A couple of weeks ago Brian competed in a raw bench press competition for the first time. Brian has always enjoyed lifting weights and he is incredibly strong. His best lift is the bench press. He has done powerlifting competitions before, but always using gear. He was really excited about trying a raw competition. He dieted for about a month to get under 181 lbs. Brian is naturally strong so it was nice for him to do a competition without equipment. Matthew and I went to be his cheerleaders. Matthew did surprisingly well. His patience held out for the most part. He and Brian wore matching Tapout shirts.
Brian won first place in the Men's 181 and under weight class with a bench of 325 lbs. Matthew really liked the trophy - it was so shiny. He also enjoyed smiling at everybody. Whenever he saw someone else smile, he assumed they were smiling at him, so he grinned right back.
When we arrived at the gym where the competition was being held people immediately knew which lifter we belonged with (and it had nothing to do with the matching Tapout shirts). It was because Matthew looks so much like his daddy. Judge for yourself. These are pictures of Brian as a baby.
And here is Matthew.
Thinking about how much Matthew favors Brian got me thinking about all the things I hope Matthew inherits from Brian besides his beautiful brown eyes and adorable looks. Brian is an incredibly hardworker who tries to do his best on any task no matter what. I hope Matthew gets his daddy's work ethic. Brian is committed to whatever he is doing. He devotes 110% to anything he puts his mind to. I hope Matthew gets Brian's dedication to things. Brian is extremely health conscious. Every afternoon when Brian gets home from work he is in the barn working out to stay healthy and in shape. I hope Matthew has his daddy's desire to stay healthy. Brian is fun loving (which makes him an ideal playmate for Matthew). I hope Matthew has Brian's love of life and has fun like his daddy. Brian has a huge heart (which makes him a great friend). He always tries to help his friends out, no matter the sacrifice to himself. I hope Matthew grows up to be a good friend to others. Brian is very thoughtful. He is the romantic one in our marriage, sending flowers just because and texting to say he loves me. I hope Matthew will be a thoughtful and loving husband just like his daddy. Brian pitches in and helps out. He does all the laundry at our house and helps with a lot of the cleaning. He is an incredible caregiver. I hope Matthew learns those things from his daddy.
Matthew and I are very fortunate to have Brian. He is a wonderful husband and father. I don't tell him often enough what a blessing he is to me.
