Joe "The Toe" Tree Trimming Company

I like to refer people I know to other people I know. I figure if someone is going to give someone else money, it may as well be to someone I know. Anyway, if you need your tree trimmed, call Joe "The Toe" Tree Trimming Company! He does great work as can be seen below. Have hack saw will travel!

Grandmothers, Mothers and Moms....OH MY!

Sunday was Mother's Day. I wanted to take the time to mention a few of the Mother's that I am grateful for and why.

Let's start with Grandmas! I have been blessed with two wonderful Grandmothers. Velma Brewer, my Father's Mother, died some time ago and sadly my memory fades with each day. Of course, I was not as avid in my journal and photography then as I am now. I do know I loved her dearly and have fond memories of her. She always made me feel loved as I would visit her and stay with her a week or so in the Summer. I miss you Grandma Brewer.

My Grandma Veora Bliss-Baldwin is my Mother's Mother. I am so happy she is with us today and shows signs of being around for a long time more! I know she reads this blog and so let me say, "I LOVE YOU, GRANDMA!" My Grandma Bliss is such a fine example of everything good that comes from her generation. I think I love her more because she also represents to me my Grandfather whom I miss and love so much. She shows love for me every time I speak to her. I feel it in every word. I can tell she is proud of me and appreciates me. Thank you Grandma Baldwin!

My Mum is the greatest. Without my Mum, I would not be the man I am today. I am most like her and I appreciate who she is because of it. I always feel so bad for my Mum for having raised three boys and no girls. I know she is an emotional and sensitive person and I am sure it must be hard for her to feel at times that she has no where to go with those emotions and sensitivities. Luckily, my two brothers are kinda' girly...haha! Just kidding, Jim and Scott. She loves me entirely and she tells me often. She showed me how much she loved me and my brothers the entire time we grew up by supporting our righteous goals, acting as our support network (taxi, soccer Mom, Scout Mom, etc), and by sacrificing all she and my Father could in order for us to have the things we not only needed but wanted. She instilled in me a strong feeling of self worth and a positive outlook; two of the greatest attributes a parent can instill in their children. In everything I do, I hope it makes my Mother proud. I have always said, "Whatever decisions you make or actions you take, it matters not what others think so long as God, Me, My Mother and Sarah are pleased". I love you Mum! thanks for molding me into the person that I am.

Mother-in-laws are important. I have considered the prospects of Mother-in-laws long before I met Sarah and have met several I would have loved as a Mother-in-law and a couple I would not have loved so much! Boy, did I luck out with Christine. Christine immediately reminded me of my Mother, which is the highest of compliments. She loves me in spite of me. She lets me be who I am and continues to love me even when I am boisterous or too opinionated. (I have caught glimpses of her rolling her eyes though). She has raised for me the perfect wife who reflects these similar traits. Luckily, I call my Mother "Mum" which allows me to freely refer to Christine as "Mom". Thank you, Mom!

Caitlin! She is more an angel than anything else. She gave to Sarah and I the most beautiful gift of Motherhood and Fatherhood. While she will not be Leah's Mom, she was Leah's Mother. She loved Leah enough to give her the wonderful life we will give her and for that selfless love, I know Caitlin will one day be the greatest Mom for her future children. We have grown to love Caitlin like a sister and we are so happy to know her. We love you Caitlin!

I saved the best for last. What can you say about a girl who knew me for several years and still decided to marry me!? Do not say, dumb! She is no dumby. On the contrary! She is so intelligent and talented and funny and beautiful. I sometimes wish she knew that as much as I do. On the other hand, if she did know that like I do, she may wonder, "What did I do!?" I love Sarah. She is my best friend. She let's me be me without stipulations. She trusts me and has full faith in me, knowing I will take care of her always. This makes a man feel fulfilled. She still gets a big smile on her face when she sees me unexpectedly and for some reason thinks I am the greatest too! She has the most greatest quality which is the ability to make me smile and laugh. I have always suspected she would be a great Mother, but she has wowed me with how she is with Leah and how seriously she takes her responsibility of Motherhood. What do you say about a girl who knew me for several years and plans on being with me for several more? Not enough. I love you, Sarah.

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks, Dad!

I have great parents. I have said that so many times. We were fortunate to have my DOD (Dear Old Dad) come to visit us this last week from Monday to Friday. I know this was a great sacrifice for him. He works in retail and it is not easy to get time away from work this season. My DOD loves to work with his hands and help those he loves. He has always been so giving. Knowing this, I prepared a small list of things he could help me with while he was visiting. No surprise to me, he had the list done in record time and was happy to help. Thanks, Dad. I wish I were more handy like you.

