  OR (yes I checked to see how far it was driving) 2113.77 miles which is 32 hours 8 minutes.  But still, I could get there in two days, that is what counts :)