Happy Birthday Matt!

Happy Birthday Matt. Matthew Don was born on May 3rd 1988. But we knew he was to come to our family 25 1/2 months before. When I was pregnant with Gordon the Dr. recommended that I not have any more kids, I had some problems that would only get worse and there really wasn’t anything to prevent them. So we had given it some thought, but nothing permanent had been decided. That night after having Gordon I had a dream that was as real as real. There was a little boy who asked if he could come to our family and of course I said Yes. When Kim came back in the morning I was crying and he asked “what’s going on” and was worried something had happened to the baby. I told him about the dream and that we had one more little boy who needed to come to our family, he hugged me and reassured me that it would be OK and we or I

could do this, but with his usual humor he said we just won’t start trying today.

I am not sure if there really is a bad time to have a birthday, maybe Christmas day, but Matts B-Day has often found it self stuck in-between so many other things. We’ve had collage graduations, over-sea trips, family funerals, births of cousins, this year we have Jessica’s graduation, moving Mel and Justin and Max’s party all at the same time. But Matt has always been a trooper and we’ve done the best we can.

Matt has always loved the outdoors and needed to be everywhere his brother was. He loved it so much he was always “running away”, but that was usually because he was mad at me. He would pack some little bag and be gone. Most times I’d just watch him walk down the street, but a few times he would be gone for awhile. Once I found him asleep in the back of the van, another he climbed out his bedroom window and was laughing & sitting on top of the tool shed outside. He was very creative and constantly trying out experiments. This meant he was mixing anything and everything together just to see what it looked like.

He also was great at getting lost, on purpose or by just wondering away. He climbed anything and into everything and so looking for him could be very involved. Once it included closing down Harmon’s and calling the police, only to find him out of the store through the parking lot and at the corner restaurant, he was about 2, and mom was at work.(Yes dad lost him)

He and his friend Tom Barfuss were baptized in the river/stream at the Hardcastle Cabin. This was a really special event. Bishop Kline and both our families were there to see these two sweet little boys and their dads brave the very cold, rocky and fast moving stream. I hope neither of them ever forgets that special experience.

He loved to be read too and to read. He loved Charlie just a bit too much, and the two of them had a very rough relationship. He actually would play with the gerbils and name them.

He has had lots of stitches and emergency Dr. visits. His first was on his cheek when he was hit by a swing glider at just a yr. old. With more to follow. His lip, head, stomach pains late in the night,(in the ER we found out he was hungry), knees that suddenly wouldn’t support his little body,(sudden allergy to Ceclor), eating a crayon, burning his foot, falling off a car, bug and mosquito bites that swelled to the size of a baseball, and many ear infections and tubes. And later a head concussion, with a snowboarding story much to long to tell here. Not to mention his very complecated post wisdom teeth experience. He did outgrow getting hurt even though he has always liked dangerous activities.

He likes to rock climb, snow board, repelling, & back packing. He plays the guitar and sings and has been in a few rock bands. He likes to write both stories and songs.

In Kindergarten Matt completely memorized the poem/song of “There was an Old Lady who swallowed a Fly”. He performed it for the whole school and then again that night for the parent’s night. He did such a great job and we were all so pride of him. He has continued to do things that have made us proud. In 12th grade he interviewed for and got a wood working apprentice all on his own. And even though after a while the job changed and they wouldn’t work with a collage schedule he went on to find one that would. He has always been a very hard and dedicated worker, never lazy or calling in sick. He did great at his first year of college and looks forward to more years.

It’s really hard to summarize someone’s life in a few lines and pictures, but Matt is loved and appreciated. He gives me hugs and says “I love you” daily, and even with our personal struggles due to our different or maybe too much the same personalities, know that you are loved and many wishes of a happy birthday.