It's my cousin Marcus's birthday this weekend. I was a teenager when he was born, so we are almost of different generations, 16 years apart. He's one of my favorite people, one of those relatives you know you'd actually choose for a friend, were you not already related by blood.

And he's a world-class musician: a trumpet player with the Vancouver Symphony, a composer who has such talent that he's being recognized internationally, with premieres and commissions in Canada and the U.S. and Europe.

He's also a strong and dedicated athlete and an awesome father and husband.

Can I say anything less than glowing about him? Let's see. Um. He...he often leaves things behind or loses things. I imagine that's due to his constant creative mind working overtime.

And when he was a little boy, and I was a teenager and then a young woman, he and I had such a bond, sharing adventures in the woods and playing with worms and salamanders and mud...so much so that at age five, he asked me, "Brina, will you marry me?"

I love telling that story to his wife Angie, who is the best addition to our family ever!

Happy Birthday, Marcus!

Here are some photos of my handsome cousin Marcus, who turns 34 today. Love that guy!