When my birthday rolls around, I do a little more than eat candy bar cake, write a blog post about turning a year older, and drink a celebratory beverage. I also take a photo with my wife. Since our dating days, we have always snapped a photo of us together along with a birthday cake.

For tonight’s blog post, I thought I would very briefly stroll down memory lane of each birthday I have had the good fortune of spending with Sid. For those counting at home, that is EIGHT.

2021

A few days ago we celebrated my birthday at my parents’ house.

Our tradition continued with my most recent birthday.

2020

This was the first birthday we spent together in Spokane and it was also my first birthday with Beau. My mom made her famous ice cream pie.

In 2020, we spent our first Oct. 8 together in Spokane.

2019

Little did we know how things would change in just a couple months. I would soon accept a job at Washington State University and Sid would give birth to Beau followed by a NICU stay. This was the first ever store-bought cake (thanks, Publix!) we had for one of my birthday celebrations.

A look at our birthday photo from 2019.

2018

Sidney made a homemade lasagna for this birthday and her parents dined over with us. Definitely one of the more mellow birthdays.

The photo may be blurry but my memories of that birthday were not.

2017

My first birthday as a daddy! We look surprisingly well-rested in this photo.

We have the glow of new parents!

2016

Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on my birthday plans in 2016. We couldn’t even get to a grocery store to buy cake mix because the conditions were so bad. We pivoted and settled for brownies as that was the only thing we had in the cupboard.

Thanks to Hurricane Matthew, we swapped a birthday cake for brownies.

2015

Sidney made me an ice cream pie on my birthday in 2015.

2014

Look how young we look! This was the first birthday we spent together and my first introduction to Sid’s delicious candy bar cake.

Who are those young kids?! Our first birthday spent together in 2014.

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This tradition is not meant to end soon. As long as there is cake (or brownies), there will be a birthday photo of Sid and I. Don’t Blink.