My wife and I have a tradition whenever I hit a blogging anniversary. She will commemorate the milestone by making a quick, handheld sign. She will then take a photo of me holding it as I smile like the Cheshire Cat.

For my most recent blogging anniversary, Sidney outdid herself. I celebrated 13 years of Don’t Blink on Tuesday and my wife brought the creativity. Not only did she work in a Taylor Swift reference but she also got kind of personal.

My wife pulled 14 blog posts I have written, symbolizing the 14 calendar years Don’t Blink has been in existence (2011-2024), and wrote the titles/dates within the sign. What fun it was for me to see the ones she included!

And now, I want to give you the option to see the posts she included as well. Going in chronological order, here are the Don’t Blink entries she included on my 13th anniversary sign…

The $25,000 Man (Oct. 19, 2011) – My brother won a whole bunch of money on one hand of Paigow poker. My writing was so bad/immature.

My Insanely Long Hair (Feb. 13, 2014) – You haven’t seen ugly until you have seen my hair in 2003.

Celebrating Accents (June 24, 2014) – Whenever people ask what initially attracted me to Sidney, I always say her accent.

Making the Cut: My Cameo in Darius Rucker’s Music Video (Sept. 29, 2014) – NBD, just messed around and found myself holding a solo cup in my pal Darius’ “Homegrown Honey” video.

The Pros and Cons of Living in Myrtle Beach (May 3, 2015) – A person who I didn’t know who happened to stumble onto my blog would later tell me that this post convinced her to move from the northeast to Myrtle Beach.

Back as a Married Man (July 19, 2016) – Nothing like the feeling of being freshly married.

Our Fierce Fighter (April 25, 2018) – A year after Sloan overcame a very serious medical issue, I wrote about it.

We Are Lucky (Jan. 16, 2019) – And don’t ever forget it.

Beau Meets World (Feb. 12, 2020) – My top Don’t Blink blog post of all time.

Farewells (February 19, 2020) – I have written a few of these posts as I have left for new adventures throughout my life but I will link to the most recent one.

They’re Here (May 12, 2020) – One of the happiest days of my life was when my wife and children were finally able to join me in Washington after COVID disrupted our plans.

Hey Southern Belle: What Have You Learned After a Year? (May 12, 2021) – Still amazed at my wife’s bravery and how she made the 3,000-mile transition look so easy.

Losing Our Rock (Jan. 24, 2022) – The first big loss that Sid and I had to face together was when my Aunt Nancy passed away.

Donut or Doughnut (Sept. 19, 2023) – Of course Sidney had to conclude with the most important question ever.

Thanks, Sidney, for marking my 13th blogging anniversary in such a thoughtful way. Don’t Blink.