Big Kid Giveaway Day

So it was Big Kid Giveaway Day today. It was a day of many emotions. Some were bittersweet but most were good.

First, notice the bright orange dot on his name tag. Yup. He's official because he has the dork dot. I just love this picture. It was taken just after I put his name tag on him for the first time. It tells me he is doing what his heart tells him he should do and there's no better payback as a parent than that.

I already sent him his first package. We dropped it off on the way to the MTC (without him knowing, of course). I packed a box full of green stuff (green PowerAid, green jello cups, green taffy, green apple rings, green gum, green beans... you get the picture). We all wrote him letters on green paper since he is the "Greenie" missionary. It was delivered to him tonight so I hope he knows we miss him (as if he didn't already know!). I also already sent him an e-mail that is supposed to be delivered to him as he goes to dinner. I'm just a sick mom, I know! Truth is, it is gut wrenching to walk away from your baby, wondering if you packed him enough underwear and if the other kids will play nice…

There are so many thoughts going through my head... so bear with me while I get them all out over the next day or two (in random order, perhaps). First, as Frank was set apart, the stake president had such wonderful words of wisdom for him. He asked him to consider his legacy. President Webb said the GA’s who trained him as a stake president asked him to consider what his legacy as a Stake Pres. would be and he challenged Rob to decide now what he wanted his legacy as a missionary to be. He said not to put it in terms of numbers of baptisms, but what he, as a man, will be remembered for. Is it his love of the people, his willingness to serve? To follow mission rules to the T? What absolutely amazing advice to give a missionary as he is being set apart. Pres. Webb is an amazing, inspired man.

What's great about tonight is for the first time since he got his call, there are no longer two years left in his mission... There is now less than two years.