And then there were none...

I've shared a lot about our weekend already, so I'll spare you those details again.  Suffice it to say that within 24 hours, both sets of grandparents left.  There were certainly a few tears shed over the past couple of days.
It was so fun to have my parents here.  My kids enjoyed spending time with them, playing with them, helping Grandpa string up his Halloween lights, and just being able to spend time with them.  The comforting part of their departure was that we get to go see them at Christmas time.  My kids are already looking forward to and asking about that event. 

The other grandparents, Nana and Papa, left for two years!  They will enter the MTC this Monday to prepare to go to the Baltic Mission.  Since we moved into our home, we have been able to spend a lot of time with them--especially in the past couple of months, as they have needed a place to stay when they come back from their cottage on the weekends.  They have been so incredibly helpful and we have really enjoyed having them around.  I don't know that my kids will ever have a time like that again.  I'm so grateful we were able to create such strong bonds and memories when my kids are still so little.

Tuesday evening, my inlaws were set apart as missionaries.  Ryan and I got to be there with them.  It was such a beautiful experience.  As my mother-in-law was being set apart, I felt a bit of jealousy rise in me.  I wanted so much to trade her places and go be a missionary again--but just as quickly, I realized that I would miss my kids WAY too much.  So, I'm happy to stay home and have the joys and challenges of teaching my own little group of investigators. 

I really look forward to hearing all about the experiences and challenges that my inlaws will encounter in these next 2 years.  I know that their experience, as a senior couple and ten years later, will be very different than my own.  I can't wait to hear about those differences!  I also know that there will be threads of similarities--and I can't wait to hear about those as well!

I know that as time passes, we will certainly continue to miss them.  It will probably become a little easier, but there will certainly be moments we miss having them here...especially as the bigger events come around.  But, I know that there is no place I would rather have them be.  What a fantastic example to my own children of the faith to go and do, even when you are leaving behind your own children, grandchildren, and other very important family members.  I am just so grateful that we have been able to be part of their preparation process and that we get to continue sharing in their experience.