The day I became an auntie

At our office we used to have a huge mimosa tree outside the back door. It began to cause a lot of problems for us by dropping all that fuzzy stuff into the gutters and blocking them, so eventually it had to come down. (What a shame!) But I used to stand outside and look up to its very high branches and see swarms of yellow swallowtail butterflies playing and fluttering all over its pink fuzzy flowers. 

It might seem irrelevant, but I remember so clearly that the day my nephew Brendan was born, that that tree was in full bloom outside the back door as I rushed to my car to race up to the hospital and meet him. That was twelve years ago. And every year when these beautiful trees bloom, I remember... 

it's time for the birthday of the boy who made me an auntie.

Then.......

 

...and now.

Happy birthday, Brendan!!  XOXOXO