Christian stayed with my mom and dad and spent most of his time working with Uncle Ben. I loved this arrangement because it was such a safe and familiar place for Christian to be away from us, and Uncle Ben made things fun while they worked.
Christian got up every morning at 5 am to irrigate potatoes and beets. He also had to pick rocks, pull weeds, mow the lawn, spray weeds on the four-wheeler, and many other less-than-fun jobs. When I would call and talk to him, he seemed tired, but happy. Since he was still pretty young, he was only asked to work half days and could come in out of the heat in the afternoon.
At one point during the 3 weeks, Christian got to go stay at Ben's house because Grandpa and Grandma had their sibling reunion planned. That was his favorite part of the whole experience. Uncle Ben made sure that he had a great time. He took him out to lunch, bought him a pop during the hot afternoons, and played video games with him. I'm thankful they took such good care of him.
Throughout the weeks, I would text Mom to see how he was doing. She sent me some funny posts on WhatsApp showing me how hard Christian was working. They were obviously jokes, but it just reminded me that farm life is full of hard work, but it is also fun!
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| With the family at Jump Creek |
Toward the end of his stay, I could tell he was getting a little bit homesick. I think it was mostly because it was his birthday, and he was away from home. I told him to keep working hard because it would be over soon and that I was proud of him. At the end of July, we all met up in Rexburg for Jake's graduation. Christian isn't a very affectionate child, but I could tell he was happy to see his momma, and I was happy to see him. We brought him a bunch of balloons and his birthday presents so we could celebrate with him, even if it was a little late.
He told us that he really enjoyed being away from home, and it was a nice break from his brothers. (I'll admit they can be a little annoying at times!) He liked being around all of his Uncles and Aunts and feeling like a big kid. It showed me that he is a teenager now, and we need to start giving him more opportunities to be with the adults. I think he learned a lot of valuable things that will help him in the future. I hope these experiences will help him as he goes on a mission, goes to college, and gets a job.
When I asked my dad how Christian did, he said that he was a slow worker, but he had a good attitude and did what he was asked. He also said that while he was working, he was always thinking about technology he could build to make the work faster and easier. Haha, that's my boy! I was happy to hear the feedback and grateful to know how to help him improve. He made over $550 for his work ($7.25/hour) and was thrilled! Hopefully, he will get to go to the farm again next year.
I can't believe I have a 13 year old now! Christian is a great kid. I am thankful that he is part of our family. Some things about Christian at 13:
Favorite Foods: Orange chicken, pizza, fajitas, tacos
Favorite Activities: Thinking, Sleeping, Playing Minecraft
Favorite School Subject: Science
Favorite Book: Harry Potter, Fablehaven
Interests: Programming and computer design
Great Qualities: Strong sense of right and wrong; loves fairness; very helpful around the house; a great, creative mind.
He has also started to show some real spiritual maturity. Christian has never been a very emotional child. He is generally very even keeled and logical. This can be a good quality, but he has never been very spiritually minded because of these characteristics. He knows everything about the scriptures, but I have always wondered if it sunk deep enough to form a testimony. I have started to see glimpses of this new side of him, and I love it. Here are just a few examples:
When we were discussing how the "Come Follow Me" program has changed the Church and our family, he said, "I used to know all the stories and answers, but now I really believe them and feel they are true. They mean more now."
At our Christensen Family Reunion, we celebrated the life of my Grandpa and Grandma. They spent their whole lives raising great children, serving others, and loving the Lord. After the end of a little presentation about them, Christian turned to me and said, "We have so many family members with lots of faith on both sides of the family. They worked really hard, served missions, and always did what was right. It gives me so many great people to look up to." I agree. What an amazing blessing!
After church one Sunday, I was lamenting the fact that hardly any kids in our Primary know any scripture stories. I had spent the day discussing Alma the Younger, King Benjamin, and the Brother of Jared, and I was shocked that my children and 2 others were the only ones that knew the answers to the questions. When I got home, I told them that I was proud of them for knowing the scriptures. Christian replied, "When Grandpa Christensen is your Grandpa, how could you not?" I love that he recognized that our love of the scriptures was passed down because of my Dad who loves and lives them. Christian is part of a legacy of faith, and I am so happy that he understands that.
Christian really is a great son, and I am happy he is ours!
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