Fourteen!

Ben (bottom row, middle) and some of his teammates

Ben turned 14 this month. He's come a long way from the 3# preemie his older siblings thought looked like E.T. (He had no body fat to smooth his facial features, and he lacked eyebrows and eyelashes for a good while. I still thought he was adorable.)

Amanda (6), Kara (17), Jon (10), Andrew (18), Peter (8), Paul (2), Faith (5), Ben (1 month), and Kristen (13)

This year Ben, 8th grade, is running cross country with a homeschool team. What an excellent challenge this has been for Ben, causing him to work together with his teammates, stretching to places they didn't imagine they could go. Because the team is small, he competes both in the middle school meets and high school ones.

For his birthday I made a quilt in his team colors of black, silver, red, and white. 

As I pieced it and then backed it with cozy fleece, 

I envisioned Ben using it to wrap up in after finishing a run in frigid weather. 

Haha! So far all the meets have been in summery temps. 

Maybe by the time the championship race rolls around in mid-October? 

Anyway, he's enjoying it indoors.

We're so thankful that fourteen years ago God spared the life of this son. What a joy it is to watch him grow into a young man who fears the Lord!


"Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."  - I Samuel 12:24