This has been an incredibly blessed week for our family. On Wednesday, we sent our first missionary out into the field. Sean's little sister Jenna left for her mission to Lima, Peru. I didn't get really emotional about it until Sean's mom posted this picture on Facebook with Jenna at the airport ready to leave.
Seriously! Ah, tears! That is our little baby Jenna all ready to go on her mission. When she first got a boyfriend, Sean said " she can't have a boyfriend yet, what is she 12?" (she was totally 16, allowed to date and all). When she graduated high school, he said something very similar, that she wasn't old enough to graduate high school, and the same thing when she started college. Doesn't she embody so many good things in this photo? She looks like a strong young woman, full of integrity and grace. It totally threw me off to see her in a dress, I know she was officially a missionary, but for some reason I envisioned her leaving in PJ's (because at 5 am at the airport that is what I would be in!) The adorable missionary outfit totally through me off, duh, missionary, of course she is leaving in appropriate attire! I believe families of missionaries are also blessed by their missionary service, I don't feel deserving of it, she is the one making the sacrifices in her life, but I feel as if her desire to serve a mission has already blessed our lives tremendously. It has been a neat realization for Sean and I that our baby sisters will both be serving missions this year. They are doing what they can to see that Heavenly Father's work is done and goes forth to the earth, it's time that we step it up and do our part as well. It has strengthened my testimony of missionary work and service to see these young ladies prepare for their missions. We try to Skype Sean's mom on Sunday, we have had the opportunity to visit with Jenna and my little sister Kassidy as well. I feel like during this time we have become closer with them. Jenna and Kassidy were the most supportive of the names we were deciding between for our daughter which we really did appreciate. We would talk to them on their progress in preparing for their missions and things they were doing to prepare spiritually and physically. It has been a cool experience for all of us to be able to be a part of her experience. We will be patiently awaiting her first letter home!!!
The night before Jenna left, we Skyped with Jenna who was staying with my in laws Ryan and Sammi. Sammi was due to have her baby about a week after Jenna left, Jenna was really hoping she would go into labor that night. She didn't go into labor that night, but we did get a new baby a few days after Jenna left! I'm so excited that my daughter will have a cousin so close to her in age. We have two other nieces that are fairly close in age, and now our little girl and Quinn will be the same age as well. Sleep overs at Grandma Ahern's are going to be so much fun with the four of them! I love little girls, the Ahern's just keep having more of them and it is going to be so much fun when they get older! I get to meet her in a few weeks when I go to Idaho! Photo credit for baby Quinn: Ryan Ahern.
She is just making me more baby crazy to hold my little girl! 15 ish weeks left!
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