Mission completed

We counted down the months. As it got closer we started counting weeks, and then days. Finally, we counted hours. Some of those months and weeks went by quickly, others dragged. At the beginning the sheer amount of months, weeks, days and hours seemed overwhelming. Mentally it got easier once she hit her 6 month mark. Some days the missing her would hit especially hard. Sometimes it had to do with something that was happening that day, a tradition or milestone she was missing, an especially sweet letter, a memory or reminder, someone asking how Rebekah was doing, and then asking how I was handling her absence. The emotion would hit unexpectedly and I'd be surprised at the tears suddenly springing to my eyes. But though we thought about her every day, most days continued as normal and the time marched by.

Interestingly enough, the closer it got to Rebekah coming home, the more emotional I found myself getting. Her last email arrived the day before she flew home. In it she detailed the things she had learned on her mission and the ways in which she had grown. She shared the story of her most recent baptism two days earlier. And ended with her testimony. Then she signed off "For the last time...." and I was completely surprised to find something inside me bursting. I sobbed. Long and hard, and loudly enough that the poor dog kept looking up at me in concern. I had tried for such a long time to keep my emotions in check. To keep the missing of my first born on the surface. To whisk any errant tears away quickly. Because after all, I was incredibly happy and proud of what she was doing in England. Though I missed her so much that it sometimes physically hurt, I wouldn't have wished it away for the world. So over the course of those months, weeks, and days I had built up an emotional dam of sorts. I didn't expect her final email to be what finally toppled it, but I think knowing I would be holding her in my arms the next day coupled with the bittersweet feelings of realizing that this incredible phase of her life was ending, and understanding how sad she was to see it end, all combined to completely undo me.

Rebekah's flight was due to arrive at 7:33PM on Wednesday night. Friends groaned when I told them I had to wait till evening. I, myself, had originally thought it would make for a really long day of counting down hours and minutes. And though I did indeed count, I was thankful for the extra time. Bryan had a business trip that week in Virginia. He finagled his way into an early end time for his final day on the job, and was able to get a flight that had him landing two minutes after his daughter. The rest of us prayed for a Christmas Missionary Miracle that included no delays on either flight, and then congregated at the bottom of the escalator leading to the baggage claim. Bryan's flight landed 15 minutes early. I texted him Rebekah's gate number and he went over to wait for her, texting me pictures of her plane taxiing up to the gate and then of my girl coming through the door! The two of them came down the escalator together with all of us standing below waving British flags. Originally Brandon said he was going to fight me for the first hug. (Well, the first hug after his father.) ;) He said he would race me when I objected. I told him in no uncertain terms that it was proper missionary etiquette for the mothers to get the first hug. When he asked why I told him that I wrote to her every single week, I sent packages...and if that wasn't enough of a reason for him, I gave birth to her! Hard to top that trump card.

So when Rebekah got to the bottom of that escalator, I ran over and wrapped my arms around that girl, squeezed tight and let the tears finally have their way....I am still unsure if the noises I was unintentionally making but couldn't seem to stop were sobs or laughs. Maybe a little of both. It was a little hard to wrap my brain around the fact that she was there! Finally! So many months, weeks, days and hours...had we truly finally come to the end of the countdown?

Lilian ran over next to hug her big sister....

 Brandon and Julianne had a good natured fight over who got to run to Rebekah next after Lilian....

....Brandon won.

And then a tearful Julianne.

Another hug for Dad...

And hugs for the grandparents who have supported her and loved her and sent her packages, letters, and most importantly, prayers.

Besties Jenny and Patricia were there, (Jenny having driven all the way from Logan only to turn around and drive back up so she could attend her college classes early the next morning) and got the next hugs.  Jenny and Patricia were solid pen pals to Rebekah while she was gone. I think they may have missed her nearly as much as we did.

 And then finally Elder and Sister Cardall who were the Hyde Park Chapel Visitor Centre directors and had come to welcome Sister Croft and Sister Griffeth home. What a joyful reunion that was! 

We tracked down Rebekah's luggage, which took a little bit of doing after a lost luggage scare. One of her suitcases was found in a back room. (Big sigh of relief.) And then we took our happy and tired and overwhelmed girl straight to the stake center to visit with President Brown. He called us all into his office after talking with Rebekah for a bit, and had Rebekah share her testimony with us before officially releasing her and asking her to take off her missionary name tag for the last time. Despite all the tears at the airport, this was the most emotional part of the evening. Such a hard and bittersweet moment. Her mission, up to this point had been the highlight of her life. Difficult at times, certainly, but 18 months filled with joy. I can't even imagine how painful it was for her to see it come to an end.

Thinking about how tired she must've been seeing as at that point she had been up for a good 24 hours, we expected her to go straight to bed. But she toured around the house, looking in all the kitchen cupboards and commenting about how much food we had, how big our house was, etc. She went through each and every room looking for changes and familiarities both, saving her bedroom for last where she found all the pictures from her mission we had hung on her walls and the welcome home basket we left on her bed. Her cell phone was fully charged with many text messages from friends. But rather than wish us all a goodnight and climb under the covers, she came back upstairs and shared story after story of her time in England, things that didn't make it into the weekly emails. At 1:00am I finally couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. She and Julianne climbed into her big bed and continued with the sisterly girl talk till 3:00. Maybe a case of Rebekah being physically exhausted but mentally wired?

They slept in the next morning, of course. I found myself going downstairs to look at Rebekah sleeping...similar to what I used to do when my children were babies, not being able to get enough of them. Julianne was awake and reading in bed, not wanting to get up because she was so enjoying the closeness to her sister. Every time I peeked my head into the room, she smiled this half contented, half giddy smile at me.

It has been wonderful having Rebekah home. I'm sure she could fill you in more accurately at how her adjustment has been. It seems to have gone smoothly from my perspective, but I have no doubt she has had ups and downs as she has moved into returned missionary status. She moves back to Logan in January. Later this week Julianne finishes up her finals in Provo and returns home...and for 3 weeks we'll be together, all six of us. I can't wait!

Countdown complete!!!

I'm finding her mission tags all over the house. It makes me smile.