Ella B and Mason D

Today is my nephew Mason's 1st birthday and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day to spend some time running in the grass, laughing with family and friends, and enjoying a little dump truck shaped cake.

My wise old friend Christina once said, "Nothing reminds you of the passage of time like seeing children grow up." I thought about this at the party today as I watched Mason and Ella play in the yard. I thought about how exactly one year ago we went to the hospital to see the brand new Mason, all shiny and pink, and how Ella was just six months old herself. I took her for a walk in the Baby Bjorn and stumbled upon an old cemetery. It seemed an odd juxtaposition at first- a cemetery right next to a hospital- but maybe because it was such a beautiful day, a day just like this one, it felt like a complement to the new life emerging next door.

And here we are, one year later, and these two little people have changed so much. Their lives have already doubled, while that same year for us seems like just a blip. I can only imagine what the next year will bring. Happy Birthday, little man. I can't wait to keep watching you grow.