BMK

This is the man! He is in Grade 8, and will be 14 in December.

He is a great kid. Very earnest, very conscientious, and very kind.

The ladies have been noticing him since 2005, as he is a veteran of the dating scene. However, his sister may have inadvertently blocked his first kiss!

He is a hero to his little brother! Known as "Bro", Braiden shares his time and energy with his brother, sharing a love of video games and trips to the park. They can be spotted joyously riding around town on a bike ... and for a 13 year old, that's pretty frickin' cool.

He is awesome around the house. With Kristin out of town, he cleaned up everything - dishes, carpet, garbage - all without being asked. The joy of seeing his eyes light up when I gave him 20 bucks made my day as much as it did his!

He has always been a great brother. When the kids were younger, Brenna was stung by a bee. Braiden came and got his mother, and stood around nervously saying, "Oh, my Brenna ... my precious Brenna!".

He is a lover of grandmas, and player of Monopoly.

He is looking forward to getting his licence. He has had a chance to drive once, and he really enjoyed it.

His congruent childhood dreams of becoming an architect, a rock star, and the owner of a fitness center - all at the same time - has not been put on the back burner yet. He recently wanted to buy a very large boxing bag and hang it from his ceiling.

He dislikes the new carpet for his room, but he never complained.

His favorite book is a survival guide from the US military. He knows what plants are safe to eat, and the best way to clean an infection should one not be able to move.

He intends on going to Minot State University ... for financial reasons.

He is a great son, and I love him dearly.