My mom is Susan. She raised me by herself until I was older than 5 when she got married for the first time. Through my step-dad I had a step-brother, Jonathan, who was two years younger than me, and a half-brother, Arthur, who died when he was 15 months old. Mom and my step-dad divorced in 2001, months before we moved from Florida to North Dakota. I miss Florida sometimes, but I know Mom moved us for the right reasons. Mom re-married in July 2003, her husband, Lee, adopted me.

My birth dad lives about 80 miles from us with his wife and my two half brothers. I haven't seen them in a while, but I still write to his parents once in a while. Dad is a hunter and a golfer.

My adoptive dad, Lee, makes my mom happy. He drove city bus for fourteen years and recently changed jobs. It was kind of stressful for them both, but Mom always tells me things happen for a reason. Lee has a sister and a brother who both live nearby and we see them about once a month. His dad lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with his wife, Marlene. Lee enjoys doing stuff around the house, he's pretty particular about things like the lawn and shoveling.

I have a little sister, Claire. She just turned two at the beginning of June. I spend a lot of time with her and it's fun to watch her develop. I can't believe how fast she grows. She's into everything now, things keep getting pushed back further on countertops to stay out of her reach.

I have quite a bit of extended family. My mom has a sister and brother. I have grandparents and a great grandmother who will be 100 years old July 31, 2006.