Ben on Ben: Fifteen

What a great young man Ben is at fifteen!  He's ambitious, motivated, helpful and such a smartie.  He dove into high school with excitement and it hasn't disappointed.  Being a part of the cross-country team has made the adjustment easy and smooth, seeing friends new and old whom he's run with all summer in the halls and at lunch has helped him find his groove quickly.  I know he loves this team and will be so sad when the season comes to a close.  He worked hard all summer and made the varsity squad, which gives him a strong group of runners to push him and lead him, and his improvement is already so obvious.  The boy can fly!  Ben has been so great recently about noticing things around the house that need doing and getting them done or offering to help when he sees a need, both without being asked.  It shows a growth in maturity this year, and I am so grateful for his help and example for his brothers.  He continues to love math, and has a great pre-calculus teacher this year.  Ben is also enjoying his biology class, but unfortunately has a chemistry teacher that leaves a little to be desired.  He was really excited for that class, so that is a bummer.  He has also really enjoyed starting up seminary class.  Ben is still a homebody at heart and his favorite thing is finding a quiet place to try a new origami creation or reading a good dystopian novel.  But he is aware of this solitary trait, so sometimes he makes a firm decision to get out and do things with friends.  He especially loves hanging out with church friends, like David and Nathan, and has good allies in a couple of awesome boys he's known for a very long time, Micah and Will.  We can see his introversion creep up in new ways in our family, as his mild teen angst comes out from time to time, and he seeks some solo time in his room.  He's also discovered an expanding love of music, particularly Classic Rock (he's played Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles and Space Oddity by David Bowie as I type).  Ben has done a great job of finding balance between working hard and relaxing, recharging his introvert battery and spending time with family and friends.  His perception of the world around him is sophisticated, he cares about the needs of others and realizes that sometimes those needs have to come before his own; he is helpful, faithful and honest.  We couldn't be more proud of him!      

How old are you?  "Fifteen."
What makes you happy?  "Running, cookies, food, bacon, amigos, origami."
What are your favorite things to eat?  "Food after running, anything that Mom makes." (unpaid response)
What is your least favorite thing to eat?  "No food, food that is too spicy."
What are your favorite things to do?  "Run, read, origami."
What is your favorite TV show?  "Ain't nobody got time for that.  Studio-C."
What are you really good at?   "Answering birthday questions.  Math.  Running."
What is your favorite movie?  "Captain America or Spiderman: Homecoming."
What is your favorite animal?  "Wolves."
What is your favorite color?  "Blue."
What is your favorite song?  "Son of Man from Tarzan."
Who are your best friends?  "Will Parsons, David McConkie, Micah Simonds, Nathan Barker."
What do you and Mom do together that you love?  "Talk (hear a history lesson--you get so animated!)."
What do you and Dad do together that you love?  "Play soccer, throw a 'sports' ball."
What is your favorite sport?  "Running."
What is your favorite book?  "Fablehaven Book 1."
Where is your favorite place to go?  "The {Conlin} Cabin; to see family."
What makes you feel scared?  "Family getting hurt; people I love getting hurt."
What do you want to be when you grow up?  "An endorsed runner."
What words would you use to describe yourself? "Fast, fun, nice, responsible, respectful, intelligent, faithful."
What is the most exciting thing you got to do this year? "Made the varsity high school cross country; and I loved the high altitude camp."
What do you want to tell the future you? "Be kind.  Stay focused."