Braeden

I miss Braeden.  He's been gone almost two weeks and I've had to subsist on text messages and a few brief phone calls.  EFY counselors are busy.

Here's a little update on him though (in honor of his half birthday, which is today).

He's big, which is good news and bad news.  The bad news is that airplane seats aren't super comfortable.  When you luck out with the bulkhead seat, it's noteworthy enough to text a picture to your family.

The good news is that I worry less about him because he's big.  He told me about his first night in San Antonio.  They were staying on a college campus.  It was around midnight and he walked some girl  counselors back to their dorms and then walked alone to his. (At what point do I start referring to people Braeden's age as men and women instead of boys and girls?  I don't know.)  He said it was dark and creepy and he started singing out loud when he was walking past some empty tennis courts and a pond.

I'm glad he's big.  A big kid striding along and singing is probably not going to be an easy target for, say, a kidnapper you know?

On the flight to Texas there were 76 EFY counselors in their EFY shirts.  Can you imagine?  You've probably never met a more energetic and cheerful group.  At least they were all exhausted which probably made them slightly less exuberant.  That many well rested EFY counselors could really overwhelm a Boeing 737.

They took vans to church.  In the ward Braeden was visiting almost all the young men were at a high adventure activity so the EFY counselors blessed and passed the sacrament.  Braeden texted us this (taken presumably before church started).

You and I both know he was raised better than to take pictures during sacrament meeting right?  Right?!?

The next weekend he spent time with his roommate Kinamo and friend Alexa who both live in San Antonio.

They went to the Alamo.

humidity = tight curls for my biggest boy

Also he helped Kinamo teach a primary class and drew a picture in primary which he texted me.

I am including it in this blog post because I recognize fine art when I see it.

His third cousin, Taylor, was in his company the first week.  He'd gone on missionary visits with Taylor's brother, Elder Dahl, when he was home for one of his medical hiatuses.  Their mom messaged me from Florida and said, "I think we need to be in each other's lives."

So we may get together later this summer when Elder Dahl becomes a UVU student.  His dad, Andrew, is my second cousin and his dad, (I think Jim?) is my dad's cousin and his dad, Lawrence, is my grandpa's brother.

Who knows how many third cousins just lurk around and you don't realize it, you know?

This week, Kinamo's little sister is in Braeden's company:

So it's a small world after all.

Here's what I'm glad about today: Braeden is my boy (and he will be home Saturday).  The older he gets the more I enjoy being his mother.  I would say the more I love him, but I don't know.  The love I felt for him has been pretty intense right from the start.

He's Braeden and that's always been exactly who I have wanted him to be.