Twelve.

Bro,

I cannot believe you are 12 today!  What's even more unbelievable than that is the fact that you are absolutely the coolest dude on the face of the planet. With each day that passes, your personality, dedication, maturity, and perseverance, continue to increase in depth and strength. This past year has been one like no other in all of history. On March 13, 2020, the world shut down and your whole world stopped in its tracks. In an instant, you were doing school at home, basketball championships (and all other sports) were canceled, and we were all quarantined with a fear of the unknown. Fast forward an entire year, and you are still schooling at home, but have learned more then I ever thought possible in my wildest imagination. Not only have you adjusted to the curve ball that our crazy world threw at you, you have absolutely knocked it out of the park. You finished off 5th grade with ease and started this wild transition to middle school, isolated at home, taking accelerated classes (7/8th grade math and venture ELA, Geography, and Science), with all healthy outlets taken away from you. My heart broke for you. There were nights that I sat with you as you struggled with the difficulty of how to navigate this new life as you longed for 'normal' to return. But guess what...you fought back. You persevered. You overcame. You climbed out of that valley and back up the mountain. You finished the hardest semester of your life with a 4.0. And you developed grit and strength that are going accompany you as you continue to change the world. And Zack, I've never been more proud of you. You're a fighter and an overcomer. You're brilliant and kind. You're incredibly resilient. You're an encourager. You love Jesus. You brighten every room you enter. You're smile melts me. Needless to say, I'm absolutely blown away that I get to be your mom. I love watching you grow into the incredible human that you are becoming.

Despite quarantine and the difficulty of navigating life in a pandemic, we still had a blast this year. We spent the summer on the boat (even though we moved in June to our new house) and you have mastered the art of wake surfing. You make it look frustratingly easy. We adventured to Chelan (with the boat), and found what might be our favorite place on the planet in that gorgeous, clear lagoon. We memorized every single word in the broadway play Hamilton. And we just recently took a trip to Anaheim, swam our hearts out, cruised with the top off of our jeep, and explored Southern Cali in the beautiful sunshine. You're finally back in basketball, indoor soccer, and you enjoy going to Defy multiple times a week. Your heart is longing to play football...and I'm confident that you will get to resume soon! And we ordered a new boat that should be here at the end of June! So pumped to create more memories with you! 

The last few months, while loving on Chrissy, I've been singing and praying the song 'The Blessing' over her life (as you well know because its playing on what seems like constant repeat). Its got me thinking about the days that I would sing to you for what seemed like hours each night as you fell asleep in my arms. I'd sing whatever was on my heart but my song for you over the years has been 'How He Loves Us'. I realized recently that this song was constantly on my heart because falling in love with you and experiencing that crazy, deep, overwhelming love was an incredible insight into the love that Jesus has for us. And now everytime I hear it, not only am I overcome with thankfulness for you and your life, but I'm humbled before Jesus that he loves us in a way that I cannot fathom or comprehend. You have singlehandedly taught me more then anything or anybody else could about the love of Jesus. How vast and overwhelming. How beautiful and sweet. How bold and protective. 'Oh, how he loves us.' And Zack, how I love you. I am so deeply thankful.

So Zack, again on you 12th birthday, I pray this prayer over your life. My prayers for you ebb and flow but this remains constant.

Lord, thank you for the precious gift and miracle you have blessed us with in giving us Zack. I pray that you would raise Zack up to be a Mighty Man of God and a warrior for your kingdom. That he would love and serve you and love and serve your people and honor and obey us as his parents. And Lord, that you would give us great wisdom to be parents worthy of his love, honor, obedience, and respect! God I pray that Zack would be a man of integrity and great character. That he would be strong and courageous. That he would tenaciously seek you and your will, but that his heart would be tender in the pursuit of your people. Lord, I pray that your grace and mercy would pour out over his life and that he would accept your amazing gift of forgiveness, every single day. And please work in our hearts to never take this weight of parenting lightly. Lord, we are raising your precious child. He is not ours, he is a child of the Most High God. You have created every speck of sand on the shore, every star in the sky, and know every hair on his head...he is yours. But thank you so much for giving us the amazing opportunity to be his parents and love him every day of his life. Lord I pray that you would protect him from injury, disease, and illness. Protect his heart from heartache. And Lord, please help me to be his greatest fan and encourager. This year he rocked 4th grade. And before I know it, he will be off to Jr. High...and High School! All too soon I will hear Zachariah David Pentz announced as he walks across the platform and is handed his diploma. Lord, I pray even now for Zack's future spouse. I pray that Zack would lay his life down for her as you did for your church. And on that day, on that alter, you would join them together forever in a union that only you could create. Man, it makes my heart happy to think about the day that Zack will hold his baby and gaze into its face just the way that I did eight years ago today. God, continue to shape him and form him into the Man of God that you have called him to be. 

Amen.

You are the greatest gift.

Love you,

Mom