My Mom is Turning 35!!!!!

Ok so maybe my mom isn't turning 35. That would mean she had me when she was 13!!!! Lets just say she is turning a very "nifty" age. At this age she will be really "thrifty". She will also have a good excuse to act a little "shifty" haha. I kid but this is a huge milestone in life and I am so proud of my mom and all she has done for me and my family. I love my mom with all my heart and I am sorry I can't be there to celebrate this special day with her. As I said in my birthday blog for my sister, what makes this gift special is when everyone that reads it tells my mom happy birthday. That way, every time she receives birthday wishes, a little piece of me will go with it. 

I had to put a couple pictures of our family being goofy because this is the best part of you and our family. You taught me how important family is and you have given me more support than I can ever ask for. These are true moments of the special relationship that we have and these moments are what give me strength to accomplish anything in life. 

Here is another great example of the good times we have together. For those of you that haven't heard this story, my little sister pushed the camera timer and then ran to join the rest of us. She sat down so fast, trying to beat the flash of the camera, that bumped my face with her head. I then jerked back and bumped my brother Justin's face and the chain reaction continued down the line. But this story is very symbolic of what you have accomplished in life. You see, when Ryan (the first child) was born, you taught him to be a kind, loving, and hard working person who takes pride in what he does and always puts his family first. Then when Justin and I were born, you and Ryan passed along these teachings to us. Finally, when nicole was born, we all passed on these characteristics to her and look where it has gotten us!!!!! We now try to pass these characteristic onto other people in our lives and the new relationships that we are starting, further dispersing the chain reaction.

Here is an older picture of my First Holy Communion. I had that slicked-back greaser hair from 1st grade all the way till the beginning of high school. I also went through a stage where I wouldn't wear jeans. Instead, I wore sweatpants everywhere. Regardless of all my ridiculous quirks, my mom let me be me and supported me continuously. I remember getting off the school bus at the end of the day in elementary school and seeing my mom standing there with rollerblades on. There is nothing like the comfort of returning home after a long day, but it isn't home without my family there. It's like they say, "home is where the heart is." As corny as that statement is, it is very true. Seeing my mom when I got off the bus is more my home than my own apartment in Davis, because my heart is with my family and there is no home without you there.

This is a random picture of the two of us one morning, but I love this picture because it reminds me of all those lazy saturday and sunday mornings where we would relax in our pajamas, catch up in life, and snuggle as we watched tv. Mornings are some of the best times to really talk because the burdens of the day haven't clouded your mind yet.

Here we are in Kauai being goofy once again. Our family vacations are some of the best times of my life. The reward of not only experiencing something new, but also spending time with the people you love is enough to last a lifetime. I will never forget the countless amazing hikes, camping trips, tahoe getaways, and other vacations that we spent together. I look forward to the future vacations that we will have together and all the memories that we will create.

This was our normal attire haha, no I'm just kidding. This was a dress-up day at school. One of the coolest things I got to experience in life was having my mom work at my high school. It's funny because there are so many tv shows and movies displaying this type of situation as embarrassing or a horrible experience, but it was the complete opposite for me. I would walk by my mom's window everyday and say hi or chat for a bit. I loved those days when I would receive a text during break saying, "come see me" from my mom. Then I would go see her and she would have a nice lunch for us. A couple of times she would even hear girls gossiping (don't worry, it was always good gossip) about me and my brothers and then she would tell us when she got home haha. It's like I said before, when your mom is around it is like bringing a piece of home with you and I felt more comfortable at school with my mom their. 

There have been a lot of silly pictures but this one is more serious. This is a picture of my mom and I one christmas. She works so hard every year to make sure we can have a wonderful holiday. Every year, christmas is the best day of the year, not just because we all get presents, but also because of the tradition of waking up in the morning, jumping in mom and dad's bed, and spending the day with my family.

Here is a picture of the two of us at my cousins wedding. My mom has always been really good at picking out nice clothes for me to wear to special occasions. In fact, she still, to this day, picks out all the men's outfits in the family when we are going to a formal event haha. We are like her life-sized Ken dolls.

Here is a picture of our last christmas. My mom got me a stethoscope and a Scrubs DVD, everything I need to be a doctor haha. She wanted me to listen to her heart, which is in a very inconvenient location; hence, the uncomfortable face. But in all seriousness, my goal of becoming a doctor is not an easy task but I, as well as my brothers and little sister, set high goals because of my mom and dad. They pushed us as kids to strive for excellence and learn from our failures. When we failed, they were there to help pick us up and motivate us towards another goal.

Here is picture of us a couple months back at my graduation from UC Davis. Mom, I couldn't have got here without your love and support. You have dedicated your life to providing the best possible life for Ryan, Justin, Nicole , and myself. You have done so much for me and you deserve everything you desire in return. I know I am away now and there will be other times in my life where I will be far away, but always know that eventually I will come home. I love you so much and I miss you. I can't wait to see you in 23 more days when I return back to the states. Have a great birthday and know I will be there in spirit.

Happy Birthday Mom. I love you,
Jason