Ben on Ben: Thirteen

We are so proud of the young man Ben is becoming at thirteen.  He is principled and considerate, so much so, that he gets frustrated when people don't stick to the rules of civility and kindness, as tweens and teens are bound to do.  This trait has helped him choose friends who are thoughtful kids so he can be surrounded by good vibes.  He works really hard to meet his educational, physical and spiritual goals and never slacks off.  He has an intensity and drive that is incredibly admirable, although sometimes we worry that he is going to burn himself out or over-worry himself.  He just wants to do it all, and do it all to perfection...if only there were more hours in the day and he never felt tired, he'd be happy!  Ben loves the outdoors and exploration of the natural world, it gives him release from the intensity of his everyday life and lets him get some space from the world a bit, space that the introvert part of him needs.  He doesn't love the routine and time consumption of school, but he loves to learn new things and prove his knowledge to others.  Without question, his favorite subject is math, but he also loves social studies and science.  When he has a teacher that challenges him and expects a lot of him, he thrives and rises to meet those expectations.  He also loves being part of the band and playing his trumpet.  When something fascinates him, he dives in to learn as much as he can or takes time to master the skill.  Ben is faithful and wants to do all he can to follow his Savior and set an example for others, especially his brothers.  His favorite scripture story is that of Enos; he loves Enos' humility and faithfulness.  He has a fantastic goofy side and likes to be a jokester and make other people laugh.  Ben is so fun to spend time with and is always asking how he can help and is great about seeing a need and simply stepping in to fulfill it without being asked.  We often hear from other adults about how much they admire Ben and what a great kid he is, and it always feels so great, but isn't a surprise.  We think he is wonderful! 

Ben is clearly becoming a teen this year because getting him to answer these questions was not so easy!  Here's what I got out of him:

How old are you?  "Thirteen."
What makes you happy?  "Having free time to do what I want, running, playing soccer, winning."
What are your favorite things to eat?  "Lemon chicken orzo soup, aebelskivers, fettuccine alfredo, and Cafe Rio sweet barbacoa burrito enchilada style with hot sauce."
What is your least favorite thing to eat?  "McDonalds, unless it's french fries."
What are your favorite things to do?  "Run, play soccer, go camping, slack-lining."
What is your favorite TV show?  "Ted Talks."
What are you really good at?   "Running, soccer, school."
What is your favorite movie?  "Hobbit, all of them."
What is your favorite animal?  "Dogs."
What is your favorite color?  "Green, blue and purple"
What is your favorite song?  "The Star Spangled Banner, it's fun to play on my trumpet."
Who are your best friends?  "Micah Simonds, Thomas Boyle, Owen Kalbfleisch."
What do you and Mom do together that you love?  "Run."
What do you and Dad do together that you love?  "Play soccer."
What is your favorite sport?  "Soccer and running." (I'm sensing a theme here.)
What is your favorite book?  "Ranger's Apprentice: Kings of Clonmel."
Where is your favorite place to go?  "The cabin."
What makes you feel scared?  "Failure, losing someone I love."
What do you want to be when you grow up?  "A nature photographer for National Geographic or a soccer player."
What words would you use to describe yourself? "Awesome, intelligent, athletic, kind, Frankenstein-like in the mornings."
What is the most exciting thing you got to do this year? "Got to turn thirteen, an awesome summer vacation."
What do you want to tell the future you? "Don't get down about something just because it doesn't go your way."