This special end of the year blog post is dedicated to Sidney’s parents and to my parents. Without them, this year would not have been the best one of our lives. Thank you so much for your support and love!

What is the best possible realization about approaching the end of a spectacular year? Knowing that the next one is going to be even better. – Dec. 31, 2015

When I wrote my blog post one year ago today reflecting on 2015, I wrote the above to preface 2016. Talk about a major understatement.

Sorry to the people who whine and complain about how much they hated 2016 because this past year was the absolute best 12 months of my life. After a personal record year in 2014 followed by another one in 2015, I was blessed to enjoy another banner year in 2016.

I guess it isn’t too hard to see why. I married my best friend in June. This special moment was sandwiched by other extremely happy times. My family and friends from out west came to Myrtle Beach to celebrate with us, making for one of the most memorable weeks of my life. After we tied the knot, Sidney and I took off to Mexico where we enjoyed several days in paradise in each other’s company.

As if those spectacular moments in June weren’t enough to completely define a year, something extremely life-changing occurred in early August: Sidney found out she was pregnant. The last five months of 2016 were spent in a mix of newlywed bliss and baby expecting excitement. There was never a moment where I didn’t feel completely alive or blessed.

Besides the major personal life events experienced this year, 2016 was worth celebrating for other reasons as well. Professionally I enjoyed a career highlight as I had the opportunity to grow our social media program by capitalizing on the exposure given to Coastal Carolina University via our baseball team’s College World Series title. In addition, just like last year, our program was recognized with a couple of national social media awards. Also, I took work trips to Bristol, Tennessee, to cover the race of our CCU NASCAR driver and to Boston to attend a higher education social media conference.

Spiritually I grew as well. With the wedding prep that Sidney and I completed prior to our wedding, we had the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with several key people at St. Andrew Catholic Church. Throughout the year we attended various church functions, chatted frequently with our pastor, and prayed a lot.

Aside from the major things above, 2016 was memorable for smaller reasons: I moved out of my apartment and into a house. I saw major politicians stump in person. I went on a great trip with Sidney’s family to watch Clemson play Louisville in football. I survived a hurricane. I went on a weekend getaway with Sidney to Charlotte. I tried Ginger Ale for the first time. I concluded the year out west where we cherished every single minute we had with my family in Spokane.

Now we look forward to 2017. The best part? The words I used to open this blog post from last year’s entry ring true again. Sidney and I will become parents in 2017 and that secures the fact that it will become the new best year of our lives. But we have to live it first. Thanks to everyone who made 2016 spectacular, I truly appreciate it. Have a blessed and happy 2017. Don’t Blink.

The time has arrived for what I like to call my big blog post. Each year I reflect on what I wrote over the past 12 months and then I pick out my favorites (view the 2014 and the 2015 lists). After reviewing the over 240 blog posts I wrote in 2016, I once again chose my top ten.

It is never an easy task to do this. However, I always have some help. A crucial component of the criteria for posts that make this list center on how you, my readers, react to it. So, in a way, all of you played a part in compiling the entries featured in this special post.

Because of your help with this list and because of your loyalty to Don’t Blink, I gladly dedicate My Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016 to my readers.

10. A Proper Transition for the Pastime Cafe (April 5) – In the middle of the year, I heard some news that warmed my heart and brought back nostalgia. Our family Italian restaurant that had closed 10 years ago was coming back to life. Although “back to life” in this instance meant with a slightly different name and new owners, the development brought me great joy. As our family owned the Pastime Cafe for over 80 years, it was tough to see it vacant for close to a decade. Although definitely not the restaurant I grew up in, the Passatempo Taverna reflects modern Walla Walla while also honoring the original Pastime. I was pleased to write this post to give the new owners a big vote of confidence.

The Passatempo Taverna opened up in September of 2016. (photo courtesy of the Passatempo Taverna Facebook page).

