Thankful to have become an aunt

Yesterday, my oldest nephew turned 17-years-old.  So technically yesterday should have been my thankful post for him, and I think that probably makes me a bad aunt.  Better late than never, eh?  
Okay, so here's the thing.  There is no way this kid should be 17.  It isn't possible.  I've practically grown up with C since he was born when I was just the wee young age of 15.  My brother was in college at the time so both he and C's mom worked full-time as well as went to school full-time.  They both graduated with honors and really busted their buts to do so, but on weekends, my family would help out by taking C for the weekend.  I loved it.  I loved playing with that kid.  We would have him Friday night through Sunday so he was pretty close with everyone in my family.  Thus why I have a ton of pictures of him and not as many of my other nieces and nephew.  I even put a picture of him up in my locker I was that proud.  He was such a cutie, too.  If I was not conscious of the fact that he's in high school and whether he is aware of this blog or not - I will defer to his privacy and not post any embarrassing pictures.  But he's grown up to be quite the guy.  He's inherited the Byers sense of humor (dark, sarcastic, often mistaken for not really being humor but being serious), he's like 6 ft tall which is unusual for my family, and he's an avid coffee drinker.  He's on his way to being an Eagle Scout and on his way to hopefully going to IU in two years.
I have hard time believing the kid has his driver's license.  I still remember driving him around in my Dodge Shadow and him going "whoa!" when I took a turn or "we're driving fast today, Aunt Nain?"
He'd always be my cheer up after a rough break-up.  (C hugs were the best), and I never tired of watching Blue's Clues with him no matter how many times we saw the same episode.  I used to take him out to the movies and on little dates but...yeah, that doesn't happen anymore.  He's got his own serious girlfriend to take on dates.  But I still take solace in the fact that I am the cool aunt, though he has stopped calling me "Aunt Nain."  
If I'm having a hard time picturing him being 17, I can only imagine how his parents feel.  Hell, I'm having a hard time with Aubrey turning 2 soon.  And come May 2015 when we watch him graduate high school?  That is going to be just plain surreal.  
So today (and every day) I am thankful for the very first nephew I had, the one who made me an aunt.  And a very proud aunt at that.  I love him more than he'll know, and it's been just so much fun watching him turn into the almost man he is today.  Happy birthday to you, C!