My DOD has always been so good with kids. He is childlike in his nature and I believe that children naturally and whole-heartedly trust him. He was so good with Leah. Leah loves him. She automatically smiled for him the entire time he was visiting. She doesn't even smile for me that often! He was actually quite bummed to have the rest of the family arrive on Thanksgiving as he felt his time with Leah had come to an end or at least would be shared with others. He truly loves my little girl and she loves him. Thanks, Dad.

My Dad had a tough life. In spite of it all, he has been such a great Father to my brothers and me and a loving husband to my Mother until recently. He is such a hard worker and has passed that work ethic along to me, Jim and Scott. He joined the church at a later time, but always supported our involvement and went to sacrament meeting every Sunday. My Dad perfected the art of sleeping without the annoying head bob that told everyone behind him he was asleep. He was heavily involved in the scouting program as a Webelo leader and many of the boys he worked with still thank him when they get the chance.
He is extremely proud of his American Indian heritage and displays his pride for all to see in his actions, words and lifestyle. He has never worried what people think. He is his own person and is not embarrassed to be such. He has always been so selfless; always placing his family's happiness before his own. He was sealed to my Mother and then to me and my brothers in 1987 when I was seventeen years old. He has embraced the gospel of Jesus since that day.

Everyone who knows my Dad loves him. He is so funny and has often been the cause for uncontrollable laughter around the dinner table or while playing games as a family. Adding to this is the fact that he is almost entirely deaf. In his efforts to not let this slow him down, he adds comments to conversations that do not fit. This often results in these hilarious uproars of laughter at his expense. In any conversation with my Dad, there is almost definitely two conversations...the one you are having with him and the one he is having with you! I love how he sings everything in the style of Johnny Mathis.
My DOD is going through an interesting period of life right now. I worry for him. I love him. I hope he finds what it is that will bring him eternal joy. He has been such a good father and Christ like example to me. I hope he never loses sight of those traits. They are the greatest traits a man could ever possess.

People I know ~ Caitlin (Private ~ Do Not Publish)

Here is the letter I wrote to Caitlin:

Caitlin, We love you.  You are such an amazing person.  We are so blessed to have not only received Leah from you, but to have had the opportunity to have gotten to know you, her mother.  With each visit, phone call and text, we have been impressed with you.  We understand you made a mistake and we are so happy that you have allowed us to be part of the solution to this mistake.  Truthfully, I don't think there has ever been a more precious and beautiful mistake made in the history of the world as Leah.  We will ever be so grateful that you made the right decision to place Leah for adoption.  This is such a selfless and caring thing you did.  We are even more grateful that you chose us to raise this wonderful gift from God.  We are flattered that your resolve that we should raise her was strengthened and confirmed after meeting us.  

I explained to you that giving us Leah was the greatest thing I think has ever happened to Sarah and I as a family.  The second greatest thing was allowing us to spend the last three days with you.  What a wonderful thing it will be that we can share with Leah just how special you are.  That we know you like a friend and family member, enough so that we can speak to her with first hand knowledge that you loved her and that you knew we would love her also.  There will be no assumptions.  

Leah will know of your love for your family.  She will know you smile often.  She will understand your love of all things outdoors, swimming, eighties music and such.  She will know of your loving mother and father, your sister and your Grandmother that oozes "grandma-ness".  She will know how strong you are; physically, emotionally and mentally.  You  have so many wonderful traits that she will hear of.  We hope she inherits much of who you are.  

Caitlin, learn from your mistakes.  Do not duplicate them.  Understand that your parents love you as well as a very loving Heavenly Father.  I don't want to get churchy, as it is not my style, but I do know that He knows you personally.  He cares for you and wants you to reach your highest potential.  He knows that your potential is higher than you may believe.  If you ever doubt your worth, place your trust in your parents and in Leah's parents that you have infinite worth.  Never doubt that.  

Regardless of what form of contact we have from here on out, we will always....ALWAYS remember you.  I love Sarah more than anyone in the world.  The thought of harm or unhappiness in her life seriously disturbs me.  I didn't think I could feel that way about any other person.  In just a few days, I can say I feel that way about Leah already.  I love her so much.  Sarah loves her so much.  It is weird to me to think back four days ago I had two favorite ladies in my life, Sarah and my Mother.  Today, that group has doubled by adding Leah and you to that list.  

