Fourteen At Last

Ben is 14!! I am sure that his sisters are WAY more excited for him to be 14 then he actually is. They can't wait to take him to stake dances, EFY and Youth Conference. He is pretty ok with the thought of EFY and YC, but just doesn't seem to have the same enthusiasm about the dances as his sisters. Imagine?
Ben has been such a blessing to our family. This year he has really become a "little man" on his way quickly to a "big man". He is taller than Laura, caught up with Manda (and Mom but we aren't admitting it!), catching up with Dad in height and can wear his Dad's shoes and passed Dad with the deepness of his voice! When Rick left ahead of us, he turned things over to Ben at home in Texas. Ben stepped in and filled his Dad's shoes to the best of his ability and then some. He put down wood flooring, trim, tile, hung doors, finished kitchen cabinets, painted, cleaned, organized and packed. He worked harder than any 13 year old I could imagine. All the while trying to keep up with the homework and writing class that he was taking.

There are so many things about Ben that I truly appreciate. I love this boy and count my many blessings when I think about him coming to our family. I remember being bed ridden for much of his pregnancy and the strength of the Spirit that I felt even before he was born. He has lived up to that feeling and more. Here's just a few things that I appreciate about Ben:

• His quick sense of humor
  
• His reverent tone- even in humor
  
  His respect for sacred things


• His sparkly eyes that twinkle when he is teasing
  
• His appreciation for that feeling after working hard
• His desire to always grow to be better than he is today (which is amazing)


• His love for getting up early in the morning and getting the day started (whew... that will make Seminary so much easier)


• His new found passion for being an "athlete" =)


• His love for helping people
  
• His desire to really know "everything" as he searches the Internet for all the mysteries in life that his mom doesn't know the answer to ( yes, that is a lot of time on the net)
  
• His love for the deacon quorum and all those in it, both in Idaho and Texas
  
• His awareness of when to step in and help
  
• His adoration for his family
  

Since making the big move up north, Ben has matured so much. He has missed his friends and family terribly that we left behind in Texas but is very careful not to complain. He has been blessed with good young men here that have welcomed him. He has also made a friend that is quite a bit older than him and attends the local student ward. He has enjoyed hanging out with a "real man" and learned so much about the kind of man that he wants to be in the process. Ben is excited to have his first real job this summer working on a farm with his "real man" friend. He is also excited about the possibility of being his Dad's hometeaching companion. It just makes me once again realize how quickly time goes by and how much I need to cherish each moment with him before he is grown and not living with his mommy anymore!

Ben- Thanks for being the person that you are!!!!!!!