Four Years

“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
Matthew 11:25

Dear Luke Sawyer,

Why does it feel like I just finished writing a letter to you about turning 3 years old? I can’t believe how big you are. You are 100% boy through and through, which I love, but I know at the same time that you will never be that chubby cheeked toddler. You’re tall like your daddy and so full of energy and imagination and I love seeing that part of your world.

Year 3 brought with it some challenges in the behavior department. I had a lot of moms assure me that they too had struggles with their 3 year olds, but 4 was a lot easier. There were certainly days when I was worried that the outbursts and sometimes irrational behavior wouldn’t end, but it seems that you are getting better about handling your emotions, especially when situations don’t quite go your way. You are what the experts call “strong-willed” (no idea where that comes from), but I already see your leadership skills coming in handy, and my prayer for you is that you allow God to shape you into a strong Christian leader that I know you can be. I love when you use your manners, and hope that you continue to do so through the rest of your life. There’s just something about someone saying “yes ma’am/sir” that reminds us to respect each other.

You are quite the social butterfly. You started preschool this year, and you LOVE going and seeing your sweet teacher, Mrs. Denvir, and all your friends. Each day you tell me who you played with the most that day and what your favorite toy was. I love seeing how excited you are to go to school and of course utilize carpool which is every mother’s dream. You have even started partaking in art projects which in the past you never enjoyed, but you’ve had quite a few masterpieces. You also started JOYLAND choir at church and that has been fun, as you are a music lover, and love to sing. It also doesn’t help that two of your besties go too, but you all do a great job making a joyful noise!

Some of your favorite things include: Going to the park and mall (anywhere with a slide will suffice), going to friend’s houses to play, going to the movies (we’re all so excited about “Cars 2” and “Kung Fu Panda 2” releasing this summer), and reading books (YAY!). Your favorite author is Mo Willems, and we love the Knuffle Bunny series and of course “Leonardo the Terrible Monster”. You really enjoy playing with Play-doh, which we do almost every day. It’s a great tool for those hands of yours and keeps you busy for a good hour which mom loves. And of course you love to play tickle and swords with daddy. It’s probably your favorite time of day.

Your favorite foods are pizza, pancakes, ice cream, grapes, peanut butter pretzels, grilled cheese and cheetos. Typical 4 year old food fare. J If you can choose a restaurant to eat at it’s either Chick Fil A or Freebirds, sometimes Mooyah. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a nifty train park near them either.

We went for your 4 year check up and found that you are off the charts in height: 45.5 inches, and weigh 39.25 pounds. Tall and skinny...that's not a bad thing! You had to also get your 4 year vaccinations and those were not fun. You were pretty sad about it, but a trip to the mall help get your mind off the pain.

My favorite thing about this year, is how often you will randomly come up and give me hugs and sweet smiles and tell me you love me. It melts my heart every time, and you will never, ever know how much more I love you…but I do! My hope for this year is that you will continue to learn how much Jesus loves you and the sacrifice he made for my sweet precious boy. My prayer is one day you will accept this gift whole-heartedly, and run with, just as you run in the wind right now, with your arms out, gliding above the clouds, full of spirit and joy.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!