Dear Ryan

Dear Ryan,

I have wanted to write this for the past two months, but it's hard to make myself sit down and get it all out.  Sometimes, though, there reaches a point where I just need to sit down and do it, and today is the day.

I've wanted to tell you how much you and Aric would have been best buddies.  This year he discovered Star Wars and Legos.  Not Duplo Legos, but the Legos that do damage when you accidentally step on them.  Not saying it wouldn't hurt if you stepped on a Duplo, but if you did you probably need to go to the eye doctor and get your prescription adjusted.  But I digress.

Aric has watched all of the Star Wars movies.  It took awhile for him to get past them not being in cartoon format, but after that he was captivated.  I would've loved to have told you about when Aric discovered Anakin turns into Darth Vader.  If we were able to call you I would've put him on the phone just to have him tell you.  He spent a week spreading this news to anyone and everyone who would listen to him.  He told random people in the grocery store.  That bit of information was just too much for him to wrap his little brain around.

Papa and Nana gave him Star Wars Fighter Pods (otherwise referred to as Squinkies) when they came to visit us this past September.  Those have gone to bed with him, to the gym, everywhere.  He sometimes makes me reenact all of the movies with them before I've had my first cup of coffee. That never works out too well.

We bought him Season 1 of The Clone Wars cartoon for him to watch on our trip to Ohio.  That is all he watched for the entire 12 hour trip.  He likes to play Star Wars Legos video games, he constantly pretends he is a character from the movie, and his new favorite phone app is Star Wars Angry Birds.  Sometimes Kellyn plays, too:

I bet you didn't know Cinderella was a Star Wars character.  She, of course, has to ditch the bulky dress before climbing into the cockpit.

It's bittersweet seeing all of this happen in my home, and knowing how much you would've enjoyed it, or how much Aric would've loved to play and talk with you about all things Star Wars.

I hope you can see a glimpse of this and smile.  We miss you.

Love,
Regan