Caitlin, chances are, you will not read this blog.  I wish I could explain better how I feel, but words do not do justice.  We love you so much.  We wish peace and happiness in your life.  You will always be in our thoughts and prayers.  

Happy Birthday To The Best Mum In The World

Happy Birthday Mother, Mom, Mum!  How do I even begin to describe my Mum.  The easy way out would be to say that my Mom is the greatest Mom in the world, but that doesn't do her justice.  The simple way out would be to say, look at me...I am just like her.  The poetic way would be to...well, recite a poem.  Unfortunately I am not a poet.  

My Mom is great.  She is the greatest.  I attribute my greatest attributes and successful qualities to her.  She always comments that she did not raise me, but that I raised her.  I don't buy it.  Either she is giving me way too much credit, as Mothers will do, or she is selling her self short.  I got my personality from my Mother.  Mom is a natural leader, loved and followed by many, and I am lucky to inherit this ability.  My social skills are from years of watching my Mother interact with others.  I learned to always see the best in life and others from my Mum.  I try to be like her by trying not to judge others and accepting them for what they are, children of God.  Unfortunately, I also got my mothers height (I don't hold it against her).  MY MOM ROCKS!!! 

I know this is my Mom's first year alone on her birthday.  I wish I was there.  Sarah wishes she was there.  I hope she knows how much we love her.  Everyone loves her so much, but I think I must love her the most.  I know I am not good at sharing all this mushy stuff with her, but I also know how much she loves it!  I hope this blog entry is sufficient.  I honestly feel incapable of expressing in words how much she means to me and how much I care about her.  I hope she finds happiness and joy in all she does.  What am I saying...of course she will.  Afterall, she is Mom.  She always blooms where she is planted.

Happy Birthday To My Lil' Gremlin!

Today is Madyson Nicole Trosper's birthday!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to My Lil' Gremlin!

Happy Birthday to you!

Mady is eight years old today!  What an Old Lady!!!  We were so busy last week that we forgot to give her her present when we were with her!  Mady, presents are on the way!  Madyson rocks!  Literally!  She is a dancer and is eager to show her moves to anyone that asks and even some that don't!  She has the natural ability to make me smile at anytime.  She is soooo funny.  She has always made me laugh, whether it was singing the songs she would make up or speaking Spanish at age 4.  She is so cute.  I hope your day was special Madyson.  Your aunt Sarah and I love you very much.

I love my nieces to pieces.  Hailey is My Lil' Cupcake and Mady is My Lil' Gremlin.  I was fortunate enough to baptize Hailey Leilani when she turned eight and hopefully will get to baptize Madyson too!  It all depends on when her baptism date is and Caleb's birthdate.  

CTR ~ Chino Third Rules!!!

Growing up, I was so blessed. I have a great family, I lived in a great neighborhood and my ward was awesome! That ward was the Chino 3rd Ward. Within that ward was a great youth group. We were close then and we are still close today. While we do not keep in touch as often as we should, it never feels weird when we do finally speak.

A few weeks ago we organized a simple get together for those in the area. Last night was a fun time as we had about 35 Chino Thirdites gather at the home of Heidi Heumann Rivera. We had a few non third ward friends from other Diamond Bar and Chino wards hang with us. For about five hours we talked and enjoyed each other's company. We resigned to the fact that once in a blue moon simply is not often enough for reunions such as this. We will not meet every second BYU home game, allowing us to build momentum and attendance for this annual event.

We truly missed those that could not attend, but we have high hopes for their attendance next year. One family not in attendance was Eric Christensen, his wife Natalie and their sons and daughter. Yes, their daughter. They adopted a little girl two weeks ago. Congrats, Christensens! Anyways, there were so many that were not able to come, and we really hope they can come next time. Howes, Howes, VanBuskirks, Heumanns, Kezos', Arbons and Burgons to name a few...

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the fun evening!

Melanie Eliason Valderrama, Sarah and Kirt Gravell having a fun time! Kurt has been my friend since we were twelve. He is a big guy, with a heart to match. He calls me his blue friend, because when we met way back when I was wearing blue. Funny.

Sarah and Melanie. The Valderrama's are one of the few families we keep in fairly regular contact with...of course, Jason works with us so it is a little easier.

One of my greatest friends from my adolescence, Kelly Burgon Holman and I. Kelly is holding her niece, the daughter of Ryan Burgon. Unfortunately, they were out of town. Kelly came all the way from Tennessee. I am happy she did.

