Nine Years Ago

My son Braden turned nine years old on Saturday. It is so hard to believe that it has been nine years since he came into this world. I can remember his coming like it was much more recent than that. He was born about six weeks early, and Holly and I were fearful that early April Fool's morning that we knew she had gone into labor. Fear didn't last long, though. I felt a real peace about the entire situation. Holly and I had prayed diligently for a child, and we had been through a great deal before she got pregnant with him. He was born healthy and happy and came home right away. God answered our prayers. Since then we have prayed that God would guide us as we raise Braden, and that He write His name on Braden's heart.

He grew and developed like any other child, and started in the Three Year Old Class at Southwest Christian School. He is still there, in the third grade. His attention to detail and his desire to learn are really amazing to me. Braden enjoys science and history, especially anything that is extreme or has a significant story - Titanic, Hindenburg, Lusitania (yes, even as a first grader he was interested in the Lusitania), volcanos, earthquakes, etc. He loves to read about these types of things and find out even more information about whatever he is into at the time.

Braden is also very tender-hearted and caring. He is always concerned about others, making sure that everyone is included. He's a good guy, and I am proud to be his dad. He is by no means perfect. He has a lot of fun and enjoys life, makes mistakes, and even forgets to turn in an assignment from time to time. He's a normal kid, but pretty exceptional to me.

God continues to answer prayers.