Farewell Elder Foster!

My younger brother Spencer left for his mission last week! We got to spend Tuesday night with him and then on Wednesday my parents and older brother Kevin drove him down to the Provo MTC to drop him off.  Spencer gave his farewell talk the Sunday before he left and did an amazing job. He talked about the restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith and how much our lives have been blessed because of the priesthood. We've definitely received a huge helping of blessings this year between Austin's breathing issues and NICU trip to my sister's brain cancer, which she is now responding extremely well to her chemo treatments and her doctors seem very positive about a recovery.

I'm very proud of him and for his decision to go on a mission. He's a good kid and despite the 8 year gap between us, we're pretty close.  We miss him already but we're so excited for him and from the first letter we received, it sounds like he is loving it there and learning a ton! He does need us to send him some Dr. Pepper ASAP though...I think he's going through withdrawals.

 Hanging out on the back deck after his farewell

 Austin will be older than Ethan is now when Spencer comes home! 

 We tried so hard to get a picture of both our boys with Uncle Spencer. This is a close as it got. 

 Austin's shirt has a Jr. Missionary tag on it. I thought it was appropriate. And so dang cute!

We tried again to get a picture with Ethan...it just wasn't happening.

 

It's been a great opportunity to teach Ethan about missionaries. We've been teaching him what a mission is and where Uncle Spencer went. So far he thinks Uncle Spencer is on a mission with the Little Einsteins and Rocket--complete with a theme song, classical music, and famous artists. Overall, I think it's a success for a 2 year old. He repeatedly tells me (while watching Little Einsteins) that Uncle Spence-a is on a mission. I figure that it's close enough! It's definitely terms he can understand.

So excited for him!