Another year ends

So my prayer at the end of 2011 was that 2012 would be "filled with twice as much laughter as 2011, half the heartache and struggles, and more love than I can measure."  Well 2012 certainly had more laughter than 2011.  Matthew is a bundle of fun.  He loves to make people laugh with his silliness.  2012 has had its share of heartache in a different fashion.  We haven't had to say goodbye to any close family members this year, which was wonderful.  But there have been struggles and tears.  The love has definitely grown over the course of the year as has our extended family.

Even though I have posted a few times over the past few months, there haven't been any real updates.  So here goes.  I fully understand the phrase "growing like a weed now".  I feel like I can't blink without missing something with Matthew.  He talks all the time.  He sings and loves to be funny.  He dances.

He wants to please others.  He wants to be a superhero like his daddy.

But he is very stubborn too.  He has an independent streak that sometimes gets him in trouble.  He has a temper and totally lacks patience.

His care bear collection has grown because of his potty success.  But he still isn't potty trained.  I think maybe he isn't quite ready.  He wore big boy underwear once a couple of days after Christmas.  We asked him every 30 minutes if he needed to potty.  He kept saying no.  He was so proud, until he jumped up and ran to the bathroom, yelling "I need to pee pee".  He was already in the process of going.  His underwear were very wet.  He did manage to get some in the potty.  But he was so upset about wetting his underwear that he cried and has not wanted to wear any since then.  He doesn't seem to know when he needs to go ahead of time.  And he certainly can not hold it.  If we happen to time things right he will pee and poop in the potty.  And I will admit that I am not diligent enough to keep asking if he needs to go.  I get bored sitting in the bathroom every 30 minutes.  

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We spent it with MeMa and Pappy.  Matthew really enjoyed playing with Ayden and Baby Keeton.  He wants to take them home with us every time we leave.

He was so excited to decorate the Christmas trees (ours and MeMa's).  The bottom 2 feet of both trees were heavily decorated.

We went to the "Lights on the Neuse" which is a hayride through the fields and woods on a farm in Clayton.  Matthew loved it.  The highlight for him though was meeting Santa and telling him that he wanted "that big, mean dinosaur, that big mean dragon and that big mean ogre" for Christmas.  (They are all imaginext toys.)

He visited Grandma Cathy's grave with Brian.  Brian told him all about his Grandma.  The holidays are tough because even though we appreciate all we have, we really miss what isn't here anymore.

Christmas was good as well.  It was awesome that this year Matthew was beginning to understand that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birthday.  Every night we played with his Little People nativity scene and re-enacted the Christmas story.  He loved to retell it himself.  He sang Happy Birthday Jesus for 2 weeks. He also sang "Santa Claus is coming to town" a lot.  The daily "phone calls" to Santa to report on Matthew's behavior really helped him try to be a good boy.  Of course he got way too many toys.  And just like last year, Brian and I found ourselves saying, "Next year we won't buy so many toys because that is what everyone else buys him."  I am sure we won't follow through with it.  I am certain that as long as we are able, Matthew's Christmases will be toy filled.  We did space out his gift receiving this year so it wouldn't be so overwhelming.

Train table from Pop-Pop.  Now Matthew won't have to fake a cough to go play with the train table at the doctor's office.

A doctor kit, so he can pretend to give us all shots.

What's this?

Posing with his large box from Me-Ma and Pappy

Cheese!

Matthew loves Keeton

Pappy got the boys new pow pow guns.  Keeton got his first while Matthew and Ayden got their third.  Getting a new gun for Christmas is a tradition that Pappy started.

Opening his big box.

Pappy built the boys custom John Deer tricycles

Opening presents at Grandma Rose's

Opening presents with all the other grandkids at Grandma Blowe's.  The four oldest great grandkids managed to line themselves up from oldest to youngest all on their own.

All the Blow great grandkids

A Bat Cave.

Opening presents at John and Crystal's house