Benjamin is Eight!

My biggest boy turned eight this week. I am so proud of him and for the good boy he is becoming. He is a great student, and his teacher, Mrs. Diedrich absolutely adored him. He was her biggest rule follower, and ended up taking home a (self-given) award for his perfect behavior all month. :)

He has grown a lot in his testimony of the gospel as well. He met with our Bishop before his baptism, and was confident and excited as he talked about his decision. When we asked him why he wanted to be baptized, his response was "so I can have the gift of the Holy Ghost." It's amazing how much he understands already. He teaches me. When asked if he would mind sharing his baptism day with a friend whose family couldn't be as involved, he said yes without any hesitation. It was sweet to watch these two boys make those commitments as brothers in the gospel. 

Benjamin has been really mature about the move. He obviously sensed the burden it was on us, and didn't ask for much for his birthday. We made his favorite dinner- Red Thai Curry, and made cupcakes in an "8" formation, since the cake pans and most everything else was already packed. 

He got sweet, meaningful presents from his grandparents this year. A suit from my Mom, which he has worn every Sunday since, and his own quilt from Paul's Mom. Both came on our Utah trip with us, because he loves them so much. We also decided to give him his own pocket knife this year. I think he was really excited by the sense of responsibility that came with that. 

We planned a small party at a nearby neighborhood park for him. He chose a few of his closest friends, and we had pizza and cake there at the park. We brought a bunch of water balloons and party favors, but that was it. It was a really nice way to say goodbye to some of the people who have touched his life. 

Baseball finished up, which was also kind of sad for him. These boys practiced hard and played hard and lost every game this year. But only because their team unintentionally ended up in the competitive league with teams that practiced probably at least ten times more than ours did. Losing is not something that comes easily to Benjamin, but I think he learned a lot this year because of it. 

Benjamin continues to be a good older brother, and is especially sweet with Lydia. He is very responsible with her, and really tries to make her happy- which is not always the easiest task! He is a special part of our family, and I can't imagine life without him!