"The field is white, already to harvest"

Well guys, it happened. Mike actually left. Oh. Excuse me. Elder Free.
That's his name now. For 2 whole years.
It was insane.
There is no way to say goodbye to someone you've known for 8 years, and seen them nearly every day and constantly talked or texted or whatever, for 2 years, completely.
Yeah, we can write letters and chat but I don't know what help that will be.

So this is what happened,
I started running errands with Mike and his mom about 1 on Tuesday. We went all over town, including downtown to this waffle place that was way good.
Then we came home and Mike had about 20 thank you cards to write.
Mike made me a cd so that I can listen to all of our songs and bawl my eyes out the whole time.
And that is exactly what I did.

It all started to sink in, This is it. Literally.
The last time I will see him as a teenager.
One of the last times I see him and am able to hug him.

That's how it had been all week.
All I did was think..

This is the last time he drops off at home.
This is the last time we'll be in his room.
The last time he'll hold my hand.
The last time we drive in his car.
The last time we walk around.
The last time we have a date.
You get the point..

It was awful and I was making myself crazy.

Finally about 7, we went to my house so he could say goodbye to my family.
On the way over, I asked him if he was ready and he just shook his head and started crying.
He was so nervous and he was two hours away from becoming a missionary.
I called my brothers inside and said "Hey, come in and say goodbye"
I couldn't even get through that sentence without crying.
My brothers just look up to him so much, especially Spencer.
He's their older brother.
When he gets back they will all be young men and on their way to missions themselves.
I don't know why but it meant so much to me that he said goodbye to them.

Then we headed back to his house for Thai night.
Tyler was there and Kyle and Taylor.
Then his sweet grandparents and his immediate family.

The clock quickly turned from 8 to 845.
Everyone joked, "Oh yeah, get your hugs in now.." "Go get your last kiss in, fast!"
Ha. Funny. It really was getting less funny because I knew this already and it was more then getting a hug and a kiss in.
We went downstairs really fast and said a few things, I cry, again. Of course.
Then we head back upstairs. Literally it was about 2 minutes for a goodbye that had to last 2 years.
We went upstairs and joined the rest of the family in the Celestial room (Their white dining room) for the setting apart.
We opened with a prayer then Dave gave everyone a chance to say something for Mike.
Everyone just said the nicest things. I was amazed. Everyone just knew exactly what to say.
I wasn't planning on saying anything because what kind of advice would I give someone who is leaving who I don't want to leave? And when I don't have any advice on how to be a good missionary. What the heck do I know?
Then of course, after everyone, he coughs my name to make me say something. After I'm bawling and can't even breathe, let alone talk!
I have no idea what I said or if anyone could even understand it but whatever.

They set him apart and it was cool to be there for that.
As much as I was never planning on being there for that. I'm glad they talked me into it.
He gave everyone a hug afterwards then got to me last and.. shook my hand.
This was real.
We took pictures and all talked a little.
People started leaving.
This was real.
Everyone was gone.
This was it.
I grabbed my purse and the picture frame with an adorable picture of him in it, and walked to the door.
I gave his family hugs and thanked them.
Then Mike and I walked outside.
Followed by Nate, his Senior companion.

We had a quick goodbye. He told me to stay strong, that 2 years isn't too long, that he'd think of me everyday and that he loved me.
Nate was keeping him in line the whole time with little commentary.
I got in the car after shedding a few tears and he shut the door.
Boom. The flood gates of my eyes broke and the tears came slamming down my face.
This was it.
He walked to the sidewalk and I tried to drive away but I couldn't see.
He stood there and waited for me to drive away but I just sat there, trying to stop crying.
He comes back.
I'm thinking, "why?!"
Basically he came back 3 times to my car to say goodbye and make sure I was okay?
Was I okay?
Absolutely not.
Finally, I just decided that it was going to be easier to drive away then to sit here having him come back to say goodbye so many times.
I flipped around in the circle, waved goodbye to Elder Free and his companion, who stayed right by his side the whole time.

I bawled my eyes out all the way to Ellen's house.
I needed a girl who kind of understood.
And she will in 2 weeks...

We drove around while I tried to contain myself, I was just blabbering. Saying who knows what. I'm sure Ellen was thinking, what the freak did I get myself into?
But she put up with me all night.
We went to 7-11 and got Slurpees, skittles and Doritos.
Cute. I know.
We came back to my house and watched the ever popular Baby Mama.
It was a good time for sure.
Even when we fell asleep.

So guys, it's day 1 of 730.
It's been hard knowing, Oh he's at breakfast with everyone right now. Oh he's driving to the MTC.
And at 12:55 he will be dropped off at the MTC for good.

It is a lot harder then I thought.
Everything reminds me of him and I have to really try not to cry but I'm glad I can have a countdown to something good instead of just him leaving.

So here goes nothing. We'll see what happens in the next two years.

So Mike, the Church is true, See you in two, I love you.