Elder Rumbaugh and Elder Nuttall

Well, Travis has been gone for three weeks now, and Seth for one. We have begun to slip back into "normal" life. Even though we are not exactly the same, life requires that we move forward with school, church, basketball, gymnastics, etc. Part of me wants to think about the boys every minute, not wanting to forget how much I miss them. But the reality is that they are FINE. In fact, they are GREAT. Both boys report that the MTC is awesome. Seth said that it is almost better than Disneyland. He did say that the first two days were intense...he remarked that he thought he might go insane...but apparently, he has adjusted to the pace just fine.

Travis has written us twice and sent two emails. He sounds thrilled with his experiences. He said that he can see his companion's neighborhood from their dorm in the MTC. Both boys have asked for packages and letters. The best way to write them is through www.dearelder.com.

Seth's mission is Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, West. Box #211.

Travis' mission is Japan, Hiroshima, Box #201.

Dear Elder will let you write letters electronically and they will deliver them free. Look for the tab on the left of the page that states, "Provo MTC Free". The website will deliver letters written before 11:00am will be delivered that evening. Those after 11:00am are delivered the next evening. It is a great service, and both boys have said they really enjoy the letters they are getting.

They have also both hinted at receiving packages being a highlight. We try to send something once a week. It sounds like packages become a dorm event! Anyway, we are glad to report that both boys are on a "cloud nine" of sorts. They can pray, bear testimony, and introduce themselves in their respective languages. Both have said they learned more in their first week than in a whole semester or two at school. So, the status so far is good. I hope things remain good for them!

Seth is Off!

Seth is in the air as we speak...flying to the MTC. It was hard to take him to Sea-Tac rather than all the way to Provo, but this was the way we planned it, so thus it was. As I mentioned previously, this is a much harder experience than I imagined. And, I'm usually pretty good at estimating how things are going to turn out. T

he house feels different. Our two leaders are gone. The two that helped keep everyone in line are gone. And, to be honest, I am a bit heart-broken. But, as Wayne and I have said to each other many times, our sadness is selfish. We are sad that our family has changed and will never be exactly the way it was two weeks ago. We had 19 great years with the boys, but then one day...they are grown up. Part of me feels such selfishness to think this way when I know that there are parents who have lost children and will live most part of their lives without them. I wonder if I seem like an incredible complainer to them?

Perhaps this mission "experience" is really a symbol that our lives are changing, the kids are growing up, and we have to start letting go. Perhaps I've put all those growing pains into one package, calling it a "mission".

Okay, getting a grip here! Seth was fantastic this morning. Calm as a cucumber. Funny, smiling, confident, and (so he says) not even nervous. His setting apart with President Miles was a joy. It was peaceful and comforting. Seth was cared for by the stake President with the same love and compassion that he had for Travis. We returned home after the setting-apart and held a family testimony meeting, as we did last time. The only two times we have held such a meeting are the nights before the boys left. Wow, what a powerful experience! I recommend it. At the family testimony meeting, everyone said a few things to Seth, bore their testimony and (of course) cried a bit. The meetings sometimes become a bit of a confession with the younger kids, things like "I took your Easter candy when you weren't looking and I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me". Or, "Seth, I know I was mean to you, and called you names when the parents weren't around...I shouldn't have done that". You get the idea...it was almost cleansing for some of them. Very sweet and innocent for the younger kids.

So, where to do we go from here? Forward, I guess. Writing letters, sending packages, counting down the days until they return. My friends tell me that the sting lessens as the weeks to by, but for now, the sting still stings a lot.

I guess I am a pretty typical mom, I like to take pictures of the kids, take an extra one "just in case". I require everyone to dress similar when we have a family portrait, those kinds of things. So, in the spirit of such photo taking, I took a couple of Travis and Seth in similar poses. Here they are:

At Seth's farewell, we took this cute picture of the four girls, and I thought I should post it here in a tribute to the joy they add to our home!

In Travis' first letter home, he was so thrilled with his experiences at the MTC. He expressed how much Japanese he has already learned, and how busy he is everyday. He said they have a saying at the MTC that the days go by like weeks, and the weeks go by like days. L. Tom Perry had come to speak at the MTC, which he enjoyed. On Halloween, they took a break from studies for a little bit, and enjoyed a few pranks from the senior companions in the district. Sounds a bit like Scout Camp! Well, that's all for now, I will keep posting as we hear from the boys and as our family has exciting events to report!