Rhys: 3-year-old Update

Rhys is changing so much! I need to be posting more of our sweet memories!!

Recently, he corrected me when I asked him a question, addressing him endearingly as "Baby." His response: "Mommy, Rhys is a boy (his emphasis :)). Rhys not a baby anymore." (my thought process: "Wow! That was excellent communicating! "Thank You, Lord!" Although a sad truth that my baby is growing up so FAST!) I'm encouraged to eat this time up with him! Thankfully, he is my cuddle bug, so I get LOTS of cuddling morning, day and night with this sweet boy. "Thank You, Lord!!!"

Here are some recent pictures...

Talking to Aunt Tami on the phone. When a child is able to independently talk on the phone, he/she is SO grown up in my eyes! (sigh)

My big boy on the swing! He enjoys swinging higher and HIGHER and HIGHER!!!! He's definitely got a touch (or more!! :)) of silliness, curiosity and explorer in him!

See? Curious and our little explorer! Ready to 'take a nap' (his words) on his desk. It's hard to not laugh when I'm supposed to be correcting. :)

Rhys went on his first overnight camping trip last month! We praise the LORD for keeping him warm on a very cold (lows down to 32 degrees) night/morning! Rhys is very cold-natured, so we were concerned he'd not like it and not want to go camping again.

He got to go with Daddy and Uncle Ryan, Rollins & Christian. They had a GREAT time, and Rhys is waiting for the next camping trip!!

Rhys is an easy, pleasant boy. He has a heart of compassion and empathy for others. If something happens to Caleb, Daddy or to myself, he stops what he's doing, asks if we're okay and proceeds to come with a hug, kiss and pat on the back to reassure us, saying, "You are okay." He is PRECIOUS!

Rhys is very much a creature of habit!! He definitely comes by this honestly!! Both Daddy and Mommy are set in our ways! :) To a fault! It really is cute to watch Rhys throughout the day...so far, I'm certain that physical touch is his primary love language. He wants to sit in MOMMY's lap first thing in the morning and get that physical contact and cuddling before he can even think about moving forward with the day. Next, he wants to be changed from his "night-time underwear" immediately! Thankfully, once he's up, he realizes he's wet and wants dry big-boy underwear on! Next, he wants oatmeal for breakfast...ridiculous, I know, but he still likes {more like requires, and I graciously cave!} for Mommy to feed him his oatmeal. Every other meal he is an independent eater, but breakfast has to be catered in every way by Mommy. :) I actually enjoy that quality time with him, especially realizing how much he truly needs that quality attention in order to fill his emotional tank. When he comes to me to be held, I truly praise the Lord because I need that sweet bonding time with him, too!

Rhys LOVES LOVES LOVES preschool!!!! He goes two mornings per week, four hours at a time, and he looks forward to going! I am so thankful for his delight in school, his teachers, his classmates, etc!!! I praise the Lord for His constant confirmation each week as we take our big man to school and pick him up! He is truly fed there - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, etc!

I would say that Rhys' very favorite outdoor activity is riding on his 4-wheeler! I must say that I'm quite impressed with his steering skill! Both driving forward and backward! I think he will make my parallel parking and reverse driving skills look pitiful once he's behind real wheels, but I'm not ready to think any more on that. He's already growing up too fast, and he's only 3!!!

Indoors, Rhys enjoys water color painting, coloring with markers and playing with play-doh. I bought water colors for him last week, and when he saw them, he said, "I need water!!" I was looking for instructions to make sure how to add water...use a cup of water? add a drop to each paint color? Well, there were no instructions, but Rhys knew what to do from school and Sunday school! My smart 3-year-old taught me!!! I LOVE it!!!

One thing Rhys has done all of his life is organize! Especially his toys! Cars, trucks, etc. I just have to make mention of that because it reveals a big part of his personality. He truly is his daddy up one side and down the other! It's neat to watch Rhys live life and see so much of Daddy in him! I'm so thankful!! He's a good kid, and we certainly pray constantly that God would continue to develop and refine him to be the man He wants Rhys to be!

One final current tid-bit on Rhys...since he's so cold-natured, he prefers long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Last week, when the weather was in the upper 70's, I put a short-sleeved shirt and shorts on him (after all the Fall and winter months in long sleeves and long pants, right?), and he literally pulled at the shirt sleeves, wondering why they were so short! He fussed and fussed! He could not stand wearing either! Something was just MISSING in his little mind! So, back to long sleeves and long pants we went! I love that boy!!! Young minds think SO very differently!!! It's so sweet!!!

What in the world was life like without this precious child just over 3 years ago? Well, he is one of my spices of life! He gets better and better with age! :) More fun, too! :) God has blessed MY days with Rhys! In every way! I am thankful beyond knowing how to verbalize my thankfulness! Praise be to HIM!