Zach

Zach turned 21 yesterday. We went to dinner last night with Kortney and Zach and then came home, he and Kort did homework, and then he went and picked up his friend Steven, since they were in 2nd grade which he turned 21 also yesterday, at a bar.

I remember when I first came into his life, he was just getting ready to turn 8 years old. His father and I were dating and planning a wedding. Greg had custody of this little fellow. He would go to meetings with us and just sit and listen or hang out with other kids that came with their parents and ran around the facilities or play with his Nintendo game in the meeting. He would sit in the chairs that we sat in and couldnt touch the ground and swing his little muscular legs, he was an avid gymnist competitor. When he wasnt in school or hanging with us at meetings during school times he was at the gym practicing his moves on the floor, bars, rings, horse. We really thought he was going to be an olympian champion or at least a contender, his determination and outlook on working out and trying to do the best he can to be a winner was at that age so impressive. Well the new gym instructor that they brought in after almost 5 years of gym and tumbling nearly broke his spirit, and so Zach moved on and no longer wanted to compete. We thought that it was not a good move, but that is what made Zach happy. What he did do was focus on playing, during play time and focused on his academics during school time.
Today he is a student at Cal State Bakersfield, 3.9 grade point average. Spanish was not his favorite, got a b in it. He graduated from BHS with honors and a 3.98 GPA.

But most of all he is a great son. I know that his father is so very proud of him everyday of his life. Yes he is a typical kid, doesnt always want to take the trash out when you ask him, but he always does.

I am so blessed to be his step-mom, which when he does talk about me that is what he says, his step-mom and I am so proud of that. I know he has a mother, I know he loves his mother, but I also know that he loves me. We have such a beautiful relationship which we have built over the years. I was thinking back yesterday, the first day I layed eyes on him, little guy with blondish, brownish hair, that was cut in a Billy cyrus cut, to the neck line. He would just look up at me and smile and then as he grew older we have many memories of he and I just together shopping, going to the beach, the cabin with his dad and the 2 of us and his grandpa, taking care of him when he was sick, being there for him in times of grief, our dogs that have passed on, grand parents that have passed on. I get to be here. I am so blessed. Picking him up from an unsupervised party that the cops called us in the middle of the night, he was sober we did test anyway but we did it with love. Always letting him know that I love him, even when he was not able to say it to me when he was younger, getting to know that he loves me and hearing that he loves me. What a joy this young little boy that was brought into my life has been. I love you Zach and so grateful that my God saw fit to give me the desire of my heart, I prayed for years for a little boy to go along with my daughter and was so very dissappointed with that God for years because it never came true, but the day I first saw you I knew you were the desire of my heart, and you have made me so very proud to be your step-mom. AKA Mom.