Welcoming Connor Home!

It's been a long week waiting for this event to take place. Well, actually the wait began before last week, and we had hoped that things would have turned out differently, but the Lord has plans that we just don't always understand.  The other day when I was reading my scriptures I was thinking (again) about how hard it was for me to understand Heavenly Father's reason for taking my husband, my children's father, from us at this time.  Wishing to understand, these words came to me -

 

It is not for me to understand, it is for me to TRUST the Lord.

 

He understands much more than I can and I know that He does what is right, so I must trust and not loose faith in Him and His Son.  So, amongst my sorrows, I will try to find the joys and carry on with faith, remembering I'M FINE!   I am finding that many of my decisions the last few days are made with the thought of "what would Terry want me to do?"  

 

 

Some of the cutest children in the airport this afternoon.

 



Tawnee helped the kids make a sign to welcome Connor home.  It was fun for me to see this sign too.

His plane arrived late and that caused a bit of anxiety on my part, but my joy was great when he did walk in.  It was one of those times when my joy is great and my sorrow is great too.  Strange how that can happen all at the same time.  I will never stop missing Terry and wishing he was with us (physically) but I do hope that someday my tears will be less so I don't embarrass those who are with me at times like this.

Connor greeted all of the family.

Then we went to have him released. 

That is always a bittersweet moment for our sons when they have to remove their name tag, no longer a full time missionary.  They are happy to be home but will miss the life they had for two years.  In my mind I wonder if it is even harder than leaving family for a mission because, as a teenager, there is so much excitement in leaving to be on your own and do something great.  Maybe I should ask the boys about that someday.


We added one more event to our day when a few of us went in to Anthony's band concert. We are so pleased with the band and the choir and their performances.  Well done!

Now, stepping back in time a few hours, in the middle of the night we had another family member arrive home.  BrittanyJo is now here with us for a couple weeks.  (pictures of her later - she is the one behind the camera when these photos were taken.)  We are excited to have her home too.  Her stay will be shorter than we originally thought because she has been invited to attend winter semester, and chose to do so.  It was the right choice and I am so proud of her for making the decision with thoughtful prayer.  I know it is what her father wanted her to do and I know it is what her Heavenly Father wants her to do.  We will try to remember that we can do hard things.