I know this is going to be a hard post for me. It’s hard to summarize how much this guy means to us. He has blessed us beyond words.

Sure, there are days when I miss my little boy. The goofiness. The tiny voice when he talked. His complete need for everything related to us. And yes, I’ll say it. I miss the Legos all over the house.

It was fun teaching him the love of sports. In many ways, he’s a natural. This is him, first year playing, with a pretty good form shot. Or in karate, when the Master showed a new move, Zachary just picked it up while the other kids struggled. Our swim coach proudly exclaimed when he was four, this kid has incredible muscle memory. This after showing him how to dive…first attempt the boy nearly had it. Crazy.

Things sometimes look effortless to him. He’s lucky that way. Sure there have been challenges and we are working on his fixed mind set, but overall the boy continues to grow and improve.

Last week, our boy turned 10. Zachary now stands just short of my chin. His feet are officially much bigger than mine, maybe now I’ll get my socks back. He’s inquisitive. Has great friends. Loves to make others laugh. Can be foreboding and down right mad when can’t figure things out (we’re working on that one). He now recognizes girls (gulp) and I hate to say it, but he is pretty darn handsome. He doesn’t know it yet, but girls notice him. We moms notice these things.

The baby and toddler days may be over, but our relationship has matured to another level. It’s a level full of deeper connections. I love where his life is heading and we intend to be fully supportive with each milestone. Our boy may be a double digiter, but in the end, he’s still our boy. And for that, we are extremely thankful.