Zachary,

I can hardly believe you are 5 years old, how time flies!  You have gone from a helpless baby to a very capable, sweet, and smart boy.  You bring me joy daily as I watch you interact with and learn from the world around you.  At five years old you are excited about life.  You love your baby brother and it is a joy to watch you cherish him.  I am so excited to see how your relationship develops with time.  You and Zoey spend hours in make believe land.  The stories that come out of playtime crack me up.  It is not umcommon for me to hear you talking about being in the snow, then going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and then ice skating, within 4 minutes of each other.  Your brain is working fast!  You are so sweet with Ally.  Helping her with what she needs and most of the time encouraging her to make good choices.  I love it when you pick her up and put her in her chair at  the table, put her bib on her and get her something to eat.  The compassion you show others is truly beautiful to witness.

Although most of the time you are sweet, at times you do get confused about who is the parent.  I hear you bossing your sisters and sometimes you think you are in charge of me.  Those are the times I remember how young you still are.  How much of life you have in front of you and how much growing you have to do.  I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to guide and direct you through life, although it can be a bit exhausting at times!  You have come SO far in five years.  Those very challenging toddler years already seem so far away…

You have a heart for the Lord and it is amazing to watch and listen to you.  You remember to pray for your friends who don’t know Jesus and you sincerly hope that they get to know Him.  You are always asking me if you can talk to people about Jesus.  Recently you sent your teacher Kathy a letter in the mail, you so badly want to tell her about God.  At the top you wrote your name and then wrote God and drew a picture around the word.  Then in the middle you wrote, I Love You Kathy, and signed your name at the bottom.  You got an envelope and stamp and I helped you address it, then we walked it to the mail box.  The whole thing was your idea and you had been wanting to do it for some time before you finally remembered to do it that day.  Your prayers are beautiful and genuine and I love listening to you talk to God.

You have learned all your upper and lower case letters and all your numbers.  You are starting to do beginning reading and know what almost all of your letters sounds are.  You surprise yourself daily with your ability to sound words out.  You are a thinker and a processor.  I love asking you questions just to see how you will respond.  Your understanding of the world blows me away.  You know your left and right and can tell me how to drive to many different locations.  There is so much about you that reminds me of your Dad, and I see a little of me too, but mostly you are just a wonderful blend that makes you unique, there is only one you!

You are a worrier, you get that from me, sorry!  Here is a story to explain your advanced thinking but also your fear of being out of control.  We were driving to school one morning.  It had been a bit stressful getting out of the house, as it normally is.  Finally all four of you were quiet and I was enjoying some time to think.  Then from the back of the car I hear you say, “Mommy I am worried about something.”  I am thinking, okay, you are worried I forgot your lunch for school or that it might rain and you don’t have your coat or that one of you friends might not be at school, something along those lines.

So I ask you, “What are you worried about?”

You say, “When I am older and driving a car, how will I know when my car is going to run out of gas?”

I had to restrain my laughter as I explainned about the gas gadge and how Daddy and I would be sure to teach you all you needed to know about driving, including when to fill up the tank, before you got your license.

I love you Zachary, my first born.  In your 5 years we have been through a lot of changes, but you have always been a trooper.  I am more proud of you then I could ever explain.  I can’t wait to watch you grow into the man God has made you to be, but I am trying to cherish all the seconds I have left with you as a little boy.  Thanks for the 10-20 times a day you tell me you love me and for all the cuddles you give, they are more precious than gold.

I love you into eternity, Mommy