IT'S HERE!!

Despite Nathan's compulsive mailbox checking, for some reason, he didn't check it on Saturday, October 28, 2017. I did (mom here). Jake and I had just come back from doing something and Nathan was at work at the Launch Pad Cafe. We got out of the car and I went to check the mailbox, expecting it to be empty since Nathan had been getting it every day. But it wasn't empty! There was a big white envelope in there from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints addressed to Elder Nathan!! Holy cow! Jake was already in the house when I realized what it was and I ran up the driveway and burst into the house and yelled, "LOOK WHAT'S HERE!!" He didn't realize what it was for a few seconds, but then we had to decide what to do!

The CALL!

So we jumped in the car and drove up to the Launch Pad.

We had been telling people we would Facebook Live broadcast him opening it, but hadn't done a trial run of it or anything. And hadn't, of course, anticipated it would come when he was at work.

So Jake and I practically ran up the stairs to the Launch Pad (it's a restaurant in the movie theater) and the first person I saw was Max. I had the call behind my back and asked Max to get Nathan, who was in the kitchen. Max said he went back and told Nathan, "Your mom is here and she looks really excited about something." (Ha ha! Understatement of the year!) So Nathan comes out, sees what I have, then goes back to get Ryker (YAY!) and Max!

Nathan first seeing what we came for.

He went into the back to get Ryker and Max.

SO EXCITED!

Trying to convince me to let him open it RIGHT NOW instead of waiting.

So this was all at about 5pm. We decided to wait to have him open it at 7 so we could get some people there who wanted to be there and let people arrange to watch online. Nathan had me hold onto the envelope so he wouldn't rip into it. Then he kicked me out of the Launch Pad because I was making him nervous. 😄 So I went and walked around the mall for a bit, then came back a little before 7. I tried to broadcast him opening the call on Facebook Live, and had posted it on my timeline and texted a bunch of people to watch for it, then of course my phone wouldn't connect after about 2 seconds. (So sorry again, everyone!) Luckily we had people back-up recording it, so we have a record.

A bunch of people came - Diana and Russell, Steve, Jimmy, Maya, Sheri, Eva, Klynn and Renae, just a whole lot of wonderful and important-to-us people were there. It was amazing.

So here's the video (not sure if it's going to work...):

The biggies: Washington-Vancouver, English-speaking, reports to the Provo MTC on December 20, 2017!

Here's a map of his mission:

Oh the excitement and the joy and the emotions of that evening!! We had people who were just there eating (since it's a restaurant and all!) clapping for him and congratulating him. It was amazing. And nice to have a place and date after all that waiting! We went home that evening with very full hearts.