Just Like Usual.

Just like usual, last Sunday morning Mr. Nielson and our boys left

The White House for church 30 minutes before the meeting began.

They go early to set up chairs, prepare the bread

 and water for the Sacrament, and then they greet other
members of our congregation as they arrive.

 (Oh, also to save out spot for our family on the second row).

At 9:00 sharp and just like usual, I heard Mr. Nielson yell

 "see you at church!" then the back door shut.

Then that's usually my cue to yell to the girls
upstairs over blow-dryers and church music,
 "we're leaving in 15 minutes!"

At 9:15 just like usual the girls and I jumped in the car, 

shut the garage door and off we drove to church for the 9:30 service.

We got to church and was greeted warmly by our
cute sister missionaries with hugs and handshakes, and

then I spotted Mr. Nielson saving us a spot on the second row,
just like usual.

We all sat down, sang the opening hymn, had an opening prayer

and listened to a few announcements from our Bishop when about

 15 minutes into the meeting Jane tapped my shoulder and whispered,

"Where's Gigs?".

I looked up on the stand near the Sacrament table where all

the young Deacons his age sit and didn't see my blond shaggy haired boy.

I looked at Christian and asked where Gigs was.
Mr. Nielson whispered to me,

"He didn't come with me this morning because he didn't

get ready in time, so we left him".
In that moment I felt like Kevin's mom on Home Alone.

If you didn't bring him, and I didn't bring him, we definitely left him...

I asked Claire to drive home to pick him up and
in a record 25 minutes later
 Claire and Gigs walked to our pew and sat down.
I looked at him with his hair slicked over to the side and whispered

"Gigs, it's so good to have you here with us, you look sharp.
And also, sorry about leaving you this morning."
"That's Ok mom" he whispered back, "I knew you'd come back for me so I
got ready and sat on the couch and waited."
Then I said
"That was smart pal, I'll always come back to get you."