Stop #2 Elder Tracy

I called Aaron while we were at Sally's house to find out exactly where he was because it turns out the mission is pretty big and I hadn't even thought to ask when I talked to his mission president. For all we knew he could have been hours away. When I called him on his cell phone I got his voice mail and it was so cool listening to him speak in Spanish. He was talking really fast too. When he called back I couldn't believe he was only a ten minute drive away! Literally in the next city over.
I let him choose where he wanted to go, knowing he was probably sick to death of Mexican food, and he wanted Red Lobster.
I quizzed Sally and Peter about whether I should hug him, or if I shouldn't, or couldn't? Sally said not to and just let him initiate whatever made him comfortable. I was anxious, I don't know why, and Peter could tell because I was getting agitated before we left.
Aaron was also nervous to see us I think, but we tried to make it seem like no big deal. He hugged us all:) The kids were so excited to see him. They had all gone into the MTC when he left and bawled their eyes out along with Aaron and I.
I'm so glad we don't have to take Nathaniel into the MTC--we can just drop him off at the front now. It was such a killer with Aaron and I told Nathaniel as soon as we left I didn't think I could do that again with my own son. I'd cry for a week. I probably still will:(

Aaron got the giant seafood platter and savored the whole thing. It was pushing an hour and a half and he was still eating and I knew we had only been given permission to see him for an hour so I told Elder Tracy he better eat faster!

Here is Elder Tracy and his companion, who would pretend he didn't know who I was referring to when I called my brother "Aaron." It got kind of annoying and I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes when he kept correcting everyone, including John. Apparently no one could pronounce his name because he kept correcting that too. I was feeling for my brother the Elder.
Why wouldn't I think of him as Aaron? He spent his first night home from the hospital with me in my bedroom and I could hardly sleep for worry that he had stopped breathing because I couldn't hear it and I had to keep getting up to check. Finally I just gave up and brought him into the bed with me.
I remember staggering into the kitchen in the middle of the night to microwave his bottles. That was how I learned about testing the temperature of formula on your arm and squeezing excess air out of the plastic bags we put into the bottles. I've never given my kids a bottle but I could still do it with my eyes closed to this day.
Hopefully all that microwaved plastic hasn't had any long term effects...
I took that boy everywhere with me! To the mall, to get my hair cut, on dates. We rode on the bus all over Cupertino. Once my friend Yerko took us to the beach and I forgot to bring a diaper and Aaron pooped and we had to wash off his rear in the ocean and then wrap him up in a towel.
He was the best baby--and just about the most adorable one I've ever seen.

So forgive me if I to keep forgetting to call him Elder Tracy!

A man came up to us as we were getting ready to leave and wanted to pay for the elders. He said he always does every time he comes across the missionaries because his son went out on his mission weighing 165 and came home at 120. I wish I had asked him where his son had gone. He kept reaching for his wallet even though we had already paid. It was really cute.
It is a rare opportunity to see your family member when they are actually an active missionary, and I'm really glad we did it. Peter's sister Sally drove with us to say hello to him in the parking lot and she thought it was really neat. I think it brought back the feelings she had as a missionary.
I noticed Aaron was looking older, more like a man now. I told him he was filling out and his companion said, "She's calling you fat." I promise I wasn't! It is just weird to see your brother, who you changed diapers for, becoming a full-fledged grown-up.
He is very motivated in his missionary efforts right now and I told him he better make this last 2 1/2 months count!