The O'brey kids (not kids anymore), Debra, Myque, Jennifer and Theresa. Guess where Myque got the idea of how to spell his name....You guessed it, MOI! I think it started out as teasing me, but it stuck. To my knowledge, he still spells it that way. Myque was part of a tight circle of friends my Senior year, Mont, Myque, Kyle, Eric and I. He is a Sargeant in the Murray Police Department. He is hilarious and I don't think he has changed much. It was great to see him.

This is the Mont Parrish clan, Mitchell, Marilyn, Mont, McKay, Madison and Marshall. Mont is a great guy and he has always been such a great example to me and everyone around him.

You already know who these two people are.

This is Laurie Heumann and her son. Laurie is a Human and she is also a Heumann. The Heumann's are one of my favorite families of all times. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture of Tim and Steven Heumann before they left. I got a picture of Sis. Judy Heumann, aka rich mom, but it was out of focus. I love the Heumann's. Dave Heumann was a good friend of mine in Jr. High and High School. He and his sister, Susan live outside the state of Utah and were not able to attend. Tim is a bishop now and David is in the bishopric. Steven is the producer and host of the show "At Your Leisure", a Utah travel and adventure show.

My good friend, JJ Kapay and his wife Melanie. Jason is a stud. I have already blogged about him in one of my "People I Know" entries.

Hiedi and her husband George. Heidi is also a Heumann. Heidi was in the same age group as me growing up. We had a pretty good group of girls in the Chino III Ward as well. We were all great friends. Thank you for letting us use your home Rivera's!

Montly and Myque. Great guys. Two of many that blessed my life.

As promised, I am including a picture of my friend David Heumann and one of Jack Black as Nacho Libre. When we were talking about David, we were all in agreeance that he looks and acts like Jack Black, or that Jack Black looks and acts like David.

People I Know...Tim VanBuskirk

Tim VanBuskirk

Timothy Neal VanBuskirk aka Timbo, Timmy, Whimpy, Timoteo, My Friend Tim. I have known Tim for years. I believe I have known him since I was 12 years old. We became good friends when I was about 14. As a matter of fact, we were good friends from the beginning. Nothing could get between us. Not even Tim's Mother! Tim's Mother once called my Mother to explain that she thought I was a bad influence on Tim and that we should be separated. I was a year older and Tim was in Jr. High School while I was in High School. We have been great friends ever since.

My Groomsmen ~ Tim is in the middle

What can I say about Tim? Tim is one of the three amigos, Jason Valderrama, Me and Tim. We came from a pretty tight circle of friends, including Eric, Ed and Kyle (to name a few). Tim is a loyal friend; he always has my back. Tim likes to be obnoxious (sorry Tim) and sarcastic, but when he knows I am down, he makes sure I know he is there for me and concerned for my well being as a friend should. Thanks, Tim.

Tim and I at Disneyland (We were with girls, I swear!)

Tim is mostly known for his mishaps in adolescence. I could do an entire blog on stories regarding "Accident Prone Tim", but I will save him the embarrassment. I won't tell you about the time he broke both arms, or the other time he broke both arms. I won't clue you in to when he almost lost his toenails at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I would never tell you about the time he ate it on the skateboard while camping at Butterfield, or the time he fell off a car he was riding the bumper of and I definitely wouldn't say a word about the time his sister pinned him between two cars. I am too good of a friend to mention any of these stories! Tim is a sweet guy with a huge heart and a large stature to match. While this is a true statement, the last thing you want is to be around when his large stature meets his short fuse on the basketball court. This has provided many an entertaining ward basketball games. (Remember when Sis. Rhodes called you an animal for fighting with Barry?)

Our Wedding Day...Tim is the pervert grabbing my arse!

Tim's Dad was one of our fine bishops and Tim's Mother was like a Mom away from Mom. He has an older sister named Tara and a younger brother named Stewart (TUTU Buckerban). Life at their house was always fun. Some memories include his Dad's Playboy glasses, His Mother's stories about Mexico (quite lengthy), Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, Tim and Tara fighting, and the time I gave Tim a Charlie Horse while he was talking to his Grandpa on the phone. Good times.

Tim on Graduation Day with KC, Alexa, Olivia and Maya (McKenna no pictured)

Tim can accomplish anything he put his mind too. He is an Eagle Scout and served an honorable LDS mission in Saint Louis, Missouri. He recently received his MBA and did so while working full time, raising four beautiful girls, fulfilling his church callings and moving a trillion times! I am proud of him. His greatest accomplishment is marrying Casey, who I affectionately refer to as KC. She has been perfect for Tim (no accidents since marriage) and together they have raised their daughters, Alexa, Olivia, Maya and McKenna, wonderfully. Tim is an aerospace engineer and also enjoys cooking and watching the Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, he is a UCLA fan, but we still manage to be friends.