9. The Battle of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Creams (May 15) – It seems like each year I buy a lot of stuff, make a mess, pig out, and legitimize it by saying I did it in the name of my blog. In 2016, I used this formula for my cookie dough post. I went out and bought five different chocolate chip cookie dough ice creams ranging from premium to generic and brought them home. I then summoned Sidney to taste each one blind. Do you remember which one she identified as her favorite? The effort I put into this entry, the fact that it dealt with one of my favorite subjects of all time (ice cream), and the surprising result all contributed to this post making the countdown.

Believe it or not, the Walmart Great Value brand ended up winning the blind taste test.

8. The #SidAndBrent Wedding Timeline (June 5) – From when we got engaged in June of 2015 to when we tied the knot in June of 2016, I wrote updates on our wedding progress in Don’t Blink. Right before our special date, I compiled all of the updates I wrote into one blog post. It is my feeling that this post is a great guide for any groom. Brides have their magazines and websites that contain timelines but I felt males needed something a little more dedicated to us. But the fact that this post is helpful and fills a void isn’t the only reason why I like it. For me, having something that chronicles the journey that Sid and I took from engagement to vows is very special.

Everything we did to prepare for our wedding, including going to the courthouse to pick up our marriage license, is included in this post.

7. Happy At 30 (October 8) – In 2016 I officially became old. However, I didn’t let my age bring me down. Instead, I allowed the birthday to bring me more joy than anything. In this post I reflected on what it meant to me to turn the big 3-0 and how I couldn’t be happier. It will be something I look back on when I turn 40.

6. My Motivation in 2016 (January 5) – This post is meaningful to me because it caused me to make some positive changes. When the new year came around, it was obvious that I needed to lose some weight for my upcoming wedding. Through Don’t Blink, I called myself out in front of my readers saying I would do just that. Thus, using this post as motivation to keep me honest, I met my goal. When my wedding date rolled around, I had lost 30 pounds. I almost used the post I wrote about the wacky method I used to lose that weight, but this initial one is more important to me because I wrote it when I was vulnerable and before I had even lost a pound.

This contrast shows how fat I really was! By using this blog to call myself out, I was able to lose weight.

5. Shock of the Century (November 9) – Most of us can admit that 2016 in the United States will forever be defined by the presidential election. Throughout the year, I wrote frequently about the race for the presidency. Despite the candidate you wanted to see win, I think we can all admit that what happened on the evening of November 8 was a shock. The next day I wrote this blog post giving credit to President-Elect Trump while at the same time calling out a couple groups. This will go down as one of my more historical Don’t Blink blog posts.

4. The Truth About a Bar Rescue Episode – This post earns a high spot on the countdown for two reasons. First, it was my most read blog post of 2016. A couple major social media pages shared it and every Sunday when the “Bar Rescue” marathons would run, traffic would shoot up like crazy. Second, and most important, it was a topic I had wanted to write about for a long time. However, I never had a subject that was willing to give me information. I reached out to a few different people who appeared on the show but was always rejected. Then one lucky day, a lady named Maria Bedient who had been unfairly portrayed on the show contacted me to offer up her story and the rest is history.

3. The Happiest Weekend of Our Lives (June) – A wedding is so much more than just an hour in a church. In fact, it is so much more than just a single day. Taking this reality to heart, I made sure to chronicle each specific wedding-related event individually through this blog. From the rehearsal dinner to the actual wedding to the reception to the honeymoon, I wrote about it all. Earning the #3 spot on the 2016 countdown is the blog post that wrapped up my writings about that unforgettable week in mid-June. Within the main blog post, you will find links to each individual post devoted to the #SidAndBrent wedding.

I wrote in depth about our honeymoon as well.

2. We Are Expecting! (October 2) – Although short and sweet, the post I wrote in October announcing that we are expecting is a definite highlight from 2016. Describing how we announced our big news on social media while also addressing how we had started to prepare for our new addition, this entry will always be special to me.

We posted this image to announce that we are expecting. All creative credit goes to my wife!!

