Austin Goes into the MTC

We made it in 7 hours instead of 8 because Austin drove 90mph. About midnight when Mark was asleep and we were alone talking, Aussie and I played a question game, “What was your most embarrassing moment” “What was the funniest situation you’ve ever been in?” “When was your best time skiing?”. He told me how much fun he and Don had in their sports/gym class at Arapahoe, how they were always showing off, there were a lot of attractive funny people in that class and how he felt like Don was his best friend. He said the thing he’s most excited for on his mission was having a companion….a buddy to hang with and work with. (Austin is SO amiable) Then I asked him what was one of his most spiritual moments and he told me that he’d gone to the building for young adult fhe but went in the chapel instead and prayed for about 45 minutes and got a stronger testimony of the Savior and going on his mission. At the MTC, Grandma and Grandpa Hogan drove down from Ogden. Danica and Jensen drove down from BYUI. Danica was giving Austin all kinds of tips about the MTC food. Bryce got off work. Sammy was climbing all over Marcinia. Austin was all smiles. As I looked down our row in that MTC room at my beautiful family, where they have you sing “called to serve” and your eyes mist up and I realized all 5 of my bio kids have gone on a mission, I thought for a moment I was in the Celestial Kingdom. I think a lot of the other moms were crying because they will miss their child. I was crying for joy and for relief. The structure will be so good for Austin, I just have a feeling he’ll go out a little boy and come back an awesome responsible man. (a thing he could only dabble at during his 9 months at college and his 9 long months at home at home because he lacked the frontal cortex development to organize and go and overcome temptations and obstacles and get things done.) When I hugged him that last goodbye before we went out our door and he went out his, I whispered in his ear a thing that was meaningful and special on one of our Sunday walks last summer when I tried to convince him to stop playing WOW. I said, “Austin, I know you can reach your potential.”

Then he was gone. We hung out with Danica, we saw Bryce and Marcinia’s new house. We went to Eric’s 3^rd temple marriage (3^rd time’s the charm) Now I’ve come home to an empty house. It’s so strange. The wrestling, the yelling, the Superbowl parties, the friends cars parked so we couldn't get out, the mess….the love, the disappearing food, the 40 pairs of shoes by the door and the roar from the basement….. The end of an era. That was so much fun!