She is home!!! It is still so hard to believe that my beautiful baby girl is sitting in the other room and not miles away. We have had such a great week! It is so awesome to be a mother. It all started last Sunday which was Mother's Day. We were able to Skype with Cortnie on the computer for an hour. It seemed kind of strange to know what to say as we would be seeing her in just two days. She looked so pretty and so happy. We heard all about the families she is teaching and the love she has for the sisters who have become her dear friends. It was so bitter sweet and even though I still cried when she was gone, it was not like before. I would see her in two days! That day was also special as Boyd was ordained to be an Elder at church. It is hard to believe that he is old enough to be an elder. He can now give blessings and go to the temple. So hard to believe. Rob gave him such a wonderful blessing full of fatherly love. He has such a great gift when it comes to blessings and what he has for our children. His advice is powerful. His son towered over him when he was done to give him a hug and it was priceless. We also went to seminary graduation for Boyd that night . I think it finally hit me there that he was almost done with school and would not be going back. How is that possible? I can not be that old. Boyd had to speak at graduation and did an awesome job.,....without any notes of any kind. He is going to be a great missionary. It was such an emotional and memorable Mother's Day - I loved it.
Rob and I headed out to Omaha the next night. I was so thoroughly exhausted. I do not know how I made it through work that day - I am positive someone somewhere got extra pills in the bottles as I kept falling asleep standing up. I knew that I would sleep as we traveled. I have such a hard time doing that lately too but not this time. I slept almost the entire way to Vegas and then again on the plane for the two hour flight. I think my Heavenly Father was answering my prayers as I had pleaded with him to comfort my fears of leaving my other children home and traveling. That always scares me. We arrived in Omaha about 2:00 in the morning as our plane was delayed. Luckily we were able to sleep in the next morning as we did not meet Cortnie until three. However, I did not want to spend all of our time in the hotel. We drove around Omaha and looked at some sights and places she had been too. We went to the Kanesville Tabernacle where she had served part of her time. It was so awesome to see the actual place where our pioneers where and to hear the stories of them coming forward. So spiritual too. The day was a little bit slower than I wanted it to be, but finally it was time to head to the temple where we would meet here. As we needed to change our clothes, we went to the Winters Quarter Trail Center where she had spent three to four days a week at for the past eighteen months. As we walked in the doors, I immediately recognized faces of some of her companions and senior couples whom she had served with. We were welcomed with warm hugs and everyone telling us how wonderful our daughter was. She had made such an impact on so many people there even though she had such a rough start. I was so overcome with joy.
We did not have to say good bye that night - she went with us to the hotel. Like the night before she left on her mission, she wanted me to sleep with her. She was so tired and worn out but she laid her head on my chest and told me her fears and worries. She does not want to be the Cortnie she was before she left. She wants to stay focused on the gospel and wants to share what she has with her family. I just pray her family will try to do as she would like - and change. We have so much more we could be doing to be a better family and to come closer to Christ. Maybe she can help us.
The next day we spent meeting more families she had taught as well as taking a tour around Omaha to her apartments and so forth. We ended up back at the trail center as she wanted to give us the tour she has given so many times to people who walk through the doors. It was amazing. She truly has come to love the pioneers and what they have done for the gospel. She has such a great spirit about her when she does that tour too. I was so touched and had silent tears in my eyes. We even were able to visit the cemetery where one of my ancestors is buried. Such a wonderful time.
All too soon it was time to leave Omaha. I could tell that her heart was weary as she left behind the people that she has come to love so much but yet was so anxious to see the ones she has missed for eighteen months. I was not sure how to help her. It was a long flight home for Cortnie as flying tends to give her migraines and again I was helpless. I knew though that at the end of that trip there was a huge surprise waiting for her and I was so excited to see that happen. As we landed in Vegas, Rob went ahead of us to "get our luggage" while we went to the restroom. He was actually going to find our other children so he could take pictures when she saw them. We had a huge banner made that said "welcome home Cortnie" and they were holding it. As she came down the stairs and saw her siblings, the tears started again. Brittnie was the first one to drop the banner and run to her taking her in her arms. Her brothers seemed unsure what to do so I finally told them to go give her a huge hug. The four of them stood there in the middle of the airport in a group hug with tears streaming down their cheeks. Such a priceless picture.
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