May 3 was the day. And I think if Braden could speak he would tell us that he really had a good birthday. He was all smiles and happy dances. He gave his cake a lot of attention too. It was a motocross theme and standing in the frosting was a motocross bike with its rider. He knew what was going on. As soon as he woke up in the morning Mom and I told him, "Happy birthday!" and he was 8 now and we were having a party for him that night. So he knew. He was aware.

But before the cake and party it was off he went to school.

Follow up:

Halfway through the school day Mom took cupcakes for the class and she also brought Lucy, Braden's dog, into the class. Braden LOVED it! Once again he was all smiles and happy dances - arms flying with happiness. He loves his dog, and of course, he thinks he's the boss of her. "Sit down, Woocy!" he always says. "Woocy! Come! Way down, gull. Good gull." He bosses her around like a drill sergeant. As soon as she complies with his demands he issues new orders.

This year we didn't have any other kids over for Braden's party. We've figured out that he doesn't care if other kids are there. He just wants to play, eat his cake, open his gifts, and have a group of adults sing him the Birthday Song with glee. He loved it.

He's growing and he won't stop. 8 already. What's in the future 8 years further down the road? It's not too often that I consider the future. I just don't worry about it. But I can hardly imagine my son being 16. Geez. 16? Pimples. Trends. Girls?

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Braden being 16 is whether or not he'll have seizures. 1 in 4 autistic kids develop seizures by puberty according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. So there's a 25% chance he'll have seizures. Please, Lord, no seizures. I'm getting emotional at the mere thought of him having seizures. This is a thought that doesn't even enter the minds of most parents. But we're not most parents. We have a child with special needs.

Who will Braden be at age 16? Will he be able to speak to us and have a conversation? Will he be interested in girls? Will girls be interested in him? It's doubtful that he will ever have a driver's license. He will probably live with us, his parents, for the rest of his life. But that's not so bad. After all, we love this kid!

When he hits 16 that means there's only 2 more years till 18. Wow! I don't know what the future holds for Braden as a young adult, but I'm comfortable knowing that our Savior, our God is in control of it all. What happens will happen. Romans 8:28 tells us "all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." That's us. We're called according to His purpose.

Now that he's 8 we'll just enjoy another year and let 9 blindside us next year if it's the Lord's will. We've seen a lot of improvements in Braden since he was 7. I'm sure there will be plenty of things to look forward to over the next year! Amen?