Gabe's whole Home MTC experience went from Monday, July 22 to Tuesday, July 28. He basically had lots of classes each day, but whenever he had a free moment, we would go for a bike ride or something. It was really good having him home and I was just trying to be available for any spare minute that he had available that he wasn't in classes online. On Sunday, it was his last day in church with us and as I watched him up at the front with Gabe Appleby preparing the sacrament, I was just hovering close to tears thinking about how this might be the last time I watch him do the sacrament! I mean, I know he will come back, but who knows if he will still go up there and do that if he's a return missionary and they have tons of other young men by that time.
On Monday he still had class for most of the day until about 4:30. Then his friends, Noah and Gabe, came over and hung out until about 9:30 when we kind of had to politely kick them out. Josh gave Gabe a blessing that night and I kind of wish we would have had Gabe give me one, but we didn't. Then on Tuesday, we got everything packed up for the final suitcases (which I had been working on here and there for weeks) and we got all his shirts washed and packed and it suddenly became real! Sophia came over again in the morning to say goodbye.
We pulled away from our house on Tuesday at about 11:30am. We drove down to Provo, ate dinner at Culver's (Gabe's choice), and got checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Springville Suites Marriott and it was about five minutes from the MTC. Then, we decided to go to Provo Beach (kind of like Fat Cats) and we went bowling and played laser tag. We were only there from about 6:00-7:30. Then Josh wanted to go visit his old mission president, President Cameron, who lived right there by the MTC. He and his wife are the classic older churchy couple. They told us a few stories of Josh on his mission and told Gabe how excited they were for him. Sister Cameron gave him the advice that I think I should have written down, which was, "When you get to the MTC, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But don't get overwhelmed by everything you need to learn and do all at once. You have a lot of time and you won't know it all even when you leave the MTC. That's okay." I think that's where Gabe is struggling right now because he really likes to succeed at everything and he puts a lot of pressure on himself to be good at things. He's very much a perfectionist oldest child.
Anyways, on Tuesday night we went to sleep in the hotel and I surprisingly slept like a baby.
The next morning, we woke up and it was crazy to think it was our last few hours with Gabe. We got ready, ate breakfast at the hotel, and then drove over to the Provo City Center temple to take some pictures. The Provo temple that was across from the MTC for years is currently demolished and is just a big hole in the ground! We honestly should have taken a picture of Gabe in front of the hole. That would've been funny to look back on in a few years. Maybe the new one will be built by the time Caleb us leaving. (Probably not... but we will see!) So we took some pictures, then drove back to the hotel and officially checked out just before noon. We also ate an early lunch at about 11:00 at this little place right next to the hotel called Shirley's. It was actually probably the highlight of the morning, it was so good. I'll have to remember that for next time if we end up taking Caleb down to the MTC. (Part of me would be ok just sending him on a plane from Idaho Falls because the MTC drop-off is the worst!)
At about 11:45, we started to make our way over to the MTC. His drop-off time was officially at 12:45, so we still had about an hour to burn. First, we drove over to the corner where the MTC sign is and I made Gabe take a picture in front of that. I felt like all the moms that were in their cars stopped at a stoplight right there were looking at me with faces of pure sympathy, knowing I was about to drop him off maybe also knowing from their own experience how horrible it was about to be. I actually started crying walking down the sidewalk just seeing all their faces look at me like a little kid whose puppy just got hit on the roadside. Luckily, I was wearing my sunglasses.
Then Gabe and I walked back to the car and we drove a block over to this church that was right next to the Provo temple construction site. As fate would have it, we pulled into a parking spot, and I looked over and there right next to us was a guy that looked familiar. I said, "Gabe! Is that your companion?" He was like, "Elder Walker?" and sure enough! It was! His family had decided to take their last pictures there as well! So we snapped a couple pictures of our families together and the two boys together. I thought it was really cool.
Then, it was time for the big drop-off! We pulled into the little station and checked in and told them we had Elder Rhodes. They guided us to pull into the underground parking garage. As we drove in, we could see lots of elders and sisters standing on the sides waving and welcoming everyone. Then, we pulled to a stop and got out of the car. An elder (who told me he had only been there 2 weeks) introduced himself and I said, "Are you the one who can take a family picture for us?" He said, "Yes," and took a couple pictures. Then, we got Gabe's bags out of the truck and I quick took some pictures as Gabe hugged Avery, then Caleb, then Josh. Then I quick handed my phone to Josh and was like, "Take one of me and Gabe!" I gave him a hug, then pulled away, then gave him one more hug, then started to tear up, and decided I'd better walk away or it would be a total breakdown! I know Gabe really didn't want to start crying either. Then with that, he turned and walked with his elder helper guy and went into the building. It was awful. But I honestly held it together pretty well once we started driving. We got all the way home and I think I only started to tear up once or twice, but didn't actually start crying.
Once we got home though, and we walked into the house and we saw his car in the garage and the chocolate cake he left uneaten on the counter... that's when I broke down. Just the reality hitting that we were home and he wasn't, and he wouldn't be for a verrry long time? That was the worst moment. Our house just doesn't feel the same without Gabe.
Anyways, I guess I better stop having my pity party, but hopefully someday I look back on this time and think to myself, "Whoa, that was so hard. I'm so glad it got better after that." Because right now... it's really not an enjoyable time! I really hope Gabe starts to adjust to the MTC and on the next call, he's telling me, "This week has been better. I'm starting to understand Spanish and make friends and I think it'll be okay." I forgot to even tell about his Facetime call, but he called us on Friday because that was his P-Day. We were in the hotel and it was kind of awkward because I wanted to ask him all these things, but I felt like he couldn't really be as open and honest with me because his companion and other elders were all around in the background. I was like of thinking, "How are we supposed to have a good conversation with all these people listening and all that's going on!?" He had emailed me the night before though and kind of answered some questions I had asked, but he had also told me how he was struggling. I think I will actually copy and paste it here so I have a record of it. It was hard to hear that he's having such a hard time. In the past, when he would call like that from Boy Scout Camp or whatever, we would ask him, "Do you want us to come pick you up?" We never actually did and he would typically get over it within a couple days, but I had a really hard time feeling like I couldn't offer to come pick him up! I think he's just feeling overwhelmed and realizing, "This is the next two years of my life." I really hope it gets better!
Here was Gabe's email on his first P-day (two days after we dropped him off at the MTC):
I'm sorry your having a hard time. There's already been moments when I've wanted nothing else but to see you all again. When I was about in 1st grade(it was probably later to be honest, I was kinda a baby) but the day before we had planned that I would walk to school with some friends and Nicole Bloyter. Although I agreed to it I really didn't want to because me and you always walked together and I didn't want that to change. Then the morning of when me and my friends had started walking to school and we got to about the hurzoffs and I felt so sad I wasn't with you that I yelled "I have to pee" then ran home and gave you a hug while on the verge of tears and then you drove me to school. There's already been so many times that all I've wanted was to just come home to you. Before, No matter how hard the homework assignment was or task i was given I knew that you would help me and it would work out. Knowing your still here for me is what's keeping me going. I've been so homesick and it's so hard just being here. But your an amazing mom and I'm so grateful your here for me. You mean so much to me and I can't wait to call you over Facebook messenger. I feel so over whelmed I think I'm just gonna email you my journal and if you could just post that I would be happy if you just pointed any of those people that way. I love you so much mom. Oh yeah the questions,
2. Did you find the picture of Sophia’s brother?
4. Did you and Elder Walker fight over the top bunk?
6. Who all is in your room? Tell me names and where they are going. Also, tell me if they are weird.
7. What did you eat for dinner?
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