river baby.

river max is 5.

i can't believe he's turning five tomorrow.

time is moving way too fast.

i still remember missing rivers first birthday on my trip to europe with the utah ambassadors. i remember calling home during the party as someone held the phone up to his ear and i wished him a happy day and told him i loved him.

i distinctly remember sobbing my eyes out after hanging up the phone. it broke my heart to be missing the balloons and cake and presents-all in honor of my favorite little boy. it broke my heart to think he wouldn't know i wanted to be there more than anything.

over the past five years i've had to miss many of those birthdays. a summer in utah hasn't happened for quite some time. but i've realized more and more that my favorite part about leaving is coming back in august and catching up with my river dude and re-learning his favorite shows and snacks. we usually get to pick up right where we left off... with scooby doo and m&m's.

my friends always joke that the only way a boy has a chance dating me is to win over river dude- and thats the absolute truth.

i love my little five-year old river dude more than the whole sky.

happy birthday baby boy.