Ryder Dean

One of the hardest things about moving away from all of your friends and family is that you will inevitably miss holidays and special occasions with your loved ones. Although I've already missed 4th of July and a few family birthdays, today is the first big even that I've missed.

Every year for the past four years I have driven from Phoenix to Las Vegas to celebrate my Godson's birthday. Today he is five, and I am missing his special day for the first time ever. Since his birth it has been tradition that I get up early Saturday morning and drive the 5 or so hours to Vegas, enjoy the party and marvel at just how many kiddos are there. After the party we adults usually head out to dinner or down to the Strip, then we have breakfast, occasionally lunch, then I hit the road back home. It's a short but very sweet weekend.

Ryder's mother is my best friend Natalie. We met at the tender age of 2, when my 4 year old brother showed up on her doorstep (a few houses down from ours) and announced he could play. The irony is that Natalie and I were instant friends, while she and my brother pretty much hated each other until we were nearly adults.

In Jr. High Natalie and her family left Arizona and moved to Las Vegas, and to be honest I think the distance has made our friendship stronger. We lived one state and 5 hours apart for years, but now we're six states (depending on the route) and way too many hours to drive apart. So traveling to each others children's birthdays is more difficult than ever before. That said, I'm hoping this is a one off, and that from here on out I'll be able to visit for Ryder's birthday in September, and the peanut's birthday sometime in late February/early March, whenever she decides to make her entry into this world.

For now, here's a taste of what I'm missing:

First Birthday

Second Birthday

I love this picture! Look at that face.

Third Birthday

Fourth Birthday

Doing his best Spiderman!

 

A few weeks ago on his first day of school.

 

 

Can't believe he's already five. They grow up fast, don't they?

 

Happy birthday Ryder!