To Mom:

First I need to say that I am no where near as eloquent as my wife, but I still wanted everyone to know how amazing my mom is. Not only did she raise four kids, numerous dogs, a few chickens, ducks, lizards, and cats but she also was able to retain her sanity, and that is quite an accomplishment! Just experiencing what goes into just one kid, I have no idea how mom did it with four.

One of mom's passions in life is the outdoors. She is the "Clark Griswold" of National Parks. One summer she took me, my sister, and my two brothers (ages 12, 10, 6, and 4) on a trip from Ft. Worth, TX to Malibu, CA to Victoria, BC, and finally back to Texas. All of us in a suburban for 3,500 miles. I will never forget that trip as long as I live, and I think of it as one of the highlights of my life. Did I mention that we CAMPED 90% of the time ! Yeah you read that right, camping with a 12, 10, 6, and 4 year old in a massive 12x12x12 foot tent, while driving across the west...awesome! Because of my mom I can say that I have been to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Yosemity, The Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Carlsbad Caverns, Monteray Bay, Santa Cruz, The Redwood Forest, Deception Pass, Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, Olympic National Park, The San Juan Islands, and countless other smaller national parks.

Now you would think that I might have rejected all that "nature" since I live in New York City, but because of my mom I was able to run a camp inner-city kids for ten years. And this year, my first summer with my youth group, I am taking them to Fire Island to do what...go camping! I love nature, proabably not as much as my mom, but a love of nature is not what she gave me by taking me all those places. What she gave me was a lesson in how families can build memories and how share the beauty of this world with your children. These are memories that I want my son to have someday. She wanted all of us to experience the glory of God in Nature no matter how difficulut or what the challenges might have been.

There are countless other ways in which my mom has impacted my life. From litterally saving my life as an infant, and from drowning as a kindergartner to giving me the gift of music (my guitar) and showing me ways to love. My mom is an awesome woman with a sharp mind, quick wit, deep intellect, and a compassionate heart. On this mother's day I am thankful and feel lucky to have her as my mom. I have learned so much from her, and I strive to bring her honor in how I serve God, my wife, and my son.

Mom I love you.

Jason