We like to tease each other often, but when push comes to shove, I know I can count on Tim and hopefully he feels the same way about me.

People I know....Officer Trosper

From Wayne's World the movie;
Wayne: Do you smell bacon?
Garth: I definitely smell a pork product of some kind.

My brother is a pig! I mean P I G! Pride Integrity & Guts! My brother is a cop. He has served in Los Angeles, Huntington Beach and currently in Chino, California, our old stomping grounds. He is a good officer. I have always been one to "kick against the pricks" or dislike authority just for the sake of it, and this is the case with police as well. For some reason, I always give them flack. There are some real attitudes with badges out there and I believe the authority goes to their heads sometimes. Objectively speaking though, cops are awesome.

Mom and Scott at the award ceremony

My brother is a perfect example of why they are so awesome! Even the A-hole cops out there are awesome. They put their lives directly in the line of fire, figuratively and literally. For that, I admire them. I don't think I would be brave enough to do that day in and day out. Police officers are very willing to deal with things I choose not to deal with, and for that I admire them. My brother is not one of those cops that has attitude (although he has had a tiny bit creep in, but it probably necessary in this line of work). He was not picked on in high school, he was popular within his circle of friends and well liked by all circles. He is not racist or sexist, but tries to be level headed and objective in his judgments. He is short. HAHA. I had to fit that in here in case he reads it. If all cops were more like him, I think the world would be a safer place and his occupation would be admired even more.

Think about it. When little boys are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they do not answer, "VP of Customer Relations for a mid-sized marketing firm". Many answer quickly and enthusiastically, "I WANT TO BE A COP!" Scott is living the dream of many young boys in the world and living it well. Recently he was honored for saving a man's life after he was stabbed. I am sure he humbly received the award simply writing it off as part of his job. Keep doing well, brother and be safe. And remember, I am still your older brother and will kindly put you in your place if you get too much attitude! I don't care if you know Krav Maga, I can still sit on you!

Here is the article on my brother, Scott:

http://www.chinopd.org/Overview%20pages/Lifesaving.htm

Juno's Got Nothing on Nicole!

After two months of guessing and wondering, we can now rest a little easier. Today we met Nicole! She lives in a beautiful farming part of Wisconsin, about 20 minutes from civilization. We picked her up at her home and took her shopping for clothes and books. By the way, if you are looking for maternity clothes, Walmart is NOT the place to go as they had only four tops and four bottoms to choose from. I don't think any of their selections were stylish or attractive, but Nicole has outgrown her current wardrobe, so she is at the mercy of Sam Walton's wardrobe choices. Nicole loves to read, so we bought her a couple books that she can read between now and when the baby is born.

I think she is ready to have the baby. She is at that point where she is uncomfortable and fickle in her tastes and cravings. We waited for 30 minutes at Starbucks for a chocolate and banana shake that she wanted so badly. By the time the shake arrived, she (or the baby) changed her mind. Two sips of that shake and she had to get it out of her sight. We were all so hungry by the time we ate at the Texas Roadhouse. The food was good and we enjoyed talking with Nicole. She also let us feel the little guy kick and move.

We learned so much about her; about her personality, her likes, dislikes, etc. She is definitely forthright in her thoughts and opinions. She is very genuine. She will tell you exactly what is on her mind and it will not be candy coated. The world could probably use more people like her. We met this boy with two dogs. One of the dogs is a Chinese Crested; quite an ugly dog. Of course Sarah and I didn't say so, but it took Nicole two seconds after she saw the less than cute thing to say to the boy, "That dog is ugly". Then she looked at us and said, "I don't believe in lying to kids." Too funny. She is not one for fake niceties.

She doesn't seem to be too close with her family, but she clearly loves her mother. She grew up in Florida, but her parents are from Jamaica and Haiti. She has one sister, one living brother and a brother that has passed on already. She showed us a picture of her two nieces that others claim look like her. They were sooooo cute. The most beautiful skin, smiles and dimples. She believes her baby will look like them. That would be okay with us...they were adorable. She also has a dog named Oreo. She is a huge Tom Brady fan and thus a New England Patriots fan. She is a graduate of hair school, but more recently worked as a food server. She will be moving to Salt Lake City in September to deliver the baby in Utah, but does not plan on staying long thereafter.

