Elder Curtis

That's right, we have a missionary in the fam. Jon, the baby of our family, just left for the New Hampshire, Manchester Mission. We are all so proud of him and thrilled that he has such an adventure ahead of him. I will really miss him as will my kids. We have had so much fun these last few months with Jon home from school and just waiting to leave for his mission. There was lots of bonding time filled with games of him throwing balls as high as he can, jumping for lost balloons that only he could reach, puppet playing-he does a little gig that the kids love with this weird monster puppet, taking walks, and playing at the park. Not only was it fabulous to have all of his help, but he is hilarious and we will miss his awesome sense of humor. I know he is doing the right thing and that he will do an incredible job as a missionary.

The Farewell Talk:

One thing is for sure, he already did a fantastic job on his farewell talk. There were close to 500 people there on Easter Sunday, which can be daunting to say the least, but he put his anxieties aside and pulled it off. Here is a much relieved Jon right after church:

Jon with his two favorite sisters...really he just wanted to feel tall so he decided to use us:All of Jon's buddies-several of them have their calls as well, but Jon is the first to go!The Setting Apart:

The Stake President gave a beautiful blessing as he was setting Jon apart here in my parent's house.The MTC, Missionary Training Center:

What is it about that video that makes me bawl like a baby? You know the one-with "Called To Serve" is playing throughout the production. Maybe it isn't so much the video, but the fact that immediately after, they ask the missionaries to exit on one side and the families the other. I broke down and had to be the first to leave Jon before I started a scene. Jon was a champ through the entire process and proved to us that he was definitely ready. We are so excited for him and love him to pieces!

See you in 2 years little brother!