1. My Top Ten Photos From Our Wedding Day (July 17) – It is really tough to put into words the joy you feel on your wedding day. Although I tried to do so with several different blog posts, I don’t know if it ever did our special day justice. Thank goodness for pictures. In July, I wrote this post highlighting my absolute favorite images from June 11, 2016. Each picture says so much and helps to tell the story of that day in beautiful fashion. The happiness I just now felt from looking at this post confirmed to me even more why this is my favorite of 2016. As a blogger, some might think that naming an entry that didn’t rely on my writing that much might be a disappointment. Nope. Drafting up a blog post that uses the heart more than words is always more rewarding.

This was one of the photos that made my top ten list of best #SidAndBrent wedding images.

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There you have it. It is my hope that something I wrote in 2016 for Don’t Blink made you feel a certain way. If my words (or pictures) had an impact on you, I will consider it a successful year. Thanks for sticking with me, I hope you return in 2017. Don’t Blink.

I have not spent a birthday in my hometown with my family probably since I was 18. Over the past couple Easters and Thanksgivings I have not seen Spokane either. Other holidays of varying degrees of significance? Most likely spent on the east coast.

However, I have never missed a Christmas with my parents and siblings.

Until this year.

In 2016, I will be spending Christmas with my other loving family here in South Carolina. Over the next two days, I will have the privilege of experiencing all of the Mathis holiday traditions right here in warm Myrtle Beach.

This blog post is not written in sadness; rather it is written in joy. It is written to mark the fact that I had the luxury of spending every Christmas with my mom, dad, sister, and brother (well, only 27 of those with Glen) for 29 straight years. It isn’t written to bring attention to the fact that a streak is ending. Rather, it is written to celebrate the reality that I have my wife’s family to enjoy this beautiful holiday with while still having the ability to Facetime my family in Spokane and feel like I am there too.

Sure there will be differences. For one, the sunny 70 degree forecast on Christmas here in Myrtle Beach sure contrasts to the below freezing, snowy forecast in Spokane. But the differences are outweighed by one big similarity: Love. No matter where I am at this Christmas, I have a family on each side who is celebrating this holiday for the right reasons and who deeply loves both Sidney and I.

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone. Whoever you are spending Christmas with and wherever you are spending Christmas at, make it a joyous one. Don’t Blink.

No, we aren’t senior citizens yet, but Sidney and I do something that is characteristic of married couples in their seventies. We watch Jeopardy almost every week night. Although some aspects of the show bother me, we are both extreme Jeopardy fans and enjoy competing against each other.

When you watch Jeopardy with the frequency that we do, you see a lot of contestants come and go. You start to develop a criteria for what you like to see in your “model” Jeopardy player. Just like it is easy to judge an athlete while watching a game or a cast member while watching a reality TV show, it becomes easy to judge Jeopardy contestants as well.

Last week, a woman appeared on Jeopardy who probably didn’t meet my criteria for the perfect contestant. She spoke really softly. She didn’t command a presence. She seemed awkward talking to Alex. She simply looked as if she didn’t want to be there. If Vegas took odds on Jeopardy outcomes I would have bet against her because she didn’t look like a champion to me.

As if I was trying to back up my imaginary bet, I openly told Sidney heading into Final Jeopardy that I hope she didn’t win because she just didn’t seem to have enough energy.

She won.

The very next day I read something that troubled me. The soft spoken Jeopardy winner from last night had passed away eight days ago. Cindy Stowell, a content science developer from Texas, was 41. All Jeopardy shows are taped well in advance of the actual air date and the episode Sidney and I watched the previous evening was shot in August.

Alex Trebek and Cindy Stowell pose for this photo (photo courtesy of Jason Hess).

In a Jeopardy rarity, Cindy not only competed in August, she auditioned that month as well. You see, if a person is successful in the Jeopardy auditioning process, he/she usually won’t compete until many months down the road. However, Cindy didn’t have several months left. Battling Stage 4 cancer, she knew she would die soon. In a great act of humanity, the Jeopardy producers took steps to expediate the process and let her appear on the show despite a very short turnaround.

If only I had showed Cindy the same humanity that the Jeopardy producers did.