After meeting her, we both feel more comfortable. We hope she does too. Our previous phone calls were either short or not terribly interactive. This was easily misinterpreted as concern or uncertainty. Now we know that this is just her personality and communication style. She is very determined to place her child for adoption and feels it is what is best for the child. She understands she is not ready for motherhood and feels it is important to have both a father and a mother in the child rearing process. We are so grateful for her understanding of this and her decision to place her son with us. We love her more than she will ever know. Her son, however, will know. Even if it takes us an eternity to prove it.

Thank you all for the years of prayers and thoughts. Without them, this may be a different experience.

How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Count the Ways....

12,739!!!! And Counting!!!

Yesterday was Sarah's 32nd birthday. I got her a present, but in all the busyness lately, I did not get her a card. So it seemed that the least I could do was to blog about her.

Sarah is my everything. I am a fairly independent person. While I enjoy the company and friendship of others, I really don't think I need many people. Sarah is one of the few people I need. I need her because she makes me laugh. She makes me smile. She makes me feel the need to be mature and responsible. She makes me feel important. She loves me in spite of all my short comings (and there are many). She lets me be me. She doesn't try to change me. She is my everything. I would give up anything for her happiness. I love you, babe! Happy Birthday.

Gratitude

We went to a wedding reception tonight for the daughter of my boss. I felt I needed to express my gratitude for the people I work with. On August 8th, I will have worked for PMI for ten years. The company has grown so much and with my position, I feel I hardly know most of them. Luckily, most of them know me. I am blessed to work with some pretty neat people. I am even more blessed to work for some great guys; Steve Thorne, Phil Smith, Len Page and Boyd Kanenwisher. If it were not for Phil and Len specifically (Steve and Boyd work in Kansas City) I would have left the industry years ago. Phil is a great example to me and I look up to him. Len is a good friend and always makes me feel appreciated. Steve is responsible for the existence of PMI and happens to be one of the greatest men I know. Boyd is also a good friend and has taught me by his example as well. Each of them have the coolest wives (Kim, Shanie, Lori, and Cheryl) as well...coincidence? I think not. There are many other great friends at PMI...too many to mention. I am thankful for my job and for those I work with. I consider myself truly blessed.

People I know...Jason Valderamma

Jason and I were Hanz and Franz for Halloween in 92

Since this blog has quickly replaced my written journal, I thought I should implement a few of the traditional entries I used to use. One of these traditions is the "People I know" entry. Once a week or so, I would write a few words about people I know. Most of these entries are on individuals I like or have learned from, but occasionally may include a less than liked individual.

Brock Bliss, Dear Old Dad, Yours Truly, Tim VanBuskirk, Jason Valderamma, Scott Trosper and Jim Trosper

Jason Valderamma - aka - JJ, Jayjaykapay, White Bean, Jose, Valdehoohoo. After 25+ years I still misspell his last name. Jason David Valderamma hails from Chino, California. This is where our paths first crossed and we have been good friends ever since. Jason is the middle child of Rudy and Deanna. Jason has an older sister, Keri and a younger brother, Joshua. They are a fun family. Jason graduated from Don Antonio Lugo High School in 1989. He served a mission in the Florida, Tampa Bay mission. After our missions, we served together in the Chino Heritage Ward (I think that was the name) bishopric. I was a counselor to the Bishop and he was the executive secretary. Jason married another adolescent friend, Melanie Eliason. Together they have two children, Dylan (6 I think) and Brooke Lynn (4 I think). Jason is a loving husband and a caring father. Jayjaykapay was one of my groomsmen along with Tim VanBuskirk. Jason, Tim and I are The Three Amigos. Jason works at Professional Marketing International (PMI) and has done so for 5 years now. He is an internet marketing consultant. He learns quickly and has genuine concern for his clients. If I had to sum Jason up in one word, I would say friend. Jason is the most loyal guy I know. I am almost certain I can call Jason for anything and he would do his best to deliver the assistance I needed. He is a peacemaker (except in sports). He is loving. He is childlike, thus amazing with children. He loves to play sports, but has gained a bit of weight as he has gotten older (believe me I am not criticizing). He is a huge fan of Southern California sports; The California Angels (I refuse to call them the Los Angeles Angels), The Los Angeles Lakers and THE University of Southern California. He is one of the biggest San Francisco Forty-niner fans I know. He loves music and movies. I could probably go on and on. He is a good friend. It seems like I have been so busy lately and fear he will think I am not a good friend. I would do anything for him and his family though. I am happy to know Jason.

Golfing with Mike Hopkins and Jason Valderamma