it's spring!

that makes us feel like this!

Winter has lasted much too long this year and we feel overdue for spring.  It just started to feel warm recently and today was especially beautiful.  The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in our area right now, and with it, a host of other beautiful spring blooms, bushes, and trees!

my very favorite tree.

This is my very favorite tree.  They are all over DC (we just noticed dozens of them around Georgetown Hospital today), but there is only one on campus.  In the last two or three years, I realized how briefly this tree actually looks like this.  During the winter, it loses all of its foliage and is bare branches.  It's a sign of hope for me when I begin to see buds beginning to form.

just magnificent.

I actually have no idea what kind of a tree it is, although it is not a cherry blossom (at least, not like the ones our city is famous for).  The blossoms are actually more like magnolias.  Could it be a pink magnolia tree?  Do those exist?

gardenia-like blooms.

After a week or two (if we are lucky!) of beautiful pink blossoms, the tree drops them all and starts to fill out with green foliage, which will stick around until fall when it begins to drop leaves again.  Unfortunately for me, I'm on a trip to Texas for work with a few extra days of family thrown in (super yay for family!), beginning tomorrow evening.  So I'll miss the blossoms this week!

such a beautiful tree!

Sad as I am to miss my favorite tree in bloom, I'm more sad to miss this guy (and also our four-legged friend):

Mark!

He and Moses will play studious bachelors while I am gone.  Since we've been married, Mark and I have only spent one night apart.  This trip will be five sleeps.  I'm a little nervous about missing him!

what a view!

Although, he'll get to look at my favorite tree.  And snuggle with Moses.  And have his nose in the books the rest of the time.  Right, Mark?  He probably won't miss me at all!