Because I immediately judged her, I didn’t see what I probably could have figured out if I had a more open mind. On the Jeopardy set during that show, Cindy was an extremely sick individual who has literally devoting every ounce of her energy to making it through the taping. She spoke softly because cancer doesn’t give you much leverage in booming out your answers. She didn’t “command the appearance” I look for because her disease had made her already small frame even more fragile. She engaged in an awkward dialogue with Alex that – on second thought – really wasn’t awkward at all. No, not awkward…courageous.

And the part I said about her not wanting to be there? I couldn’t have been more wrong. Competing on Jeopardy was a lifelong goal of Cindy’s and she was achieving it in winning fashion in front of the world.

I bring this story up to illustrate what judging can do. It made me look and feel like a heartless jerk. It is not only ignorant to try to summarize a person’s life story off of 20 minutes, it is also impossible. 

The remarkable tale of Cindy Stowell gets better. Her success didn’t end with the victory that aired last Tuesday. Rather, she continued to win and is at the very least a six-day champion. We won’t know how long her August winning streak stretched until all the tape delayed episodes play out. But we do know this: Per Cindy’s request, all of her winnings (currently at $103,803) will be donated to cancer research.

Cindy Stowell is the epitome of a champion. May she rest in peace. Don’t Blink.

I love Christmas. In fact, this year I think I might have done more “Christmasing” than ever before. Keep in mind that it is still just December 20.

However, a few relatively new Christmas trends don’t bring me too much joy. Mind you I am speaking literally because “a few” honestly means just three. I scratched my brain for Christmas-related things I am not 100% sold on and I could only come up with a short list. I thought I would share them with you…

“A Christmas Story” Marathon – People get so excited on social media about the “Christmas Story” marathon that runs on TBS. From Christmas Eve through Christmas Day, the movie is shown on repeat. That’s right, for 24 straight hours the film runs back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back…..

I love the movie “Forrest Gump.” I have no issue watching it a couple times a month. But I couldn’t watch it twice in a row, let alone nine times in a row. Sorry to the die hard fans out there, but I can’t even watch “A Christmas Story” once. I remember watching it when I was young. I disliked how Santa was portrayed, I found the dad mean, I thought the leg lamp was creepy, and I couldn’t bear to watch the tongue on the flagpole scene. All these years later and I still can’t bring myself to watch “A Christmas Story.” I think it would be better if TBS ran a marathon of the different “Miracle on 34th Street” remakes or an all-day “Home Alone” trilogy showing.

“Ugly” Christmas Sweaters – I am so over “ugly” Christmas sweaters and “ugly” Christmas sweater parties. Why? Because it is not about being “ugly” anymore. Although these Christmas sweaters are marketed with the word “ugly” in front of them, we all know people are buying them because they want to be fashionable and trendy. Manufacturers know it too. Over the past several years, companies have made “ugly” sweaters for customers to buy. However, how “ugly” can the shirt be if it is brand new and made specifically for a younger audience? Companies try to make their “ugly” Christmas sweaters “uglier” than their competitor but it just results in a product that is more expensive and more trendy.

Before the “ugly” Christmas sweater concept became so commercialized, there was a certain charm to it. Busting out grandpa’s old red and green sweater that had not been worn for 40 years was fun. However, that magic is now gone.

Artificial Trees – I know the time will come when we own an artificial tree. I know that as each year passes, fake trees become more and more popular. But I can’t get myself to embrace the artificial tree trend just yet. I need the experience of picking out a fresh tree. I need the pine smell filling up our living room. I need the warm feeling of sitting next to a living product of the forest. For those of us who go authentic, there is nothing like bringing in a unique tree each year. It seems as if each one has a distinguishing feature that separates it from the ones of the past.

The day we get our own artificial tree I am sure I will enjoy the convenience and beauty of it. But like I said, I am not ready to cross over just yet.

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Okay, I am done being Scrooge. Obviously I don’t have much against Christmas (besides a movie, ugly sweaters, and fake trees). Time now to make some hot chocolate! Don’t Blink.