Dear Hunter,
Today you are seven years old. It's amazing to look back and see the
progression of our days with you. I
could have never imagined the little boy you would be that blizzarding day when
we took you home from the hospital.
Here’s a little bit about seven-year-old you.
You love to snuggle.
We started a new thing this year where we snuggle in the morning for a
few minutes when I wake you up. That
slow wake up and those quiet moments together are sweet and the perfect start
to our day. For a few years you really
struggled with school anxiety. But with
some easy, small changes to the morning routines around here you seem to have
kicked those worries to the curb. You go through your morning tasks almost entirely on your
own and have a great attitude about school.
Not a day goes by where you don’t play with your
sisters. On any given day you might get
along better with one of them. But they
are your best friends and I love that.
You love to play legos, and games and farm with them. And generally, they love doing things with
you too. I am so thankful for the gentle
way they love you with their time and attention. What a gift those relationships will be as
you grow older.
As far as school goes, you love PE, art and math. You are also an amazing reader. It seems like you made the jump from early
readers to chapter books overnight. You
especially love Dogman and other graphic novels. Strangely, you complain whenever it is
reading time. But in just minutes you
are completely absorbed in your book.
School isn’t tough for you and I am proud of the way you put forth your
best effort in your schoolwork.
You seem to be following in Maddie’s footsteps as you
love to draw. You spend many hours at
our coffee table drawing pictures of tractors, sports cars, red trucks,
animals, and people. Sometimes you
illustrate your own book. You really are
a good little artist.
Playing soccer and softball with your Dad are your
favorite sports activities. It was fun
to see how much you had improved with your soccer skills this fall compared to
last year. In the summer scooters and
bikes and swimming give you great exercise.
You are quite the little fish! A
good waterpark is one of your favorite things.
Nothing bothers you quite as much as being teased. You love to tease people in our family. You are quick to jump up from your chair at
the supper table and give Dad bunny ears for absolutely no reason
whatsoever. But we have learned not to
tease you. You only want people to laugh
at you if you are intentionally making them laugh. Being the youngest in the family and being
the only boy presents some challenges.
While your sisters love you so much and often think you are terribly
cute, you really don’t welcome that kind of doting and coddling.
You love tigers and koalas and giraffes. Your favorite color is red. You’re not so into movies but you love
watching videos on youtube. You like to
help me bake. You love chocolate and
Mountain Dew. You are absolutely
convinced that when you are old enough to drive you will have a black truck
with black rims (a blackout). You want
to play the drums when you get older.
You hate haircuts.
You are growing up in so many ways.
And yet…you are still my little boy. I still find your little hand slipping into
mine when we are walking. You still
climb up into my lap for devotions after supper. Every night Dad reads a story to you and
prays with you and tucks you in, but then you call for me. I get lots of hugs.
As much as I love those hugs, there is something about you
that I love even more. I love to hear
you pray. Every night when we take turns
praying after supper, you have the sweetest prayer. The things you pray for vary, but you always
say, “Thank you for dying on the cross.”
The words Pastor Ryan spoke over you in your baptism echo in my
memory. “For you Jesus came into the
world. For you he died. All this he did for you little one, though you
know nothing of it as yet.” But you are
starting to know it. I see the way He is
shaping you, your character, your personality.
I see the way you are learning to walk in His ways – the choices you
make, the truths you choose to tell, the kindnesses you show. I see the way it is sometimes super hard for
you to follow him. Sometimes it costs
you. But in small seven-year-old ways
you are doing it. I see Him working in
you. Its my prayer that you will
continue to trust Him – that you will continue to live in thankfulness for the
price He paid for you.
I love you, Hunter.
Out of all the little boys in the world, I would have chosen you. I am so grateful God chose you for me.
Love,
Mom
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