so long, farewell

it was quite a trip having elder cawley serving in our area. good because i got to see him at random places and have him and the other missionaries over for dinner. good because jake got to meet his uncle spencer. bad because he's a missionary--not my brother at the moment. it was a wee bit hard for me to remember, his name is elder now, not spencer!

but i feel blessed that i got to see him on his mission in full missionary mode. he's so mature. so responsible. obedient. spiritual. fun. he was awesome before. but he's even awesome-r now. (didn't know that was possible.)

scott and i joined some friends on a group date to Olive Garden the other night. they all attend Burgess Falls Ward where elder cawley was serving. when i told them my brother was serving in their ward, they all raved about how wonderful he is, how much their kids adore him, how funny he is. yep. i know this. he's fantastico.

then they told me he was leaving! being transferred in a couple days. (i tried real hard to leave him be while he was here and not bug him and make him homesick--so this was news to me!) elder cawley still had my pan from when i made him mexican chicken so it was a good excuse to run over to his apartment lobby and say goodbye to him. he's being transferred back to Clarksville and is very excited. he blooms wherever he is planted.

but i'll miss seeing him randomly at church, or walking to his apartment, or going into a district meeting (which coincided perfectly with new beginnings). such a stud he is. such a great example. love him. see you at Christmas elder!