The truth is, we have two kids. Two GREAT kids!! Sadly, because Dawsyn faces the challenges she does, she gets the most face time, concern time and blog time. Fortunately, she has been blessed with the best big brother EVER. Let me tell you a little about him ...
Matt is an awesome kid, well he was. Now he's an awesome teenager! That is a concept this mother is having trouble wrapping her head around. However, the calendar is not to be argued with, nor is the measuring tape, the scale, the shoe size, the fur on the lip or the grocery bill ... he definitely is a teenager!
Ice cream cake and friends to celebrate becoming a teen
In the past twelve months this boy has shot up to 5'6 1/4" and shows no interest in slowing down. I have a feeling that one day his dad at 6'2" will be looking up to him! His feet, oh my goodness, those feet grow a size every two months! Last baseball season he went through two pairs of cleats. He grew out of the first pair we bought him before the end of the season. This would not be so bad if we lived somewhere with a proper ball season but here it only lasts TWO MONTHS!
Not only does he play baseball, but also plays the piano and now the saxophone. This year he has the opportunity to be in a school band so we've dug out his father's old tenor sax, had it refurbished and it is getting a regular workout! Milkyway is not so sure he likes this particular instrument ... actually, he's quite sure that he does not like this particular instrument ... but we have great faith that we will be enjoying more than just chromatic scales soon! The big band sound will be new to Matt but, because he loves music of all styles, I'm sure that he will enjoy this experience. I hoping that he also takes a liking to jazz and gets involved in the jazz ensembles available.
Music is a pretty big theme in this home and Matt has been able to see many of his favorite groups live during this past year. He and his dad pulled our trailer up to Edmonton to attended YC at he end of May and, by all accounts, had a fabulous time. They enjoyed groups like Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Manafest, Blue Tree and many more. After listening to some of the CD's they brought home, I am quite happy that I opted to let that be an annual Father/Son experience. I am sure there was some music there that I would have enjoyed, I'm afraid that there was more that I would not have!
Our trailer served as the gathering place for our
church youth group. This is at breakfast one morning as
huddled under the awning to stay out of the rain.
In a couple weeks the two of them will attend another big concert at Canada Olympic Park called Rock the River. I'm sure they will have a very good time.
Fortunately, Matthew's musical tastes are very eclectic and he shares with me a love for Southern Gospel. Ben is very happy to spend a weekend looking after Dawsyn so that Matt and I can enjoy our annual bonding weekend at the Great Canadian Southern Gospel Music Celebration in Red Deer.
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| Michael Booth is one of Matt's very favorite people. They have had their picture taken together every year for the past three. Next year, Matt's gonna be taller than Michael!! |
It's really hard to catch the Booth Brothers all together so we had to settle for individual shots.
Matt with Ronnie Booth
Matt with Jim Brady
Another group we really love is Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. Matt loves how these guys dress and I ended up spending big $$ updating his wardrobe!!
There is so much more I could say about Matt like how he has a tender heart, how he is a great help to his Dad and me, how he's growing into a young man of integrity. I look forward to the coming days and years of watching him grow into the man God has designed him to be!
So why IS it always about Dawsyn? It's not! Dawsyn's big brother is pretty great too!!
3 comments:
You are right. You have TWO wonderful kids. Send Matt over to visit us and we'll fix him up with some excitement for a summer. Lots of Rock Bands (who can understand the words anyhow). And girls. Now that he is a teenager he needs to "broad"en his interests.
Marvel.....this is awesome....we are in total agreement with you! Last night the boys were talking about important people in their lives and George exclaimed that Matt was and is like a big brother to him. Thank you Matt for being SO wonderful with our sons....we appreciate the time you spend with them even though they are much younger than you! We are truly enjoying watching you grow into such a special young man :)
The Hodstock's xx
Well said Marv!
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