Throughout the history of Don’t Blink, I have chronicled a special birthday tradition that Sid and I take part in. Every Oct. 8, I grab my birthday cake (or, in the case of 2016, birthday brownies) and pose for a photo with my wife. We have done this since 2014.

Because the last time I updated my blogging audience about this tradition was in 2021 and because this year was my TENTH birthday that I have spent with Sid, I thought the time was appropriate for a refresh. Please see below for our tradition in action…

2023

Last night we celebrated my birthday in our brand new house. Undoubtedly this will be the first of many birthday photos between these walls. The candy bar cake made its third straight appearance.

Sidney and I spent my birthday for the first time in our new house.

2022

We returned to my parents’ house to celebrate my second consecutive birthday in their north Spokane home. Speaking of streaks, it was also the second straight year with a candy bar cake.

In 2022, we once again spent my birthday at my parents’ house.

2021

In 2021 we celebrated my first my birthday together at my parents’ house. I felt like a kid again!

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 found out that I grew up eating ice cream cakes on my birthday. She reached out to my mom for her recipe and made one for me just like I remembered from home.

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.